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9:35 pm
October 31, 2010
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Moved from Dairy Cow Fence topic
I don't mean to hijack this topic, but could folks comment on goat fencing also? I know the needs are way different for goats than cows, but looking to the future, perhaps I may have some of each so might as well prepare for the worst (I understand that goats are great escape artists…) 
11:58 pm
February 10, 2009
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Generally, goats need very secure fencing, woven wire or what is usually called 'field fence' at least with sturdy posts because they'll climb and/or lean on them to push them over if they can. You can try putting a strand of electric wire on the inside to help keep them off of the fence. Electric fencers are really very easy to install and manage. Believe me, they are your friend! Goats won't usually respect a simple electric wire though, I've seen it used to partition a tightly fenced pasture into sections so they could rotate them around and let some of the pasture grow a bit, but they do bust through electric fencing pretty often.
1:27 am
February 8, 2009
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My goatyard is fenced with 5 ft high fence, the so called welded, with 2x4 holes.
It is strong, they can stand against it..and nothing will happen.
For a temporary field we tried pig fence we tought it would work and is cheap compare to the welded fence…but believe me…that doesn't work.
(I never use electric fence…it was here when we bought the farm, but I have ever used it, so I can't say anything about that.)
5:11 am
September 16, 2010
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I have Nigerian Dwarf goats and I use 4-foot field fencing with a combination of wood posts on the corners and steel t-posts in between. I think you can get taller as well. Our land is very steep and the field fence will conform pretty well to minor slope irregularities. The field fencing comes in different weights and I use the 12 1/2 gauge. I make sure it is pretty tight, especially near the ground. I also use the welded cattle panels in areas where the goats congregate such as near the barn. They can stand on those all they want and they won't give way. After 2 years I have never had a little goat get out of the field fence even my bucks (which are housed away from the does) well except for when I forget to latch the gate.
6:28 am
October 31, 2010
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We were getting quotes and were looking at the 5 ft. "chain link" fence which I think is not really farm-type fence. Any thoughts on chain link? Would it be more or less expensive to get the "field fence"? Do you think it would do the job?
Someone told me that farm fence typically has wood posts vs. the metal posts used for the chain link.
6:36 am
October 31, 2010
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I found this article that may be of interest:
http://www.dairygoatjournal.co…..cewko.html
7:22 am
February 10, 2009
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I guess chain link would work, but I don't think I'd use it due to expense and also I picture them getting their hooves and or horns (if any) stuck in it too much. I'm not saying they would, just that the little diamonds seem an awkward size especially for goats, to me. I also think it's ugly and industrial and when it gets pushed out is hard to fix.
To me a boxwire (field fence) with wooden posts and if you like, board tops, seems much preferable. That article seems to give some good snapshots about different options. Getting a heavier gauge that will last longer may be more expensive initially, but fence maintenance is very low on my list of jobs I like to do. Boxwire is really good for most all animals so that would be my first choice.
If you're having someone come out, hopefully they do other types of fence as well and can advise you. Make sure they advise, not SELL! hehe.
Good tight gates are essential! And having extra gates isn't a bad thing so you have extra ways in and out of pastures and can get tractors and/or trailers in and out easily. Also with two or more entries (depending on the size of the pasture) weather or mud or other reasons to need a different way can be accommodated.
8:58 am
October 31, 2010
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I just spoke w/someone to come out for an estimate and they told me chain link is about 50% more in cost!
I'm good w/ the field fence if it will do the job. We will have 4 (!) drive gate entrances into it as there are 2 existing – 1 each on the 2 sides of the property that already have fence and a couple will be added on the new fence so we should be able to drive through, around, up, down….you get the idea!
I'm somewhat more inclined to have a cow, but I wanted to prepare for the worst (read, "goats") as far as fencing is concerned since we are contemplating goats for the future. Figured I'd do it rtft….. 
9:22 am
May 14, 2005
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Do it in field fence then if you get goats, it will work for goats, and if you get a cow instead, it will make a field where you can keep a calf. You can have a bigger pasture with electric for a cow, but a smaller field that can keep a calf in is good. Electric will not keep a goat in by itself. We haven't been able to keep sheep or donkeys in with electric either. Electric works best for cows but not so good for anything else.
10:33 am
January 26, 2010
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Field fencing doesn't require all wood posts ither. Around here it's common to see heavy wooden, well-braced corner posts with all or the majority of the line posts being metal. The oldest fences on our place use locally harvested osage orange posts for corners and line, and those posts outlast the wire. Anything newer is a combination of metal and wood posts, and the regular treated wood posts don't hold up nearly as well in our soil. Those are the ones we're working on replacing now.
10:44 am
October 31, 2010
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One of the fence guys I spoke with this morning recommended using metal posts with reinforcement bracing at corners and every 300 ft. He said that the fence would out-last wooden posts.
He also told me they did the fencing for the largest goat-heard owner in the US (owned by the same owner as Hoosier Racing???) and he seems to know what he's talking about.
He asked questions regarding the nature of the herd we'd have, etc., and talked about the differences in having male & female vs. female only when considering fencing.
Pretty interesting…I never realized that the largest goat herd owner was in my area (if he's correct)!
12:29 pm
February 10, 2009
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Yep, I can never resist searching on this kind of random stuff!! They have Boer goats which are mostly raised for meat, though can be crossed with dairy goats too so you can have a dairy breed, cross them with Boers and raise the kids for meat. (Yeah, yeah, I know you guys, "Oh but they're so cute!!!" Well, yeah, and I love em too, but it's one of those circle of life things unless you're willing to go vegan, cause if you want milk, the mama's gotta get preggers, and you gotta do somethin with the get.)
And now back to your regularly scheduled fence discussion.
12:35 pm
October 31, 2010
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I LOVE MEAT!!!! Don't apologize 
Can you share the link to info on their farm…. (to digress again…)
1:01 pm
February 10, 2009
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http://www.newtonfarms.org/index.html I'm as close to 100% sure it's them as I can be, because I found an e-mail address for a Marge Newton at hoosiertire.com about some kids for sale (4 legged I'm fairly sure) 
! The name of the family that owns that company is Newton, and they live in Lakeville IN. I'm such a snoop! (only publicly available info though, so no one should worry! But it does illustrate how we should be aware of what we put out there on the interwebz)
1:24 pm
October 31, 2010
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I did the same thing and found them but wasn't sure they were the same folks!
Thanks ")
10:06 pm
December 11, 2010
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Okay, here is my input, after much experience and failure. Chain link seems to invite rubbing, and no matter how tight, it "stretches" bulges and sags (I can even send pics of this effect).
Good grade field fencing is fine, if your goats do not have horns. If you have horned goats, they will poke their little nosy heads through and can't get back out because of the horns. You will have a million trips to free goats, or, a horrible accident if a dog or coyote finds them first.
We finally settled on "nonclimb" fencing (small little squares) with an electric strip top and bottom. The top strip is more for the guardian dog though.
All fencing should be well braced, we used metal T-posts, with wood bracing corner posts.
Keep housing and climbing toys away from fencing, trim lower limbs of trees near fencing, these critters are athletic and smart!
10:48 pm
February 10, 2011
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Ahhhh, goats are so hard to contain! We've tried sooo many different things. Thankfully, the goats we currently own really seem to dislike leaving their pen (though they've proven that the 6 foot field fence is no sweat to jump over, if they ever get the notion). We try to stake them out in the summer, but they really don't seem to like it and just sit there and cry until we put them away. Strange. Goats we've owned in the past would have eaten the yard away!
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5:30 am
September 16, 2010
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I have one small yard for my Nigerians and it is fenced with field fence. My goats tend to ignore the fences away from the action on the backside and do all their standing and rubbing on the fences closest to feeders and people. Where I can manage it with our uneven terrain I like the heavy galvanized cattle panels in those areas. Even where there is field fence it has help up well even with lots of little feet on it.
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