Opinions on fencing for goats

[EggWalrus]

We have used concrete. Here winters get bad enough to heave everything every spring as stuff thaws out. Most posts need to be pounded back in. Maybe not every year. It all depends on where they are. You may not have the same problem where you are at.

Got a friend up north put in a fence and he said the posts would crawl out of the ground by themselves every winter. Freeze/thaw cycle. That's why there are build codes and when done to Local code, those problems can be avoided.

 

[sunrise.superman]

I used t-posts and non-climb/knotted horse fence to keep my 15-20 Boer herd in. They can't get their heads through and the knotted and NOT welded wire holds up for decades. I found welded wire to be pretty short-lived and fairly worthless overall. I used electric fencing, too and that worked on the horses and dogs but goats just scream their bloody heads off and go through anyway. Watched em do it. I even had an old school 15 acre zapper on less than 5 acres of fence and it didn't stop em. It would knock down an elephant otherwise, but goats, newp. Having good browse in summer and trees that shed leaves in fall is a good way to keep them busy. A patch or 3 of poison ivy is a treat for them, too.

 

[Julesstarohio56]

I don't have a lot of advice here since it is just a fence afterall- but definitely put 1/3-1/2 bag of easy-mix concrete in each post hole so they are super stable. You just hose it down mix it up and bury it and leave it. You need to build the fence as you go (including digging your holes)- if you dig all your holes first they will never line up!

As for staining them / making them look old (this works on all "new wood") - here's a super simple trick that works like a charm and is super cheap to boot-

Mix a plain brillo pad (no soap) with 1/2 gallon of cheap old white vinegar for around 8 hours (just overnight is fine, there is no exact science). You can break the brillo pad up however you need to get it into the vinegar container. In the morning, remove the brillo pad and mix 1/2 gallon of water to the vinegar (note that the vinegar may still be mostly clear or have a grey tint to it). Once you mix the water and the vinegar, stir it up good and that solution will looks like dirty water- but whatever wood that touches will turn grey in a matter of 10-15 minutes. It is super thin, so you just brush it on with a normal paintbrush- be generous with it so it goes in all the cracks and crevices. When you're done- the difference is night and day. Here's my barn I did with this before and after, and then my living room.

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Does that work on stained wood? We bought a log home and it’s just so orangey red. I’m speaking about the interior. Thanks for the tip. My fence posts are the ideal color.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Got a friend up north put in a fence and he said the posts would crawl out of the ground by themselves every winter. Freeze/thaw cycle. That's why there are build codes and when done to Local code, those problems can be avoided.

There are no building codes for fence post out in the country. especially for animals. We country folks are still smart enough to figure it out ourselves. Our frost line depth here is 6 feet. I'd like to see people putting in posts that deep with concrete. It isn't happening here. We did when we built our porch, but not for goat fencing.

 

[Birdsong 82]

There are no building codes for fence post out in the country. especially for animals. We country folks are still smart enough to figure it out ourselves. Our frost line depth here is 6 feet. I'd like to see people putting in posts that deep with concrete. It isn't happening here. We did when we built our porch, but not for goat fencing.

Frost line 6’ deep?! WOW! We have like 6” in Va

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Frost line 6’ deep?! WOW! We have like 6” in Va

Our water line from our well to house is 7 feet deep. Most years the frost doesn't get below 3-4 feet here, but occasionally it can get deeper. You probably don't need to worry about heaving.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Not to many requirements with A3 zoning as long as you own 5+ acres. I just purchased the house with 17.4 acres so I’m good. I think maybe structure sizes but not so much fencing. I would like to extend some fencing in the woods because they LOVE the brush. Like bush hogs.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Heaving?

Our water line from our well to house is 7 feet deep. Most years the frost doesn't get below 3-4 feet here, but occasionally it can get deeper. You probably don't need to worry about heaving.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Heaving?

When the frost comes out of the ground here in spring things get lifted up, and out of the ground. Fence posts sometimes rise 6 inches or more. Some stay pushed out, some settle back down without help.

 

[Birdsong 82]

No. Nothing like that to worry about here. I live where if we have the occasional morning in the winter below 15 they postpone school Too cold. Below freezing during the dead of winter during the day is not even common. Thank goodness

When the frost comes out of the ground here in spring things get lifted up, and out of the ground. Fence posts sometimes rise 6 inches or more. Some stay pushed out, some settle back down without help.