Goat Pen :B

[tdhondt]

Saw the panels in the link; that's the kind I use too....and that's a far better price than my local farm store sells for too...about $35 ea last time I looked. I noticed that this company is out of PA...is there not a place in FL near you that you could purchase from? Check Lowe's or Home Depot for the 4x4's and tpost. Tposts should run about $4-5 average, but don't really need the heavy duty post. 4x4 will be a little more. For the tposts, they make a wire tie already shaped to go around them, or could just use a bag of chain link wire ties and bend yourself. Shouldn't be much of a cost difference in those. If you use tpost, get or borrow a tpost driver; it will save time and your back versus driving one with a 3 plus pound sledge hammer. I have one and it is handy and wellworth it since I tend to redesign and add fencing every now and then.

Either the tposts or 4x4's at each corner would be fine. But also put whatever you're using at each 8' point along the panels as they will give and sway some. Mix the posts if you want, the 4x4 on the corners and for a gate and tpost at the 8ft points. I prefer 4x4's for my fencing (now use one to hang my gate) but I use tposts for the fencing because it so much easier to drive a tpost in the sand here than it is to try to dig a hole in sand! That said I can get the tpost all set level vs. the digging holes and the sand keeps sliding back in the hole and I end up scooping the sand out and make it deeper by hand or with a garden tool. But my 4x4's that I have are 8' long and I set them 3' in the ground and don't use concrete and they hold my gates fine. The gates I use are either a chain link walk thru gate or a 4' aluminum or galvanized field gate with a peice of 2x4 fencing tied over the bars to prevent escape. Also, not using concrete makes it easier for me to move and redesign if I need.
The next thing I need to build is a feeder or barrier for my goats to keep them from walking in the feed trough and across their food...something they can get their head through and not the rest of the body! I've been putting it off because work and the weather has caused delays, but today looks like a good day to build.

Check craigslist in your surrounding areas for supplies as well. You may come across something that you need or something that may come in handy.
Good luck on your fence building and let us know how it turns out.

 

[scrambledmess]

We used wood posts on the corners (placed in the ground with sand) and T posts to secure in the middle with 16' cattle panels. It is a very sturdy little pen. But our pygmies walk right through the holes in it. Fortunately someone is out most of the day with them as they just run loose.

Last night after we put them back in their pen for the night, I huge storm went through. We found them in our garage this morning. They went in thru the doggie door.

 

[Rin]

Quote:
AUGH! I didn't even realize how insane the shipping was going to be and no I can't just go to lowes and buy things - I need to have them shipped - I drive not only a car but a two door one at that. Try fitting something 16ft in something like... half that length and driving it about 25minutes to get home. XD Delivery is my only option - not to mention the lowes out here only sells rolls of livestock fencing...

No panels. At all. I even had to be clever with the Hardware cloth they had to make my chicken run because it doesn't even come as tall as I needed it :'(

 

[Thomas423]

Quote:
Why do people keep not reading the part about the legs of that being OUTSIDE the pen?

No offence it's just despite me stating that from the get-go people keep saying that.

You're the third.

I just reread the original post. Sorry for the misunderstanding. You do state that the shade is 10x10 and you wish to build the pen 10x12 or 10x15. It still amazes me how goats can get to things that are outside of their pen and pull it though.

To answer your question though, we built part of our goat pen using 4x4's for the corners and landscaping timbers for the inner posts (every 8 feet). Then we attached heavy gauge wire fencing and used 2x4's as the runner boards. There is a 2x4 along the top, bottom and middle. We did have to add another 2x4 runner between the middle and bottom runners because they like to rub along the fence and the wire was going to bow. It looks good and didn't cost very much. They do not chew on wood so we painted it brown with the porch paint from Wal-Mart (cheap). I also painted the 4x4's and timbers before putting them up.

That is the section that divides our back yard and has a gate. The rest of their pen is the fence that goes around the whole back yard. Wooden picket fence panels (42" x 8', $20.00 each) with wire fencing hung so that it extends about a foot higher than the fence. The wire fence was added because I have a fence jumping dog and it works to keep the goats in too. The 100' roll of wire was cheap.

The only problem we had with escapes was before we rebuilt the divider fence. We just had wire and after about 2 years, they learned they could "roll" under the wire. Once they learned that, there was no keeping them in their pen. They were still inside the fenced backyard but they kept knocking on the back door and eating my lawn cushions.

So that is 2 different, inexpensive, secure ways to keep them in. Please, consider building it larger. They will be okay in a smaller area, but they do like to "roam" around by nature.

I can take and upload pics, if this is a method that interests you.

Anne

 

[Rin]

Quote:
Why do people keep not reading the part about the legs of that being OUTSIDE the pen?

No offence it's just despite me stating that from the get-go people keep saying that.

You're the third.

I just reread the original post. Sorry for the misunderstanding. You do state that the shade is 10x10 and you wish to build the pen 10x12 or 10x15. It still amazes me how goats can get to things that are outside of their pen and pull it though.

To answer your question though, we built part of our goat pen using 4x4's for the corners and landscaping timbers for the inner posts (every 8 feet). Then we attached heavy gauge wire fencing and used 2x4's as the runner boards. There is a 2x4 along the top, bottom and middle. We did have to add another 2x4 runner between the middle and bottom runners because they like to rub along the fence and the wire was going to bow. It looks good and didn't cost very much. They do not chew on wood so we painted it brown with the porch paint from Wal-Mart (cheap). I also painted the 4x4's and timbers before putting them up.

That is the section that divides our back yard and has a gate. The rest of their pen is the fence that goes around the whole back yard. Wooden picket fence panels (42" x 8', $20.00 each) with wire fencing hung so that it extends about a foot higher than the fence. The wire fence was added because I have a fence jumping dog and it works to keep the goats in too. The 100' roll of wire was cheap.

The only problem we had with escapes was before we rebuilt the divider fence. We just had wire and after about 2 years, they learned they could "roll" under the wire. Once they learned that, there was no keeping them in their pen. They were still inside the fenced backyard but they kept knocking on the back door and eating my lawn cushions.

So that is 2 different, inexpensive, secure ways to keep them in. Please, consider building it larger. They will be okay in a smaller area, but they do like to "roam" around by nature.

I can take and upload pics, if this is a method that interests you.

Anne

Ahh I see and sorry for sounding so annoyed XD It's just - I felt like I was being called stupid. Like someone throwing a blanket in there and being surprised when it gets chewed and soiled on and such by goats XD. Granted, I WAS tempted to try for a house goat. There was a very nice photo-article about a lady who lived in an apartment but still raised chickens, six dairy goats, and even a pig to slaughter out her very small rented home and it actually worked and was surprisingly clean looking - she kept the hens in the small bit of land - seems to keep the goats inside her home(which house train easier than dogs I hear), and had a milk stand she had made I believe against a wall in what looks like her kitchen? http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1914584,00.html Heck, I'm tempted as it is to keep my milkstand in the kitchen and just walk them up my steps to milk in the morning. Or better yet make a lil passage way so they can trot up the steps themselves for a milking and slide the door open to welcome them.

and the actual written part - http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1914991,00.html

As for that though! Pictures would be nice

 

[tdhondt]

Geez Rin, shipping will easily make the panels or items cost more than themselves. If it were me, faced with having to have all the items shipped in, I would explore other options then...delivery or pickup method...or I'd re-evaluate the fencing options. Either I would find a friend with a pickup and/or trailer to help pick the stuff up or borrow it and top their gas tank off when done. Make a shopping list to get all the items (for fencing, posts and shelter materials) at one time. Or if having to shop at Lowes (for example, I know they don't have the livestock panels) and change from panels to rolled fencing and pay to have all the stuff delivered. Besides if wanted to make that pen just a little bigger one day in the future, there would be some leftover roll of fencing already at home to do so with & wouldn't have to wait for another delivery date.

Call around and check with the different stores around (Ace hardware, building supply stores, Tractor Supply, farm & garden stores etc) to see what they have & if they provide shipping; some places have a price per mile delivery or a flat fee. It has to be a lot cheaper to go this route than to have panels shipped in from a company out of PA and tposts from somewhere else, etc, etc. Or lay the seats down in the car and fit stuff in and bring home as you can...A roll fencing sticking out of the trunk, tied down, will be easier than a 16 ft panel of course, or posts running from front to back seat sticking out the window a little

I've brought home 2x4's this way in a Sentra before; have to get creative sometimes to keep it cost efficient.
Thomas423 idea of picket fence sounds nice too. If you are handy with tools or have someone who is, may consider the idea of building those. Stores will also cut would to your desired length. Have them cut to size, stuff in the car/trunk and bring them home, nail or screw together and attach to 4x4 posts. Paint them for a clean, finished look.

You mentioned that it was a 25 min drive to home...you can't be that remote in FL that a place would not deliver for a fee. You'd come out better than ordering out of state and having stuff delivered by a semi or cargo box type truck; which is how panels or oversized items would be delivered. I don't know if that's something UPS or Fed Ex would deliver. The last idea I have is finding a car rental place that rents pickup trucks or rent a small uhaul truck (day rental). There are many different ways to build this fence and I personally would strive to go the most cost-efficient route than to pay more than necessary on delivery fees and get more for my money.
Fortunately now I own a truck, but have done all these: borrowed trucks and wiggled things into my car and rented a little uhaul in the past to get the things I needed. How much longer till the goats are due?
Teresa

 

[Rin]

Quote:
I've actually had to fold tin roofing in half to get it home for my rabbits' enclosures in the past. Rolled up fencing would NOT be an issue for me to get home - nor would 6ft tposts... it's just 16ft cattle panels are a HUGE no way in HECK. XD I've been haunting CraigsList for materials in my area and though a lot of listings offer the items as being dropped off - none of the ones even remotely describing what I want/need are. Even found fencing on there - but they wanted you to not only haul it off for them but dig it up for them too and even fill in the holes! No way in heck.

Thankfully, the goats in question wont even be born until August and I wont be bringing them home until October - BUT I am going to check out the pregnant mommies this Wednesday and trust me I'll be taking a LOT of pictures of not only the mommies but the enclosures the breeder is using along with pictures of whatever they give the goats to climb on

Here's hoping for more ideas and inspiration. I love the lady I'm getting them from as she offered to show me how to trim their hooves and answer/help with any issues I may have.

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

One question that not been raised...aren't you concerned about the bears killing the goats? The pens that are being suggested won't stop a bear.


Jean

 

[Rin]

Quote:
Nothing'll stop a bear. But these are black bear - ones kept to manageable numbers so they are indeed /terrified/ of humans. Even with my rabbit hutch and chicken coop /right there/ when one got close enough - all it did was crap between my car and my stoop then ran off. I've had WAY more hassle from the hawks - even the coons out here wont even go /near/ peoples houses because of certified coon hunters out here blowing them away almost every night (you can hear them in the woods...)

I've never actually /seen/ them they're so reclusive. Just their "tracks" (bear crap and one got in the shed cause I left it open on accident and it ate the chicken feed - before my dog ran it off)