Need advice for goat housing and fence

[stilwellchick]

Okay goat owners, need some advice. I am planning to get a couple of Pygmies, a doe and wether. Would like to get the doe bred a year later. The shed/barn I have picked out is a 10X12' gambrel style with a loft for hay storage. My DH insists on a wood floor (city slicker) and I know it won't hold up to animal urine. I wanted no floor and use packed agricultural lime but he won't budge on this. I guess I could put vinyl remnants in it? What is everyone else using for fencing? So many people have told me nothing will hold them. I have been looking at cattle or hog fencing and I think I could run a single strand of hot wire around the outside due to coyotes in our area. I would really like to use solar powered hot wire and plan on doing a solar light inside also.
Thanks for any imput.

 

[tiffanyh]

My experience:

I have a vinyl floor in one house and no floor int he other. IMO, the shed with no floor is better. The vinyl held up for 2 years amybe, then they got a hold of a corner and started pulling it up. Just my experience.

As far as fencing, I am sure you know they are escape artists! I have a wire fence, my girlfriend and her husband have the electic fence--solar actually. They ended up having to put up the wire also since one particular goat would go through it daily!

Good luck! They are fun pets! I just love mine!

 

[helmstead]

I think you can find a solid piece of stall matting that will cover that size barn floor - so if it were me, I'd seal the wood, then lay a rubber mat over it.

We use dog fence for our goats and it works well (the 2" x 4" wire). The electric outside is a good idea - but I'd add another strand - do one about 4" off the ground and another a bit higher to prevent climbing.

 

[Moonwalker]

Let me know if you figure it out. I'd love to keep my Houdini in!

Seriously. I have cattle panels that I am using for a pen, but until my little runt Peewee grows a bit more, she just walks right through the squares! Her brother (wether) can't fit. They are only 2 months old now so maybe in another couple of weeks.
The cattle panels do not bend,(the wire itself) so they can't push them apart like regualr fence mesh. It also has a wire at ground level so they can't push under, which is where most goats get out. Also, make sure your gat is a good one and put some sort of apron in the gateway to prevent a rut forming. I have my pen held together at the corners and plan to be able to move it around. Instead of fence posts, I will have a couple of hoop stakes to each panel and pound them into the ground to prevent them raising it up. If it was permanant, I'd use fence posts and make sure it was secured at the bottom. I don't worry about the coyotes getting to them because the goat pen is next to the dog pen where my wolf lives! But I was thinking about running electric to (attempt to ) keep them from putting their heads through the fence and reduce the chance of them getting their horns stuck.

As for the floor in the barn, make sure you use a GOOD water seal product on it first them use the rubber mats made for horse stalls or trailers, with bedding on top of that. You should also plan on completely mucking it out 2-3 times a year, taking the mats up, and hosing/scrubbing the floor (depending on how much seepage you find)and let it air dry completely. For animals housing, if you HAVE to have a solid floor, concrete with rubber over it is the best. Wood WILL rot, hold moisture, be a breeding place for all sorts of mold, bacteria, bugs and of course ODORS! Much easier, healthier and safer to use a natural floor or concrete.

 

[stilwellchick]

Thank you all for your help. Does anyone have pics of their barn or fence? I will consider 2 strands of solar hot wire and look into stall mats. Concrete is really expensive now. Excellent advice about a rut forming at the gate area. I might look into some 12"X12" concrete patio pavers near the gate area. I am very diligent about keeping barns and coops clean and fresh. I always try to think these plans out well because it is easier to set up a system that works from the start than to try and go back and re-do what isn't working.

 

[Moonwalker]

Quote:
You do mean hot wire IN ADDITION to the mesh/hog panels, right? Cuz believe me, just plain hot wire will NOT keep them in! They will learn to go over under or through it!

 

[FarmGirl01]

I use woven wire fence to keep the goats in. It comes in a few sizes. The one I would get is the one with 4 inch squares. The field fencing has holes smaller at the bottom and larger towards the tops. My goats can get thru the larger holes as babies. Also with the 4 inch holes they can't get there heads thru the fence.
Goats are real bad about pushing and leaning on any fence. We used strong wood post and "t" post and woven wire. It has worked great and is holding up thru the years.
My pygmy/fainters can jump over the hog panels. The pure pygmy that I had was to little to jump over it. A hot wire on the top and bottem will do wonders at keeping them in.

 

[stilwellchick]

Did you use 4' fencing with 5' t-posts?

 

[FarmGirl01]

I used 5 ft field fencing (thats the smaller holes on bottom and larger on top) with 8 ft "T" post. It also has two strands of barbed wire on top. The "T" post are about 2 feet in the ground.

 

[FarmGirl01]

I'll try again for pics.