# fencing in with 3ft fence for pygmy goats?



## Wild River's Wolf90 (Oct 5, 2012)

Hi, I'm planning on getting 2 pygmy goats in the spring to add to my small farm. I have a nice large open stall 12ft x12ft.(plan to make a shed/bed out 4ftx4ft apple crates next fall for warmth. I have T-posts and cross braces for the fence. And I have about 300ft of 3ft high heavy duty welded wire fence, left over from building runs for chickens and a dog yard. My question, is 3ft high fencing high enough to keep pygmy goats contained? 
Thank you


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## ksalvagno (Oct 5, 2012)

You will want at least 4 foot high fence. The goats could definitely jump over the 3 foot.


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## Goatherd (Oct 6, 2012)

I agree that a three foot fence is insufficient for containing goats, but would be more concerned as to how easy a potential predator could enter their enclosure.


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## Wild River's Wolf90 (Oct 6, 2012)

Thanks guys  guess I'll double the fence up to make it 6ft, since it is just laying around, and buy a couple hundred feet of 4ft fence.


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## Alice Acres (Oct 6, 2012)

Goatherd said:
			
		

> I agree that a three foot fence is insufficient for containing goats, but would be more concerned as to how easy a potential predator could enter their enclosure.


My 1st thought was of predators as well.


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## Wild River's Wolf90 (Oct 6, 2012)

I'm not to worried about predators, as my neighbors LSG dogs frequent my small farm every night(their pasture runs around 3 sides of my property) and then we sit pretty close to the road, and across the road is another farm with a LSG dog. Plus I have 3 large dogs who bark at any and everything!


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## Alice Acres (Oct 6, 2012)

Wild River's Wolf90 said:
			
		

> I'm not to worried about predators, as my neighbors LSG dogs frequent my small farm every night(their pasture runs around 3 sides of my property) and then we sit pretty close to the road, and across the road is another farm with a LSG dog. Plus I have 3 large dogs who bark at any and everything!


Your 3 large dogs themselves would be one reason for a taller fence


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## Wild River's Wolf90 (Oct 6, 2012)

I'm not worried about my dogs, the golden is 10, and loves everything, he'll let rabbits, hamsters, and even day old chicks climb on him and thanks to my neighbors my two pit mixes grew up around goats and my chickens and both are under excellent verbal command. I do very intense, strict training with my dogs.


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## PFSfarmer (Oct 7, 2012)

All thou I am guilty of not doing this, but I was told long ago all fences need to be Horse high, Bull strong, and Pig tight. That would be an awesome fence thou!


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## Isthelifeforme (Dec 23, 2012)

I use a 3' high fence and it works okay for pygmies.  For the most part they leave it alone.  I have added electric in the past for the trouble spots.

I believe as long as you rotate them to get plenty of food I don't think they will jump quite as much.  I have several small pastures that I rotate them through to try and minimize worms.  It's when they eat all the weeds/bramble/grass that they begin to want to move to a different area.


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## Isthelifeforme (Dec 23, 2012)

Another tip.  We put an invisble fence around the perimeter of our farm for our dog.  Well, one of our pygmies, the smallest one that is the family 'pet' is the worst escape artist and frequently leads the others through the perimeter fence.  So when we acquired an extra collar for free I stuck it on her.  She has quickly learned to keep away from the fence and our escape problems have dropped dramatically.


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