# Hmm can you use an invisible fence with a goat?



## Tapsmom (Apr 3, 2012)

I  got to thinking..I know it's scary..would an invisible fence work for goats?  I have my two in an electroweb fence.  When I introduced them to it I had them on a leash so when they touched it I could reinfocr which way they shoulod run from it.  They figured it out very quickly  I was wondering if I could train them to an invisible fence for when we let them wander around the yard.  This would be for when we are home of course.


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## daisyjack (Apr 3, 2012)

I was thinking the same thing after I was talking to my sister about electric fencing and she thought I was talking about invisible fencing. I don't have goats yet so I dont know if it would work but i think you should put the electro net around the perimeter of the invisible fence for when it beeps they will associate the beeping with shock and then later remove the netting. i would also keep the flags in to


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## Squirrelgirl88 (Apr 3, 2012)

From some of the things I have read I would say NO. Someone - sorry don't remember who - said they watched a bigger goat shove a smaller goat through the electric fence to break the current so the others could walk through. 

I would say judging by my goats and their behavior, they would both electricute themselves before they figured out what was causing the shock. They aren't stupid, just VERY stubborn.


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## Tapsmom (Apr 4, 2012)

I was just curious.  I only have two ND at the moment and I was gauging at how quickly they have learned some things.  I.e they only touched the electric fence once.  any other time has been by accident and that has only occured a handful of times over the year.  I have also been reinforcing good manners and it only took a little squirt from a tiny squirt gun to reinforce what "back" meant when I was opening the gate to leave  When we let them out in the yard they don't tend to go far, but I wanted to have some additional reinforcement so they didn't wander out of our yard if it was posible.  We have a large yard BTW.


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## redtailgal (Apr 4, 2012)

I'm sure that goats are smart enough to learn the boundaries.  But, how will you protect them from stray dogs etc?


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## Tapsmom (Apr 6, 2012)

Hi Redtailgal. We wouldn't be using it when we weren't around. I was just thinking that when we are home we don't have to keep following them around and I have a difficult neighbor and want to make sure they don't wander onto her property if we run in to go to the bathroom or the kids are outside ajnd "forget" to make sure they are in the yard.  It is a fairly large yard, but if they get startled and run I want to make sure they run within a certain area


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## redtailgal (Apr 6, 2012)

Hmm.  I've seen startled livestock before, including my goats.  Keeping in mind that I am new to goats, I would NOT trust an underground fence to stop my goats.  When they are startled, they head for the barn, and NOTHING will stop them.  Scared goats seem to go into a instinctive panic mode, and will plow right thru what ever is between them and their "safe zone".

Not saying it wouldnt work, but I sure wouldnt try it.

If you do try it, please keep us informed on how it works out.


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## elevan (Apr 6, 2012)

"Situations" can happen _very very_ quickly.  Say you're in the yard with the goats and a stray dog happens by...you goats _may _stay in their area but nothing (short of shooting it) is gonna stop that dog from coming into their area.  The potential is huge that you and / or the goats are gonna get hurt.


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## prairerootz (Jul 7, 2012)

Have you tried the fence? Any success? I am real curious about the same question. I have been all over the internet searching about goats and invisible fences. Seems to be about a 50/50 mix of thoughts. Also seems all of which are theory, and not experience. We would really like get ourselves 5 or 6 goats breed, size, and all yet to be decided although we are looking at some boer kids. we have twelve acres of perfect goat pasture. All of which fencing is old and broken down barbed wire. We really can not afford to rebuild the entire fence, especially one to be goat proof. Also in our country full of CRP we get lots of tumble weeds and wind which will back up in the fence 6-8 feet deep and eventually destroy the fence. Our sole purpose for the goats is to graze down the pasture so we can try to rebuild it and maintain it. From what I understand the best way to do so is the rotate the grazing in order to get the entire spot grazed down. A lot of people have mentioned tethering, but I don't really like that idea. 
What I would like to try is the radio frequency fence and collars. 
We would get our goats young and I'm sure the kids (our kids) would spend plenty of time with them socializing and the goats becoming fairly docile pets. The biggest concern I've read about is the predators which we do have plenty of here. Although we have a Great Pyrenees. Very nice dog and has always shone strong instincts to protect with everything we have brought out, Our chickens, rabbits, other dogs and even the cats. I'm real CONFIDENT that the predator issue will NOT be an issue for us.
The unit I have looked at would transmit a 180 foot diameter circle, expandable with additional transmitters. It sends off a audio warning when approaching the boundary, and the intensity of the shock is completely adjustable. I would build some mobile shelters for the goats, and supplying water would be easy.
Do you think that starting out with some young boer goats (with plenty of attention) that I could continually rotate around the pasture with this type of fencing. Remember the predators will not be an issue. I have watched that dog spot a coyote 100 yards away snatch the coyote, quickly shake it to snap its neck drop it and sit back down with his perfect posture proud as can be. I laugh every time I see him sit down, reminds me of the "Wile E. Coyote" cartoons. 
A pre-thanks for any feedback


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## Renegade (Jul 7, 2012)

IMO it's a disaster waiting to happen.When goats are startled they'll bolt. What happens when they run through the shock? They'll be gone in a heartbeat. I know you believe your one dog can handle anything but a pack of stray dogs could easily kill your herd and do some damage to your LGD. My neighbor has an invisible fence and a couple of big dogs on it. He informed me this morning that one of his dogs was killed and the other was mauled during the day last week while he was in the house.  


JMO

Donna


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Jul 7, 2012)

Renegade said:
			
		

> IMO it's a disaster waiting to happen.When goats are startled they'll bolt. What happens when they run through the shock? They'll be gone in a heartbeat. I know you believe your one dog can handle anything but a pack of stray dogs could easily kill your herd and do some damage to your LGD. My neighbor has an invisible fence and a couple of big dogs on it. He informed me this morning that one of his dogs was killed and the other was mauled during the day last week while he was in the house.


I agree with you. I think it is a very bad idea. They will run right thru and and not come back. They don't know where it is so they will wander, get zapped and just keep going. I have though of it before too but after _thinking_ about it I realized it wouldn't work. If you do try it I wish you the best of luck on it.


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## txdonna (Aug 10, 2012)

Related to the original question, I have kind of a unique situation. We have four acres which are strongly cross-fenced against coyotes and deer. Pretty ideal for goats. However, my largest yard (where the goats would go) is too large (2 acres) for just a few goats (I have chickens and geese in the smaller pasture). Might it work with invisible fencing within the big yard if I wanted to control the goats' movement within the large yard? I was thinking I could split the big pasture into zones that way, for grazing, and they'd still be protected from predators by the surrounding fence. Ideas?


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Aug 10, 2012)

You could try it. Really no downside to trying because they will be protected and fenced. No danger. I say go for it and try and please let us know how it went (if you do try) because I don't think it has been tried before. You would be the first and tell the world!! haha


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## Pearce Pastures (Aug 10, 2012)

Two acres would make a couple of goats very happy though.  Lots of room to run, browse, and explore.  Through a few logs in or make some toys and you'd have goat paradise started.


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