I want to go ahead and build two goat fences sometime around the last of this year or the first of next. I will be building them out of dog wire and I need to know how tall they need to be....

Also, how big an area should I plan for for each animal....like for each Angora goat....how many square feet or how big of a pen?

thanks!

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), November 23, 2001

Answers

I remember reading that the fencing should be 4 ft high. I know my Boer goat can clear a 3 ft fence but is unable to jump a 4 ft.

Are the goats going to be in the pen all the time or just at night and then in a pasture during the day?

-- Anita in NC (aholton@mindspring.com), November 23, 2001.

Angoras are probably the easiest to keep fenced. At one time we had 40 of them and only used 2 strands of ribbon (electric) fencing on fiberglass rods. The first strand was about 7 or so inches off the ground and the second was about 2 feet. We had them in a 2 acre pasture. Make sure that EVERY time you bring them grain you put some into a coffee can and rattle it around so they will associate the rattling with food. This works to get them back in if they do wander off. We lived on a fairly busy (short cut) road ( lots of traffic) and never had a problem. Lots of luck and enjoy!

-- Ken in Maine (kenjan@nh.adelphia.net), November 23, 2001.

Suzy, I think the biggest problem with fence and goats is not stretching the material tight enough, having your posts to far apart, which then allows the animals to walk over the fence. I don't know what dog wire is. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), November 23, 2001.

Suzy, It's me again. I agree with whoever said that Angora goats are easy to keep in. The two wire fence should work. Enjoy. Linda

-- Linda (awesomegodchristianministries@yahoo.com), November 23, 2001.

I use livestock panels for fencing for my goats and sheep. I have never had any problem with my angora wether trying to escape even a 4 ft. fence of wire with a wood frame before we moved to this place, but had an angora doe who would get out constantly. I don't like to use fences shorter than 5 ft. unless they are very rigid. I feel like they need a pen big enough to run and jump if they need to.And I keep a big wood spool in the pen for them to climb on if they want to. I need to measure my pen...since it was built by me its not exactly square....but is at least 32 ft by about 50ft, with a little barn attached at one corner...gosh maybe 40 by 50...hmmmmmmm...just 2 goats in that pen. As long as they can get excercise and have clean conditions I think they would be okay. I like to take mine for little walks around the property...teaches them to lead too. Angoras ARE much easier to keep fenced than other goats. Especially pygmys!

-- Jenny (auntjenny6@aol.com), November 24, 2001.

I think the best way to go is to use electric fencing like they sell at Premier. We have woven wire and two strands of barb. They stay in but we are constantly getting their heads out of the woven wire and have come close to a broken hand many of times with those horns. I also worry about them getting their horns caught and we not seeing them in time but because it is right in front of our house we(they) have been lucky. We have electric woven wire in the back and we have no problems. Terry

-- Terry Lipe (elipe@fidnet.com), November 24, 2001.

Ken in Maine...I'm glad I'm not the only one who keeps their goats contained with two strands of electric tape :-)!! I'm also in Me. and have Alpines.

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), November 24, 2001.

In Maine, the problem is not so much keeping the goats " IN " but other animals ( dogs etc. ) "OUT".

-- Ken in Maine (kenjan@nh.adelphia.net), November 25, 2001.

I'm not sure what you are referring to, "dog wire".But we just recently put up Premiers woven wire hi-tensile and topped it with 2 strands of smooth hi tensile electric and one offset hot wire on the outside for predators. Got the idea from their well designed catalogue. Its very important though as Vicky mentioned, to stretch any fencing tight. From now on this is the style fence we will use. Better than all smooth high tensile ( in case of power outage) and better than plain woven wire. The offset wire on the bottom also keeps the sheep we have from pushing under.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), November 26, 2001.