New Goat Setup for Brush Clearing

[Aunt Angus]

In terms of shelter space, that seems to be plenty. I have a 10x16 (roughly) space for my goats, they have a favorite corning, take up about 1/4 of it. The chickens use the rest. It IS important you have a way for them to sleep up off the ground, and you need a way to provide them goat mineral that won't get wet.

When I was dealing (still am, really) with some of my thickets, there was no way you could put down fencing or stretch netting - it was just too dense. I ended up using screw in nylon insulators which I simply twisted into convenient trees, then wired those up with high tensile steel wire.

View attachment 3222672
For small lengths, you can easily strain the wire by hand, using the donuts at corenrs and ends - wrap two or threee times at the end, then "roll" the donut while keeping tension. Not as good as a pulley, but the extra friction helps keep things taught while you secure the wire.

View attachment 3222673

otherwise, strainers.

My longest single wire runs are around 700 feet - those need strainers.

Hope that helps.

I may bug you about this. There is one area on my property that I think I would need the high tensile wire for because there are a gazillion downed trees. I may knock on your proverbial door once we get to that area.

Hope that's ok....

 

[Vadard]

I have 4 goats who are brushers. They have access to the woods all day. I use electric netting up and down ravines, over fallen trees, around boulders. But the wire setup is great! I may have need for that the further they get into the brush.

My lil herd has access to hay in a pasture feeder. And I feed them a handful of grain, probiotics, and goat balancer at night before locking them up in their shed. They have a 10x10 shed with a 10x15 covered rain out. They sleep in about 1/4th of the space. They cram in there in a big pile. Hilarious! Gotta lock them up behind an electric fence here because of mountain lions.

No need to worm unless they show symptoms. Brushers have better gut health than dry lot goats, according to my vet, so they have an easier time fighting off worms. And they don't eat off the ground since they are foraging, so it prevents them from eating worm eggs that are scattered via their feces.

Check with your friend about resistence in your area as well as selenium levels in your soil. Where I live, there is a selenium deficiency, and since the majority of their feed is from that soil, my girls need supplementation, along with the copper.

My goats are the easiest animals I own (so far - knock on wood). They help with wildfire prevention, provide entertainment, and give lots of companionship! Only time they are difficult is for their hoof trimmings- lol!
View attachment 3223523

Awesome tips. Thanks so much! What breed are your goats?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Awesome tips. Thanks so much! What breed are your goats?

Mine are mutts! Any combination of the following: Boer, Nigerian Dwarf, and Nubian.

 

[Gizabelle]

When I was dealing (still am, really) with some of my thickets, there was no way you could put down fencing or stretch netting - it was just too dense. I ended up using screw in nylon insulators which I simply twisted into convenient trees, then wired those up with high tensile steel wire.

View attachment 3222672
For small lengths, you can easily strain the wire by hand, using the donuts at corenrs and ends - wrap two or threee times at the end, then "roll" the donut while keeping tension. Not as good as a pulley, but the extra friction helps keep things taught while you secure the wire.

View attachment 3222673

otherwise, strainers.

My longest single wire runs are around 700 feet - those need strainers.

Hope that helps.

We have used a similar approach for rotational browse for a few years now. The only difference in our setup was the use of polywire instead of steel wire. We've used countless trees but also T-posts for corners and the little step in plastic insulator poles for greater distances. It has worked well for us (goats and mini pigs) and the polywire is super easy to roll up on a cord reel and put right back out in another location.

Bonus, the stretch is super convenient. Just unplug the charger and lift or lower lines as needed to work on something in the space. The dogs have learned that when we step on the lower line and lift the other lines for them to follow, we are using our human super powers to overcome the evil nose biter string, and will skitter right through... they will not go close to it unless invited like this.

 

[kcan2]

Ok, this thread is making me want to get goats. I'm not sure if I should just avoid the thread or go ahead and buy some fencing and some goats. Just out of curiosity, I would like to ask if they are easy animals to leave for a few days, or must they always be locked up at night? Sorry for "butting in" on this goat thread! (And for the dad joke)

 

[Vadard]

We have used a similar approach for rotational browse for a few years now. The only difference in our setup was the use of polywire instead of steel wire. We've used countless trees but also T-posts for corners and the little step in plastic insulator poles for greater distances. It has worked well for us (goats and mini pigs) and the polywire is super easy to roll up on a cord reel and put right back out in another location.

Bonus, the stretch is super convenient. Just unplug the charger and lift or lower lines as needed to work on something in the space. The dogs have learned that when we step on the lower line and lift the other lines for them to follow, we are using our human super powers to overcome the evil nose biter string, and will skitter right through... they will not go close to it unless invited like this.

Love the poly wire idea. Thanks!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Ok, this thread is making me want to get goats. I'm not sure if I should just avoid the thread or go ahead and buy some fencing and some goats. Just out of curiosity, I would like to ask if they are easy animals to leave for a few days, or must they always be locked up at night? Sorry for "butting in" on this goat thread! (And for the dad joke)

It depends, I think. I could, in theory, leave my girls for a few days because they have access to tons of forage and an auto refilling trough, but I MUST lock them up at night due to our predator situation (mountain lions are terrifying). I know in some areas, folks don't have to lock them in at night.

Besides predators, the issues with leaving them have to do with escapes and illness/rumen problems. They are very good at escaping, and our fence has been knocked down multiple times in the last year due to falling branches. Also, if they get overeating disease, for example, you'll come home to a dead goat because it kills very, very quickly.

 

[Gizabelle]

Knowing the poisonous plants in your area is key also. I nearly lost one a few years ago when he found a patch of bracken fern and developed a taste for it. He started showing signs of polio and I had to give him countless Thiamine injections to get him through it (and we got lucky). I ended up pulling all the bracken fern from the area, and had to go back periodically to check for new shoots.
So much for letting the goats handle all the land clearing...

 

[Aunt Angus]

Knowing the poisonous plants in your area is key also. I nearly lost one a few years ago when he found a patch of bracken fern and developed a taste for it. He started showing signs of polio and I had to give him countless Thiamine injections to get him through it (and we got lucky). I ended up pulling all the bracken fern from the area, and had to go back periodically to check for new shoots.
So much for letting the goats handle all the land clearing...

We pull the bracken fern, too. Good point.

Also, find out if they are used for brush now. Goats who are not used to tons of lush, green vegetation can have rumen problems. If they aren't brushers currently, slowly introduce them to it. Have them eat long stem hay before letting them out to pasture. Limit their time out to under an hour at first and build up. You can also cut branches and vines and feeding themin smaller quantities at first. Gotta build up that gut bacteria.

But - honestly- they've been super easy so far (again, knock on wood) and have pretty inexpensive upkeep. I HIGHLY recommend them!!!!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I may bug you about this. There is one area on my property that I think I would need the high tensile wire for because there are a gazillion downed trees. I may knock on your proverbial door once we get to that area.

Hope that's ok....

Sure. I cut a narrow path thru my mess with loppers and a chain saw, rolled out the wire, tensioned, connected the electric. Nothing to it.