New to Boers

[Allan Mistler]

I looked around for any information relative to this on the search engine but found nothing so... I'm planning to get back into goats but Boers rather than Nubians. My first question has to do with an article I found while researching Boer goats. The article said that Boers don't share the same proclivity for fence hopping that seems prevalent among dairy goats. He claims to successfully utilize the same fencing (2 electric, 1 Barbed wire) as used for his cows. Does anyone have any experience with this? I currently have cattle fenced in our pasture and utilize a herding dog to watch over the homestead, so critters shouldn't be a problem.
My second question concerns whether or not there are any Boer breeders on this forum who live in or around New Hampshire since that really helps come breeding season!

[Key]

Allan
I adore my Boers, but the fence we had for horses and cattle (electric strands) did not keep in my goats at all. They would go UNDER the fence alot. Barbed wire was a joke, and really the electric was too as most didn't even jump when the zap hit them. So, my goats are now surrounded mainly by net fencing with hot wires inside the fence to keep them away from it.

[KSALguy]

Boers are just as hard if not harder on fences than other goats, especially the bucks, my Boer Buck would walk up the fence and lean in then get high centerd and smash the feild fence down so that all the does could jump over, but with out his help the does stayed in alot better, but that was with solid cattle pannels and Goat Fence, not barbed wire and electric, thats just a joke for ANY goat, if you want to use barbed wire and electric you will have to use at least five barbed wires and at least two or three electric, other wise they will fine a way out fast

[Allan Mistler]

Gee, and here I had my hopes up that I wouldn't have to go bankrupt putting up a five strand Spring-tite again! The last time (different farm) the land was nice and level so it wasn't too bad supporting every 50' or so, but this homestead is hilly and rocky with streams and all kinds of obstacles to fence through. I'll also have to change my charger to a heavy duty weed cutter type like the old Bev 3 I used to contain my Nubians.
Well, I guess I was looking for something to keep me busy come spring. No need to look any further!

[caberjim]

6 strand electric hi-tensile will keep in does. Bucks, especially in rut, need something stronger. It will help greatly if they are not near the does. If they are in an adjoining field, they will be able to smell and hear the does in heat. Move the bucks further away so the tempations are not so visable. That should help keep them more content. If the goats don't jump when they hit the wire, you need either a bigger charger or more grounding. Probably more grounding.

Older goats, once trained, could probably be kept in with 2 or 3 well positioned wires. Provided they were basically content to stay there - ie food, water, toys.

[TexCountryWoman]

My Boer does are easily penned with 3 ft feildfencing and barbed wire on top of that....they never climb or jump out.

However, my Boer buck was the most destructive animal we ever had...he destroyed two different chain link pens. He also knocked out the supporting posts for a large hay barn. He could just about not be contained.

I will use Boer bucklings for breeding in the future and then sell them before they get that big.

[ozark_jewels]

Boer goats don't *jump* as much as the dairy breeds, being generally heavier built with shorter legs. Doesn't mean they won't go through, under, or over a low fence. They are just as hard or as easy to contain as your dairy breeds, depending on your fence. A very hot electric WILL contain goats, if they are trained to it and not just let out to find out for themselves. Part of my fence is three strand barbed wire that was here when we moved here, backed up by three strands of *very* hot hotwire. The rest is simply four strands of *hot* hot-wire, no barbed. It keeps my entire herd of does in, and the kid herd. I am running about 40 kids and 67 does at the moment. But they must *know* its hot before they try it!! To insure this, I take the most curious kids and the lead does in the individual pastures, and hold them to the fence till they get zapped really well. They spread the word pretty quickly.... Now that my grown does are accustomed to fearing the bite of the fence, I have no doubt that I *could* contain them in two strands of barbed with a strand of hot.....its totally about them being trained to a HOT fence.
You must have a GOOD charger, and good grounding.
In your situation, I'd go for several strands of 14 guage(or high tensile if you can afford it, its the best) electric fencing, with a VERY good charger. And make sure you ground the charger well and train your goats!
My bucks are contained in a cattle panel paddock. No hotwire is going to contain a buck if there are does in heat on the other side.
Here is the charger I bought....LOVE IT!! It was worth every penny.
http://www.grasslandsupply.com/products.cfm?prodID=135

[GoatsRus]

We thought we'd contain ours in barbed wire with electric wire for good measure. After all, we only had 3 does to start off with. Yeah, good luck with that. After we had run the barbed wire and got everything all set up for them, we opened the gate and they went right through the barbed wire in no time flat! We now have the field secured with a 4 ft woven wire fence with one strand of electric wire run about 6 or 8 inches from the ground. We have the buck on the other side of the property, but he can still see the girls and heard them if they move to the far side of their pasture. The bucks fencing has 2 strands of electric wire. We've never had one jump the fence. Heck, the girls won't even come out the gate until we move the bottom electric wire.

[Ken in Maine]

Hi Allen Mistler;

We are located one state over in Maine. We have been raising Boers here for 4 1/2 years and have only EVER used two or three strands of "polywire" electric. Our bucks are in a different enclosure but the does have great respect for the "poly". Check out our website www.mainegoats.com

We have lots of activities here including " Goat School". This past year we have sold upwards of 200 registered and non-registered Boers and have just recently started shipping goats up from Texas.

Give me a hollar if we can be of any help.

Ken.

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by Ken in Maine

We are located one state over in Maine. We have been raising Boers here for 4 1/2 years and have only EVER used two or three strands of "polywire" electric. Our bucks are in a different enclosure but the does have great respect for the "poly". Check out our website www.mainegoats.com Give me a hollar if we can be of any help.

Ken.

This would be GREAT, Allen Mistler. Getting started with does already trained to hotwire!! Thats 99% of the battle right there!

[Ken in Maine]

Once the doe is trained to the wire we have noticed time and time again that she teaches her kids to respect it as well. Of course just like with humans not all kids listen and for that reason in the spring we keep one wire down real low and the kids will touch their noses on it and run back to momma.

All electric fence has to have one or two wires at nose height. That's the only place on a goats body that will respond to the "snap' from the fence.

Most of the time people have problems because their goats can get their noses past the fence and just keep on going.

Our goats are so well trained that when we move fencing around we have to coax them beyond where the old fence was. We've seen kids not go past the tufts of grass that grew up under the fence when we moved a section.

[topside1]

Barb wire plus hot wires work like a charm here in Monterey.

[debd0712]

I am keeping both Boers and dairy goats in with the existing barbwire fences which were here when I moved in, and 2 strands of electric - 1 below the barbed wire and 1 between the first and second strands. The charger I brought with me was not strong enough and at first the goats paid absolutely no attention to the electric - they went over, under and through it. After talking to a friend (thanks Emily!) I discovered that your charger must have at least an 8 joule output. As the model my friend had was discontinued I ended up with a 10 joule output fence charger. The goats now will not even go near it - at least not intentionally. I recently opened up a new field to the goats. They would not even try to go into the new field for over a week because they just knew there was electric between the old fields and the new. Even though I tried to show them the way was clear, only about 3 (out of approx 60 in those fields) would follow me in. Prior to the new charger they either found or created every escape route imaginable.

Debbie

[debd0712]

One thing I forgot to mention. A small area of one of the fields here is fenced with field fencing with a single strand of barbed wire on top. The horned Boers were constantly getting stuck in the field fencing. I ran a single strand of electric about 6 inches off the ground several months ago and have not had a goat stuck since.

Debbie

[Allan Mistler]

Originally Posted by Ken in Maine
We are located one state over in Maine. We have been raising Boers here for 4 1/2 years and have only EVER used two or three strands of "polywire" electric. Our bucks are in a different enclosure but the does have great respect for the "poly". Check out our website www.mainegoats.com Give me a hollar if we can be of any help.

Ken.

Ken, You have an incredible web page, thanks for offering help and just letting me know you're there. Thanks too Emily, Debbie and all who have offered so much good information. I'm going out on Saturday to look at some bred does and in the mean time I'll be putting together a fencing system around the barn proper consisting of 36" high pig panels with an electric wire around the interior at about 10" off the ground. This is the system I use for pigs to fence train them. I'm told the does are fence smart already and, since it's winter, they will be kept in close to the barn anyway so they'll have shelter and water. My Nubians would just go out and lie in the snow to sun themselves but never wandered far from the barn.
I am so looking forward to getting back up to speed on goats and getting to know each of their personalities, kidding season, Summer games etc. I'm sure I'll have more questions but it is reassuring to know you all are here to assist.
Thank you!!!

[Ken in Maine]

Thanks for the nice comment on the website. My wife Janice designed it and keeps it up to date. Of course it helps to have some nice goats to put on it.

Feel free to get in touch with any questions you may have.

Also if you e-mail me: kenjan@tds.net

with your name and mailing address we'll put you on our mailing list for the next Goat School coming up in May 2007. Last Goat School was this past October and we had over 50 people registered. Many were first time goat owners and a number were just thinking about goats. We have two "schools" each year and have been doing it for several years now.

Goat School is great because we let folks handle the goats and give shots and tattoo and hoof trim etc. This way they get a hands on to see if they really are ready for goats.

This invitation goes for anyone on this list or any friends who may be interested. Just send name and address.

Ken.

[chas]

I have 6 strand high tensile 6 strand barbed wire and movable 2 strand poly fencing.
The stationary fence has one hot strand of barbed wire 8" off the ground.I found 8" insulators to fasten to the posts to hit the goats before they can get to the regular fence .
The fence that separates my boer and bo/mancha billies has that set up on both sides.They stay on their own turf!
The extensions are made fot T posts and wood.
Chas