A question about Nigerian Dwarf size

sriston · #1 10/17/13, 02:34 PM

This is kind of odd but our Leroy has thrown a kink into our feeding system. He can fit through the cattle panels that we replace the pop doors on the barn with every day and gain access to the chicken food and the rabbit food that we normally leave out. Our other goats can't fit through the cattle panels.

Leroy is 5 months old. It's been several years since we've seen an adult ND. I am wondering..can ND goats (adults) fit through a cattle panel? I have a temporary barrier in place but if Leroy isn't going to get much bigger, we are going to have to do some redesigning.

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Minelson · #2 10/17/13, 03:52 PM

Wow! That is really small. About how much does he weigh? There is no way in heck that my ND/pygmys would never fit through a cattle panel opening. Are you sure that is how he is getting in there? I would really like to see a picture of this little guy

Alice In TX/MO · #3 10/17/13, 04:16 PM

Are you talking welded wire cattle panels with 4" x 4" openings? or metal tubing cattle panels?

Frosted Mini's · #4 10/17/13, 04:20 PM

My Nigerians don't fit through cattle panels after about 3-4 months of age. Mine are the kind made out of welded metal rods.

sriston · #5 10/17/13, 04:35 PM

Welded wire but the openings are 4" tall, 6" wide. Leroy just steps right through- we've watched him.

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Minelson · #6 10/17/13, 05:04 PM

This little guy is getting through cattle panels like the ones shown behind him in the picture???
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/att...10.04.2013.jpg

Alice In TX/MO · #7 10/17/13, 05:36 PM

4" x 6" is too big.

sriston · #8 10/17/13, 05:47 PM

Yep, that's the ones. He just steps right through. Drat; I am going to have to redesign the barn pop doors somehow. I don't know if my chickens and ducks could get through a 4x4 opening.

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sriston · #9 10/17/13, 05:58 PM

Alice, will 4x6 always be too big or will he get bigger?

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Alice In TX/MO · #10 10/17/13, 07:30 PM

He's got a couple of years of growth yet.

sriston · #11 10/17/13, 07:34 PM

Dang. Two years. That means I still have to come up with a new chicken door design. I was hoping you'd say he'd be too big in another month.

Thanks everyone!

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Frosted Mini's · #12 10/17/13, 10:01 PM

Like I said, mine are usually too big by 3-4 months old. Your guy must be really small. I have the same kind of cattle panels that you do.

Minelson · #13 10/18/13, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sriston

Dang. Two years. That means I still have to come up with a new chicken door design. I was hoping you'd say he'd be too big in another month.

Thanks everyone!

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I put up chicken wire around the base of the cattle panels to keep them from getting out until they got bigger...(actually I never took it down)

Minelson · #14 10/18/13, 06:40 AM

Made me think of the first day I brought mine home

You can see the chicken wire. This is the nursery pen

sriston · #15 10/18/13, 09:17 AM

If I ever have to confine him, I'll remember the chicken wire. Hopefully he'll grow and not be able to fit through the cattle panel barriers to the feeding room. Until then, I have to devise another plan. That's my project for today. I am thinking of building a shallow trough from scrap wood and covering it with some leftover 2x4 welded wire fencing. I am hoping that the chickens and ducks can reach through the wire to eat but little Leroy can't. I haven't come up with an idea for the rabbit feeder yet.

Had a good system set up until we brought home this little bundle of joy named Leroy.

Kits&Kids · #16 10/18/13, 10:46 AM

You could put a stick about a foot long wired to his collar for a bit until he learns he cant fit and gains some size.

CAjerseychick · #17 10/18/13, 12:25 PM

Yeah I know its old school but the stick thing really does work (we used an old mini tractor tire for our digging out dogs and that worked a charm)-- just takes some supervision in the beginning so the animal can learn he gets stuck and what not to do, safely....

Sam Burton · #18 10/18/13, 12:36 PM

We've had Nigerian Bucks fit through holes that would make a rat think twice. Not to mention today's mystery of finding our Nigerian/Kiko cross buckling (7 mos) in the pasture with our BoKi herd sire. We still haven't figured how he got in.

sriston · #19 10/18/13, 12:39 PM

The stick sounds like a good idea, but (and I sound like my mother here) I am afraid he would poke someone's eyes out when they were playing.

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CAjerseychick · #20 10/18/13, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sriston

The stick sounds like a good idea, but (and I sound like my mother here) I am afraid he would poke someone's eyes out when they were playing.

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Use something with rounded off ends, like the end of a broom handle (cut to fit and sand down the cut end)...