The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: NormandyMary on August 31, 2011, 08:26:01 pm
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I knew it had to be too good to be true, my boys never tried to escape or play me up, up till NOW. I think Billy is at the stroppy teenager stage and is being naughty about going into their house at bed time. I try to stay calm, to gently coax him in but he seems to think that if Mummy is down with him, its his time to show me how high he can jump, how fast he can run etc. What used to take me a couple of minutes, now takes me at least 15! ALSO..he now knows how to jump over their fence, and for the last 2 afternoons, he has vaulted over. However, each time he does it, he just stands there looking towards the house as if to say "look what Ive done". We've managed to get him back easily with some food, but it does mean now that we will have to increase the height of the fence before we both have to go out shopping or something like that, at the same time! Little pickle he is. Toby hasnt managed it, he is fatter than Billy, so probably cant jump that high thank goodness. Billy would never roam far as he wouldnt want to leave Tobes behind as they are so very close. Thank heaven for small mercies!
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who's a clever boy then?!
maybe they need a set ten minutes "playtime" to show off, then a signal to go in (treats, ring a bell)
no attention til they're in.
what time do you feed them, the concentrates? then they can have the bulk of it on going to bed :)
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Had been having a little rest this afternoon, (Im not too well at the moment)got up off the sofa to pop the kettle on, looked out into the porch and at the front door were two little men, just standing there as if they were asking to come in. Its official, my boys are escape artists, Toby included. We managed to get them back into their run, gave them some branches and leaves and left them alone. 10 minutes later, they were out again, in the woodbarn, where we keep their hay. After them running round the garden at 90 miles an hour, we got them back into their run again, then we increased the height of the fence. We thought we were safe...how wrong we were. Billy was just smooching round outside as if butter wouldnt melt. I couldnt understand it at all, there was no way he could jump the fence again. After much searching, I found a hole where the fence had come away from the side of their house, he had made it big enough to get through. I kept wondering what he was doing in the corner, NOW I KNOW!! Guess which Daddy will be mending that first thing tomorrow morning! Little scamps!
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I suggest you use electric fencing as well - they soon learn to respect it!
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Had no problems since Daddy mended the fence, except for a few ice cold stares from Billy for blocking his escape hatch. It will take more than a few oak branches to win him round this time!!
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:D
I haven't used the electric fence with this year's kids for some reason and as a result I have two boys who just go anywhere!