goat people..!

Well I am selling a horse. After she is gone, I plan on getting at least 2 goats. I love the smaller ones (pygmies? nubians) I have to do some more research but here are a few queries.
-how would you fence them? I know that they're notorious escapees. How's a three-wire, electrified rope brand fence sound? Ropes about 6 inches apart, and all hot. If not.. how high would a chicken-wire type fence need to be?
-what's better generally for a new keeper; females or gelded males? I don't want any intact males because of aggression and also that many people have told me that they have a bad odor.
-I have a 10x10 horse stall to keep them in. the walls are about 4 feet high. Is this high enough or will the open top sides need to be wired in?
Thanks!

I have never owned a goat but have read quite a bit about them. From what I remember the standard is using a hardware cloth for the main fence (2 by 4 inches or so depending on the goat size, don't quote me). Also, run 2 rows of barbed wire above the wire mesh. Some even place a string of barbed wire at the base of the mesh to prevent the goats from getting under it. No need to worry about malfunctioning equipment.

I have even heard of using multiple rows of barbed wire, skipping the mesh altogether.

I may get some goats for my retics to play with one day.

Hi there!

Goats are awesome creatures, but can be very trying at times.

The most popular miniature breeds are the Nigerian Dwarfs and the Pygmies. Nigis make excellent milk goats for their size, if that's what you'd like, and Pygmies are just teeny little cuties. Nigis are more porportionate as well, while Pygmies look like barrels on legs.

Now, the biggest issue: fencing. I don't think a rope electric fence will work. It MIGHT...but if the goats decide they want out, they're going to get out of it. What they say in the goat world "If it can't hold water it won't hold goats!"

Course its not THAT extreme but it feels like that sometimes! No wire fence will hold them, especially chicken wire, mine put holes in that in days, just from leaning against it, rubbing against it, and standing on it. Which they will do to all fencing. Now, a wire fence with hotwire running along the inside may work, as they won't get close enough to do those things and cause it to sag to the ground.

The best fencing for goats is either chainlink (expensive!) or welded wire cattle panels, though you may have to cover that with something like chicken wire if the goats have horns, they love to get themselves stuck.

My goats are Nigerians, and the fence (chainlink covered with chicken wire) is four feet I believe. If they can jump over, they will. For a stall, I believe they should be fine, as long as they can get purchase somewhere with their hooves to leap over.

As for what sex, well, that's up to you! I have a pregnant doe and a wether (neutered male). Neither have any smell and both are wonderfully friendly and fun to be with. Does you have the option of breeding and possibly milking someday (Nigerians at least, most Pygmies have teats far too small) and getting babies.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, too. While goats are hardy creatures, they delight in getting into mischief, and require lots of care, and can be wasteful little buggers as well! I wholeheartedly suggest FiascoFarm.com, this is hands down one of the BEST goat websites out there, and the forum I am active in and really love is TheGoatSpot.net, its full of really great people ready to answer any question or concern. They've been a lifesaver for me!

Whew, that's alot of typing, and like I said, just a drop in the bucket when it comes to goats! I hope this at least helps a little, and that you find more information on those sites!

And you know, cause I can't resist showing off my little buggers..

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...o6-smaller.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...opelooking.jpg

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Originally Posted by dacalio

I have never owned a goat but have read quite a bit about them. From what I remember the standard is using a hardware cloth for the main fence (2 by 4 inches or so depending on the goat size, don't quote me). Also, run 2 rows of barbed wire above the wire mesh. Some even place a string of barbed wire at the base of the mesh to prevent the goats from getting under it. No need to worry about malfunctioning equipment.

I have even heard of using multiple rows of barbed wire, skipping the mesh altogether.

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Goats will just stand on this, or rub against it, until they can nonchalantly walk over it. Trust me! I've seen it in some places, but this is where the goats had ACRES of brush to occupy them and were in a large group, which means less chance of boredom.

And strands of barb wire are not going to work; the goats will just squeeze between it, possibly causing severe injury to a delicate udder or underbelly, or even becoming tangled. Barb wire along the top of a fence may help, but it may not. Also, with hotwire, goats quickly learn the "pulses" some brands use and slip between them. They are as intelligent as most dogs.

Cattle pannels!!!:D

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Originally Posted by stangs13

Cattle pannels!!!:D

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Agreed! These are probably the best. Chain link is awesome, but expensive and can't really be moved, while cattle panels, while still a bit pricey, are sturdy, easy to set up, can't be messed up by the goats leaning on it, and if you choose, can be moved to a different area, which is AWESOME when you want some brush cleared! However, funnily enough, kids will sometimes launch themselves over it even when adults won't. Little brats! I believe covering the panels with chicken wire or something similar, so they can't get purchase with their little hooves, can help this.

:)

When we had goats as a kid we just used a wooden fence, 4x4 posts with wood boards running between them every six inches or so we rarely had a problem with it.I would never suggest barbed wire to cage any animal.

Yeah, wooden fencing can work...as long as they can't fit through the gaps, its pretty much has to be nearly solid! Some will learn to climb it though, depends on the goat.

My dad used to have a goat and the chainlink worked great.

What's the big difference between chain link and the 2 by 4 inch welded wire? My dogs are fenced in 3 acres of this stuff and it's pretty heavy duty. Steel poles keep the fence tight. It's s lot cheaper than chain link.

I wonder if dogs could be trained to keep the goats away from the fence line? Lol, just an idea. My friends have a German Shepherd that keeps their kids (human) inside the fence.

Well it depends on the welded wire you're mentioning. The welded panels you can buy that are sturdy and rigid, are awesome, we call these "cattle panels", though they also come in hog panels, or sheep panels (which usually aren't recommended for goats with horns, they get themselves stuck.).

Then there's wire fencing which is flexible and comes in rolls, and is put up by stretching. This wire will eventually, no matter how well its installed, sag down from the goat's constant attention to it. I saw this in action just last Saturday, a friend put up some of it to separate some of her does, and the fence is already sagging from the goats standing on it, rubbing against it to scratch themselves, or just being plain obnoxious to the fence. This too can cause stuck goats. A strand of hot wire around the inside can discourage this type of fence damage, which makes it cheaper than chainlink or panels, just a bit more time consuming. I've seen this type of fencing work in some situations, but every goat is different, just like dogs.

Speaking of dogs, I'd be careful. I just finished treating the neighbor's goat; their dog, who "loved" the goats and was allowed in with them, tore one goat's ear to shreds and took a chunk so deep out of the hindquarters I could stick my finger up to the middle knuckle inside. The vet will be out later, but goats can die from stress, and I had a few essentials to help calm her down and clean her up until then. I do not trust any dog near my goats, its just natural instinct for dogs to chase them, as goats run and buck and act like prey, I certainly don't blame the dog. This includes even herding breeds; I used to exhibit German Shepherd Dogs, and one of ours killed a lamb we had (our fault for not securing the fencing better) and another killed a goat (again our fault). They were simply not raised from young puppyhood to be guardians of them, which is a must in a guardian dog.

There's so much to learn about goats, but the fencing is the most important! You should never bring home goats without secure fencing first. :P

Hog panel is short and shouldn't be used for hogs. Pigs ar capable of lifting it completely out of the ground and throwing it. And cattle tare down cattle panel. So cattle panel should only be used for goats and sheep...LOL

Not surprising in the least, LOL. It always amazes me how ill-fit some items marketed for certain animals are for those animals!

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Originally Posted by Epona142

Not surprising in the least, LOL. It always amazes me how ill-fit some items marketed for certain animals are for those animals!

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Yup yup. Like chicken wire!! That stuff wont protect chickens at all, it just keeps them in a group for the coyotes to get them! It really all depends on your guage of chicken wire though....

Oh no doubt. Even smaller predators can get through chicken wire like its butter! I use it over larger wirer just to keep the little peepers from squeezing out, but on the whole, it's pretty useless!

Thanks for the info! I have an area that's fenced in chainlink.. my landlord uses it for his dog but not that often.. I am going to take it over :) It is an area roughly 25 feet by ten feet.. attached to the garage. Oddly enough, someone used to keep goats in there years ago.. but I plan on blocking off access to the garage as it houses too much dangerous junk like rusty tools and such, and building a shelter in there for them. The chainlink is High, about 8 feet.. holds in some pretty big dogs that have been placed in it..
Now about tying them out on leadlines when I am home? Like, if I were working in the house, but had them tethered to a pole within sight of me so that if there were a problem, I could intervene? I would not leave them like this.. it Would be a cool way to get some of the brush under control though!

Sure, once in a while I tether mine out for brush.

But of course, as I'm sure you know, there are precautions to take! First, always check for poisonous plants in the vicinity of the area. Always make sure you can see them at all times, it only takes a moment for them to get themselves into trouble! It's their goal in life, sometimes, I think. :P

This is our little goaty! His name is Cookie, he came with the black mare and the owner didn't realize he was a he, just gelded. :) He's pretty neat other than he will ALWAYS find a way out of the pasture, under the fence, through the fence, over the fence, up a tree THEN over the fence! We have 10 acres of pasture so it's way too much fence to go through and make goat proof, it's just not worth it. Goats will stick around and go back in the pen when they feel like it. I would suggest only getting one goat, that way when it gets out (because it will no matter what) it comes back. Otherwise you're going to be spending a lot of money to keep them in. They'll test that hot wire every single day and I've got a friend who's goat goes right through the hot wire. Cookie could care less about our barbed wire. If he can find a way to get up that high, he jumps/crawls right through it. The horses respect our cruddy fences WAY more than any goat ever would, lol!

I don't know if a male or female would be better. Cookie will nail you in the back of the knees if you don't scratch his head, but other than that he's not aggressive.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...08413_0_BG.jpg

I find I must politely disagree :)

You should never keep only one goat. You'll find that goats kept alone will be destructive, bored, and intent on getting out of their pen. Goats are extremely social creatures, and must be kept in pairs at the least.

It's awesome your goat stays around, but it doesn't always happen so well, and there are dangers to a loose goat. For example, I once had a goat I found on the road, apparently lost. I didn't bother to put him in the fenced goat yard, I just let him run on our large property, as at the time, we didn't have any other goats (my parents kept a small herd of meat goats for many years). Sure, for a while he stuck around my horse, but eventually he became so lonely he left. He made his way all the way down the road, living with one neighbor after another until he found a neighbor with some other goats, where he stayed.

Sure, goats will do everything in their power to get out of their fence. If they can. The point is to insure they cannot. Which can take a bit of time and effort, but can be done! My goats got out a couple of times, pinpointing weaknesses in their enclosure, and after those were rectified, they no longer get out. Loose goats are in terrible danger from loose dogs, cars, and other people.

Anyways, your goat is absolutely darling! I love that coloring. There is no doubt he will get out of the fencing I see there, you're quite right they don't respect fencing like a horse will! It's great he sticks around even when he gets out. If you'd like to discourage him butting you, you can try a squirt bottle, I'm sure you know how much they hate to get wet. As for aggression in goats, this is less about the sex of the goat and more about how they were raised. I've had all three sexes (bucks, does, and wethers) and have experienced the extremes in all cases. Bucks however, DO have a smell and some very unpleasent habits. A doe and a wether are always a good bet, or two does, or two wethers even, if you never want to have any kids.

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Originally Posted by dacalio

My friends have a German Shepherd that keeps their kids (human) inside the fence.

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:O

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Originally Posted by Royal_Rodents

:O

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Lol, no kidding. I doubt my pit and rottie could be trained at this point.

aww taht would be awesome ot have a pit and rottie. to guard your goats. I wonder if my choclate lab is able to hmmmm:rolleyes:

Years ago (I'm talking 20 years ago!) I had a huge white milk goat. I was Mamma Natural back then and milked her for my oldest child (like she appreciated the effort! :rolleyes:).

Anyways, I found out dogs and goats don't mix well sometimes especially when not raised together. The goat was perfectly safe, our poor female Labrador, Shadow, who just wanted to make a new friend got rammed into the barn wall a few times and gave up the idea that goats make good buddies.

Jen, we did tie out Dolly Parton the milking goat (okay laugh it up, she was ummm well built for her job!). I only did it when I could be right there to watch her and she seemed to enjoy being staked out by my garden and getting all sorts of culled veggies to munch on. She did manage to get loose a couple of times but thankfully went no further than the front yard where she could harrass said Labrador who was trying to nap on the porch (note: never leave a goat staked out while you go get a cold drink...they are just waiting for the opportunity to escape...don't be fooled by their innocent "I'm just sleeping in the shade" routine).

Goats have a wierd sense of humor! LOL

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Jen, we did tie out Dolly Parton the milking goat (okay laugh it up, she was ummm well built for her job!).

Goats have a wierd sense of humor! LOL

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Hahahah I am!

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Originally Posted by Epona142

I find I must politely disagree :)

You should never keep only one goat. You'll find that goats kept alone will be destructive, bored, and intent on getting out of their pen. Goats are extremely social creatures, and must be kept in pairs at the least.

It's awesome your goat stays around, but it doesn't always happen so well, and there are dangers to a loose goat. For example, I once had a goat I found on the road, apparently lost. I didn't bother to put him in the fenced goat yard, I just let him run on our large property, as at the time, we didn't have any other goats (my parents kept a small herd of meat goats for many years). Sure, for a while he stuck around my horse, but eventually he became so lonely he left. He made his way all the way down the road, living with one neighbor after another until he found a neighbor with some other goats, where he stayed.

Sure, goats will do everything in their power to get out of their fence. If they can. The point is to insure they cannot. Which can take a bit of time and effort, but can be done! My goats got out a couple of times, pinpointing weaknesses in their enclosure, and after those were rectified, they no longer get out. Loose goats are in terrible danger from loose dogs, cars, and other people.

Anyways, your goat is absolutely darling! I love that coloring. There is no doubt he will get out of the fencing I see there, you're quite right they don't respect fencing like a horse will! It's great he sticks around even when he gets out. If you'd like to discourage him butting you, you can try a squirt bottle, I'm sure you know how much they hate to get wet. As for aggression in goats, this is less about the sex of the goat and more about how they were raised. I've had all three sexes (bucks, does, and wethers) and have experienced the extremes in all cases. Bucks however, DO have a smell and some very unpleasent habits. A doe and a wether are always a good bet, or two does, or two wethers even, if you never want to have any kids.

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We must have gotten really lucky then!!! We do have sheep as well....do you think he sticks around because of them? It's quite a ways for him to get to the house let alone any road. We have a hay feild around the horse pasture, so that's where we always find him. He comes running for a pet and walks in the horse pasture gate with us.

The owner before us had him as the only goat with several horses (so I thought that was the best way to keep goats and horses). The same thing happened. He walked in and out of her fences, but never went far. Both farms were secluded from other farms, houses, roads, and other animals in general. We've had him for two years and she had him for 3. Pure luck I suppose!

Thanks for the info about the water bottle and him head butting us!

Sounds like he's bonded with horses for sure, and maybe the sheep as well, which is why he sticks around. Which is great! :)

What works for one goat or goat owner, doesn't always work for another, that's something to always keep in mind too. They're as varied as pet dogs! And from what I've learned, just as smart...or smarter in the case of my husband's dog. :D

I hope the water bottle trick helps, it sure stopped my doe from ramming the gate! (When I'm around anyways.) :P