# Fence question



## Haulinbass02 (Jun 3, 2010)

I am looking at the standard 4" square goat fence to put up around my acreage. Is this good stuff for your standard dairy goats or do you suggest something else?


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## Dacaree (Jan 31, 2009)

That is what I have on most of my property and I would have said you would be fine until this morning. My new numancha crawled right through the fence. I went to check on him and he was curled asleep outside the fence. When we woke him up he jumped up and went right back through.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Yikes! How big is the numancha? 
By the way, WELCOME, Andrew and Sarah! I'm also from Springtown.
I have cheapo 2x4 inch square field fencing and it has served me well but it will not hold up nearly as long as the woven wire fencing. And bucks can wear it down pretty quickly.


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## NPgoats (Mar 18, 2010)

I agree with Michelle. We use 2x4 inch field fencing and it works well for the does. The bucklings (nubian and mini nubian) are very hard on the fence and we will have to replace it with something else at some point. We did have our mini go through the cattle panel we had up and the same thing happened with the 4x4 inch welded wire. Mini Houdini! LOL
Linda


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## hyamiranda (Jul 24, 2009)

For our big girls we've been successful so far with regular field fence. For the kids we used hog panels and lined it with chicken wire to keep them from sneaking out. I think it depends on the goat. Some goats try a lot harder than others and if they are determined, watch out. 

Welcome and good luck.


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## feistymomma (May 20, 2009)

I just fenced in my backyard for my doelings/children  with 2x4 inch fence. I also used this to build my stalls. It works really nice for us. It is also about 67-69 dollars for a 100 foot role around here. So, it is a little cheaper. It is the only thing I can afford right now. LOL!


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

I use cattle panels with the smaller grid at the bottom getting bigger as it goes up. Keeps all of the unwanted kritters out and the goats in. And they aren't cheap but last pretty much forever.


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## Poverty Knob Goats (Apr 13, 2010)

Cattle panels are OK for big goats, Combination Panels are better, 2 x 4 fencing should keep everythig in. Nothing is cheap but go with the best that you can afford.
J.L.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

We perimeter fenced the acreage in field fencing with closer spacing of tposts than recommended, mostly by starting with 10 feet and then quickly seeing that wasn't going to work and adding more and more as I could afford it. We cross fenced with it also but up close to the house and barn I used cattle panels, this way all the standing on the fence for them to look over...nubians can not see through a fence  it's where there are cattle panels. I also have the kid pen in cattle panels since they are the one class of goats that can't get bred if there was a freak escape. Bucks, fort knox and nothing else when they are older and in rut is a must, or you can't control breedings. They will break through field fencing, electric fence doesn't even phaze them if they can get to or over or through to a doe. Vicki


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## LLB101 (Sep 29, 2009)

The combo panels here are what the mini-monsters climb up until they get to a big enough space to get out. Not every kid, but the ones that do are relentless. 100% of bucklings so far, 40% of doelings are the escapees. Starts right around 11-12 lbs regardless of age, its a size, strength, and ambition thing. This newest studley buckling "Dude", it was a few days old, others born at normal 4 lbs, its been several weeks old. 

I have an assortment of alternative barricades, one of the most visible parts of the pen that's next to the back lawn, I wove green bamboo stalks thru those 2 rows. That's working, but faded to tan and I'm not convinced on the aesthetics next to the back lawn and deck. Maybe if I put a nice vertical edge trim on the stubs that stick out.

Another section, I cut the green plastic lattice down to 1' x 8' strips and the 1' height just covers the 2 problem rows where they escape. I attach with black zip ties. If i didn't hate the manufactured plastic lattice so much and it so incongruous around here... it might be ok in some settings, its a little embarassing for the cultural mores around here.

Other spots I've used various smaller hole fencing like the 2x4" or some pretty black and green garden fencing. I tried chicken wire first but it seemed dangerously close to getting feet caught in in as it stretches and bubbles out as they try to climb on it.

Someone around here had a mini-kid get head stuck in the 4x4 size stock panel. Apparentlly yelled bloody murder... 

I now have one of the teenage doelings climbing the stock panel like a ladder, all the way up, to browse on the trees. She hasn't gotten out yet and I haven't seen the whole action, just caught her up there balancing on the top few rows eating. Its recent... stay tuned...  I was in disbelief... that section of fence is a full 16' and does sag/lean out a bit when they climb on it, that might be what is making it possible. If she does get out of that pen, she's inside another fenced area and can do only minimal garden damage, mostly to the huckleberries, so I haven't put as much energy as I could to catching her in the act and figuring it out. But its pretty amazing!

One of the more suburban folks around here has some of that electric netting that seems to work well. I couldn't get away with that where I am, the cruelty folks would be all over me, but its kind of tempting.

Another section of the kidding pen, I used wood pallets tied together. Looks kind of like that neighbor-friendly fence where you alternate sides that the boards face. Pallets are often free around here, and I've had more pics taken of that section and my "fabulous use of recycled materials" on tour groups that have been thru here. That's not my quote, some garden writer wrote it and the phrase keeps getting recycled now too.  

It might not be tall enough for full size goats but since the boards are vertical it might be, there's really nothing to climb, it works great for mini's, and might work for less ambitious full size ones, like in a similar kidding area. Now that I've learned about the benefits of kids eating old wood (thanks Buckrun/Lee), using the old pallets in this kidding pen area looks like brilliant design for multiple functions. My story and I'm stickin' to it :biggrin


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## favablue (Apr 11, 2009)

We like to add a electric fence wire to keep goats from rubbing on the fence. This will make your fence last a lot longer.
Also a good rust resistant strand of bob-wire at the base will HELP keep the goats ( also dogs from getting in) a little better from going under.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

For kids, I have lined the combination panels with either chicken wire (already had it) or a smaller grid woven wire (already had it. Works great.


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## BrokenHalterFarm (Feb 16, 2010)

I use cattle panels for the bigger pens (pens that arent fenced for horses)
For babies I have the same cattle pens in my dog yard PLUS the dog fence which is completely goat proof (6ft high 2inch space between wire)
This way it's no big deal (to me) that the babies wander and they do not go up to the big pen until they no longer fit through the squares.

The cattle panels here are $19 a panel which still comes out cheaper then anything else (here in PA at least)
I had a really cheap company come out and give me an estimate.
For a nearly 500ft paddock they wanted 2-4000 , with cattle panels and T-posts it cost $650.
Plus I can change the setup anyway that I want!


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## Nana (May 12, 2010)

Where are you getting cattle panels for 19 dollars a panel?


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## NPgoats (Mar 18, 2010)

Is there any way to get some pictures of some of these functional fencing ideas. 
Lacia, I'd love to see how you recycled your pallets.


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## BrokenHalterFarm (Feb 16, 2010)

I get mine at tracter supply.
These kind of panels right?


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Mar 2, 2009)

We get cattle panels for around 25.00 here and its what we use.


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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

adillenal said:


> I use cattle panels with the smaller grid at the bottom getting bigger as it goes up. Keeps all of the unwanted kritters out and the goats in. And they aren't cheap but last pretty much forever.


Oh I agree with the lasting forever, unless you have a stupid horse that decides to try to jump one.....UGH. Had a horse do that recently...she destroyed the panel, ended up cut....she let my goats out to. Thankfully it was just my two pygmys. BTW-I wasn't using this fence for the horses...it was for the goat pen, she just decided to go through or I guess OVER the fence.

SIGHS.
I use cattle panels for all of my goats.  Unless they are kids then I use hog panels at the bottom or the cattle panels w/ the small holes at the bottom.


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## SimplyE (Jan 15, 2010)

This couldn't be more timely!

We are seeding an area 100 x 100 and I need to fence it. I have it fenced three rails for horses, but got out of the horse business. That 2 x 4 field fencing is what I wanted to use, but at $175 for 100 feet, holy crap that is expensive. Temporarily, we have been using the less expensive welded fence on priefert horse panels, and that is so much less expensive, but I worry that the welds won't hold. I am interested about electrifying it. I have two does (currently), 100 ft x 100 ft pasture soon, that has an electric wire around it. What are your thoughts on using the less expensive weld and electrifying it? Would it work? Or would I be smarter to hold out on the stronger field fencing or hog panels, narrower on the bottom (which we have a few of).


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## IXEL (May 17, 2010)

We use cattle panals and go around the inside with a 4ft tall 2"x4" square fence. It works well for our big Boer does, and keeps in the little kids when they are born. : )


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## lazydaisy67 (Sep 7, 2009)

So when you say Ft. Knox, do you have to put wooden posts every 2 feet for the cattle panel or what? If they ram everything, won't they be strong enough to ram right through T posts?


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## BrokenHalterFarm (Feb 16, 2010)

I use three T-posts per panel.

My big boer/nubian buck has pounded on these panels everyday since they were put up and so far the only places they break at are where the panels are connected (I was using zip ties , but switched to twine)
Once you have them stabilized on the t-post they really cannot beat them down.

However if you do what I did and leave a few spots missing a middle post , at least one goat will figure out how to crawl out!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

The weakness at most fences are the gates, places that will hold does for years will not hold a buck in rut. Figure they spend 24/7 for 8 months out of the year, figuring out how to get out to go see the does. I have seen boers with horns work on a fence post raming it until the owner had to come out and put braces on each of the 6 inch round posts my husband cemented into the ground...he finally had to relent and put the bugger in with the does. I have a perfect nubian profile bent into a cattle panel at the end. Welded pipe, or like I do, no fenceline contact with the does. Also don't teach them to jump, start them in cattle panel fencing as kids, so they don't even know they could possible go over a fence. Vicki


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## Qvrfullmidwife (Oct 25, 2007)

"Bucks, fort knox and nothing else when they are older and in rut is a must, or you can't control breedings. They will break through field fencing, electric fence doesn't even phaze them if they can get to or over or through to a doe. Vicki"

first time ever today we had one get through cattle (might have been combo) panels. Only type of fencing we have here, love it, before today would have told you nothing could get through but apparently when enticed by a penfull of CIDRed beauties a persistent alpine buck can get through lickety split!


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## lazydaisy67 (Sep 7, 2009)

How about electric fencing? Wouldn't a row at top and bottom eventually teach them not to butt the fence or do they just not care? I really don't want to have my buck getting out and meeting with the girls without permission, going to the neighbor's house, or getting hit on the road, etc. So I want to do the fence correctly the first time instead of trying to jerry-rig a bad fencing plan after its too late. Also, how far away should he be put from the girls? I have a couple of options for where to build an enclosure for him, but I don't want it to be so remote from the house and barn that it's impossible to get to him with feed/water. I don't want him too close to where I milk either. The farther away his smell is from my milk the better.


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## SimplyE (Jan 15, 2010)

And...Would electric fencing send a charge through field fencing and electrify the entire thing? (for me, i don't have any bucks).


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

No, the t-posts ground it out. If you installed it on the fiberglass posts so the metal doesn't ground it out, it could be one I suppose. Vicki


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## SimplyE (Jan 15, 2010)

Hmmm, the current fencing is RR ties rather than T posts, so I wonder...


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## Fiberaddict (Jun 4, 2009)

We started with field fencing, and the does broke it. Moved to the sheep and goat fencing...so far, it's OK, but the kids figured out how to shimmy under the bottom. (The ground isn't level here, so there were small gaps. *I* thought they were too small to bother with - I learned!). We've reinforced *that* with the cattle/utility panels (the 4x4 ones).

My backyard is fenced with the cattle panels welded to the t-posts. Holds the dogs and horses (why yes, I *have* used my horses as yard crew......beats mowing in the heat of summer! :lol )

We have a roll of chainlink we got from my husband's work......I don't know if that would work for the bucks or not. We need to get started on it - the Alpine is 5 months, and the Nubian is 3. I want them MOVED. Right now they're separated, but still inside the doe pasture (we used my roundpen to fence them in, with garden fencing on the bottom of the panels. Keeps them in - now.)


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## Haulinbass02 (Jun 3, 2010)

Wow, goats are sounding like a bunch of escape artists! I was planning on (this idea came from a buddy of mine) putting the goat fence up, then reinforcing it with three strands of twisted, barbless wire, (one at the top, middle and bottom of the goat fence) along with a single strand of barbless wire at the top of the fence. That is more for the horse than anything to keep him from leaning down the goat fence. I also plan on a strand of electric wire at the top, again for the horses to keep them off the fence, but it was also suggested to put a second strand near the bottom for the goats, to teach them to respect the fence. 

The issue is, of all of the goats around here, they all seem nice, docile, and in no mood to escape. They look all nice and happy in their pastures and the fence and goats don't give any indication of having, or wanting to get out. The guy around the corner has a dozen goats and two donkeys. He doesn't even live on property but we have not seen a goat out yet! Maybe I am a little naive?


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

They make insulated (plastic) connector thingies that attach to the t-post and then the hot wire runs through them. They come in assorted lengths, so you can have them extend a little ways out from your non-electric fencing if you want. That way, the charge is only on the hot wire.


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