Fencing for goats

[nancylee]

Hi all,
I am new to homesteading and want to get some angora goats for spinning, etc. I have 40 acres, most of it woods, and a lot of it is rocky. Question: does the electric netting work for goats? I have big dogs, I did dog rescue and have some of the older dogs still, I need a safe fencing for the goats. My dogs do run freely at times, not for hours, but we let them out to go to the bathroom, generally not more than one or two at a time. Can this be done safely: dogs and goats? I would never, ever want to endanger another animal because of the dogs, so if I have to wait on the goats until the last rescue dog either gets adopted or dies of old age, I will.

Thank you for your advice in advance,
Nancy

[Hollowdweller]

I love the electric netting. But it's really not intended for a permanent fence. The downside is since it's polywire you need a hotter energizer to drive it and you really should keep it weed eated for max shocking power.

A better idea for fencing woods is to buy the 14 gauge hi tensile wire.

You would then have to dig post holes for your end post and braces but then you can run the rest of the fence on trees and just use T posts between them.

Get yourself some of the screw in corner insulators to put corners on the trees. and for the line trees what you do is cut 2x2 strips put insulators on them and then use a portable drill and attach them to the trees with lag bolts.

[nancylee]

Thank you for the ideas!! I appreciate the advice and the information.
Nancy

[Alice In TX/MO]

I use it, and I like it.

[gila_dog]

You are right to be concerned about dogs and goats. There is a natural prey/predator instinct between them. Dogs that are otherwise sweet and docile can go right for the goats. I do a lot of hiking with my goats (mine are big wethers, used as packgoats) and I've had trouble with dogs many times. We don't have any dangerous dogs in our neighborhood (at the present time) but there are other predators around. Right now it's bears coming in for the ripe fruit. And then there's coyotes and mountain lions. And javelinas. They can be dangerous, not as predators, but just because they can't see very well and can freak out if something scares them, or if they have babies to protect.

I keep my goats in a pen made of livestock panels, and then extended higher up to about 8 ft high with woven fence wire. I take them out to browse on wild stuff almost daily, but I am there with them, both to keep them from getting into trouble, and to protect them. Then they go back in their pen. When I camp out with them they have learned to stay close to camp. I also put a bell on one of them so I know where they are and I can hear if something is chasing them. It hasn't happened yet, but sure could. The bell may also help to keep predators away. It may be different where you live, but where I am, nobody in their right mind lets their goats or chickens "free range".