Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE => Topic started by: ArmucheeBee on October 18, 2009, 12:11:10 am
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We are getting Nigerian Dwarfs at some point. They will have a permanent fence with barn at night and most of the time. But I want to put them out in the yard to graze when possible. Is anyone using electric mesh for their small goats? Such as Fast Fence or Premier EStop? Oh, it is a true "yard" cut with a lawn mower so no brush or trees to contend with.
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I haven't used the mesh but it should work as long as they can't get under or climb over it. Make sure they know it is hot by luring them with grain on the other side getting bipped on the nose. Regular tape or strands don't work cause the little buggers learn how to go through or under. It's amazing to watch a 120lb 36" tall goat limbo under a 12" wire! They will also keep testing to make sure it is on, and eventually learn to "listen" for the elect. going through the wire so you will have to make sure it is on all the time. Goats are fun!
Jody
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I have used the fencing from Premier with a good bit of success; but you really need to have a decent charger hooked to it. I had a portable, solar charger that I used for a while, but it didn't deliver enough of a shock.
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Is that the charger that came from Premier? I would like to go with solar because the pen would be 100+ feet from the house and I don't really want to lug a 12 volt out there. But this would just be a 2-3 time a week deal for grazing. Some like FastFence sell in packages so the whole system with 2 165ft pens is around $460. Premier does not have a package. Solars are so expensive.
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No, this one was about $200 from Tractor Supply....What I do now instead is run insulated wire (the kind specifically for taking the current from the charger to the start of your fence) to my main charger (AC) or to a section of my garden fence (aluminum electrical wire) and then connect the other end to the temp fence.
...Tim
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It helps if you make them a "necklace" out of some light chain with a bit dangling down to make a good connection with the fence. We used to have some that were fenced with a hot wire over regular woven stock fence. The necktie helped to keep Wilbur the buck from going over the top.
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Pretty sure electric fencing will do the trick, but as Jody said, ensure that they can't roll under it. I have seen a large horse roll under a metal gate, they can be very agile when they want to, and they don't mind to lay in the muck to roll under to greener pastures, smiling. Good luck, goats are amazing critters!!! Have that most beautiful day, to love and live, with greatest of health. Cindi
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A large goat like my Boer/Nubian buck will walk right through a wewb fence, electric or not. All my fences are being build with 3 rails with 5' of 2X4 mesh wire betweem them. It is then topped off with a single strand of electrified barbed wire at the 6 foot mark. The wire is stapled every 6 inches, at a minimum, as the goats like the use the fence wire as a rubbing post. Once a Year I go back over the fence and replaced staples that have been popped out due to the rubbing. Even my Taugenburn does stress the fence pretty bad.
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If a fence won't hold water it won't hold a goat.