rackin' frackin' goats- part deaux

[bachelorb]

The story goes back two years when I first purchased goats. I fenced in part of my land with six strand electric fence. Every thing wen't well until this spring when I bought two new nannys. These girls treated the fence like it wasn't even there. They ended up in my neighbors yard and made a mess of things. I added some horse tape and they were alright with it until two weeks ago. Now their off and running again (all of them except the buck). The fence is hot and I've tightend it and added step in posts every twelve feet.

The funny thing is a couple of months ago I finished fencing an eight acre area with pasture and brush in it (woven wire this time). They won't go near it. I've moved their shed and food down there and they eat and come back up.

I'm thinking about building a training fence. How many strands should I use and How many square feet per goat should I allow for? Also, how long should I keep them in it (assuming they'll stay in it to begin with)?

Thanks, these things are getting on my last nerve.

[Lt. Wombat]

Are you sure your fence is "HOT" hot? What is the voltage reading on the meter?

A lot of people have inadequate grounding which makes the fence worthless until they are trained, then you can turn it off and they stay inside.

I turned the bottom line into a ground all the way around. It took some time but the fence is 11,000 volts at any place in the loop. I grounded the energizer with four 8’ (some places only half could go in before hitting a boulder) rods spaced every 10’. Then I hooked the bottom fence line to this and used self tapping screws to connect the bottom line to every T-post plus used additional grounds about every 50’ along the loop.

Now whether it’s dry dry or wet or frozen, like today, I can have 11k just by plugging the unit in.

[Milking Mom]

I could never get sheep or goats to respect an electric fence. I have tried lots of different kinds of fencing over the years and there is still evidence of some of it here and there on the place, but what I have found that will hold anything, goats, sheep, horses, cows, dogs, keeps out predators, whatever it WORKS. 5' nonclimbing horse wire and 4" top treated posts. That's it. This horse wire is tied, not welded wire (that stuff don't last), heavy duty and it will hold or keep in (or out) anything. I put a treated post every 10 feet and staple the wire really well and often. Then I put a treated 2x4 across the top from one post to the other and staple the wire to it and then run another 2 x 4 across the bottom and staple it well. It costs some money to put up, but it stays up and once built, you don't have to keep messing with it, its done and over with and will last for many many years.
http://www.rammfence.com/RF_fence_wiremesh_noclimb.htm

Just a note: I put up a lot of this fencing by myself and the way I stretched this wire really tight was I used a t post and weaved it in and out the end of the wire, attached a chain to the t post and then hooked the other end of the chain to the back of my riding lawnmower. I used the lawnmower to pull the fence tight. I left it LOW, slow and got off the mower while it was still pulling and stapled up the wire to the last post, then I killed the engine and went down the fence stapling it up. That lawnmower can pull that fence super tight, a lot tighter than you ever could by hand.

[bachelorb]

I turned the bottom line into a ground all the way around. It took some time but the fence is 11,000 volts at any place in the loop.

I'm only reading about 5500 volts and it pulses at 1 sec intervals. The goats seem to hop right through before the jolt takes effect. I also have to use a solar charger, I had one of those cheap ones and someone recommended a PARMAK. I use it with four ground rods

Originally Posted by Milking Mom

I could never get sheep or goats to respect an electric fence. I have tried lots of different kinds of fencing over the years and there is still evidence of some of it here and there on the place, but what I have found that will hold anything, goats, sheep, horses, cows, dogs, keeps out predators, whatever it WORKS. 5' nonclimbing horse wire and 4" top treated posts. That's it. This horse wire is tied, not welded wire (that stuff don't last), heavy duty and it will hold or keep in (or out) anything. I put a treated post every 10 feet and staple the wire really well and often. Then I put a treated 2x4 across the top from one post to the other and staple the wire to it and then run another 2 x 4 across the bottom and staple it well. It costs some money to put up, but it stays up and once built, you don't have to keep messing with it, its done and over with and will last for many many years.
http://www.rammfence.com/RF_fence_wiremesh_noclimb.htm

Just a note: I put up a lot of this fencing by myself and the way I stretched this wire really tight was I used a t post and weaved it in and out the end of the wire, attached a chain to the t post and then hooked the other end of the chain to the back of my riding lawnmower. I used the lawnmower to pull the fence tight. I left it LOW, slow and got off the mower while it was still pulling and stapled up the wire to the last post, then I killed the engine and went down the fence stapling it up. That lawnmower can pull that fence super tight, a lot tighter than you ever could by hand.

Thanks for the tip on stretching with a t-post. I made a stretcher with two 2x4's bolted together. and pulled it with my big tractor. Unfortunatly, I pulled to tight and the end post on the other end would come out. I think the lawnmower is a good idea also.

Thanks both of you for your help

[chamoisee]

Spray them down with water, turn them back into the fenced area with the fence on. I see that you are in Alabama, so I don't think they will suffer much from getting a little wet this time of year.

We always used the New Zealand type fence (two strands of string type wire and step in posts every 20 feet) with a solar charger. It worked fine for years, and then in the past year or two, it hasn't worked as well. I am not sure if something's wearing out or if it was down and they got desensitised to the idea of walkign through the fence to the point where they kept doing it after it was fixed. Once they get into the habit, it takes something that will leave a real impression to recondition them to the fence.

[Jillis]

I use 5 foot combo panels stapled to cedar posts. So far it seems to be working.

[bachelorb]

Originally Posted by chamoisee

Spray them down with water, turn them back into the fenced area with the fence on. I see that you are in Alabama, so I don't think they will suffer much from getting a little wet this time of year.

I thought this was a great idea until I brought it up to wifey who said she wanted to be there when I did it. I thought it would be something we could do together, then I remembered I'm clumsy and she just probably wanted to be me spray myself and fall into the fence.
She might even laugh harder than when I got the red mark on my forehead when testing the lower wire of my FIL's weed burner fence.....

[2horses]

Originally Posted by bachelorb

testing the lower wire of my FIL's weed burner fence.....

What is a weed burner fence? Is there really something out there that does that? Sounds like something I could use, if so...

Pam <------ needs ideas for keeping the fence line clear