The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Backinwellies on January 12, 2017, 01:30:11 pm
-
Now it seems we have won the war with Rododendron poisoning thoughts are on how to contain goats. Does anyone use hurdles (alpaca ?) If so where do you get them from ?
-
Electric fence, mains powered.
-
Electric fence on its own is no use. I have 5 strands, 10,000 volts - and does not keep the billies in!
4 foot stock fencing with 2 strands of electric works well for me.
-
4 foot stock fencing with 2 strands of electric works well for me.
Defiantly this , same setup here.
-
I have stock fence with one strand electric about a foot in front of stock fence, depends on length needed but my fence is battery powered. once touched extreme respect.
I have to admit some of my stock fence isnt tight, but 1 strand in front keeps them from standing on it as well. (when kids are about I put a lower strand on)
-
Same as phb but only around the garden, the rest they trim the hedges neatly for me, just need to do the tops. I use a small solar panel to keep the battery topped up, same as the pig fence.
-
I think goats are harder to keep in than pigs!
I took my two nannies and three kids last year to my field in the village. Probably not even a quarter of a mile away. Lots of grass and very well stock fenced. By the time I had driven two miles to my Mothers the pub rang to say the two nannies were on the car park next to the field and were determined to come home. I set off back and got another call to say they couldn't keep them on the car park and they had taken themselves home along the right side of the road. I arrived back to find the two nannies on the yard eating haylage completely not bothered about their kids, which I had to go and fetch.
Mine like to go for walks with me and the dogs, which is fine around home but I have to lock them in if I want to leave the place or they just find a way to follow.
-
I think goats are harder to keep in than pigs!
I took my two nannies and three kids last year to my field in the village. Probably not even a quarter of a mile away. Lots of grass and very well stock fenced. By the time I had driven two miles to my Mothers the pub rang to say the two nannies were on the car park next to the field and were determined to come home. I set off back and got another call to say they couldn't keep them on the car park and they had taken themselves home along the right side of the road. I arrived back to find the two nannies on the yard eating haylage completely not bothered about their kids, which I had to go and fetch.
Mine like to go for walks with me and the dogs, which is fine around home but I have to lock them in if I want to leave the place or they just find a way to follow.
What sort of fence did you have in the village field?
Would normal 4 foot high stock fence with no extra electric, potentially only strand of plain wire on top, keep them in? What gate would you use? Would wooden one made of pallet (four foot high again) work??
-
I have five foot wooden fences - fence posts and cross bars. There are all sorts of goodies in sight but they never try to get out. MInd you, it's amazing how far they can stretch their necks through to reach the nearest veggie bed.
-
Just thought of something today:
Does anyone use heras fencing to keep goats in? Would they be good? Also would they be good for horned goats or better for polled only?
-
I did meet someone who used it, they said it was good because they could move to round the field every few days. Can't see it being a problem for horned, quite smallish mesh isn't it?
-
I would imagine big enough to put horns through but definitely not head.
I like their height
-
As long as it's fixed well enough not to tip when the goats all put their feet up on it at the same time.
What gauge mesh is it, would it stand head butting?
You'd need a fair lot for a decent sized paddock. Ordinary stock fence with a plain top wire works fine as long as it's got good posts.