barbed wire fence

[bob clark]

I am planning to fence in 40 ac. of timber with barbed wire. the wires being 6 inches apart and the posts are 9 feet apart . will this hold goats?

[marvella]

probably not. my goats laugh at barbed wire. if they want out bad enough, they lay down on thier bellies an scoot underneath. the thick ridge of hair on their backs prevents any injury.

the only thing i found that will keep them in is woven wire fence with a hot wire at the top and bottom.

[Sweet Goats]

I would not put Barbed wire in a fence that I have my goats. Goats like to rub up against the fence and scratch themselves. It will cost you way more in the long run with the vet bills. Also they would just go under or between the wire.

[ozark_jewels]

I know it can be done....but I do NOT reccomend barbed wire for goats, no matter how closely spaced. It can cut a goats udder to ribbons(literally), and it does happen because the grass is *always* greener on the other side. And when that happens to a does udder or to a bucks "equipment", their productive days are affectively over. I'm not just talking to hear myself type, I lost three half-udders to barbed wire fencing last spring after we moved and before we got electric fencing up. That is a lot of production down the drain for no good reason. So if you do decide to go ahead and use barbed wire, PLEASE use at least one strand of HOT electric in front of it about nose-high to keep them from even thinking about testing it. After we put up three strands of hot-wire, the udders have remained intact because the does have remained where they belong.
Boer goats are slightly easier to bluff(after all, a barbed wire fence IS a bluff, just like almost any other fence), but is it worth the risk? My Boers still got out of the barbed. At least electric wire is a bluff with a BITE. I shudder when people talk about containing goats in barbed wire. Its a very bad mix.

[mary,tx]

Originally Posted by marvella

probably not. my goats laugh at barbed wire. if they want out bad enough, they lay down on thier bellies an scoot underneath. the thick ridge of hair on their backs prevents any injury.

Mine don't laugh at it, but they've taken some nasty gashes from it. Right through it, and they keep on going. A couple of times this has resulted in a right nasty gash as the base of a teat, which I don't notice until milking time.

[6e]

Well, I'm going to be the poo pooer here. We fenced in a fairly large pasture for sheep and goats and field fence was not an option being too expensive. We did fence it in with barbed wire, but, and here's the main thing, we ran electric fence (on the same posts) between the bottom strand and the ground and between the next two strands up, so they do not try to go under or between. We do not have any trouble with our does or our sheep trying to get out. I will say that it will not stop babies you're trying to wean, nor will it stop a randy feeling male, but for just a quiet herd of does and ewes, it works fine for us, and it keeps the dogs out of the pasture. JMO.
Down in Oklahoma when we were down there here awhile back I noticed there were quite a few goat herds fenced in with barbed wire with electric fence run along the bottom. They were all Boer goats.

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by 6e

Well, I'm going to be the poo pooer here. We fenced in a fairly large pasture for sheep and goats and field fence was not an option being too expensive. We did fence it in with barbed wire, but, and here's the main thing, we ran electric fence (on the same posts) between the bottom strand and the ground and between the next two strands up, so they do not try to go under or between. We do not have any trouble with our does or our sheep trying to get out. I will say that it will not stop babies you're trying to wean, nor will it stop a randy feeling male, but for just a quiet herd of does and ewes, it works fine for us, and it keeps the dogs out of the pasture. JMO.
Down in Oklahoma when we were down there here awhile back I noticed there were quite a few goat herds fenced in with barbed wire with electric fence run along the bottom. They were all Boer goats.

Yes, but you used electric along with barbed wire. And that to me is the only way to make barbed wire workable for goats. I use the same. electric with the barbed wire. To me its not perfect, but it works. I prefer to use straight electric with no barbed. But I am not going to tear down all the good barbed wire fencing either.......so I compromise.

[Shazza]

Originally Posted by marvella

the only thing i found that will keep them in is woven wire fence with a hot wire at the top and bottom.

Our fences are exactly the same.....we have just spent the first four years of owning this property gradually getting rid of all the barbed wire...the old guy loved the stuff. Although I must admit we have left it on some of the boundary fences as a Roo deterant or tripper upper but the goats dont bother with those fences.