Age Old Fencing Questions

[Bossroo]

Alexz7272, It would be wise to listen to Baymule regarding her counsel on building a fence. Hobby farm or not , that 47" fence material that you are considering will be woefully underperforming from day one onwards.

 

[farmerjan]

From personal experience, don't buy welded wire! I wish I was a millionaire because I would use all 16' cattle panels. They're awesome! And so pricey!

Hate to throw this in to the works; but the 16 ft cattle panels or the combination panels that are hog/cattle panels combined ARE welded wire. When the welds break they will come apart and can stick out and catch everything that gets up against them. They are great for pens with the proper posts, but they are still welded wire, extra heavy maybe but still welded and galvanized.

 

[babsbag]

Hate to throw this in to the works; but the 16 ft cattle panels or the combination panels that are hog/cattle panels combined ARE welded wire. When the welds break they will come apart and can stick out and catch everything that gets up against them. They are great for pens with the proper posts, but they are still welded wire, extra heavy maybe but still welded and galvanized.

And they do fall apart, and when they do they are dangerous. Had a goat with a horrid gash when she rubbed up against a broken panel before I realized what had happened. I do use them between my bucks and does, but also hot wire on both sides. I use the 4x4 goat and sheep panels in my kidding pens but also discovered that my kids can and do get their heads through those too, and they get stuck.

 

[NH homesteader]

Well my Nigerians aren't planning on breaking them anytime soon. I'm sure full size goats or cattle may be able to but those of us with little goats...

I am going to try out the electric netting in the spring so I can rotate more easily!

 

[NH homesteader]

I forgot your goats have horns don't they? I used to have a horned goat and he used to get his head stuck all the time in the big holes.

What kind of fencing are you using now?

 

[farmerjan]

See my earlier long post about making the goats, and sheep, "stickheads" while they are growing. Not pretty but funny looking, and it works. Don't know about it if they are mature and keep getting their heads stuck cuz the horns only get to a certain size.

 

[Alexz7272]

Thanks everyone! @farmerjan I will definitely look into making my babies "stickheads"
@NH homesteader My goats do have horns. This is going to sound really weird but most of Lithuania was Pagan and the practices are still very prominent, that is why I will not de-horn my goats. Although I know how much easier it can be, haha.
I got free field fencing off of craigslist. It worked in the interim until now, when I could get better fencing.
I'd LOVE to try electrical netting, I just dont know much about it all. You would have their 'pen' where their house is and food then would usher them into the netted area to rotate around orrr errr? Haha! Is it something you move often or set up different pastures and just rotate them between them? Sorry, I am asking alot of questions.

 

[Alexz7272]

Heres my problem child

 

[farmerjan]

View attachment 22001 Heres my problem child

If you put the stick across the end of her horns, duct tape it on each horn and let it stick out 3-4 inches on each side so she can't get it through, it will solve the problem. She is typical of the goats I take care of for my friends who have over 100 at any one time. Some will get the sticks off sometimes but not a big deal to reapply. They also do not dehorn or castrate as the ethnic market dictates intact males when they sell them. They even have a couple of buyers of singles that come to the farm and kill the animal there; it has to be facing a certain direction and all sorts of requirements; but whatever....
@NH homesteader The panels don't just get broke from the animals. I use them as "flexible" gates in between pens and the slight bending will sooner or later cause the welds to let go. I love the panels too, and use them a fair amount. Caught my leg on one wire that had come off the end and got a nasty gash. I also use them in the garden for tying the tomatoes up against, for any climbing beans, cucumbers, gourds , anything that needs support. Alot easier than taking down tomato cages and they lean up against the shed wall til next year. We can buy them for around $20 so it is a little more than 1.25 a foot. If the goats get their heads through them it is harder to get them out as the woven wire field fence has a little more flex than they do.

 

[NH homesteader]

I don't have horned goats anymore so it's not an issue. I use the pig panels also, and they've held up to my friend's 1000 lb boar.

Anyway the best thing about the electric netting is I can move it by myself. Takes about 5 minutes to move the whole thing. I haven't used it with my goats yet, we have it for our chickens. Looking forward to trying it in the spring.