woods fencing for goits and small pigs

Im really wanting to enclose 3000ft ( fenceline running) heavy woods withe cattle panels. I figure that if a tree lands on one, i can easily replace it with another by myself without having to restreach a tradfitional woven wire fence, which I think will be critical as i get into my 70 and 80s. BBUTT, cattle panels are $$16 here and 16ft long, making it an expensive proposition. I was just wondeering what ideas you all might have treied and used. I dont want to do electric fencing, as if a tree fell down in a storm, and i was at work, id not kn ow it until I noticed the goats out or nthe neighvors complaining, or stealing them to ssell or instant bbq. This is Okla and these things happen here. i also dont think I wanna walk fence line after a storm or heavy wind when im that old, nor keep them penned up during the day while im at work and l;et them loose after I get home for a few hrs . Whaaaaats your thoughts??

[travis91]

if a tree falls on one even if its smashed you can most likely bend it roughy back to useabe shape

[bob clark]

alot of people dont like panels because goats get their head caught in it

[bill not in oh]

A motivated goat will climb over a cattle panel.

If a tree fell on a cattle panel and smashed it, the goats/pigs would escape anyway.

Electric fence is much easier to install/maintain/repair than a cattle panel fence.

Once trained to an electric fence, my goats and pigs won't cross the fenceline even if you take the fence down. I have to withold their feed for a day to get them to move from one paddock to another after I take the fence out from one side of their existing paddock. It would take a couple of days for the goats/pigs to discover the inoperative electric fence - I've unintentionally left the power to my fence off for several days and not had any escapees.

Electric gives you better predator control.

You could bank the difference in cost (about $2500), let it draw interest until such time that you were unable or unwilling to deal with the maintenence or repair and pay someone out of the fund. Depending on your current age, that could be a sizeable fund and pay for quite a bit of help.

If you are unable or unwilling to repair/maintain a fence, are you really going to be able/willing to feed, water and otherwise care for pigs and goats (trim hooves, catch them up for shots/meds, load them to go to camp no-return)? Fence maintenence/repair is one of the physically easiest jobs I do around my place (excluding those utility pole fence posts!!)

Are you actually planning to be working a fulltime (or part time) job when you're in your 80s?

Walking a half mile of fenceline (or anywhere) will be darn good excercise when you're older - especially if you start now... LOL

[bob clark]

if you use trditional gates ,you would not have to withhold feed. they would go right threw when opened

Thought abnout it, and I will use electric fencing and let them get in there on weekends only. It is around to 2 to 3 acres, and I have a like amount around 2 acres cleared Im going to divide, and I can let them there through the week. I am 58. Ill at least work till im 62, longer if I cant find good ins I can afford. I have rumitoid arthritis in my ankles. I can NOW walk wherever I want, but somwhere down the road, Im going to have to get operations on both feet, and what thatll leave me with, who knows. Perhaps Ill not to be able to maintain in my 70s 80s. My daads 86 and has near 40 head of cows on the home place, corse, he dosent do anything with them except watch themn and call my brother if anythings wrong. !/3 of them is dads. I hope to be able to keep on keeping on, and try to prepare the place for that eventualaty when and while I can.

[huisjen]

Why are panels $16 in Oklahoma and $30 in Maine?

Dan

[fernando]

I have often wondered if those dog containment collars would work for goats. They do make some that deliver a healthy jolt. A person could string the perimeter wire around the area you want grazed and bring the goats into the ring. Hopefully, since goats are such proven herd animals, a collar might only be needed for alpha doe and/or billy (if he's kept with herd). I've never known anyone to try it, but it does seem feasible, and it is a LOT cheaper than cattle panels and probably cheaper than most electric fencing.

[Goat Freak]

I heard that it is not a good idea to use the shock collors because goats will not understand (?) and they would just keep getting shocked.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Goat Freak

I heard that it is not a good idea to use the shock collors because goats will not understand (?) and they would just keep getting shocked.

Possible. But I do feel goats are at least as clever as dogs.

[Goat Freak]

I think they are smart too, I just wanted to point that out just in case it is true, I would NOT want for any goats to get hurt in that way, it would be HORRIBLE! But yeah, I do think they are smarter, and I think that compared to my dog, an ameba is smarter, i love him but heah.

[bill not in oh]

Originally Posted by Goat Freak

I heard that it is not a good idea to use the shock collors because goats will not understand (?) and they would just keep getting shocked.

I think goats would figure out that if they ran past the barrier that the shock would be tolerable. They are willing to climb through a traditional electric fence if not trained to the fence at a young age.