Will a barbed wire fence keep sheep in?

Will a barbed wire fence keep sheep in? We're going to find out! Jayce and I go around our existing fence in our back pasture and add strands of barbwire in an attempt to make the pasture "sheep tight" Will 8 strands be enough?
Chapters:
00:00 Fencing begins at the south end of the pasture
Of course the most ideal fence for sheep that I know of is literally called "sheep fence." Small squares of woven wire help keep predators out, and sheep in. The downside to this type of fence is COST, it is so expensive. And in our case, we already had an existing perimeter fence to work with, so to put up sheep fence would have been even more work because we would have had to remove the barbwire that is already up to be able to stretch it properly.
Another option a lot of people use that is very popular these days is electric fence, more specifically electric netting. I have heard this works well for sheep but I don't have any personal experience with it. This is definitely a viable option that I strongly considered, however there was another option that made the most sense for us.
As I explain in the video the perimeter of this pasture is already fenced in with varying strands of barbwire, anywhere from 3-7 strands. Our neighbors raised sheep for many years using only 8 strands of barbwire around their perimeter with great success. When we were presented with an entire pallet of barbwire for only $1,480 (half the price of new) we jumped on the opportunity and got to work adding to our fence.
Time will tell if we made the right call! For now, our sheep seem to have no trouble respecting the fences. I believe the true test will be during lambing season to see if this wire will contain tiny lambs. I will be sure to post an update for you!

[@senecaacresfarm5050]

My biggest concern with barbed wire would be if they decide one day that it would be a good spot to scratch an itch and get their fleeces thoroughly stuck to the barbs. 🤞That doesn’t happen!

[@FulbrightFarmstead]

Oh that is definitely a legitimate concern. I think in this larger area though they *should* be pretty safe. I could definitely see that being an issue in a smaller area maybe? My neighbors have raised sheep for a long time and 8 strand barbwire is what they used with no issues. Fingers crossed it goes that way for me as well! What kind of fencing do you use for your sheep?

[@quailjailss]

I remember someone with suffolks said that theirs stayed in a barbed wire fence

[@FulbrightFarmstead]

So far so good here, we haven't had any issues or escapees!