How do you fence goats without breaking the bank?

[ailsaek]

I've been reading the Kencove site, looking at various methods of fencing, and my brain is starting to hurt. So many options, and I didn't realize most of them existed. And they're all so expensive! I'm saving my money, but sheesh! And I have to get the shed/barn in place and the fences built before I can buy any goats or chickens (OK, so the latter are off-topic here; sorry, but both are on my agenda).

So, how did you guys start off?

[CountryHaven]

Do small sections at a time. That's what we do. Every year we try to put up one new section, or pen. My personal advice is do it right the first time though. Don't try to cut expenses and end up with less than adequate fencing because you'll only be redoing it all the time and end up costing way more than it would if you just bought good sturdy fencing right off the bat. Especially for goats who are more likely to stand on, push on, try to crawl under, and anything else you can think of to a fence.

[topside1]

I'm a big believer in electric applications. The key to success is buy a good charger (must be over $100.00) and use five strands or more of 14 gauge aluminum wire. If you buy a cheap charger, expect frustration to be printed on the charger's box because that's what you’re going to have...

[holleegee]

I am using cattle panels. My goal is to fence on acre a year and then do rotational grazing. With the cattle panels I can tear it all down and rearrange if I feel like it. I also don't have to worry about stretching the fence. They should last a LOONNGG time and the goats can't bend them up.

[Oat Bucket Farm]

We use combo panels(like the cattle panels but with smaller openings at the bottom) and it warks great. Not horribly expensive and very durable. And as Holleegee said, they can be taken down and rearranged easily.

[ailsaek]

Electric worries me a bit, because my son had heart surgery when he was three months old, and his heart works fine now, but I want to be careful of it. Electric shocks don't sound like a good idea. He's six now, but small, curious, developmentally closer to three and a half or so, and a little monkey. He gets into anything and everything and wants to know how everything works.

[holleegee]

Originally Posted by ailsaek

Electric worries me a bit, because my son had heart surgery when he was three months old, and his heart works fine now, but I want to be careful of it. Electric shocks don't sound like a good idea. He's six now, but small, curious, developmentally closer to three and a half or so, and a little monkey. He gets into anything and everything and wants to know how everything works.

That would worry me also.

We have friends with an electric fence and love it but they have to train any new goats that they buy.

[BobDFL]

I agree with doing a little at a time. I just got done cross fencing off 2 acres.

I found that the woven field fence is the best deal (class 3 galvanized for $120 for a 4' X 330' roll) and look for a sale on the pressure treated wood posts (I just got 3/5" X 6' posts for $3.10 a piece).

When you stretch it and have the wire on the goat side of the posts it rarely buckles (my neighbor's survived 4 hurricanes already, as well as horses and goats) and I don't space the posts more than and average of 10' apart (some were longer when attaching to gate H posts or trees were in the way). This fencing should last me 15 -20 years which is quite cost effective.

I use combo panels for isolating smaller sections in the bigger sections using TPosts which makes it much quicker to put up.

But as mentioned earlier, do it right the first time and you won't be chasing animals or always fixing fence.

Bob D. in FL.

[ailsaek]

Hmm. two rolls of that would fence a a bit over half an acre. Not half bad. I'd need, um, on the order of 66 fence posts, not counting spots where I could just attach the fencing to trees? Plus a gate, of course, and some sort of latch that I can open and the goats can't. And I could use cattle panels to split the area in half?

[fishhead]

I would ask your sons doctor about the danger of an electric fence. The doctor should be able to tell you if they are safe.

Some people use a strand of electric fence inside their woven wire to keep the goats from climbing on it and causing it to sag.

I use temporary electric fencing for my goats and as long as it's hot they respect it.

[ailsaek]

fishhead - Good idea. I'll have to do my reasearch on them first, though, as his cardiologist is in Boston and probably doesn't know from electric fences.

Another thing - where do you buy fencing materials? Blue Seal Feeds or the like?

[CountryHaven]

I find that the big outlets like Menards, or Builder's square and the like usually have much better pricing if you can find the right stuff there. Usually we end up going to our Farm and Fleet because they have the livestock specific types of fencing, still chearper than the smaller feed stores.

[ailsaek]

Neither of those chains are in my area that I now of, but I checked one that is, although I had to find a store that is near farms to find anything useful (Lowe's makes you put in a ZIP code). Would this work?


Welded Wire
48" x 50' Roll Welded Utility Fence

Item #: 153521 Model: 70947
$29.86

14 gauge
2" x 4" opening for control of small animals
Galvanized wire and solid welded construction for strength and rigidity
Excellent choice for arts and crafts
Attractive backing for decks and wooden fences

[topside1]

You never mentioned how much land you intend to fence. The paddock sizes are also determining factor on whether to use electric or not. If you are only fencing two acres or less I would avoid electric and spend the extra money on cattle fencing. Not that electric won't work, but field fencing is superior. Keep in mind that field fencing also requires more in-line posts and very strong corner posts (more expense). Your original post was to fence property cheaply, well electric is still the most affordable.

[moosemaniac]

Originally Posted by ailsaek

Neither of those chains are in my area that I now of, but I checked one that is, although I had to find a store that is near farms to find anything useful (Lowe's makes you put in a ZIP code). Would this work?

I'm using that with a strand of electric just above it. The goats can and will knock it down without the electric strand. Otherwise, it works quite well for me.

Ruth

[HHR]

welded wire is fine for chickens but the goats will step in down in less than a year, believe I know. It might work longer if you put a hot wire inside of it to keep them off.

[ailsaek]

Would this work for hot wire? One line of wire at the top of a 4' fence I think I could deal with, especially if it's really visible, so I can say "Don't touch the blue line up there. It will hurt you if you touch it."

We're looking at places with two to five acres. I'd like to be able to start off with a quarter acre or so fenced, as I'm planning on starting off with a doe or doeling and a wether (possibly Nigerian doeling and Angora wether) and letting freshenings grow my herd.

And it's good to know that I can use a couple of rolls of that stuff to fence in chickens.

[Heidi's_Goats]

I'm also trying to figure out how to fence in about an acre with t-posts and "field fencing". There are too many discrepancies on what field fencing actually is. I have NDs so I think 4' would work fine.

Would some of you please post pictures of your set-up???

What are combo panels?

I tried electric...didn't work. I have Lowe's and Home Depot up here, and a few feed stores but they don't carry much because the cost of shipping.

Thanks!!

Heidi

[holleegee]

Originally Posted by Heidi's_Goats

I'm also trying to figure out how to fence in about an acre with t-posts and "field fencing". There are too many discrepancies on what field fencing actually is. I have NDs so I think 4' would work fine.

Would some of you please post pictures of your set-up???

What are combo panels?

I tried electric...didn't work. I have Lowe's and Home Depot up here, and a few feed stores but they don't carry much because the cost of shipping.

Thanks!!

Heidi

combo panels are like cattle panels but they have smaller holes in the bottom (2X6in--so piglets can't get out I think??) and the holes get bigger (4X6in) towards the top of the fence. They come in 16ft long sections that are 52in tall. Around here combo panels are around $15.99.

[Rockin'B]

I have two large paddocks and two pastures of about 2.5 acres each to fence. I'm suing two T posts between each wood post and hanging 4' field wire on them. I stretch it really tight with the tractor. Then I run one strand of barbed wire about 2 inches off the soil and stretch that tight as a guitar string. That helps prevent pushing the bottom of the field wire. I also put one strand of barbed wire about halfway up on the inside to help keep the cows from leaning into it.The smaller paddocks are 115 by 175 ish and they are for the goats. The two pastures are for the cows.

I bought field wire on sale at Farm and Fleet. 4' by 330. 4x4 squares on top, smaller on bottom. Paid 109.00 each. Tposts new are 2.99 but we bought a bunch at an auction for 2.00.