yes, they can....

If your question is.... Can my sheep actually breed thru the fence? My answer is yes, they can.
Somehow, they also manage to do this deed while the shepherd has a house full of city relatives....and a new client on the phone.
"Look! That ram must be out....he is mounting that ewe.....Oh No! Is that the "old lady?" He's getting that old-lady, Mom, we're going out to catch him." When I did get off the phone, which audible content would confuse even an experienced shepherd.....I found my family standing around in wonder. Only an 8 year old ewe could back up to a young ram's fencing in such a way that he could get not only his front legs thru the fence and onto the ewe....but also the other inportant equipment.
Well, I wasn't going to breed Kitty, one of my first three ewes, and already eight going on nine. However, Kitty decided that since I was free to sell off her only remaining daughter this week....Kitty could breed again. I hope she gets a daughter. We let her inside the ram's pen, and returned to our Thanksgiving activities. Those activities mostly involved eating. Mixed with a little dowsing and digging in the dirt. At least it wasn't the "old-lady, Dawn, she is 13 going on 14....and her friend, Maeve, a spry 11 going on 12 was cycling this week. I had to go outside in the dark and drag Maeve bodily away from the ram pen and into the "safe" night pasture.
Yup, time to put the rams away for the season.....before any more spry "old-ladies" get the idea.