Wits end..Goats and electric fence.

[Batt]

2 of my yearling does just will not stay inside the electric fence anymore. The ground is dry, can't do much about that though we may get some rain Thursday and Friday. Split the fence, put on 2 chargers. 9Kv on one side, 8 Kv on the other. They always go under the lowest wire. So I put all the charge on the bottom wire. They are still going under the fence before I can get back to the house. Anyone have any ideas? I would really like to keep them, but I can't be chasing them back in all the time. Alternative: Sale Barn/ Taco meat.

[Liese]

A couple of years ago one of my Nigerian does decided she was not going to stay in and was jumping out - could not figure out why since she wasn't escaping to eat better than was available behind the fence, but I made a hobble out of some lady's panty hose; one end tied to a fore leg the other end tied to opposite rear. Had to do this about 1 week. Now I know they aren't jumping but if you make it tough for them to move around normally that might be the trick. That or they need to be retrained, so how about taking these 2 mischiefmakers to a small pen withthe same electric lines, moistion the ground thoroughly at the fence line and then bait the wire with some treat? Once they have been shocked and stay away from the fence they should have new respect for the pasture fence lines. The only other thought is to actually keep them seperately from the remaining herd for a time - and then take them back in. They may be so happy to see everyone again they'll stop escaping. All of this is presuming that they aren't escaping for better grazing but just because they can.

[HazyDay]

I did this with my first 2 does. Never used to any fences! Spray them with water. And get a few show chains or choke chains. (3 or 4 each) and see if they touch that fence agian. If not add two new does to your herd and watch them, when eatting the two other brats!

[topside1]

Make a smaller paddock out of cattle panels. Have the panels encompass your goats shelter/barn and just keep them in there, feed them hay, grain, at least you keep your goats. In my opinion that's what I would do if I only owned if couple of goats. However I am a big-time believer of electric fencing, wish you lived closer I'd stop by and see what's going wrong....Pen them up in the shelter with a small exercise area, that's the best quick fix.

[Patty0315]

Pouring water on the ground rod helps also.


Patty

[Batt]

Actually I have 4 does(plus 2 Grt Pyr's) right now, and the other 2 does are just fine. Another Doe and a buck are due in October. Just added a bale of the same hay they are getting out for. Pickin's are getting a little slim because of the lack of rain, but not that bad, hence the big bale of hay. I haven't trimmed hooves in a while, would long hooves insulate them from making a good ground contact similar to a pair of rubber boots? I have some cattle panel, I'll see what I can come up with. Perhaps I could get enough to go around the pond. I've been wanting to clear that brush out for quite awhile.

[Batt]

Originally Posted by Patty0315

Pouring water on the ground rod helps also. Patty

Yup, done that as well as any of the spots it looked like they were going under.
I'll keep trying a few more days. The auction isn't until Saturday.

[mamahen]

for our hard to break goats, we tether beside the fence.

Each goat takes a turn being staked so that they can reach the fence, but not go thru. tasty treats are placed beside, or even on the other side of the fence. said goats thinks great, reaches & wham! Being tied keeps them in one spot & keeps them from going thru. We let them try until they decide fence hurts!! Usually this takes an hour or so.

We had a horrible time for the last 2 years, until we put 4 strands, all eletric, then let each of them feel AGAIN, that fence bites.

Before that, they'd either go thru, over or under.

We also water the ground rod with this drought. usually 2-3 gallons a day.

[Cheribelle]

Please do NOT tether a goat with a dog coller! Especially for elecrtic fence training. A goat will hit the end of the rope hard and break her neck. I have seen this. Please do not tether with a collar.

[deetu]

I have woven wire fence with a hot wire on the bottom. I fenced off and area to connect two different pens so they had a different area to browse using three hot wires. To make sure they couldn't get under, I put up cheap chicken wire. It was roughly put up and wouldn't hold anything if it was up alone but it was just enough to stop the goats where they would get shocked if they tried to get out.

[HazyDay]

Originally Posted by deetu

I have woven wire fence with a hot wire on the bottom. I fenced off and area to connect two different pens so they had a different area to browse using three hot wires. To make sure they couldn't get under, I put up cheap chicken wire. It was roughly put up and wouldn't hold anything if it was up alone but it was just enough to stop the goats where they would get shocked if they tried to get out.

I tried Chicken wire for my very good nubian kid. He just tore it to pieces since it would short out. Why??? Know clue. all I know our fencer puts out 9 and it hurts big time. and I touched the chicken wire when it was on and it only gave a little feel! Well I sold that stupied kid and now all stays in! I don't think I have the fence on! Well they just leave when ever that want!

[fishhead]

You might try running a ground wire under your bottom "hot" wire so they have to crawl between the two wires. If you have metal posts just don't use any insulators on the ground wire so that each post acts like a ground rod.

Have you tested your fence? Sometimes the slightest little twist can cause an insulator to fail. The other morning the dew on one of my insulators was allowing the current to arc to the post. I could hear the snap from 30' away. I twisted the insulator a bit to allow the moisture to run off and it works fine now.

[southerngurl]

"Where there is a will, there is a way."

An important thing is that the goats have everything they want inside their fence, otherwise temptation could cause problems.

Also, try taking some aluminum foil strips, putting some yummy peanut butter on them, and hanging them on the wire. The trick is to get them to touch their nose to the wire, before they try to go under it. They like peanut butter.

[needstoknowmore]

I hate to say this. but in my experience there are some goats that just can not be contained with electric!! Last year I got rid of a doe and her doeling because they walked right through it!! Right now I have two doelings that will walk right through it!!! I have always had electric fence. I have tried every trick!! soaking the ground around the ground rod. using all the t-posts as extra ground rods. Wetting the ground under the fence. Nothing has worked. I have a good fencer and test my fence daily.
I do have some goats that stay in with 3 strands!!! And there is a tasty irrigated alfalfa feild on the other side, and their pen is dry land. As tempting as that field is, they stay put. With the doelings I have many many more strands than that and they still walk right through it!!! So I keep them locked in a smaller pen, and only let them out when I can watch where they get out too!!!

[deetu]

Originally Posted by HazyDay

I tried Chicken wire for my very good nubian kid. He just tore it to pieces since it would short out. Why??? Know clue. all I know our fencer puts out 9 and it hurts big time. and I touched the chicken wire when it was on and it only gave a little feel! Well I sold that stupied kid and now all stays in! I don't think I have the fence on! Well they just leave when ever that want!

Are you saying that you tried to electrify your chicken wire? No, you can't do that. I said that the chicken wire stopped them long enough so they got shocked by the electric wire.

[sammyd]

We had a doe and kid that would go over/under 3 strands. Put a fourth really low and moved the other 3 up a bit and they soon stopped getting out.
Making sure they have good feed in the pasture will help immensley as well.

As for tethering, we do it 100% with our current goat. She hasn't broke her neck yet, and the last 2 didn't either. I like being able to quickly move the goat to a new patch of ground. And as long as I maintain the tether parts she doesn't escape. The only drawback is making sure she gets fresh water all the time. In a pasture with a water trough and a float on the hose it was a bit easier.

[chamoisee]

Get the goats wet.

Also, if you can, feed them fresh trimmings and prunings from safe trees, weeds from the garden, or windfall apples (cut into pieces that can't get lodged in their trachea) or winter squash or pumpkins. Goats like variety, it is hardwired into them. If all they ever get is hay, they will try to wander.