New Goat Setup for Brush Clearing

[Vadard]

I have a few acres of dense cutover that is completely choked-out with dense vegetation. I would love to clean it up, and I’ve also wanted to start keeping goats for a few years. As luck would have it, a neighbor a few miles down the road has a herd of goats, and I’m getting a few does from him in the next few months.

Here’s my plan for 3 small goats (NDGs or pygmies, not sure what will be available yet). I’d appreciate and constructive guidance or feedback from experienced goat people.

During the day, I want to let them browse in the thicket. I plan to contain them using either electrified poultry netting or livestock panels with electric wire top and bottom. (Lots of predators here.) Will provide water and a shelter of some sort at all times.

At night, I plan to keep them in a smaller, more secure pen with a hoop style shelter (PVC hoops with tarp stretched over it.) I’ll also feed them hay in this enclosure. Was planning on allowing them about 50 sf/goat, so I’ll probably built the pen to be 12x12 or a little larger.

How does this sound to you? And what am I forgetting?

Thanks!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

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.

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.

otherwise, strainers.

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

Hope that helps.

 

[saysfaa]

...hoop style shelter (PVC hoops with tarp stretched over it.)

Why are you thinking pvc hoops instead of cattle panels?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'm not a big proponent of routine prophylactics, I am a big proponent of quarantines. But if this guy is taking care of his animals, there's no harm in asking him what his deworming regimen is. Particularly when you have several species sharing the same space, who can potentially host parasites and the like to later share among the others. If you want to deworm when they begin their quarantine, it won't hurt. It just may not be necessary.

You should probably ask how they are getting their copper, too - since sheep can't eat goat mineral (too much copper, very bad for them!) - my guess is that he's using a bolus. You want to know how often he replaces those, and when they were last given, so you can have mineral ready for your new animals.

 

[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!!!!

 

[Vadard]

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.

Wow. I love the idea of using the steel wires — completely forgot about that option. I knew an old farmer who used the same method to keep his pigs in the woods where he wanted the soil tilled up and cleared out. Many thanks!

 

[Aunt Angus]

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!

 

[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)

 

[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.