Fencing For Goats

[stevenryals]

Hi all...

We just bought 5 acres.. it has barbed wire fence (3 rows)..
i assume that this isnt enough to keep goats in..

what are your suggestions on what to do to keep them from getting out?

[ozark_jewels]

You can run field fencing around the inside, you can do the same with cattle panels.
You can also run VERY hot electric between each row of barbed wire. I will warn you, barbed wire and goats is a bad combo. Speaking from experience, it can ruin a good does udder in the two seconds it takes her to climb through it.
So if you choose electric, do a seach here on site for "electric fence and goats". Electric for goats is much more complex than for cows or horses. But it can be done successfully.

[Donna1982]

We use Red Brand field fence.

[Native87]

Ozark Jewels is right on about the barb wire. It will tear a goat up fast. I use only electric here and it works really well for me. I use both 17 ga. and high tensile. Metal T-posts work great for the 17ga fence and for the high tensile line posts. I do alot of temporary cross fencing and a huge money saver when in a pinch is the plain fiberglass posts from TSC. Get a bag of small wire ties for proper spacing of wires and you are in business. The round post insulators are like $10 for 25 so I buy them when I have extra money. Otherwise the wire ties work great. My spacing is a bit different because I also rotate pigs through the paddocks. I space at 6" 6" 6" 6" 8" 10". Alot of strands but better than chasing critters every where.

[bknthesdle]

How do wire ties work? Doesn't it ground out?

[gila_dog]

I keep my goats in a pen made from livestock panels. These are 20 ft long x 5 ft high and have 3" square holes top to bottom. Regular "cattle panels", with small holes at the bottom and big holes at the top are not a good idea for goats with horns. They can stick their heads thru the fence, and then can't get out.

One thing about a goat fence is that not only does it need to keep goats in (not easy), but it needs to keep dogs out (even harder). Neighborhood dogs are the worst predator there is for goats.

[Native87]

The wire ties are made from plastic..... some call them zip ties. I didnt explain well. The ties hold the wire to the fiberglass posts. Fiberglass does not conduct electricity.

[stevenryals]

Originally Posted by gila_dog

it need to keep goats in (not easy), but it needs to keep dogs out (even harder). Neighborhood dogs are the worst predator there is for goats.

that wont be a problem with "Sir Pyraneese" lurking around the corner

[Bearfootfarm]

that wont be a problem with "Sir Pyraneese" lurking around the corner

You'll need a good fence for him too

[bknthesdle]

Originally Posted by Native87

The wire ties are made from plastic..... some call them zip ties. I didnt explain well. The ties hold the wire to the fiberglass posts. Fiberglass does not conduct electricity.

Oh ok, I thought you were using them on t- posts. I've never seen the fiberglass rods before.

[Donna1982]

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

You'll need a good fence for him too

Boy if that aint the truth. When i still lived at home with mom in Tennesse we had a herd and got a Pyraneese. Well the goats never got out of the hot wire we had until we got Girly Girl. She one time took the goats for a "walk" down the road to the church.... on a Sunday morning. When we found them they were sitting on the front steps of the church in the shade. With all the church goers in their cars... yeah it didn't help one of our does look like the devil... oh how I miss Girly Girl.

[CaliannG]

I like Red Brand Sheep and Goat fence. 3" holes in it so no getting stuck...and since you already have barbed wire, just stretch the fencing on the inside of it. Posts are the big expense in fencing, so use what you have and you can make goat/dog/and coyote proof barriers in no time.

I also do not recommend cattle panels with the small holes on the bottom and progressively larger holes towards the top, whether you have horned goats or not. I have a picture of a disbudded doe with her head stuck in one of the holes.

Donna, I would have loved to have seen your "devilish" goat holding back the Sunday morning worshipers! I'll bet that was a hoot!

[Donna1982]

Oh it was ... she was a great doe too.

[stevenryals]

So basically there is no 'great' way to keep them in, that's fairly cheap..
red brand fencing seems to be about $1 per foot..
that may be the best.. hmmmmm

[thaiblue12]

No great cheap way

My neighbor has idiot horses they came to my place to eat hay, they chased my goats into his barbed wire fence, one doe got a cut up udder, one had a big scratch down his back, one got her foot caught and was screaming. The screaming was good since I ran out there to see what was going on she was unharmed. His fence was shared all along another neighbor's north side, he boards horses and idiot's horses were at the fence being jerks, one of the boarded horses stuck his head over the fence, idiot's horses went after him and cut his throat on the barb wire, he did not make it my neighbor moved his fence 20 feet back after that, cause the idiot's horses are still hungry and playing games at the fence lines.
I personally hate the stuff.

Three strands of barb wire is not going to keep the Great Pyr in either. I have seen mine run straight through it chasing down a coyote.

You can do the barbless wire, electricfied of course, I forget how many strands you need, then do the two upper rows with the barbed wire you have. Goats tend to try to go under or through more then over, if it is tall enough and those two strands are pretty much out of their reach.
Good thing the posts are there are they are pricey and smacking them in is a headache, literally.

[Donna1982]

Originally Posted by stevenryals

So basically there is no 'great' way to keep them in, that's fairly cheap..
red brand fencing seems to be about $1 per foot..
that may be the best.. hmmmmm

Nothing is really cheap when it comes to having goats lol

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by stevenryals

So basically there is no 'great' way to keep them in, that's fairly cheap..
red brand fencing seems to be about $1 per foot..
that may be the best.. hmmmmm

Around here there are woven wire brands that are cheaper alternatives to the more expensive Red Brand. They are just as good. Make sure it is *woven* and NOT welded.

[Govero Farms]

I agree with Ozark. We use woven wires. They r cheaper.

[wendle]

Red brand at least 47" with a strand of hot wire on top. Stretch and secure fence well as the goats will try to stand on it with their front legs. The cheap fencing gets tromped down in a few years and is hard to get straightened out again. Cattle panels are good too, but more expensive.

[BethW]

Originally Posted by gila_dog

I keep my goats in a pen made from livestock panels.

We also use livestock panels on 5" round posts. The nice thing is they're easily removed and reusable, and they last.