Fencing for Pygmy's

[NCGirl]

Next spring I am considering getting a couple of pygmy doelings. I see tractor supply has some fence called goat fence but it looks like the liitle baby pygmys could go right thru it! Yes? No?

http://www.mytscstore.com/detail.asp...productID=9531

[effboergoats]

It's 4" by 4" squares so I wouldn't think they could go thru that but with goats you never can tell. How much does that stuff cost where you live? Around here in se ohio it is around $220 or so the last time I checked.

[NCGirl]

219.86 at my local store. How far apart would you suggest the posts?

[lyceum]

We use the horse panels for our pygmys and Nigerian Dwarfs. The holes are not very big. No babies could get out. Works great for small goats.

Lyceum

[Woodroe]

I'd go 8' or so apart with the posts. The field wire is half the price of the goat wire and the holes are smaller at the bottom.

[littledoe]

Congratulations on your choice. They're wonderful little friends to have around. Great dual purpose breed. We bought ours from Lowe's. It's three foot tall, 50 foot roll for around $35 a roll. The squares are 2x2 so babies can't get their heads through. My pygmies work it over trying to rub and scratch on it and it holds up wonderfully. Because they rub on the fence, my husband says he puts posts every five feet, no more than eight feet though. Everyone has a different opinion on these little animals, but they've been great for us. I milk my does and the milk is delicious. Yes, you get less than the big girls, but it's still good stuff and they can certainly hold their own. I can't imagine not having pygmies on our farm now.

Best of luck to you
Malissa in Texas

[trob1]

My pygmy babies walked right through the goat fence we used to make their small pen so when we fenced in the entire 3 acres we used the horse fencing which is 2" x 4" and it works great.

[mygoat]

I use that fencing. GREAT STUFF. However, when you build a buck pen, make the 'front' of the pen and the fence toward the does out of cattle panels... My mini bucks have almost managed to tear down the fence totally or away from the t-posts. Actually, it might be smart to put a couple cattle panels in the fronot or busiest part of the doe pen, too... Because they itch themselves on it and will bend the wire out, and sometimes if they do that they can wear a hole/trench that, with the bended fence, can shimmy under. Or, solve all problems at once run a couple strands of hotwire.

Make t posts no more than 8' apart. BRACE the corners. BRACE the corners. That's worth saying twice. It would probably be smart to make all corners and gate openings wood posts. We didn't make all our corners wood posts, and I regret it.

[PygmyLover]

yah that fencing wouldn't stop a baby pygmy. Try getting field fencing. It is normally "no climb" so it is smaller at teh bottom

[Bearfootfarm]

http://www.agri-supply.com/retail/retail.htm

See if there is one of these stores near you. They usually have better prices than Tractor Supply on fencing

[effboergoats]

No more than 8' on the posts. Make sure you brace your corners and gate posts VERY good. And make sure the fence is pulled nice and tight. I didn't get my fence as tight as I should have on 2 sides. So now I have fence that is warped on one side from my boer buck rubbing and the deer ride it down when they jump it on the other side.

[waygr00vy]

Most of my pens are done with posts 8' apart, and I'll tell ya next time I redo them it will be 5 ft apart! Definitely will hold up better (unless you are using hot wire as well, then 8ft should be fine). Definitely stick with the no climb, which is 2" X 4" I think. I used the one with the welded wire because it was cheaper, but again...learning the hard way! Next time I will spend the extra money and get the one with the wrapped wire! My field is done with the 4" x 4" wire which was put up before I had goats, but the babies can fit right through without a problem. Plus, if your goats have horns they can fit their heads through and get stuck!

[mygoat]

Field fence doesn't work, at least the stuff I've got. They go right through. and 4"x4" is REALLY small... My mini babies, which are the same size as pygmy babies, can't get through. Of cource, they HAVE learned how to get through the gate, err. Also, with the field fence, you can NEVER have goats with horns, as they will get stuck.

[dap]

I don't know-just today my 2 month old ND wether got himself through a 4" x4" fence. I used the 2"x 4" for their pen and that holds them fine.

[NCGirl]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I am sure I will have many more questions the closer I get....