Quick answer: Net-wrapped hay is fine for sheep and goats — as long as you remove every bit of the net wrap before they reach the bale. Net wrap is polyethylene mesh, not feed; small ruminants have smaller digestive systems than cattle, so a smaller amount of swallowed plastic can cause trouble, and curious goats and exploratory lambs and kids are quick to mouth loose scraps. Two more small-ruminant specifics matter: wool breeds risk fleece contamination from wrap fragments, and standard cattle bale rings waste hay and let goats climb in. Use a small-ruminant feeder, limit round-bale access for sheep, and pick up every scrap of wrap before turning animals in.
Round bales are an efficient way to winter a flock or herd, and most of that hay arrives held together with net wrap. The recurring question among shepherds and goat keepers is a fair one: is feeding net-wrapped hay to sheep and goats safe? The hay itself is; the wrap is the issue, and small ruminants interact with it differently than cattle do.
This guide covers what makes sheep and goats a special case, whether they will eat net wrap, how to remove it properly, the feeders that actually work for small stock, and how to cut hay waste. For the deep mechanics of what swallowed wrap does in a ruminant gut, we lean on our companion cattle article and on small-ruminant feeding guidance from University of Maryland Extension.
How this differs from feeding cattle
The core hazard of net wrap — indigestible polyethylene accumulating in the digestive tract — is the same across ruminants, and we cover that mechanism and its warning signs in depth in our article on cattle eating net wrap. Rather than repeat it, here is what is different about sheep and goats:
- Smaller digestive systems. A sheep or goat has a far smaller rumen than a cow, so a relatively small amount of swallowed plastic represents a much bigger share of the gut — the margin for error is thinner.
- Browsing and selective behavior. University of Maryland Extension notes that goats are "natural browsers" that select feed item by item, and sheep are "excellent weed eaters." That picky, manipulative feeding style means small ruminants work the ends of a bale and can pull loose threads in a way placid cattle often do not.
- Goat curiosity and young-stock chewing. Goats are notorious for mouthing and chewing unfamiliar objects, and lambs and kids explore by chewing — so a scrap of net wrap on the ground is more likely to be investigated.
- Wool. Fiber breeds add a contamination pathway cattle simply do not have (more on this below).
Can sheep and goats eat net wrap?
They should never get the chance to. Sheep will not usually seek out net wrap, but as active selectors at the bale face they can pull loose mesh while feeding; goats are more likely to actively mouth and chew it. Either way, fragments end up on the ground and get picked up over days and weeks. Because the plastic does not break down, it can accumulate and contribute to digestive blockage — and in a small rumen, it takes less to matter.
Young stock are the highest-risk group. Lambs and kids investigate novel material by chewing, so loose wrap around a feeder is especially dangerous to them. And note that baler twine (polypropylene) carries the same impaction risk as net mesh — if you buy in twine-tied bales, treat the strings exactly the same way. For the symptoms of impaction to watch for and the gut-level detail, see the cattle net-wrap article; the signs translate directly to small ruminants.
Removing net wrap on a small-ruminant operation
The rule is simple and absolute: all wrap off, all scraps collected, before animals reach the bale. A quick routine that works for small flocks and herds:
- Unwrap away from the feeding area so shed mesh does not end up where animals will be. Roll or cut the net off completely — see how to remove net wrap safely.
- Check the bale ends and core for buried mesh, which is easy to miss on a tightly wrapped bale.
- Bag the wrap immediately. Do not drape it on a fence or leave it on the ground — goats will find it.
- Never feed or grind a bale with the net still on. If you process bales for a mixer, removing wrap first is critical; see grinding bales with net wrap on.
- Sweep the feeding area for stray fragments before turning animals in, especially where young stock are housed.
Feeders that work for sheep and goats
Feeder choice is where small-ruminant management really diverges from cattle — and it solves the wrap-litter problem and the waste problem at the same time.
Why cattle rings usually do not work
Standard cattle round-bale rings have openings sized for a cow's head and a high bottom rail. Sheep and goats either waste enormous amounts of hay reaching through, or — in the case of goats, which Maryland Extension notes are "particularly adept at getting into feeders and on top of feed" — simply climb in and foul the bale. You want a feeder with closer bar spacing, a lower feeding height, and ideally a solid lower panel or hay-saver skirt that catches what they pull out. Compare designs in our round-bale feeder types guide.
Feeder space matters more than you think
Per University of Maryland Extension, plan on roughly 16–20 inches of feeder space per adult ewe or doe, and 9–12 inches per lamb or kid. Too little space pushes timid and younger animals off the feeder, so they do not get their share — a hidden cost that shows up later as uneven condition.
The fleece-contamination pathway (wool breeds)
This is the small-ruminant risk that no cattle guide covers. Maryland Extension advises that "for fiber-producing sheep and goats, feeders which minimize fleece contamination should be used." Net-wrap fragments around a feeder can work into a fleece during feeding; when the animal self-grooms — or when flockmates nibble around the area — those fragments can be ingested, and they also downgrade the wool clip. A feeder with a solid lower panel that keeps litter off the wool, plus diligent scrap collection, protects both the animal and the fleece.
Managing hay waste with round bales
Small ruminants tend to pull hay and back away rather than push into a bale, so without a good feeder a lot of hay hits the ground — and on the ground it is both wasted and a disease risk. University of Maryland Extension is blunt that "feeding on the ground can also spread diseases," and warns never to feed pregnant ewes or does on the ground, where abortion-causing organisms spread. A few principles keep losses down:
- Always feed from a feeder, not the ground. It is the single biggest waste-and-health lever. Research comparing feeder designs has found waste ranging from just a few percent with a solid-bottomed, well-designed feeder to half or more of the bale with no feeder at all.
- Limit round-bale access for sheep. Maryland Extension notes mature sheep with free-choice hay "will usually eat more than they need," so over-fat ewes (and the lambing trouble that follows) are a real risk — restrict feeder time rather than leaving a bale open around the clock.
- Start with a quality bale. Hay stored outside can lose 20–50% of its dry matter, per Maryland Extension. A tight, net-wrapped bale that shed weather and was kept off the ground simply has more good hay in it to begin with — see our round-bale storage guide and the case for full-surface coverage in reducing round-bale feeding waste.
Frequently asked questions
Can sheep eat net wrap?
Sheep will not usually go looking for net wrap, but they are selective feeders that work the bale face and can pull loose mesh, dropping fragments that get ingested over time. Wool breeds face the added risk of fleece contamination. Remove all wrap and collect scraps before feeding.
Can goats eat net wrap, and are they more at risk than sheep?
Goats are curious browsers that readily mouth and chew unfamiliar materials, so they are at least as likely as sheep — arguably more so — to ingest loose net wrap. Kids are especially prone to exploratory chewing. Keep all wrap and scraps out of their reach.
What round-bale feeder works best for sheep and goats?
Use a small-ruminant feeder with closer bar spacing, a lower feeding height, and a solid lower panel or hay-saver skirt to catch pulled hay. Standard cattle rings waste hay and let goats climb in. Allow 16–20 inches of feeder space per adult and 9–12 inches per lamb or kid.
How much hay waste should I expect feeding round bales to sheep?
Feeder type is the biggest variable. Feeder-comparison research shows waste can range from a few percent with a solid-bottomed, well-designed feeder to over half the bale with no feeder at all. Because small ruminants pull and back away, catching dropped hay matters — feed only what the group cleans up in a day or two.
Will net wrap contaminate my wool clip?
Yes — this is a risk cattle producers do not face. Wrap fragments around a feeder can embed in a fleece during feeding and then be ingested during grooming, while also downgrading the wool. Use a feeder with a solid lower panel to keep litter off the fleece, and collect every scrap of wrap before turning sheep in.
The bottom line
Feeding net-wrapped hay to sheep and goats is safe and routine — the discipline is all in the handling. Remove every bit of net wrap and twine and collect the scraps before animals reach the bale, feed from a small-ruminant feeder rather than the ground, give each animal enough feeder space, and guard wool breeds against fleece contamination. Their smaller guts and curious mouths leave less room for error than a cow's, so a tidy feeding area is the best protection you can give them.
It all starts with a clean, tight bale that holds together through handling and feed-out. Explore XES® Extreme bale net wrap for bales that stay intact with less loose mesh, or compare options in our best bale net wrap guide.
Sources: University of Maryland Extension small-ruminant program (Susan Schoenian), "Introduction to Feeding Small Ruminants," "General Guidelines for Feeding Sheep and Goats," and "Coping with High Feed Costs" (sheepandgoat.com, accessed June 11, 2026); HayTalk.com alfalfa-hay forum, "Weedy hay, what to do with it?" (#100252), accessed June 11, 2026. This article is general guidance, not veterinary advice — consult your veterinarian for your animals.
Featured photo: Sheep feeding at a hay rack by Philip Halling, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
