# Goats and fruit trees...



## rmonge00 (Jun 1, 2011)

I am planning on getting goats soon, but my intended pasture has an orchard in it.  Is there anyway to keep goats from eating my trees: wrapping trunks with chicken wire?  Small chicken wire fencing surrounding each tree?  Or do I have to fence in the whole orchard? 

Also, do trees ever reach an age where they are safe from the goats?

Thanks!

Ryan


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## carolinagirl (Jun 1, 2011)

Goaties LOVE fruit tree bark and leaves.  They will never be safe from the goats.  They will strip off every leaf and twig that they can reach, even standing on their hinds legs to get them.  Chicken wire is not going to work because the holes are too big.  They make tree guards that are plastic mesh with small holes.  Those may work well.  I am going to make stock panel cages to go around my pasture trees to protect them.  Then I'll drive a tee-post in the ground and secure the cage to the post so my sheep (no goats anymore) can't to my trees.


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## rmonge00 (Jun 1, 2011)

Nice - can you be more specific about the panel cages.  What are they going to look like?  Do you have pictures by any chance?  What materials?  Will welded wire work?  How many t-posts?  How far around the trees are you putting them?  I don't really mind if they eat some lower branches once the trees are mature, I just don't want them stripping the bark....

Thanks for the advice!

Ryan


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## 20kidsonhill (Jun 1, 2011)

They will lean and reach over any fencing anywhere near the trees, if the wind is blowing in their favor they will determine the distance and they will decide they just might beable to reach that branch and while leaning on the fencing, stick their head in it if possible. Well you get the point.  It would have to be strong enough to support the weight of the goat leaning on it, or it would have to be far enough away, that they wouldn't be tempted to try to reach for the branches. 

We tried to fence off some bamboo, but it was NOt electrified and we didn't make it sturdy enough and they eventually, just kept leaning on the fencing until they got to the bamboo. 

They will eat everything off the tree that they can reach, as high as they can reach while standing on their back legs, including all the bark. The goats are killing off all the cedar trees(like 50 of them) and pretty much all the trees in our pasture(6 acres) except a few hard wood trees that were well establised, even a couple of those they have killed. 

welded wire will work, but have to make sure they don't constantly get their head stuck in it.


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## carolinagirl (Jun 1, 2011)

you will have to use rigid stock panels, not fencing.  They make a sheep and goat stock panel that has 4" hole spacing.  that will work as long as it's off the tree far enough.  I was planning to take one 16' stock panel and cut it into 3 sections to make 3 cages.  Warning...the sheep and goat stock panels are EXPENSIVE!!! Tractor supply sells them.   Bend each section into 15" x 15" cage and secure the edges together.  Then stake it down with at least one tee-pole, possibly two.  Goats are pretty determined when it comes to eating trees that they want.  It would be cheaper to get tree trunk protectors but I am not 100% sure they would work and you'd have to figure out a way to keep the goat from lifting it up


not too sure about this one:

http://www.plantra.com/products/treebarkprotector.php

this one looks pretty good though.  

http://www.soonerplantfarm.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.prodDetail/prod_ID/45/index.htm


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## vegaburm (Jun 3, 2011)

I have some wire around the base of my chicken coop that has square holes that are only about 1/2 inch square. I would think that would work for wrapping trunks. Yes, they love them and would eat anything they could reach, but for protecting the trunk I think that would do it. the real pain would be that you would have to go back out, yearly or so and readjust the tightness of that cuff or else the tree would grow into it.


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## Pearce Pastures (Jun 4, 2011)

My husband took three heavy duty plastic fence posts, tapped them in around our apple trees in a triangle, and then stretched three foot chicken fencing around them.  He left about six inches of space between the wire and the tree so it has plenty of room to expand.  Super easy and inexpensive but we also only have pygmy does-not sure if a more robust breed would be kept back by this.


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## crazyland (Jun 5, 2011)

We made sure the orchard was not anywhere near the goats.
BUT While we were getting everything set up for them they had escaped a few times and quickly snagged some yummies to my dismay. Killed an apple tree sapling and a fig tree, ate the peaches and nectarines plus broke branches. They will test any fencing and keep testing it to try and get those highly prized delectable!


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