Fencing... How?

volchitsa · #1 02/18/12, 07:13 PM

I've decided to buy either nubians or nigerian dwarfs. How should I build a fence to contain them? I have 2 spools of poly wire electric fencing or something... and the box charger thing for the electric fence (sorry.. never worked with any of this stuff before!). I also have t posts and barbed wire. So. How do you guys build your fences? The only fencing I've built is bamboo, which isn't going to stand up to goats!

So I guess just tell me what you use to build your fences... and uh, how XD!
Thank you, all help is appreciated. I can list the brand/names of the electric fence/wire things.

wintrrwolf · #2 02/18/12, 07:24 PM

So far my luck with electric fences and my goats have been unsuccessful. I have smaller nigi size goats and taller nubian's. From my understanding you HAVE to put a wire at nose level of the goats if they get their nose through and then get zapped they will keep going forward. Since allot of chargers are a pulsing current you have to make sure they get a good zap before they get their heads through.
Tractor supply company's website has some visual suggestions on their website on setting up electric fences. http://www.tractorsupply.com/content...electric-fence

Alice In TX/MO · #3 02/18/12, 07:29 PM

Electric strands are mostly unsuccessful.

You need a good wire mesh fence with a hot wire at nose height, or you need cattle panels.

It's good that you started thinking about this before getting the goats. Some folks jump in before they are ready!

mrs whodunit · #4 02/18/12, 07:41 PM

The best way I have found so far is cattle pannels. The goat can stand up on them but that doesn't bother the pannels.

Rolls of mesh type gets saggy from goats standing up on it. Heard that chain link however is durable enough because the goats don't like their hooves in the diamond shape of the chain link spaces.

CaliannG · #5 02/18/12, 08:45 PM

If it imperative you use the supplies on hand....

Run a five-strand barbed wire fence at the highest tightness you can get. REALLY tight.

INSIDE of your barbed wire fence, run four strands of electrical polywire so that they are in between your strands of barbed wire in height. It should look like this, with the stars being barbed and the lines being polywire:

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Your lowest strand of barbed wire should be six inches from the ground. Then you can have barbed wire at 12 inch spacing, as well as electrified poly wire at the same spacing.

volchitsa · #6 02/18/12, 09:02 PM

What are cattle panels? It isn't imperative, but I don't want to spend much money.

I looked around the farm and found some large (I'd guess 5"x5"), thick, wire fencing (?) stuff that looks like this .

Natural Beauty Farm · #7 02/18/12, 09:10 PM

You have cattle panels, best thing for goats and it can be moved in an instant to set up quick pens.

CaliannG · #8 02/18/12, 09:51 PM

Yep, cattle panels is exactly what those are.

volchitsa · #9 02/18/12, 10:47 PM

Sure am glad I have the right thing! I have to fix a few places in it... there are a few spots where the metal broke :\.
How tall should the top of the fence be (for either Nigerian Dwarfs of Nubians) , and can I just use this on t posts? How do I make the door?
Sorry for so many questions, I would rather get it done the first time rather than finding goats on my moms car... XD!

Ford Zoo · #10 02/19/12, 12:50 AM

If you have some heavy duty cutters to cut that cattle panel, you could use that on a frame made out of wood for a gate. Put a few cross pieces on it to make it sturdy and voila! Cheap gate. Whatever you use for a gate, just plan ahead and make it wide enough. Our current gate is too narrow to get the lawn mower or cart thru to do yard maintence.
As far as attaching the panels to the T-posts: you can buy peices in most fencing departments that are bent heavy wire. Or spend about $15-20 for a roll of 14g electric fence wire, cut short pieces and use that to attach the panels to the T-posts. The stuff has almost as many uses as duct tape!
And remember, It's never going to be perfect the first time. You'll figure out better ways as you go along. Have fun!

Ford Zoo · #11 02/19/12, 12:52 AM

One thing to consider: Will your goats have horns? This can cause a risk of getting their head thru, then getting stuck. If so, plan that hot wire to deter them.