Elec fence vs. Goats

[RichZ]

Actually the best way to keep goats fenced is to make them happy where they are. I have over 100 goats for my goat dairy, and all I have throughout my pastures is a four foot woven wire fence, Red Brand Non-Climb fence, held up with T-posts. My goats could jump it in a heartbeat if they wanted to, but they don't. My does have a cozy barn with organic hay and excellent feed, and excellent pastures. My eight bucks spend the summer in our woodlot, about three acres, and all that keeps them in, is an moveable 4 foot electric fence. But they have a nice shelter (an old travel trailer that I gutted) a nice stock tank that I clean out daily for them, and plenty of weeds and underbrush to browse on. I also give them goat mineral blocks to make sure that they get enough selenium. They keep my woodlot in great shape, have a ball in the woods and all I have to buy for them are the mineral blocks. I don't even give them any feed when they're in the woods. And they're in fantastic shape, they'll be well ready when it's time for them to get together with their girlfriends this fall.

Keep goats happy, and they stay where you want them to.

[Adron]

I think I have covered the keeping them happy part. Or at least I think so. I built them a 6' x 12' 3½ sided shed, put in a 4' 4 wire electric fence around about 2½ acre of brush. The shed is on skids so I can move it as required to go around the entire fence line. I thought as they cleared out this woodlot, I would build the next electric fenced enclosure and try to stay 1 enclosure ahead of them. By the time I reach the end of the fence line, I could start all over at enclosure #1 ..or not.

We have finally got about 5" of rain (basically 1st since May) in the last 4 days and the voltage has improved considerably. I believe this is because of the improved grounding now that the ground has some moisture. My cheapy meter shows over 4kv, but just a very small flash on the 5500v light. At least it says it is working. I'll borrow my neighbor's good meter and get a better reading. If this works it will definatly demonstrate the need for a good ground. Hmmm?? I wonder if I just watered around the ground rod that would help keep the better ground?

8 bucks on 4 acres?...I may not have enough goat power for the job. Oh well, adding or subtracting goats is the easy part.

[Pat]

Rich, Makes sense and if it works for you that is great. I was skeptical as I was thinking as I read the first part of your post that your goats were sticking around for the feed, drawn likke filings to a magnet. But wait... The rams don't get fed and are content to stay in your feedlot, content enough to respect a 4 ft electric fence which you say they could jump at any time if they wanted. This gives me hope that I might have a workable situation.

I want the goats primarily as "GREEN", i.e. all natural weed whackers. I was thinking of moving them around from location to location and having them clean out fence rows and in general reduce the brushyness of parts of my property. Temporary/portable electric fence sounds nearly ideal for that.

I have seen goats tethered to overhead wires similar to a clothes line where they can reach the base of a fence. Every couple days the overhead trolley system is moved to relocate the goats to a fresh section of fence. I'm not sure but suspect the lady took them off the leash at night or you'd think they would be easy prey for a coyote or whatever. I wasn't all that interested at the time so I didn't quiz the lady, just stopped because my wife saw a yard sale sign. The fence row was neatly cleared of weeds and briars which were heavy on the other side of the fence.

Maybe what I think I want to do will have to be sanity checked and modified to better take into consideration the attrubutes of the goats. I haven't had much to with goats, petted a few, looked at them but never raised or kept any. Better to study on the situation and get good advice than to rush in and do something dumb that was easitly preventable.

I had thought pygmy goats would be good for a few reasons: 1. they are cute and cute carries a lot of weight with my wife, 2. I thought pygmies might be easier to handle, 3. easier to keep penned in (shorter fences etc) This is speculation on my part (or wishful thinking) as in reality for all I know pygmies could be the ruffian scoundrels of the goat world.

How much goat-human contact time is required to keep the goats from getting person shy or hard to handle? I am very familiar with how horses get "stale" as I used to exercise horses for folks who didn't have time to ride enough to keep the horse used to taking commands. Sounds like fun? Not really, it is work because you are always trying to correct behavior flaws while simultaneously getting the horse used to being handled.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[RichZ]

Pat, with goats a lot depends on how they were raised. All of my goats are bottle fed from birth, and they basically see no difference between goats and people. That's typical with bottle baby goats. If you have a goat dairy or even someone raising dairy goats near you, they're probably bottle raising the kids. And, they typically have more bucks then they need, and sell the bottle fed bucklings cheap. If you get some of those bucklings and have them whethered (neutered), you'll have goats that will be people friendly for life. The neutering doesn't change their friendliness, but during breeding season, the bucks will smell rather musky, and they won't smell at all if they're whethered.

[Pat]

Rich, Thanks again, Pan Man. (My attempt at goat humor.) Sounds reasonable. I know a few places raising goats, Nubians and other not so pygmy breeds. I imagine goat folk probably know other goat folk, even in different parts of the goat industry. I'll have to make a few cold calls at their homes. Not my favorite thing, but I can do it.

The local dairies (cow type) tend toward holstein and similarly offer their bull calves at a discount. My neighbor to the south raised one. I think his was a losing proposition as it was labor intensive to have to bottle feed the calf. About weaning time it developed the habit of wanting to butt your butt if given a chance.

Is it typical for the bottle fed goats to which you refer to be sold at weening time or does the new owner "get" to bottle feed? Would they be "done" prior to sale or would we have to band them? (We prefer the "O" ring solution to the knife.)

What are the "standard" goat shots for the youngsters, if any?

What breed(s) do you keep and if making a recommendation for hearty lawnmowers what wouild you suggest?

Thanks again,


[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[egon]

web page

Just some hardy varieties of stock!

Egon

[Bird]

Egon, I see that your web page includes a picture and a little bit about the Berkshire pigs. That's the breed I raised as a kid in the 4-H Club; still got the ribbons I won and an old photo of the first pig I showed; a 300 pound barrow that won me a blue ribbon as well as the showmanship ribbon.

[egon]

I remember being in the 4H also. No red ribbons came my way.

Pigs are very interesting animals. I used to spend hours in the pen playing with the little ones. One of Boars used to let me ride him and was always looking for a scratch behind the ears.

A time long past. A shame perhaps.

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Bird]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
One of Boars used to let me ride him

[/ QUOTE ]

Egon, there's little doubt that I won the showmanship ribbon because that first pig I raised was so gentle. I rode him all over the fair grounds. I just carried a yardstick and could touch him on either cheek to turn him the other way, or put it right in front of his nose to stop him. And it was tough to hold back the tears when he was sold at auction after the show.

As you know, local businessmen bid high prices for the winning animals to help the 4-H kids, and I'll probably never forget the local Ford dealer, Sam P. Hale, paid $153 ($.51 a pound) for that pig, and then I bought a good registered brood sow for $50 of that money.

[Pat]

BIrd and Egon, I never had show stock unless you count my registerd Cocker Spaniel who was as near perfect as they come. I did win a prize for my Squash when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade. My dad kidded me calling it my gourd. I don't recall the variety but it must have been a freak of nature because it was huge compared to all others of its kind that I grew or saw growing. This was in Lima, Ohio when I went to Shawnee township school and lived next to a sheep farm owned by a naturalized Scottsman. Aye laddie, tis true.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]