Fencing in Goats

[annanicole18]

i'm just about ready to really start searching for the perfect goat for me and my hubby. i'm hoping to get a nice nubian doe to use for dairy. my question is all the book conflict on whats the best fencing i was hoping to do something kind of temporary since i hope to move to more land in the next couple years and was thinking of using an electric fence. would four strands with the bottom at 5 inches the next 12 inches from that and so on but am worried that it wouldnt work. would regular wire work or would the ribbon fencing work better? i've been trying to get everything ready and want to beable to get a fence set up pretty fast if i find the right girl. thanks

 

[amysue2012]

LOL if you find something that works I would love to know about it. We've got something similar to what your talking but ours is 7 strings of electric fence on a solar charger. If you touch it with your bare hand its enough that you wont ever do it again...anyhow the goats are always out. They have an acre (2 nubian and 2 sonan) and its still not good enough for them. Im about ready to just tie them to T-posts so they dont eat my garden again this year.

 

[Chicken Fruit]

They make electric netting fence for goats and sheep. Maybe try that... but honestly short of chain link and solid wood theres not much that'll keep a determined goat contained.

I really dont care what any book says, everyone in my area with back yard goats keeps them on pickets with calf boxes or big dog houses. They're moved daily and all seem to be healthy and happy. As long as theres nothing to hang themselves up on they seem to do well.

Here's that netting

http://www.maxflex.com/Nets_page1.HTM

 

[Chirpy]

First - make sure you get TWO goats. They will keep each other company and be less likely to want to get out of the fencing.

I haven't used electric fencing with my goats. I've heard some people use it and it worked and some people used it and it didn't. So, I'm guessing it's kinda going to depend on the personalities of your goats and how much they want out.

I will say that you want to do your fencing right the first time, put the money into it to begin with... you won't regret that. However, since you do want to be able to move the fencing in the future you might want to consider hog fencing that can be easily put in place with T-posts and then moved whenever.

 

[RlgNorth]

We have two goats, we keep them in horse field fence, we dont keep anything close to the fence so they cna't climb out and they have never gotten out. It kindof on the pricy side(well up here it is)but works great! you can get I think 50ft here for under 200 dollars.

 

[zatsdeb]

we use 5 ft. high welded wire, think it is 2" X 4" and has worked great for 3 years.
also we have wood post...steel post....wood post....etc..
so when they do lean on the fence and rub against it, they don't knock it over. they have so much area though that they don't rub that much against it.

plus, if they have horns, no stuck heads in the fence.

 

[karen71]

Don't use the netting fence
I bought it so I could move the goats around the woods so they could eat the brush- but my boy can get out then the doe follows- now they are stuck in there pen
silly goats

 

[cassie]

Really the simplest thing to use to keep in goats is livestock panel. It comes in sixteen foot lengths and is easy to move. And you do need two goats. One goat alone is miserable. And chances are it will manage to make you miserable too.

 

[annanicole18]

i'm planning on getting either a mini donkey or a mini horse to keep her company thanks for the help it looks like i will be trying the wire electric and might just end up tethering them

i would just tether them but i want some kind of safety barrier if someones dogs get out

 

[zatsdeb]

Quote:
you need to be careful with a miniature donkey, they can kill a goat playing with them, they play rough, and kick also. we don't let ours together, our jenny sometimes for short periods of time but we have to watch her.
NEVER when the goats have little ones.