[Farmer El]

Hello!! Im new to this site and I need some advice.

I have 8 goats. Three GG's and 5 Pygmys. There are a couple (Billy and Bunty) who will do whatever it takes to escape out of the field. We have fenced time and time again, he will even fit himself through a standard mesh in traditional stock fencing. What a pain!

Does anyone else have these troubles with Goats? What alternative fencings are there to keep them in? Its not even as if theyre hungry - they have 1 acre of mixed pasture, hay, shelter and concentrate every night. What more do they want?
Any advice would be much appreciated,
Many thanks,
Elliott.

[MiriMaran]

I don't have experience, but I have been having problems with the hens squeezing through the pig netting, going onto the lane and then getting killed by the neighbours dog.  We have now put chicken wire onto the pig netting and so far that seems to have worked.  Could be worth a go?!  Good luck.

[Roxy]

   
Welcome to the forum!!

My fields have dry stone walls round, which are ideal for goats to stand on and get over!!  When I first got Cain and Abel, they were always jumping the wall, they are Anglo Nubian and really lanky.  We put fence posts up next to the wall, and then put rails along the top of the wall.  They tried and failed to get out, and have not bothered since.

Paddy and Jasmine arrived, and they find it easy to hop over the walls when they fancy.  For the other goats, which are pygmy, we have sheep netting with a strand of wire on the top.  I cannot believe your goat can fit through the stock fence - although I have had them go under it.

I have not tried electric fencing for the goats, maybe that is an alternative.

[ballingall]

To be fair, we used to have a double act of goats years and years ago. We had a Anglo-Nubian, who could spot a weak bit in the stock fencing. If she found a weak strand, she could loosen it to make a 6 inch by 4 inch hole into a 12 inch by 4inch hole. Our other milker a Britich Toggenburg, could get through any gap in the fence if she could get her head through a gap, of course her head fit through a 12 by 4 hole. SHe was the biggest (widthways) goat we had, and once she had been through the hole, every other goat in the herd could get through as well. It was a nightmare.

The chicken wire suggestion is really good, or you could try electric fencing- we did at one point use a two strand electric fence down one end of our field to keep them off our actual fence.

Beth

[jameslindsay]

Hi Elliot

I think goats will be goats and they just love mischief. I have 13 of them and re they go for weeks at a time when they stay within our land and then for some unknown reason the devil gets into them and they just take off into neighbours land. I have to say the good thing is a/ they always come running back to me when I shout on them. They come back looking proud as punch with themselves however and b/ none of my neighbours land leads onto roads of any kind, so they are always safe. Also  none of the neighbours seem to mind the invasion.

I posted on here earlier that the Golden Guernseys didn't seem to be escape artists but now I would have to withdraw that statement. My GG kid is now 6 months old and has been taken under the "wing" of my 2 7 month old BT boys and they are leading this little bissum astray now. The 3 of them are always up to mischief and are full of the devil. All this said they are great to have around and I enjoy every moment with them and the cheek of them make them more appealing.

[gavo]

Have tried electric fence with our goats to no avail completely ignore it just go through it.Sorry no helpful suggestions

[Roxy]

It sounds like us goat owners just have to put up with our wandering goat herds, and are fortunate in that our neighbouring land owners are tolerant

[little blue]

Just a warning to keep a close eye if you decide to use chicken wire... its not very strong and if the goats break it, it can cause damage to their feet if they stand on it, or scratch.

( I hesitate to say ours have only ever escaped through the gate, but that was when they shared with three little pigs, so we had real fun and games trying to get in or out without company!)

[MiriMaran]

Good point Ruth.  I bet that was a barrel of laughs (in retrospect) trying to catch the escapees!

[little blue]

tell you what, when the pigs escaped, they frightened the **** out of our tabby cat who was snoozing on the chicken run!! Last thing she expected to wake up and see...
Margo walks out quite happily and is used to being out and about, but we have to watch the little toggy as shes so skittish

[Hilbillie]

When Buck Roger was first penned up separately he managed to get out a couple of times by bashing his way through the gate (broke the gate).  His pen is one metre mutton fencing with a strand of electric along the top of the posts so we put some of the electric wire across the middle of the gate, after a couple of zaps he now stays away from the gate.  He has recently managed to squeeze out of a hole he has made in the wire to get at a doe in heat (they are such minxes, they go and stand right by the fence and wag their tails at him!) so we now have a double layer of fencing which has thwarted him for now.  If he manages to get through that we are going to put another string of electric around the middle of the fencing, that should keep him away from the fence.  It would be a shame though as we put branches and greenery on the fencing for him and the others to browse at, keeps him a little in contact with the rest of the goats.  I think electric is definitely the way to go though.