question on fencing in bucks

[knuckledragger]

We are now raising Kinders and Nigerian Dwarf goats. We are fencing in an area for our bucks, and we don't want them getting in with our does by mistake. We are using four foot field fencing, but I am wondering if it would work to put a strand of barbed wire six inches above that for some added protection. Would this be enough to stop a buck? Is ti okay to used barbed wire on top, or should I get barbless wire?

Thanks.

[Alice In TX/MO]

DO NOT USE BARBED WIRE FOR GOATS! It is NOT a deterrent, and you are asking for disaster, injured goats, and vet bills.

If you want to use something to discourage them, put a hot wire about four inches inside their fence at nose height.

[Rockytopsis]

We have 5 foot fencing around our buck pen with hot wire on top, bucks have not gotten out yet. We have Kiko bucks.
Nancy

[julieq]

We have never used barbed wire for any of our animals. Hot wire works very well and it won't tear them up if they get tangled up in it. Back when we raised beef cattle and quarter horses we used high tensile wire fencing, four strands with two hot. Took us a long time to replace the original barbed wire fencing on 140 acres, but it was a lot safer for the livestock.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I was pondering barbed wire, and we need to realize that goats, cattle, and horses do NOT look at barbed wire and think, "OH STICKERS! I should avoid that."

These animals live in a sticker environment, and goats EAT things with stickers.

The only thing barbed wire does for goats is ruin udders, penises, and testicles after they have tried to go over or through it.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I wouldn't use barbed wire either. A strand of electric run around the inside like Alice said will work great because it will also keep them from rubbing on your fence as well as going over it.
We started with Welded wire when we got our first goat so that is what alot of our fencing is still but we also ran wood rails at rubbing heigth around the inside to keep them from rubbing directly on the fence.
Now we have been using the cattle panels & really like those much better but they are also more exspensive if doing a large area all at once.

[motdaugrnds]

I would never use either barbed wire or electric. We have had two grown (250 lbs each) Nubian bucks in a separate pen from the does yet within eye sight and they have never gotten out of the pen we fixed for them. It is created from 4' cow panels set about a foot from the ground and staped to the "inside" of the bucks' pen that are held together with metal clips. (The pen is about 30 x 30 feet.) Then on the "outside" of that same pen we have 2x2s horizontal to prevent the does from rubbing up against the cow panels. The 2x2s are supported by metal brackets so as to support the weight of the does when they put their feet on them.

We created a similar pen up at the main barn for when we house the bucks during winter months. It has worked well for over 4 yrs now.