# Put a deposit down on two Nigerian Dwarf goats! Need to get ready for them...



## irret13 (Feb 16, 2018)

Last weekend we put a deposit down on two NDG babies. They won't be born until mid April to early May. We will get to choose from 8-10 expected kids. That means we have until early June to get ready. We do have coyotes and stray dogs in the area. We have two dogs but they are inside most of the time. We want to have a barn and small covered yard that we can lock them in at night. During the day their area will be about 15 x 45 feet. Any words of wisdom or ideas would be appreciated. Thank you!


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## Latestarter (Feb 16, 2018)

Use knotted wire fencing vice welded wire. Welded wire rusts and the welds break from body rubbing by the goats. 4' fencing should be adequate but make sure you don't put anything close to the fence that they can climb on or they WILL escape. Dogs are the #1 killer of small farm livestock... strays, the neighbors and your own. Fencing is your #1 defense against that and #1 protection for the goats. It's best NOT to skimp, and do it right the first time. If you eventually plan to have kids (goat babies), they are VERY small and can go right through 4"x4" fence holes, so you'd be best with a 2"x4" no climb type horse fencing. 

Make plans to be able to get a wheel barrow either right close or inside the enclosure to remove waste and soiled bedding from the pen and goat shed/barn. If you plan on letting hem out of their enclosure, unattended, they will eat everything you do NOT want eaten, especially your landscaping plants. Goats favor browse over graze, so leaves, twigs, branches, vines, flowers, bark, etc. They will girdle young trees (eat the bark all the way around the trunk), killing them.

They'll need hay available 24/7, fresh water obviously, a good loose goat mineral free choice.  And some things to climb up on and jump on/off in their pen. Shade for those hot summer months to get out of the sun. Lots of hugs and attention from you folks.


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## irret13 (Feb 17, 2018)

The breeder gave us a lot of good information and now I have good information from you to add to my goat folder.  Thank you!  We were thinking of fencing the entire area with 5' chain link since the back side of the area is already fenced. I will make notes that when we divide things off to use 2"x4" fencing because we are think of breeding/milking in the future. There is a HUGE pepper tree right in the middle of the area so they will have plenty of shade. I will run some chicken wire or something similar around the trunk. The previous owners left a wooden swing set, side, and fort which we can take apart to make some fun goat toys and the chickens will love the ladder to roost on. We can't wait to get them home.  I am sure they will be pretty spoiled!


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## animalmom (Feb 17, 2018)

Don't forget pictures!  We love pictures!  Please and thank you.


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## Silky ma (Feb 21, 2018)

I too am getting my first two bucklings in late april. We are going to use 8 foot chainlink for the interior part of acreage 
Which will house the open air living quarters. More air flow im told is better.
Later we will add more chain link after we put in a gravel drivewAy.
I found a pic off pinterest that i liked for their living quarters and re drew it doubling it in size.


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## Latestarter (Feb 21, 2018)

That's a mighty big home for 2 Nigies... Lots of room for plenty more to fill it up!


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## Silky ma (Feb 21, 2018)

I was hoping to get my girls first but had to grab these two dwarf nigerian bucklings!
First. Pygmy buckling and dwarf nigerian Girls coming in spring.


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## Jeanne Sheridan (Feb 26, 2018)

I agree about the wound wire as opposed to welded wire fence.  We had to replace a mess of the welded left over from the previous owner of our property. I'm not so sure though about the height recommendation.  We started out with 4 foot fencing and it was fine even for our Nubians.  What it didn't work for was keeping the Coyotes out of our pasture.  We watched them jump right over it like it wasn't there.  Since we switched to the 5' fencing we haven't seen any sign even of their scat.  The deer still go over the 5' fence so I have a wire with ribbon topped planned for the fence around my garden this year.  Another thing to check is if there are any mineral deficiencies in the your area.  We are low in selenium here and I have to augment that even with the free feed minerals.  Because of predation we close our goats into our barn at night during the winter but haven't found the need to do that during the summer.


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## Hipshot (Feb 27, 2018)

I like chain link fence easy to expand areas . Simply weave in the next section . Down side is predators can squeeze under it . Even with a tension wire at the bottom . A few stakes between post ,will help that . Or pour a ribbon of concrete around the bottom . That is a lot of work . @Latestarter. Bonide makes a organic product called Repels All . I use it on my tulips to keep the deer and rabbits from eating them . It works great, If I remember to put it on . All natural ingredients . Also if you have chickens . And you don't know what to do with those old eggs, break them around and in you garden. Deer and rabbits don't like eggs at all . I don't use any chemicals in my gardening  . All organic for years .


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## Jeanne Sheridan (Mar 2, 2018)

We don't use any chemicals either.  We got lucky with the organic side of things.  Before we bought our place 2 years ago nothing had been done with the property for 30-40 years.  The bad side of that is the number of feet of fence to be repaired of replaced.  Chain link isn't an option due to cost.


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## Bayleaf Meadows (Mar 3, 2018)

To keep deer out of our paddocks, I augment my fencing with 10' electrical conduit pounded in about 2' to give me an 8' high pole to which I attach deer netting.  You can see it in this photo.


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## Jeanne Sheridan (Mar 3, 2018)

Bayleaf Meadows said:


> To keep deer out of our paddocks, I augment my fencing with 10' electrical conduit pounded in about 2' to give me an 8' high pole to which I attach deer netting.  You can see it in this photo.View attachment 44707


That's about Identical to what I'm going to put around our garden this year as far as the poles are concerned.  Instead of using deer netting, neighbors have show me that by stringing a wire around the top of the poles and tying pieces of metal ribbon to the wire the deer see it as a solid wall.  One also does the same with criss-crossed wires across her garden to keep birds from pecking at her fruits and vegetables.  I think I'm going to try that too.


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## Hipshot (Mar 3, 2018)

I can only afford chain link in small areas . Like chicken runs and kennels . High tinsel single strand is cheaper but very dangerous .I run  several strands and keep the top and middle of bottom charged  . Works good for horses and cows . Haven't tried it for my goats yet . But any kind of fencing is high these days . And almost all mine need replacing to be suitable for goats. Lot of work too


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## Devonviolet (Mar 3, 2018)

First off, welcome to BYH!  You have come to the right place to get advise raising your livestock.  We have some excellent goat people here, who will be happy to answer questions.  

We moved onto our five acres 3 years ago last January. I am starting my 2nd year with LaMancha dairy goats.  I LOVE having the kids and milking my girls.  I have learned to make several different cheeses and Kefir, since I started milking last April.

The advise about good, sturdy, "woven wire", "no climb horse fencing" is excellent!

However, I would highly recommend that, in addition to good fencing, you get at least one, but preferrably two good LGDs (livestock guardian dogs).  We got our two, Maremma pure bred LGDs before we got our first goats (4 wethered ND goats). We believe that they have been crucial toward keeping our goats, chickens and ducks safe!   Our female even "guards the sky"!  When birds of prey fly over the chickens and ducks, in our fenced side yard, Violet sees them and starts barking at the sky.  The Hawks and vultures fly away right away!  We have never lost an animal to a predator, since getting our dogs.  Just before we moved here, the previous owners lost a chicken to a raccoon.

Before we got our dogs, we used to find coyote and wild pig prints just outside out chicken yard.  Since we got the dogs 3 years ago (as puppies), we haven't seen prints anywhere close to our livestock/chicken pens.  The closest we see any coyotes,,during the day, is about 1500 feet from our property line, in the hayfield.

It's important to get LGDs, that are full LGD.  Many people have great success with Great Pyrenees (GP), or cross GP with other LGD breeds. Latestarter has a cool dog that is GP crossed with Anatolian.

It's important to not get an LGD crossed with a hunting breed, as the dog can struggle with that part of their makeup. 

If you can't get LGDs right away, the advise about adding hot wire is also good.   Although, 5 strand wire, even if electrified, doesn't work with goats, especially kids and/or small goats, as they will go under or through.  The best option is 2x4" woven wire.

If money is an issue, you can put the kids in a smaller paddock, and put pasture fencing in as you are able.


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## Devonviolet (Mar 3, 2018)

Silky ma said:


> I too am getting my first two bucklings in late april. We are going to use 8 foot chainlink for the interior part of acreage
> Which will house the open air living quarters. More air flow im told is better.
> Later we will add more chain link after we put in a gravel drivewAy.
> I found a pic off pinterest that i liked for their living quarters and re drew it doubling it in size.


Congratulations on getting your new goats. How exciting!

Chain link fence ink fence will work, in the beginning, if it is already in.  However, woven wire is sturdier and holds up to goats scratching/rubbing on fencing.  I have seen goats destroy chain link fencing.  If you don't have the fencing already, you would probably be happier, in the long run, if you buy woven wire fencing.  If you can't get LGDs, a hot wire (top and bottom) would work fine, without needing the added expense of 8 foot fencing.

I don't know the difference in price, between the two.  We bought welded wire, before we knew better, and the goats have destroyed it.  However, the woven wire fencing, has held up, nicely, to goats rubbing on it.


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