Goat troubles...

[Ilovemyrooster]

I have four goats-Two Nigerian Dwarfs(Piper and Pan), a Myotonic cross(Carmel), and an Alpine/Nubian cross(Lola). All are does except for Pan, Nigerian buckling. I normally keep them penned up and only let them out in the pasture when I am outside working, and can supervise them-they can escape the fence if they try...I learned that the hard way. Well, unbeknownest to me one day this week while I was out(getting chicks in fact) all four of the goats got out of their pen and someone(I suspect Pan or Mel) got into the neighbors yard and nibbled on some of his newly-planted myrtle hedge. So as I was coming home I was stopped at the gate to my property by my neighbor who told me of this incident and informed me that "If your goats get on my property again I will use them as target practice" meaning, he'll shoot them. I KNOW I was in the wrong for this, but I personally looked at the damage to his hedge and it wasn't that bad-one small branch was broken on one bush and the bottom leaves were gone-top leaves still intact, plants perfectly upright, and only two of his about twenty plants were damaged at all. I told him I was sorry, it wouldn't happen again and haven't been in contact with him since, but I do see him driving by slowly sometimes as if looking to see if my goats escaped again. I can't help but feel his reaction was a little extreme. I secured the goat pen in ANY unsecure places(I still don't know how they got out) and for the past three days they have stayed in there. I am terrified they will get out again though-I've been going outside every five mins to make sure they are still there. Mostly I am worried about the Nigerian buckling. He is so small he could probably slip through the holes in the wire if he really tried. I'm not really sure why I am posting this, other than I feel like I need some support right now, maybe a little advice on anything else I can do to handle this? Here I've always thought the movies overdramatize the way people act when their gardens/plants are damaged by animals...haha.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

It's okay. Maybe put some hardware cloth or chicken wire on the outside of your wire fence so the little buckling cannot possibly squeeze through?


Oh and

 

[ksacres]

Quote:
Most states only have laws that allow shooting potentially dangerous animals (dogs/fox/cayote/etc). I'd call the police and tell them he's threatening your goats/potential cruelty to animals.

 

[reallemons1]

I understand how you feel. I had pony once who would get out of anything and then was really hard to catch. She got out twice and ran through neighbors yards and across the road and such causing trouble. Sounds like the neighbor overreacted a bit. He maybe just wanted to sound extra stern to get his point across. Could you run a couple strands of electric wire on the inside of your fence? One about at the goats chest and one at the top of the fence. It does a great job keeping mine away from the fence. Good Luck.

 

[justhatchin]

They are excape artists. They could possibly jump over. My pygmy does it all the time- knee high he is and probably 45 lbs. How he does it I cannot imagine but I have personally watched him. It is beautiful to watch him sail over but really makes me mad to find him in with my boers ladies chasing them around when they are 4 months pg instead of being with his girls who need breed.... Ssooo back to his covered pen he goes-Bad boy!!

 

[RockyToggRanch]

Plant people are as crazy about their plants as chicken people are about their chickens. Don't blame him for being protective of his babies. If it were his dog getting into your animals space you'd react the same way.

 

[agnes_day]

i feel for you! the one time my goats got loose, they were found across the street eating the neighbors porch railing!

luckily they werent home.
i would try to find a way to keep them in..i would be mad too if some animals came along and tried to eat my plants.

 

[abluechipstock]

get some regular goat panels and put them up, i use the combination cattle panels, they have small holes on the bottom and get bigger as the go up

 

[FlightsofFancy]

I would handle this assertivly. Write your neigbor an apoligy and let him know that your animals escaping was an accident and you will do everything under your power to make sure they do not visit his property again. Remind him that killing said animals is against the law (most of the time a FELONY!) and his threats will not be tollerated. Print up the portion of the law in your area that addresses "killing a pet or livestock". You can contact animal control or the Sheriff for this information. Attach the copy to the note.
This will most likely shut him up and keep him out of your way.

Now, we all know goats get out....it's just a fact of life but we are still responsible for their actions. I must add that if your goats destroyed property while out, you really should offer to replace the bushes.
So sorry you have had to deal with this. Good luck!!!!

 

[agnes_day]

if he does that, then the guy can also retort with the fact that alot of places will allow him to actually take posession of the trespassing animals and have the police haul them off.