# How does everyone let their goaties free-range?



## mlw987m (Apr 15, 2011)

Do you keep them tethered, then bring them back at night? Do you have fencing for them? Mine are in a small area with electric fencing,but I want them to graze on tons of brush we have. Though, they are wild children and  need to be tethered and brought in at night, the idea just doesn't thrill me. I guess wishing they come in on their own is just a dream.................


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## jodief100 (Apr 15, 2011)

I do not recomend tethering them.  Goats can easily get themselves tangled. 

I have mine trained to come when I shake the grain bucket and yell "Here Goats!"  I did this by shaking the bucket and yelling before feeding them everynight.  They are pretty quick learners.  I have some wild ones that will not let you touch them but will come running when I holler.  

I only let mine out when I am home.  I also live on a dead end road 1/2 mile from the main road so we have no traffic to worry about.


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## BetterHensandGardens (Apr 15, 2011)

Tethering is not a good idea for goats, and mine also come running when they hear the grain bucket


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## Livinwright Farm (Apr 15, 2011)

I have to say, I had to do a double take and chuckled a bit... your post is titled,"How does everyone let their goaties free-range" and then you ask if you tether them... 
My goats have complete reign over the backyard. More of the wooded property will be fenced off for them to roam in this spring(ground froze up before we could finish driving posts). Minus the babies until we can get chicken wire run around the entire area.  Last fall, we did tie out one of the momma does at a time. *While* we my family was also out cleaning up the yard and keeping a close eye on them to make sure they didn't get tangled up. One of them(Momma) did get her front leg tangled for a minute and a half, but she didn't fight to break free. She just laid down and waited for me to come untangle her.  (good girl!) The only time I am okay with tethering is on the STRICT condition that the owner/caretaker is *with* them and *watching* them. Otherwise, DON't tether.


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## RockyToggRanch (Apr 15, 2011)

I only let mine out when I'm with them, but they have a large yard in the woods. We'll expand their yard each year to clear more.

Mine come when I call "girls". 

My buck has free range of the property (sometimes). He never leaves the area. He has to be near his horse. When I want him in I call him..."Come on Cowboy! Let's go in!" and clank the gate. He comes running.

Cowboy lives with the horses, so when they are out of their secure paddock and in a field with electric ribbon, he knows how to scoot under.

My silky terrier keeps him away from my flower beds  and I fence in my veggie garden.


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## elevan (Apr 15, 2011)

All we have to do is holler "Winner, winner, chicken dinner" and the goats, llama, horses and chickens all head to their spots in the barn!  

eta: they have 4 fenced acres to roam.


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## chandasue (Apr 16, 2011)

I only let them out if I'm with them. Most of the back is fenced until it gets too muddy. The goats don't wander far anyway. In fact if I go inside for something they wait for me by the backdoor. But I'm too worried about lose dogs and coyotes to leave them alone for more than a few minutes at a time.


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## carolinagirl (Apr 17, 2011)

I used to let mine out when I was outside to watch them.  they always seemed to end up in my garden or the orchard.  They came when I called them and shook the feed bucket.  you really can't let them free range if the area isn't fenced because of dogs, but then I guess it's really not free-ranging then!


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## Livinwright Farm (Apr 17, 2011)

I will say, the USDA's definition of FREE RANGE or FREE ROAMING is: 
Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside.
So, by USDA standards all of my animals are Free Range, and by the sounds of it, so are all of *yours * everyone.


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## elevan (Apr 18, 2011)

Livinwright Farm said:
			
		

> I will say, the USDA's definition of FREE RANGE or FREE ROAMING is:
> Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside.
> So, by USDA standards all of my animals are Free Range, and by the sounds of it, so are all of *yours * everyone.


I agree by their definition as long as your goats are not in a feed lot or locked in the barn at all times then they are free ranging.


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## Livinwright Farm (Apr 18, 2011)

elevan said:
			
		

> Livinwright Farm said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My ultimate goal is to have *almost* my family's entire property(6.75 acres) triple fenced in(goat fence, chicken wire fence, and electric fence). I just want our herd & flock to be able to go where they please. The only off limit areas will be the flower and  fruit & veggie gardens and the orchard that we are going to start buying & planting for this year in the front and side yards, (they will be outside of the fenced property).


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## St0rmyM00n (Apr 18, 2011)

I have a full acre fenced off by 6 ft fence non climb horse fence but there is a middle section that is fenced off for the chickens with only a 4 ft fence which I had to modify to keep my goats from jumping. They will do anything and I mean everything even break their necks to get to chicken feed or grains.

My goats just come and go as they please within the fence, but Malina is the only one that gets locked up at night cause she is due to kid.


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## warthog (Apr 18, 2011)

I don't recommend tethering either, it didn't work for me, although I believe it does for some.  My goats free range on several acres of brush.

If I am going out I bring them back to their pen and put some branches in for them, they also have access to hay 24/7.

I used to rattle the feed bucket and they would come running, now they know when feed time is and wander back to their pen at that time.  I always keep their pen gate open for them, safety if needed.

I don't know if you have or intended to have your goats collared, but in brush, I don't,  there are so many things for them to get tangled on.

The only time I put collars on is when I tether them at feeding time.  If I didn't I would have two very faaaaat goats and three very skinny ones.


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## Kaitie09 (Apr 21, 2011)

We let them out a few times a week supervised. There is no fence but they do not go anywhere, and come right back when we call their names.  Our lighter Boer/Nubian has figured out she can easily jump the fence and so she tends to go in an out of the fenced area multiple times a day. She is too nervous to go far away from the Pygmy and her sister, so she stays in about 10-20 ft along the fence line.

Just wanted to add,  We are 1 of 2 homes on a 10 acre plot, and our neighbor grew up on a farm so he does not mind occasionally waking up to see goats on his front porch. We also are the only ones with dogs, and both are kept inside and were taught as puppies to leave the goats alone.


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## savingdogs (Apr 22, 2011)

I let ours free range with supervision. They can tend to get into areas I would rather they not be. However they never leave. I do not tether mine but do take them for walks on leashes and stop for them to graze when I hit areas I want them to clear. 

So I guess mine "range" but not exactly "free"....


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## TwoGoats (Apr 22, 2011)

Ours Free-Range full time.  Their goat house is within a 1 acre fenced pasture (4 ft high no climb horse fencing with a strand of barb wire on top).

Be careful where you let the goats free-range.   Everything is fair game to be chewed/eaten!


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## savingdogs (Apr 22, 2011)

Yes, that is why mine have to be supervised. They go right for the roses, peonies, rhododendren and azaleas first.


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## TwoGoats (Apr 22, 2011)

Ah.... OK.    They could make quick work of a flower garden!!!! :/


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## Chirpy (Apr 22, 2011)

I live on 40 acres with at least that size plots of land all around us - so my goats get to free range anytime we're home.  Our barn is about 250 yards from our house and the chicken coop is about 20 yards from the barn; forming a triangle with the three buildings.  The goats rarely leave that triangular except for grazing around all the buildings.   When my llamas are up in the front pasture the goats often go out much further to graze with them.  They are in sight of the house when they are out further grazing.    They are all always under the very watchful eye of our german shepherd mix dog.  

If we are not going to be home then they are locked up safely in a large fenced area.  My goats also come running when I call them.  Food is a great 'learning' tool for that.

I would also never tether my goats.  It's too risky for them to get tangled in the tether or get it tangled around something.

I only have collars on my milk goats (in case I need to 'help' them going back to their pen after milking (they do love to run to the feed container to see if they can get the lid off and a few extra bites before I get to them ...)

I've had one of my Nigi's get her collar caught on a fence two years ago ... thankfully I was there and immediately heard her struggling and breathing problems.  I got her unstuck and took all the collars off my little goats.


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## Mzyla (May 30, 2011)

TwoGoats said:
			
		

> Ours Free-Range full time.  Their goat house is within a 1 acre fenced pasture (4 ft high no climb horse fencing with a strand of barb wire on top).
> 
> Be careful where you let the goats free-range.   Everything is fair game to be chewed/eaten!


How very true!
As to free ranging; my goats act the opposite; they won't go farther then few feet away from the house.
Most of the time hanging on a porch and waiting, when momma it's going to come out?
Only when I'm outside working, they happily graze and go little further. Nevertheless, they are gazing over the shoulder, if I'm still outside.
The moment I'll go to the house, they are right back waiting!

This must be, because I got them as little babies and they got used to me too much.

I had various stuff on a porch, but now I need to clear it out.
They do munch on anything; beer box, pot flower, doll, shelf, Christmas lights, garbage bag.etc.


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## AlaskanShepherdess (May 31, 2011)

Generally I take mine out for a walk with one on a leash that everyone follows. But the other day I experimented putting their leashes on a lead line while I was outside the other day and it worked very well. Then I tried it in an area that had more brush and it didn't work at all.


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## currycomb (May 31, 2011)

we had a larger area already fenced in, but it took me awhile to figure out how to get the fence situated so the goats could go in, but keep the horses out. just had to think. move the horses water tank, put up a fence between the two lots and presto, goatie smorgasboard. only problem, they only stayed there if we were there, security i guess. i had been letting them out of their dry lot daily to get accustomed to the "greens" they were going to get, and if i left, they went running back to dry lot(really hoping i would bring the feed) wonderful goaties, follow me anywhere for feed. now they go out to the jungle of grass and weeds and into the woods without human help.


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## genuck (Jul 17, 2011)

I let mine out in the 'yard' at night. It's about 3 acres and has 2 sections. In summer I leave it open, later on I will rotate them on it once growth slows down. Right now I have mostly angora/pygoras I feel better having them out at night when it's cooler and my guardian dog, Sasa is more alert to things going on. Plus I am home and if there was a ruckus I would hopefully hear it. I've had trouble with visiting dogs getting ducks during the day while Sasa was sleeping under the house. It's just been too hot!

 I did have one goat that was 'on the chain gang' until I found her a new home. She had no shyness about jumping up and over  the retaining wall to wander over to my neighbors, a mechanic with numerous used cars (goat amusement park). They actually all were tethered for a bit after they all took a tour over there and ate his MIL flowers. They do get tangled easily and often, it was a pain trying to let them out to graze and stay untangled. I do still keep my ram tethered until he goes to freezer camp. He is a fence jumper supreme. BTW all this was taught by one naughty nubian billy goat, he walked down all the fences and then jumped them. Before that none of goats even thought about challenging the fence. Now all but one of his 'students' are gone.


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## AlaskanShepherdess (Jul 17, 2011)

I've recently been taking my girls over to a neighbors property to "mow" his lawn and keep the brush intact. I put my 3 most dominate girls (one actually isn't dominate, she just likes to wander off by herself, she doesn't miss the others when they are gone) on long leashes and tie them up either to a heavy object in the yard or a tree in the brush. The other 6 girls stay within eyesight of the girls that are tied up. I try to tie up two close enough to each other that I can put a pail between them for water and yet them not be able to tangle each other up. It works really well as long as I don't tie up two too close to each other. I do go out and check them every hour or so, and occasionally I have to untangle one from around a tree or something, but I haven't had any serious problems at all.

Another thing we do is take our fencing material, which I think is some sort of rebar like "fencing" I believe made to be put inside concrete walls, and make portable pens from it. So long as there is areas of even land, this works very well too.


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