# Chain link for ND goats?



## AkTomboy (Jan 5, 2011)

I have been reading all over and so far I havent seen anything about chainlink fence for goats, I am asuming that as long as it has a top and bottom tension rail it would be fine? Yes ~ no? Goat experts please fill me in


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## jlbpooh (Jan 5, 2011)

I would think you would be fine. We have 4 Nigerian Dwarfs and use 4' tall field fencing. We have a strand of electric about 6 inches above the top, a strand 12 inches off the ground on the inside, and a strand 5 inches off the ground on the outside.


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## ksalvagno (Jan 5, 2011)

Chainlink should work just fine.


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## KellyHM (Jan 5, 2011)

Chainlink works for my Nubians, so I don't see why it wouldn't work for NDs.


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## AkTomboy (Jan 5, 2011)

jlbpooh said:
			
		

> I would think you would be fine. We have 4 Nigerian Dwarfs and use 4' tall field fencing. We have a strand of electric about 6 inches above the top, a strand 12 inches off the ground on the inside, and a strand 5 inches off the ground on the outside.


The electric on the inside is to stop them from rubbing / climbing correct. What are the other two for, predators?

 I have 4 Great Pyrs that keep my alpacas, chickens, horses and family safe so would you still recomend the others if they are indeed for predators?


Thank you all for your time and replies. Its been super warm ie 40+ above...very odd for this time of year and its putting the itch to get things going a kick in the booty. Grrr still a couple of months but the more I can have mapped out the faster I can get it all up once breakup is over.


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## Ariel301 (Jan 5, 2011)

I use chain link dog kennel/construction site panels to build my goat pens. Since I have full size goats, I use the six foot tall panels. Keeps the goats in, and the predators out. They're really sturdy so my horned goats have not been able to damage them very much either. The nice thing with the panels is that you can take them apart and rearrange them too, but they can be really expensive if you have to buy them brand new.


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## iamcuriositycat (Jan 5, 2011)

I love chain link for my ND boys. I buy panels off craigslist whenever I see a good deal.

The only down sides are appearance (it's pretty ugly), weight (heavy), and... that's about it. It's tough, can be moved around somewhat, and reasonably predator resistant (wouldn't try it against bears, but short of that--works good).

I also have electric netting for a portable pen so I can move them to different foraging areas around the property. They use the portable pen during the day and the chain link at night.

If buying second-hand, make sure you're purchasing panels, and not just links with tension bars--the panels are way easier to mess with. Of course, if you don't mind stretching it yourself, the links with tension bars can be a better deal.

Good luck!


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## jlbpooh (Jan 6, 2011)

AkTomboy said:
			
		

> jlbpooh said:
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Yes, the strand on the inside is to prevent rubbing, I have 5" extended insulators to keep the wire further from the fence. For larger goats it would probably need to be higher. The one at the top is to keep anything, including humans, from climbing over, and the one at the bottom helps prevent going under. We have a charger with 3 eight foot grounds that maintains 9600 volts on the wire at all times. My neighbor will attest that it will light you up. He didn't realize it was electric and took a direct hit.  My dog stays with my goats during the daytime for protection, she has gotten zapped a time or too, oops, but they learn quickly to steer clear of it.  At night she comes in because everyone gets locked up in their fortresses, LOL. We have coyotes that have been seen next door and running down the RR tracks running adjacent to our property, so I don't take any chances with security.


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## AlaskanShepherdess (Jan 7, 2011)

The couple we bought most of our goats from had chainlink fencing and it seemed to do great. They had had it for a year and a half and it still looked nearly new. We are using rough sawn lumber from my husbands lumber mill and it works great too. My girls have completely stopped trying to escape.


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## AkTomboy (Jan 8, 2011)

Thanks all, I have quite a bit of chainlink around from a p.w. auction.

jlbpooh wrote: I have black and griz, wolves, yotes, wolverne, lynx, martin just to name a few the only predators Alaska has that do not live here are Polar bears and brown bears you name it we have it. My Pyrs dont let anything on the property and we hunt on what our animals dont have, I understand not wanting to take chances.

Crownofthorns do you and your hubby own a mill or work at one?


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## AlaskanShepherdess (Jan 9, 2011)

My brother and hubby own it.


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## Calliopia (Jan 9, 2011)

I have my girls in chain like with a couple strands of electric along the inside to keep them from standing on it or pushing at the bottom.  Ours didn't have the tension pole at the bottom so we ended up using landscaping stakes and a couple rail road ties to fill in some low spots and hold the looser spots down. So far no issues. Keeps mamas and babies in place.


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## AkTomboy (Jan 10, 2011)

CrownofThornsNDGoats 
Do you happen to know if they do slab wood? My 4-H club is still on a waiting list from the mills here for a load to build a new tack barn on our 4-H property. 

Calliopia

Thanks for the info, I have quite a bit of chainlink from a redo of a project some friends did as his wife didnt like how the chainlink looked.  Worked out great for me


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## AlaskanShepherdess (Jan 10, 2011)

I believe they do. I know they can do a lot with it. I *think* there is a problem with the mill right now, so I'm not positive if it's operational right now. But hubby's been working on it so it might be. I'll ask and let you know on FB.


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## imtc (Jan 10, 2011)

I use it with my nigerians however have one doe attempt to jump it and got her hoof caught at the top (where the fencing "^'s" just over the top bar).  and she was hanging upside down by one leg. Luckily I was right there when it happened (which was more than once) but I ended up having to add another couple of feet of fencing to prevent her from trying to jump again.


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