Electric fence and goats.

fishhead · #41 06/01/07, 01:33 PM

If your goats expect a treat each evening you'll have to fight to keep them out of the barn each night.

ozark_jewels · #42 06/01/07, 04:19 PM

I agree totally with Hammer4. If you intend to have the goat herd away from your place at any distance, you should get an LGD...better yet, a working pair.
Beautiful pictures by the way!

crazygoatgirl · #43 06/03/07, 07:37 AM

Last weekend we fenced in about 3 acres for our goats and nurse cow. It had gotton to the point of pretty overgrown and they have been working for a week on it and unless you see them out there it still doesn't look like they have touched it! It is 3 strands, the bottom of it is about 6in the second is about 18 and the third is about 28-30 in high. I have grown LaManchas and a 1100# Holstein and a 6 week old calf in it ....everyone knows the fence is hot and they stay in with no issues. I am already talking to DH about fencing the rest of the property!!

Funny note about the dogs....My neighbor raises German Short Hairs and he had a female that got into my electric fencing...goats were put up int he night pen and he had to drag her out of the fence...everytime she got close she got shocked and she sat by the fence screaming while he was trying to coax her out. I was watching this from afar...I was steaming mad because we had had a discussion a few weeks before about people letting their dogs run where people had vunerable stock...then his is in my pasture...no way I was turning the fence off!! But he did get her out and none of his dogs have been back.....

Good fences make good neighbors!!! LOL!!!

FarmChiq · #44 06/05/07, 11:17 PM

Thanks for the welcomes.

I am inspired by this thread! Thank you all!!
I will post pictures too, but my farm, while Paradise to me, would not win any Paradise farm photo contests like your's would LemonTreeFarm. Those are beautiful!

leslie

FarmChiq · #45 06/07/07, 04:17 PM

One more question (for now

)

I wonder how you all train your goats to respect the hotwire? I have always understood that if, for example, my horse touches the hotwire and I am on the other end of his leadrope, it is ME who will receive the shock. Have I been mistaken all these years?

thanks,
leslie

Rockin'B · #46 06/07/07, 10:19 PM

If your lead rope is a conductor of elec. you will be the zappee. If it isn't the horse will get it.

Your goats will learn by touching the wire enough times to come to the realization that it isn't any fun and is to be avoided. Most critters will learn to stay away.

I just put three cows on a pasture that has electric fencing and they had never been around it at all. It's pretty entertaining in a sick sorta way (LOL). The bovine electrical dance is pretty interesting!
Unfortunately, our house dog had to learn the hard way too. she won't go anywhere near the pasture now.

Good luck!

christij · #47 06/16/07, 03:13 PM

Do you use T-posts for your corners or something stronger? Also long or short extenders?

ozark_jewels · #48 06/16/07, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christij

Do you use T-posts for your corners or something stronger? Also long or short extenders?

Extenders? Is that insulators?? If so, I always use the short ones for the simple reason that they are stronger. I buy the black sturdy ones that you lock the wire in, not the yellow cheap ones that are more common. Well worth the little extra cost.

For corners, I like to cheat and use trees.

But if no tree presents itself nicely, I use the T-post corner deal that you can buy a kit for at MFA. If thats not strong enough, I will dig three postholes and put in a *real* corner.....but in our soil that is a pain in the rear(and the back, literally). I have only ever *had* to put in wooden posts on a corner once.....usually the T-post corner will work fine.

christij · #49 06/17/07, 07:12 AM

Thanks... and the 14 gauge is that steel or aluminum wire? I am pricing things out so I can see how much I can do -- I see this being a slow process... buying things as I have $$ with the mega charger purchase being at the end.
Has anyone ever tried the plastic poles -- Sarah uses them for her horses -- you would think if it works for a horse it would a goat but then we are talking about goats!

ozark_jewels · #50 06/17/07, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christij

Thanks... and the 14 gauge is that steel or aluminum wire? I am pricing things out so I can see how much I can do -- I see this being a slow process... buying things as I have $$ with the mega charger purchase being at the end.
Has anyone ever tried the plastic poles -- Sarah uses them for her horses -- you would think if it works for a horse it would a goat but then we are talking about goats!

I don't know about the plastic poles. I'm sure they would work with electric-fence trained goats...because they don't test it.....but for the training of the goats I'm not sure if it would be sturdy enough??

The 14 guage wire I use is steel.