[Katgold]

We are very excited to be getting our first few dairy goats in the next couple of weeks. However, after having visited them, I am concerned that the fences we have planned aren't suitable. 

Our main paddock is L shaped and about 2 acres of mixed woods and pasture.  Around the majority of the sides is 4.5-6 ft high dry stone wall with wire around the top. The inner part of the L around our secured garden is newish high tensile non-electrified fence. I assume this won't be suitable for the nanny and 2.5month old kid we are getting. The top part of the L opens onto the storage yard of a local festival, so will need blocking off.

I am at a bit of a loss when it comes to what I should do with the fencing.  The original plan was for a fencing contractor to come out and fence off a section of it, using the posts from the HT wire to put in stock fencing and a couple of gates, but he is now running a month late. This means I will theoretically have a gap between goats arriving and the new fence. I do have a couple other small yards for the goats, but for a variety of reasons they aren't ideal.

So, I think what I am wondering is what would you do as a temporary solution?  From what I have seen, we can:
- fit some sort of fence ourselves, replacing the HT wire with woven fencing and putting in a section of new posts.  We have terribly rocky ground and I have concerns about our ability to do anything other than a bad job on the new posts.
- buy an electric fence. Looking at all the bits I think we need I have costed it at £400 - which was basically the price of the new permanent fence.  I really don't want to spend that kind of money to have to re-spend it a month or so later.
- put the goats in the other enclosures and hope for the best. I work from home, so its not like they will be unsupervised but there will be hell to pay i they bother the estate's holiday makers

If you have read this far, thank you so much!!!! 

[clydesdaleclopper]

With your existing wire fence you can run the stock fencing in front of it on the same posts and leave the wire in situ - it's what we did with ours. You will need a tool to tension the stock fence but it's not difficult to do.

[Anke]

When your goats first arrive you should keep them inside until they are used to you and will let you handle them easily. If the nanny is suckling her kid that may not be a quick process. After that - smallish enclosure/yard is fine - as long as you can bring hedge browsings to her, she will be fine. Walking her on the lead to let her graze for a half hour a couple of times a day should also help.

As to fencing - the only solution I can recommend is - standard stock fence with electric top wire, mains powered. We have also used electric tape (mains powered again) to block off areas we don't want them going into, but that is not suitable for kids and possibly the nanny will follow...

[Talana]

Mine are kept in with 3 strands of electric fencing, You get fixings that attach to your existing fence and run 2-3 electric wires round  and if you want to split the field electric and poles easy to move around farm auctions great place for getting cheap poles electric fencing equipment
 With your fence pictured and depending on the individual goats you might get away with 1 wire goat chest height with the fixing that sticks the electic wire out a bit from the fence rather than flat against the post.

Or i think your best simple cheap option electrify the fence you have all it needs is insulators don't have to do every wire. You can buy them but most farmers use plastic pipe cut section on one side so to get wire in.  You pull out steeple and put in again securing the pipe then slot the wire in. I see you have 6 wires I think you would get away with a minimum of doing the  2nd and fourth wire from bottom .Then later you could go on to do the third from bottom as well and a top wire if required, would be as secure as anything else in my opinion.

[Talana]

Also check your field for poisonous plants and fence trees off ! Goats love to eat them and strip the bark in fact we often collect branches for them to eat. eg. willow, beech, hazel, hawthorn etc. I recommend what Anke has said as well about getting them settled in and the other's suggestions of different fencing options.
Exciting times for you.

[pharnorth]

I take it your goats are polled- unlike my Angoras which complicate matters a great deal. 

Having some electric fencing is a useful stand by for all sorts of situations as is having some hurdles available. I think your £400 is quite steep so perhaps you were thinking of running around your whole fence line?

My solution would be:  select a corner of the field and use the plastic poles just inside the wire fence (you can tie them to the wooden posts if you like) to secure along the wire and post sides and then create a mini paddock say 20m by 10m by using the plastic poles and wire to create the other two sides.  If you are still nervous about escapees and you have the budget invest in 15 or so hurdles and place those on the two vulnerable sides-as long as they don't touch the electric wire! With a bit of forethought there are various ways you could make this a more permanent mini paddock or move it around when they run out of grass.

As per Talana and Anke's comments you need to get to know your goats, that is much easier in a small area than a big one. In your large field they have so much to occupy themselves they will have little need to come and see you.

[Hellybee]

 


One that holds water        

[Penninehillbilly]

£400 Sounds a lot, you can pick up an energiser for about a 100, I've just bought 10 plastic posts for about £13, old car battery, it seem to remember wire is fairly cheap, Id get new rather than off auction, people get carried away and they seem to end up nearly as expensive as new, without the warranty. (They did when I was bidding )
Remember if looked after an electric fence is much more versatile than stock fence, once they respect it you can enclose them in a smaller area if needing them off the rest of the land, strip graze, separate when needed,. Run the wire about 30 cm round the inside of the boundary, maybe 3 strands in front of the HT wire, one strand in front of wall. If the vendor uses electric fence they will know to keep clear. You don't need it on once they've touched it a couple of times.
I would keep them in for at least a few days while they get to know you, or you may never get them in at all :-).
Just re-read your post, it's the bit that end of the 'L' that needs new fence? How long is the top of the L.?
Would second checking out the trees you have, most evergreens esp. can be deadly, and the goats are likely to kill anything they can reach :-(.

[Katgold]

Thank you all so much for your thoughts!

I have found a cheaper electric fence to run for now as I think you are all right, an electric fence will be worth it in the longer term.

Goats are arriving tomorrow so I am sure I will be back to ask lots of questions.

[Bluff]

Good luck with your goats. We have 5 Boer X and I love them.
I read somewhere though that
"...goats will always be either escaping, just escaped or thinking about escaping.." and it is very very true!

[pharnorth]

7 years ago my son, then 17 was due at a job interview. He phoned to say he would be a few minutes late as the goats had escaped. He arrived 5 minutes late and post interview was duly offered the job. He is still credited in the company with having the best excuse for poor time keeping.

[Penninehillbilly]

We look forward to hearing all about them KG, and lots of pics of course :-).
I started with 2, currently have 5 adults, one 'teenager' and 7 kids. Ooops, that's after saying I'd never have goats again.
I wouldn't be able to keep them. or at least be confident in their safety, without the electric fence. (runs round the inside of the stock fence, but only the house side is live).