Best way to fence in goats?

[plumcreekfarm]

I want a secure, economical, fence. I have about 1000 feet to fence. Ideas?

[Tsadiyq]

:baby04:

I want to know too :0)

[uncle Will in In.]

I had about 30 goats in a pasture field that had 4 barb wires streched tight on T posts. The bottom wire was about six inches off the ground. I ran another barb on insulaters about six inches above that. The next regular barb was about 8 inches above the the hot barb. The two barbs above that were spaced about 9 inches apart. I guess that is really a total of 5 barbs. I had the hot barb on stand out insulaters. Goats are too smart to get burnt more than once. Keep an eye on them for a few hours to start. <> UNK

[Ken Scharabok]

Old saying about a goat proof fence. Build the fence and then throw a 5-gallon bucket of water against it. If any water gets through, it isn't goat proof.

[woodsman]

I went with 5 foot field fence. It's well stretched and even my biggest buck didn't try to jump over it.

[houndlover]

All of my goats can shinney through barb wire and jump 4' fencing. Electric doesn't even slow them down. I went with 5' wire. You have to weigh economical against them getting out.

[jd4020]

Welll, generally I don't use barb wire for my fences. Since I have raised regular milking goats, it's too much of a risk for cutting the udders. I would urge you not to use barb wire either. Goats can get tetnus very easily.
I have used woven wire with an electric wire running on top and another electric wire just down where they can't push on the fence. Worked well. Goats love to rub against the fence, thereby pushing it over.
My fences for the past 20 years has been heavy cattle panels and panels from old corn cribs (my fil had them laying around from one he tore down) -no electric wire on thiese. They are 5 feet tall and keep the majority of my girls where they are supposed to be, although, I've had a couple who could jump them when startled & scared. (like when the lawn mower goes by the pen) I keep the wire that holds the panels together neatly turned so there are no sharp edges for cutting anything--especially tender udders. And nothing that would allow them to get up on so they could jump out easier as well. That's all I've ever used for my girls.

[Jackie]

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

Old saying about a goat proof fence. Build the fence and then throw a 5-gallon bucket of water against it. If any water gets through, it isn't goat proof.

That's exactly what I was going to say....

[Ramblin Wreck]

I've got an eight strand barb wire fence that has been very effective. A kidd can sometimes get under one of the gates, but he/she is quick to yell if they can't get back to Mom.

[RiverPines]

We had barbed wire and it never worked. Now matter what the goats eventual reck it enough to get through. Plus I have had a bloody goat to many times because of pushing their head through it and then they cant get free and rip up their head and necks. We torn it all out of here and will never allow any barbed wire again.

The cheapest way if you dont have much cash is field fencing. But have those poles close together and that fencing pulled tight.
Thats what has held our goats for years.
We have had a few fence destroyers that wouldn't quit tearing up fencing and they became dinner. All the goats we have now dont tear up the field fencing.

Most of our goats have horns and only the horned ones have ever succeeded in tearing apart field fencing. The majority of our horned goats dont do that and live quite well with the fence.

The only goat proof fence that is guaranteed, an 8 foot solid concrete wall.

[big rockpile]

Originally Posted by woodsman

I went with 5 foot field fence. It's well stretched and even my biggest buck didn't try to jump over it.

This is what I did,plus couple strands of Barb Wire on top,never had a Goat out.

big rockpile

[DayBird]

cattle panels, posts every 8 feet, 4 1/2 feet tall with an electric tape on top and a hot wire about a 1 1/2 feet from the ground on standouts...

[mary,tx]

We started out about five years ago with field fencing which is now sagging and begging to be replaced with goat fencing. It costs more, but keeps in young bucklings where field fencing won't.

[Cheryl in SD]

Originally Posted by DayBird

cattle panels, posts every 8 feet, 4 1/2 feet tall with an electric tape on top and a hot wire about a 1 1/2 feet from the ground on standouts...

He's got the right idea! We put 6 foot high woven wire fence, reinforced with horse wire, stapled to the ground, they still got out. Add a hot wire 12-15 inches off the ground & now EVERYTHING (goats, chickens, dogs, cats, geese) all stay right where they belong.

[chamoisee]

Woven wire reinforced with New Zealand electric fencing, two strand 6" inside perimeter, works extremely well. Put one strand a little above the top line of the fence, 6-8" in from the fence itself, and the other a little less than a foot from the ground, also positioned so that the electric wire is 6-8" closer to the goats than the woven wire. In this way, you can ensure that they won't push on, stand on, or test the fence, because they don't want to get zapped. You shoudl train them to the fence when the ground is damp. If people can't keep goats in, they usually haven't applied enough thought to the caprine psychology.

Just my 2 cents but I'd not use barbed wire with goats..too many injuries with that..

I used woven wire..5 feet tall with two strands of electric INSIDE and OUTSIDE..one was for the goats and one for predators.

[suzyhomemaker09]

Originally Posted by DayBird

cattle panels, posts every 8 feet, 4 1/2 feet tall with an electric tape on top and a hot wire about a 1 1/2 feet from the ground on standouts...

The OP asked about something affordable...around here cattle panels are over $30 each..for 1k feet of fence line that would add up to a fortune.

[Backfourty,MI.]

PlumCreekFarm, You'll get alot of responses if you go to the goat forum but Barbed wire isn't going to work for goats.
What kinds of goats you have also makes a difference. We have Nigerian Dwarf and Pygmy goats so we use 4 foot high welded wire fencing but that won't work for most full size goats, especially if you are going to house a buck.
Also how many goats, if they will have pasture or just a penned area makes a difference too because a bored goat WILL find something to do or get into or out of. Also some are better jumpers than others.

[farminghandyman]

A 12 foot tall solid concrete block fence with razor wire at the top and it being 3 foot in the ground, and that will only hold them if they have no desire to escape,

I find that the combination hog/cattle panel (60" tall, and smaller holes on the bottom Like a hog panel) is fairly good, or the dog kennel panels that have about 4" square holes and about 5 1/2 foot tall, but have had bucks figure out they could jump up on it and push unit the post bent and then jump over.

the electric fence about 4 hot wires with a ground wire in there as well, kinda works if they get taught correctly but I have a few that will just go through it like it is not there.

[plumcreekfarm]

Too funny farminghandyman. We actually have boar goats. We were leaning toward 36'' of mesh wire with two strands of hot wire on top. They will be on pasture with a large pond in the middle.