Goats on pasture

Was able to let the girls out for a little bit a week or so ago. Couldn't leave them out because the fence is not just right and they got out. Need to go back to the drawing board. *sigh* If it ain't chickens, it's feathers.

Hi Cajun: I was just thinking that with a gap like that even I could get out...LOL Hay

That gap is electric top and bottom, I bet. I'd like to watch if you decide to limbo through Haystack!

So if you live in Kentucky I take it it's required you have goats? You and grownut both are in KY and both have goats...LOL!! When I was a child, we borrowed a goat from time to time to eat the wild blackberries (we lived on 5 acres and at least 4 was blackberries). I don't know what kind he was....he was good-sized, black & white, and had large, curved horns. His name was Rembrandt. He loved being brushed, his favorite game was to rear up and then you'd catch him by the horns.

Either escape goats or bad fences...we've got people coming to work on ours so they can come out of the barn! Crazy...

Omg there is nothing like trying to keep goats in! we are still stuggling with it.We have tryed field fence and they go under it or over it. we added elec to the top and put rocks and wood down at the bottom they searched until they found a weak spot at the bottm or between the fence and the elec wire.We even tryed 3 strands of elce fence.That works until one decides to take one jolt for the team then the fence is down and the goats are all free again.They are increadable escape artists.

I watched a 4YO doe (recently kidded and still huge) squeeze through a 7"x4" "hole" in the electric fence. This was a spot of low ground where she had 4" of clearance. And the supplementary posts I had put in were 7" apart....mine only come out in winter when the yard is greener than the pasture. Or to kill my fruit trees. But their thicker coats mean they will go through just about anything. (I replaced my 5 mile fencer with a 20. Shocks the bejeebers out of us, but they go through)

The whole thing is electric but the problem is the strands are too far apart and the bottom strand is too high is several places. the problem is the posts. the white ones would be great if I had them all around but i had to use some gray ones that have fewer and higher hooks for the wire. It was also on a smaller charger. I'll link them to the horse fence. It will nearly knock you off your feet. I touched it and it nearly stopped my heart. The horses can smell when it's on. The goats might hit it a time or 2 but if they are dumb enough to keep getting in it, they may need to live with somebody else.

That's some interesting terrain you have there, Cajun!

It's a challenge for sure!

Well darling the highest hill in all of Texas is about the same as the fence height... No off-fence meant, just that Texas people who have never left the state have never seen a hillside...LOL LIMBO, How Low can you Go. Ha ha ha. Thats what I meant Porkpal those two strands are to far apart.

I run a fifty miler on my goat pasture all electric wires at 6" 12" 18" 28" 40" twelve and twenty eight are hooked to the to the ground runs 19,900 volts on the hot wires

What kind of goats do you have?

Cajun, it looks like there's alot of sag in the polywire. You might want to put a fence strainer on each run of wire and keep it taunt. If the wire is loose the goats can slip right through it with out making solid contact. Put a metal or wood t-post in every corner (or turn if it's not a true 90 degrees) and attach a plastic insulator donut to the post with 12 ga wire (you can use your poly wire if you thread it through some hose to keep the post from breaking it) and run your poly wire through the donuts. Set all your step-in posts, and then tighten the wires with the strainers. You should only be able to flex the wire an inch or two. The goats need to have to try and push through the wire and then they'll get zapped. You can see 2 strainers on my fence in the photo.

That looks like a come along. I need to restring my fence. It was put up in a hurry to try and beat winter. I'll get it fixed now that the weather is better. Thanks for the tips.

Yes thanks for the tips my dh lookd at the pic and read what ya wrote and said ok that makes sense.Hes going to try that when we add more space to the goat pasture as its much cheaper to run elec than buy 5' fence to keep them in.

Mine are mixed breed 3 dairy type the rest are boar or boar mix with a 250 lb. plus boar billy at stud

That's a BIG goat!

I just have African Pygmies.

OK you guys, here's my question. DH & I have recently bought 12 extra acres. The area is next to our original pasture and is fenced separately. It was grossly overgrown and we have dozed it, leaving as many trees as possible, and then did some leveling. But it is still full of brambles, blackberries, and poison ivy. There is a deep well, tank (texas for pond), electric, and the existing fence is five strands of barbed wire which is in pretty good shape. I would like to put some meat goats (Boers or Kikos or crosses) in there to help clear this area. Probably only ten or so goats. I think if I strung turbo wire between the strands of barbed wire (four strands of turbo wire) I could probably not have to worry too much about the little devils escaping. DH thinks its a good idea, and the last turbo wire project worked out well. But he thinks four strands is overkill. Since there is a coyote presence and neighbor dogs, I think that the four strands of turbo wire and five strands of barbed wire would be good. In you all's experience, would you add four strands of electric wire or just maybe two? We would be nearby at night or on weekends if there is a problem, within shouting or baaahhhhing distance, but we work during the day so the goats wouldn't have 24/7 human guards. We have four donkeys so I was going to put two of the donkeys in with the goats.

And CajuninKY, I sympathize with your fencing-over-rough-terrain project. My own project will not be as hilly, but what with the trees, brambles, and poison ivy I should have a good challenge!

I think two strands of electric wire plus donkeys ought to do it, but you could always compromise with three.

I'd go 4 with the coyotes to consider. The donks are a great deterent for them too but as long as you are stringing wire might as well go the whole nine yards. But what do I know? I can't keep 3 squirts in the lot. LOL

Thanks you all. I was over there this weekend and there are animal trails criss-crossing the area so I may go will the 4 strands as it looks like the coyotes are used to being on that property on a routine basis.

CajuninKy, your little guys are escape artists, but I bet its hard to stay mad at them. They are cute!

The 6 inch wire is to stop the dogs and coyotes. They don't like electric fence but you have to make sure they get zapped if they try to jump through higher up. Both have learned that they can jump through with out getting zapped on the normal electric fence. Go to search and type in electric fence predator control you should find some diagrams that will help you this type of fencing came from down under

If every other wire is a normal grounded wire, they are unlikely to slip through without touching one of each.

I used their fencing when I had my nigerian dwarfs when I lived in Kentucky.... so I think it is a KY thing especially since they were giving away so much money for farmers to get into goats instead of growing tobacco....

anyway this company is GREAT! can't say enough things about them. Customer service like what customer service is suppose to be. Plus if you don't know what ya want call and they will tell you what you need to get the job done or rather to keep the goats in...LOL

http://www.premier1supplies.com/fencing.php?species_id=2&

Janet

That fencing looks cool, meadowyck, and thanks for the link. I did bookmark it for future reference. We already have quite a bit of the Gallager (sp?) turbo wire left over from the last project so I will probably go with that. I actually watched the bull get quite a good jolt from the existing fencing this past weekend. I was mowing grass on my side of the fence and I guess he wanted the clippings. Knocked him back a good two feet! I think if I get the strands close enough together, with barbed wire in the middle for good measure, I can get the same results for a coyote or a Great Dane.

We have Great Danes - usually 5 or 6 recycled rejects from the pound etc. I have a single strand of hot wire running 4" high across the driveway as a drive-over "gate" and it keeps them in! A couple of smaller dogs with bigger brains have learned to hop over it, but not the Danes. Your fence will definitely be Dane-proof.

LOL! Yeah, these Great Danes were coming over and fussing around the chicken coop/run while we were at work. They never managed to get in but were chasing the chickens from the outside of the run. They aready got their rude come-upance about three weeks ago. Another set of turbo wires will probably keep them off our property for life!

terri

the mental picture I just got about your bull had me laughing out loud and here I'm on break at work and folks were wondering what was so funny....... I bet he thought twice before coming over again...LOL

Janet

meadowyck, haven't seen him near the fence again. And I read Dave's on my breaks at work. I've gotten those looks before, too!

I tightened my fence yesterday and turned the goats out for a while. They didn't challenge the fence. It was so hot I don't think they were interested. They went back into the shade of their house before long panting like a pack of dogs running a deer. I shut them back up.

I let them out again this morning and they enjoyed themselves. They didn't challenge the fence but I still don't think the fence is working. the dog touched it and paid it no mind. One goat's ear touched it repeatedly while she was grazing next to it and it didn't shock her either. I just don't think the charger is big enough.

or you might have some weeds that have shorted out a strand.... check the ground around....

Thank what I hated you had to keep up and make sure the weeds didn't get high enough to touch a strand or before long it would be shorted out.

Janet