Thursday, July 30, 2009

Anybody know where to find cheap fencing for goats?

I'm looking for fencing for pygmy goats.
Answers:
I really don't think there is such a thing. I raise Pygmy %26 Nigerian Dwarf goats. It took about a year for me to realize that they were just going to keep getting out until I spent the money and put up good fencing. Particularly if you have young ones, they can squeeze through almost anything. Add in that they rub on fences and bend them until they can squeeze under, and they are amazing jumpers, and you have goats that are very hard to find good fencing for. What we have found that works is either wire mesh "sheep %26 goat" fence or field fence with very small squares. You have to make sure that it goes all the way to the ground everywhere around their pasture, we stake it to the ground at any places where they might be able to push it up from the bottom. We also cover all gates, gaps, etc. with the wire mesh so they can't squeeze through. To finish we run a hot wire all the way around the top to prevent jumping. Check it regularly for any weak spots, and it works great.
If you have adult bucks that you are keeping in a separate pen, you will also need to run a hot wire around the inside of their pasture about 1 - 2 feet off the ground. Otherwise they WILL find a way to get to the does.
Hope that helps...fencing is the one thing you CAN NOT skimp on when it comes to miniature goats, or they will get out and be vulnerable to predators, cars, etc.
I am going through the same problem. I get the welded wire, My local feed store sells 100ft for about $58.00. The best stuff is woven wire, (aka field fence). Tractor supply can be outrageous in their fencing prices. I have nubians and nigerian dwarfs. But check your local feed store or southern states. If you need any other advice about goats, I am your man, you can e-mail me at bryanabare@yahoo.com or barehnh@aol.com. I am a goat breeder so i know enough to get by. but love giving advice. Good Luck!!!
Field fence(mesh wire) with boards at the bottom...or even chain link with boards at the bottom will work. That's what we used when I had pygmy goats. Home Depot/Lowe's or a large fence supply yard will have the best prices.

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