OK Goat People, I Need Your Advice!

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That's exactly what we use. You will not be disappointed once you have it up. For nice corner posts, contact your local electric co-op to see if they have some old poles. Ours will give them away for free if you pick them up. Plus, the hi-tensile with 3-4 strains with juice on them will keep your goats in AND keep predators out.
 
Oh, but one thing I've been told OVER and OVER again, goats HATE, and I mean HATE, rain. So you really need to build them some kind of shelter out there too. After being told this a million times, I went and looked it up. Apparently, it's because their hooves are really porous and if they stay out in the rain too long, they can get some horrible hoof infections which go all the way to the bone and is nearly impossible to treat, so you just wind up euthanizing all of your goats. Goats are instinctively afraid of rain.
 
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That's exactly what we use. You will not be disappointed once you have it up. For nice corner posts, contact your local electric co-op to see if they have some old poles. Ours will give them away for free if you pick them up. Plus, the hi-tensile with 3-4 strains with juice on them will keep your goats in AND keep predators out.

I'm pretty sure this is what I've seen...
 
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It depends on the goat, but I've seen mine stand out in a rain shower and continue to graze. They are not afraid of the rain, but just like me and you, they just don't like to be wet sometimes. They do need a dry place to get and definitely should not be kept in muddy or constantly wet conditions. The hoof infection you referred to is probably hoof rot, which is treatable.
 
Barbed wire is not a good fence for goats. At all. Not added to another fence, not by it's self. I would completely not even consider using that. It's no good for them. It will not keep them in. Goats will try to get out of anything. So adding to the fact they will escape, you will have many injuries from them climbing, digging, jumping, or crawling out.

The wire, electic or not, may work. I don't really know. I have shyed away from the stuff because I also have horses. And it works like a cheeser grader if they run though it because of low visibility. Around here the best way to keep them in is 2"x4" fencing. It has to be sturdy, lots of posts and tight, an electric wire on top helps, and even better would be another electric strand about a foot off the ground on the inside.

I've had goats for years. I have yet to see a fence they will not escape eventually. They will loosen nails, dig holes, climb anything. The little stinkers. lol. We have some 6' high chainlink they can still get out. We had to pound iron bars into the ground every foot to keep them from digging out.

But my 2"x4" holds out the best for sure. The only problems we have is if they lean on it too much and bend it down, or if they loosen some nails and escape through a hole. The first was easily fixed with adding some electric. And the other is just basic fence checking.

It will keep predators out, and you can even keep chickens, rabbits, pigs, horses and dogs in. Just about anything. Love mine.

Oh I forgot to mention hog panels. They work too. Good for being able to move around fences, or for buck pens. But you have to make sure the ground is flat or again they will dig out. They can't climb over though or bend it. So it works great as well.

ETA: My goats hate rain. As with any animal you need to provide shelter.
 
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wow are they really that big of a pain to keep in a fence? i've been telling my hubby we can put a goat in the dog run as a joke, but that might be my best bet. how about "stacking" them out for a time under supervision?
 
They're not that much of a pain to keep fenced in, providing you have decent fencing and things for them to be interested in inside their yard/pasture. Mine have 2 little tykes type outdoor toys, a balance beam, a king-of-the-moutain type assortment of stumps, rocks, fallen down trees, etc - they don't ever try to get out (not to mention the shock they get if they try!)

You can stake them out (I think that's what you meant), but, yes, it should really be under supervision just in case. And putting them in a dog run is a possibilty too, assuming it's high enough and has shelter and enough space for them to play. Of course, if you have two goats in a 10x10 run they will get bored so daily walks are strongly recommended, just as you would with your dogs.
 
You do know that even if they do get out, they will come back. They know where the feed trough is. You just have to keep them off roads. Think of goats like free ranging chickens at times. They always come home for bed and feedtime. As long as they know you, where the barn is, and where the food is kept, and stay off the road, fencing issues are not all that hard to deal with.
 
We used field fence with two strands of barb wire on top. Worked great. Goats hate to get wet. Has nothing to do with their feet. Has a lot to do with the fact they are susceptible to pneumonia. Goats need shelter.
 
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That's true, but just like with free ranging chickens....there are also DOGS to be concerned with.
 

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