Goat-fencing and Control
Goat-Fencing – The Basics
As any Boer-Goat or meat-goat farmer knows, the average goat makes Harry Houdini look like an amateur. In real estate they say there are three fundamental laws, they are location, location, location. In the goat world it’s fencing, fencing, fencing! I am understating the importance.
On my previous goat property I learnt the hard way. Even a docile herd of dairy goats used to disappear and just as mysteriously reappear at dusk. I still have the scars to show my efforts of fastening mesh to the existing fences.
Goats are adept at testing a fence line from the moment they step into the paddock. Any gaps or deficiencies will soon be breached and your average multi strand barb or steel tensioned wire arrangement are just not going to work as goat-fencing.
Goats always tend to go under or through a fence and so you must look at that as the priority. The first task I started immediately on purchasing my current property was to run an electric fence wire close to ground around entire perimeter and also on the internal paddock borders(gosh it hurts!). Even now with feed being short, once a few goats decide to push through to the next paddock, shock or no shock not they all go through the fence like a tsunami. I will cover electric fencing separately, there is a lot your need to know.
The economics of goat-fencing
One must look at goat fencing economics of installing mesh to existing fences. It’s a lot more costly than electric-fencing however there are tradeoffs. If one lives in an area that is high on vermin such as I do, in particular foxes and wild dogs then meshing has much merit to protect the goats.
Having lost some 50 kids plus to vermin last season the lost income of $2000-$3000 would have meshed a significant portion. This year I am starting to do so as it’s ultimately economical. The other economic issues are the goats going missing, sometimes forever, and also the liability where stock is hit by vehicles on roads.
Goat fencing is an essential part of goat-farming and whilst it has an initial high up front cost, knowing they are all there is well worth it just for peace of mind
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