# Barbed Wire or electric on top???



## GoatRancher11 (Apr 6, 2011)

Fellow Ranchers,

More questions from the peanut gallery.  I have my 47 inch woven wire fence going in over the weekend.  I was either going to do two strands of electric wire on top and one on the inside OR barbed wire the same way.  Of course, to keep predators out and the goats in.

A lot of people say do the electric BUT what's wrong with the barbed wire.  I would think that could accomplish the same thing?

Thanks again for all your help folks, I sincerely appreciate it!


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 6, 2011)

No Way would I put barbed wire anywhere near a goat, goats can and will jump 4 feet, and some will even try to clear 5.  

With that said, I do have a 4 foot woven fence, with barb on top around the perimeter of our 6 acres, that is the way it was when we moved in, HOnestly never had any problems with it. We also have 2 strands of electric attached to the inside of that at goat hieght to keep them from sticking their head through the fence and rubbing on the fence.  OUr interior fencing is a different kind of woven wire, with a little smaller holes, the goats can't get their heads in that, but we still have electric on it, on both sides, otherwise the goats bang into it all the time, bending it and knocking it loose from the posts. 

Your interior fencing will really take a beating with goats on both sides of it. 

We have large breed and from what I can tell they don't jump as high as the smaller breeds do. We do have one doe that can clear a 40 inch wall with no problem. I am sure she could clear a 47', but she seems to respect that.

Edited to say, My outside fencing may be a little more than 4 feet, I have never measured it, It is quit tall.


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## freemotion (Apr 6, 2011)

What happens when a goat jumps a barbed wire fence?  



Udder destruction.


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## cmjust0 (Apr 6, 2011)

I hate barbed wire.  Not only does it require scratching up your animals to work, it's also harder to put up and doesn't actually work as well at keeping animals off the fence as electric does.


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## freemotion (Apr 6, 2011)

I know of a horse that was kept in barbed wire.  He tried to escape and got one leg over.  Panicked and ran.  Sawed the leg almost off.  Had to be put down.  I hate barbed wire.


Electric will keep predators out, too, that might not be deterred by barbed wire as they might not realize it is a hazard until they are at the point of no return in their journey into your pasture.  There is nothing like the satisfaction of watching a large dog climb your woven wire fence, only to encounter the electric at the top with his face while all four of his feet are thoroughly grounded on the wire.

YIPE-YIPE-YIPE-YIPE!!!!


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## GoatRancher11 (Apr 6, 2011)

Sounds like I'm headed in the electric direction then.  "Udder destruction", that's hilarious.  If I have a goat that can clear 47 inches, I'm quitting my day job and me and the goat will start an "olympic goat jumping tour" and you can bring your goat as well.

I have a very experienced person fencing in the woven wire and he can put the electric up as well.  I have 6 foot heavy duty T Posts, do you run electric on the inside and outside of the bottom of the T Posts and two strands on top as well?  That's my next question.  I certainly want to get it right if I'm paying someone to do it and they know what in the heck they are doing!

How many joules on the energizer?  6 okay if we're talking 10 acres?

Thanks guys.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 6, 2011)

GoatRancher11 said:
			
		

> Sounds like I'm headed in the electric direction then.  "Udder destruction", that's hilarious.  If I have a goat that can clear 47 inches, I'm quitting my day job and me and the goat will start an "olympic goat jumping tour" and you can bring your goat as well.
> 
> I have a very experienced person fencing in the woven wire and he can put the electric up as well.  I have 6 foot heavy duty T Posts, do you run electric on the inside and outside of the bottom of the T Posts and two strands on top as well?  That's my next question.  I certainly want to get it right if I'm paying someone to do it and they know what in the heck they are doing!
> 
> ...


I will have to ask my husband the Joules question. He takes care of all of that, but I can tell you if something isn't working quit right they will test it and go through it or over it. We have 6 acres fenced in with it divided into 4 sections, plus a small coral just outside our barn, the coral is hog panel, so we can take sections of it down if we need to, gives us better access to the field, just incase.

Ideally I would think one strand on top, and two on each side of an interior fence and two on the inside of exterior fencing, would protect the fencing from damage, and goats sticking their heads in. We would like to have ours this way, but have never gotten around to gettin getting it all done, and they are beating the crap out of some of the fencing, where there is now electric to  protect it. 

I will ask my husband the T post question, also, I am not familiar with some of these things.


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## cmjust0 (Apr 6, 2011)

GoatRancher11 said:
			
		

> How many joules on the energizer?  6 okay if we're talking 10 acres?


Uhh, YEAH.  

I've got a so-called '50 mile' charger that puts out 2 joules, and I'm fencing two sides of 25 acres and then some, when you consider cross fencing, etc..  So long as it's not being *severly* grounded out, it'll knock the piss out of ya.  If it's working properly, it pegs a 5-light tester at around 6Kv.

And when I say severely, I'm talking about a wire being flat and tight to the ground after breaking a bottom insulator, or touching a ground wire directly, or grounding out really badly on a t-post or gate, etc..  Pretty much a direct hot-to-ground connection.  Weeds?...not really a problem.

With a 6-joule charger on 10 acres worth of fencing -- provided your ground system is overbuilt (as all good ground systems are!!) -- I'd expect to see a big fat blue spark jump from the fence to a goat from a minimum of 1/2" away.  You're talking 10Kv, easily.

Keep in mind that I'm not suggesting a downgrade from 6j to 2j or anything like that...if I'd had the money for a 6j charger, I'd have bought it!


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## Greendecember (Apr 6, 2011)

I think the only Predator Barbed wire keeps in or out are humans and even that is questionable. My neighbors dogs go through the barbed wire like it is silk string. One of my does had her eyelid ripped open on barbed wire at the farm where we bought her. Luckily it healed and didn't blind her. 


That said, our property is fenced around the perimeter of 5 acres with 6 strands of barbed wire. It was like that when we bought the place last year. 99% of the places the goats are "allowed" is 2"x4"welded wire or 4"x4" welded wire with chicken wire over that. The chicken wire was because the does we got were SURPRISE bred and we didn't know. The kids were so tiny (pygmy crosses) they slipped right through the 4x4 without batting an eye. Also, one of the does liked to stick her head through and get stuck. We went with 6' high mainly to slow dogs down and take a shot at keeping the goats in without barbed or electric fences. We have too many storms that knock out power around here and we don't have the $$ for solar yet. 

So far so good. We have only had one real escape and that was because someone came on the property and opened all the gates


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## Greendecember (Apr 6, 2011)

GoatRancher11 said:
			
		

> Sounds like I'm headed in the electric direction then.  "Udder destruction", that's hilarious.  If I have a goat that can clear 47 inches, I'm quitting my day job and me and the goat will start an "olympic goat jumping tour" and you can bring your goat as well.
> 
> 
> Thanks guys.


Quit your day job now   Houdini (aptly named) has cleared a 3 foot fence already. Given a good running start I am sure she could clear more. Worst part is she is giving her little sister lessons!!


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## patandchickens (Apr 6, 2011)

GoatRancher11 said:
			
		

> If I have a goat that can clear 47 inches, I'm quitting my day job and me and the goat will start an "olympic goat jumping tour" and you can bring your goat as well.


Uh, you *are* aware, yes, that there is a current thread entitled "Nigis jumping a 4' fence"? http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=112388#p112388



Pat


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 6, 2011)

patandchickens said:
			
		

> GoatRancher11 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I was wondering if he had noticed that thread. I wasn't joking about clearing 48 inches.  Standing still with their front legs tied behind their backs.


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## carolinagirl (Apr 6, 2011)

We had a huge stray Billy goat show up here a few years ago.  At the time, we had registered Boer goats and I could not take a chance that he would breed any of them.  We had a terrible time catching him because he just flew over the 4' fences like they weren't even there.  I finally had to let my dog catch him.   She grabbed him by his testicles and stopped him, so we could walk over and put a collar on him.  He behaved like a perfect gentlemen after that!  No one ever did claim that goat and we found him a new home.  One with REALLY high fences! lol!


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## Mea (Apr 6, 2011)

carolinagirl said:
			
		

> We had a huge stray Billy goat show up here a few years ago.  At the time, we had registered Boer goats and I could not take a chance that he would breed any of them.  We had a terrible time catching him because he just flew over the 4' fences like they weren't even there.  I finally had to let my dog catch him.   She grabbed him by his testicles and stopped him, so we could walk over and put a collar on him.  He behaved like a perfect gentlemen after that!  No one ever did claim that goat and we found him a new home.  One with REALLY high fences! lol!




  "He behaved like a perfect gentleman after that ! "


  Gee i wonder WHY ? !!!!!


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## RioLindoAz (Apr 7, 2011)




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