Electric Fence; Not for goats and sheep?

[20kidsonhill]

We like this one, http://southernstates.com/catalog/p-1812-dare-10pack-tubular-corner-post-insulator.aspx

But have used this. http://southernstates.com/catalog/p-1772-dare-10pack-egg-style-cornerend-insulator.aspx

and we use the Plastic or fiber-glass step in posts in between all our corner/brace posts(cedar posts), but we don't have horses, just need to keep the goats in.

 

[NachoFarm]

That's great guys, thank you. Now I just have to find them up here in Canada eh?
They're certainly a lot cheaper than almost $20 for two.

 

[heathen]

I had a woven wire fence with electric around the top... I had the neighbors dogs come in dig under the fence kill all my goats last May..... I bought the bigest electric fence I could find20,000 KV and got a GP. Even goats I have bought that never have been around an electric fence got shocked one time and never tested it again. We have Bears Bobcats Dogs and coyotes I know for a fact the dogs that killed my goats have came back twice they touched the fence and I have never seen them back up here. I have seen a bear touch it and run off like he was shot. Now my LGD is big enough and barks enough to intimidate predators.My billies are seperated with the electric fence from the nanies and they dont get out even when the nany is in heat. I have 8 strands with electric on the bottom and top every other wire is a ground wire to make the fence hotter and give a better shock electricity finds the shortest path to ground. Your ground wire is your most important part of an electric fence and can be the diffrence in animals staying in or getting out. If you use a ground rod make sure it is installed correctly. Woven wire is without a doubt better if you can afford both then you shouldnt have an issue. I eventually plan on getting goat/sheep wire and haveing three stands of electric off of it just for peace of mind. I sstill worry a hungry coyote would run through the wire I have seen them do this at my grandpa's house for his sheep he didnt have a dog helping protect them. Good luck

 

[wirefence]

I had a woven wire fence with electric around the top... I had the neighbors dogs come in dig under the fence kill all my goats last May..... I bought the bigest electric fence I could find20,000 KV and got a GP. Even goats I have bought that never have been around an electric fence got shocked one time and never tested it again. We have Bears Bobcats Dogs and coyotes I know for a fact the dogs that killed my goats have came back twice they touched the fence and I have never seen them back up here. I have seen a bear touch it and run off like he was shot. Now my LGD is big enough and barks enough to intimidate predators.My billies are seperated with the electric fence from the nanies and they dont get out even when the nany is in heat. I have 8 strands with electric on the bottom and top every other wire is a ground wire to make the fence hotter and give a better shock electricity finds the shortest path to ground. Your ground wire is your most important part of an electric fence and can be the diffrence in animals staying in or getting out. If you use a ground rod make sure it is installed correctly. Woven wire is without a doubt better if you can afford both then you shouldnt have an issue. I eventually plan on getting goat/sheep wire and haveing three stands of electric off of it just for peace of mind. I sstill worry a hungry coyote would run through the wire I have seen them do this at my grandpa's house for his sheep he didnt have a dog helping protect them. Good luck

Nice to get this information.

 

[goathill]

We're in the process of implementing a paddock system that's based on electric fencing. The first paddock is complete, with 5 strands on a 1-joule charger. It's about 120'x20' - the idea is to rotate the goats amongst 4-5 paddocks of roughly the same size on a 10-day basis. The first day was a little rough as the goats tested the fence, but now, our does won't go near it. Their kids check it out, but don't leave it. Before implementing the system, we did a lot of reading, and found Fias Co's info to be really helpful. I think our success so far is largely due to keeping them happy inside the paddock. Food first thing in the morning (during milking), and then free choice minerals and water all day. Plenty of shade as well, and a solid plan to keep them moving before they're out of good browse to eat.

Oddly enough, I think one of the things that actually helped us was the constant attempts by the dogs to test the fence. Enough yelping and running off seemed to help our goats understand that the polywire was something to be avoided. Now, neither the goats nor the dogs test the lines at all.

 

[BlondeSquirrel04]

I have electric fencing for all my animals...goats, llamas and alpacas. Once they learn, they learn forever. As long as you get a strong charger and bite them on it once or twice so they understand it, they're set.

 

[kfacres]

We're in the process of implementing a paddock system that's based on electric fencing. The first paddock is complete, with 5 strands on a 1-joule charger. It's about 120'x20' - the idea is to rotate the goats amongst 4-5 paddocks of roughly the same size on a 10-day basis. The first day was a little rough as the goats tested the fence, but now, our does won't go near it. Their kids check it out, but don't leave it. Before implementing the system, we did a lot of reading, and found Fias Co's info to be really helpful. I think our success so far is largely due to keeping them happy inside the paddock. Food first thing in the morning (during milking), and then free choice minerals and water all day. Plenty of shade as well, and a solid plan to keep them moving before they're out of good browse to eat.

Oddly enough, I think one of the things that actually helped us was the constant attempts by the dogs to test the fence. Enough yelping and running off seemed to help our goats understand that the polywire was something to be avoided. Now, neither the goats nor the dogs test the lines at all.

explain your 10 day basis..

You should not graze a paddock for more than 5 days-- so you're going to be defeating the purpose of rotational grazing if you do them for 10. A paddock needs rested for atleast 30 days-- so if you're only resting for 10-- you're again wasting your time being rotational...

 

[goathill]

You should not graze a paddock for more than 5 days-- so you're going to be defeating the purpose of rotational grazing if you do them for 10. A paddock needs rested for atleast 30 days-- so if you're only resting for 10-- you're again wasting your time being rotational...

Where our paddocks are constructed are brush-heavy, not grass heavy, and we're leaving them in the paddocks for 10 days at a time, and then rotating them through the entire chain of paddocks. At the 10-day mark, the grass in the paddocks is still mostly untouched and the brush-line is about 50% browsed. On the 5 paddock system we're hoping to employ, this leaves a 40-day rest. 30 on a 4-paddock system. I've read a variety of lengths for leaving the animals in the paddock, depending on size, quality of browse, number of animals, etc. Some people use very small paddocks and graze for only 24-48 hours in a particular paddock, and others stay for as long as two weeks.

 

[sawfish99]

You should not graze a paddock for more than 5 days-- so you're going to be defeating the purpose of rotational grazing if you do them for 10. A paddock needs rested for atleast 30 days-- so if you're only resting for 10-- you're again wasting your time being rotational...

This kind of broad generalization is not valuable. The amount of time for rotating the paddocks has a lot of different considerations including, climate, parasite load, browse/grass available, etc. What works in Texas doesn't work for me in CT. My top 2 concerns for rotating would be parasite management and browse. In our region, the time that parasite eggs can survive dormant prior to become larvae is so long, it is nearly impossible to do rotational grazing for parasite management ON GRASS. Therefore, the browse would be the driving factor, and the growth rate varies according the rainfall. I would not set a X days vs Y days schedule, but instead, actively manage your property.

 

[kfacres]

You should not graze a paddock for more than 5 days-- so you're going to be defeating the purpose of rotational grazing if you do them for 10. A paddock needs rested for atleast 30 days-- so if you're only resting for 10-- you're again wasting your time being rotational...

This kind of broad generalization is not valuable. The amount of time for rotating the paddocks has a lot of different considerations including, climate, parasite load, browse/grass available, etc. What works in Texas doesn't work for me in CT. My top 2 concerns for rotating would be parasite management and browse. In our region, the time that parasite eggs can survive dormant prior to become larvae is so long, it is nearly impossible to do rotational grazing for parasite management ON GRASS. Therefore, the browse would be the driving factor, and the growth rate varies according the rainfall. I would not set a X days vs Y days schedule, but instead, actively manage your property.

after 5 days--- the chances or regrazing occur-- this is pointless for you to argue about. You should never allow for more days,, fewer is fine- but more is not acceptable-- regardless of where you are located- CT, IL, TX, or japan.

the only thing that can be arguable-- is amount of rest time. Which I grant to you- changes during the season, and location and goal... In the spring- a shorter switch is ok- and during the summer it needs to be longer.. In any case, and circumstance--I still cannot think of a reason to involve 10 days.

Worm loads are a problem anywhere, and legit cannnot be a concern to rotate based off of, using the parasite concern as a primary rotation guide-- you would graze each pasture one time a year-- and that's not a rotational grazing system...

SO back to my question-- what does this 10 day ordeal involve? You seemed to have not answered it.

Grazing is my specialty- through my off the farm job-- I'm very interested to see your response, and your reasoning-- to see if it's logical.