# How do you build a goat fence without much money?



## raymilosh

Hi all,
I've been intending to have goats for milking and pasture maintenance but I haven't yet figured out how to do it without much money. I have many acres, some wooded, some fields and I need to keep the goats out of the gardens and other neighbors places, etc. I can build a goat shed easily enough, but I am feeling really stuck on the fencing part. Am I right in thinking that the purchase price of suitable fencing is somewhere in the $0.50 per running foot range? That'd make a one acre fence about $500 plus the cost of the charger. Does anyone have a way of keeping goats that doesn't involve high up front costs? 
Is this the sort of thing people used to do with natural materials before the advent of electric fencing, or did people have either goats or gardens and trade/sell their respective products? I would really appreciate some help with this one.
ray


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## FiddleKat

There is the electric fencing option, but I believe an acre would be around $500. Not sure? So that probably wouldn't help. I wanted to build our duck yard as cheaply as possible, but I don't think you could get away with what I build with goats. And maybe you could. I bought the cheap 2x3's the ones that might be slightly warped. I cut them in half to 4 ft lengths and used those as fence posts. I think I paid $1.99 for each and you get two posts out of one. I guess you would have to figure out how many posts you would need and then X's it by $1.00 as that what it ended up being. Then you could get the rolls of the 2" x 4" heavy guage garden fencing. Usually it gets cheaper by the bigger roll. I got a 50ft roll on sale for $20. Of course, that was enough for me to build the duck yard for three ducks.
The other idea I had came from the amount of tree branches we had lying around after some storms. We had two that were at least a good 15 to 25 feet long and at most about 3 inches in diameter. If you have a chain saw and woods around you I can't see why you couldnt' scope out some fallen tree branches and cut them to fence posts and rails. Then wire it with chicken wire around. I don't know if it would work, but its an idea.


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## cc-rider

FiddleKat said:


> Then wire it with chicken wire around. I don't know if it would work, but its an idea.


I don't think 4' chicken wire would keep a goat in.  I like the tree post idea, though. Maybe do that, but add electric wire to the tree posts. Are there enough LIVE trees on the perimeter that you don't need posts???


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## FiddleKat

Yea, I wasn't sure. Goats are probably more tough on fencing then ducks are.
Utilizing trees is also a great idea too, and just run the electric wire around. A family friend built a horse corral with just posts and one single electric wire going around the whole corral. No wood fencing whatsoever. It kept the horse in too!

Fencing for ducks: $60
Lumber for duck house: $15
Duck Feed: $10
Duck Feeder: $20
Waterer: $6
The joy of owning ducks: priceless


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## willow_girl

> Goats are probably more tough on fencing then ducks are.


This (unintentionally, I'm sure!  ) is the understatement of the year!  

Dunno about the rest of you, but my goats laugh in the face of an electric fence. A momentary shock seems worth the price of all that green stuff on the other side ...

I have pens in the barn with 4' sides, and one of my does scrambles up and over without breaking a sweat. She's not a large goat, either. I finally cooled her jets by running a hotwire around the tops of all the pens. I do unplug it for awhile in the fall, so she can jump in and groove with the buck. I never have to worry about watching for her to come into heat!

Right now my goats and sheep live in a barnyard with board fencing (boards replaced periodically when the buck or ram decides to butt one all afternoon just for the heck of it). They also have crumpled the steel sliding doors on my barn, again, for the heck of it.

Hubby is getting set to redo the pens for the third time; this time he's looking for steel well pipe as the 2" thick pine planks have all been broken in half. 

If you are not planning to keep a buck, your fencing probably can be modified somewhat. Also, if your goats are dehorned, they will not be able to use their horns as pry bars to rip boards off the fence (I am not making this up; there is a reason I have a goat named Lucifer!).

Looking on the bright side, goats don't need a huge amount of space to roam (unless you want to feed them exclusively off pasture). You would not need to give them an acre unless you are planning to keep A LOT of goats!


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## homebirtha

We don't have any bucks, so I'm sure that helps. But they definintely respect the fence and stay away from it. 

It's a 7-wire fence, 6 hot wires, and we use a pretty big charger. Look for a charger that says it works on goats. The lower power fences for cows won't always work. I think we paid a little over $100 for our charger, $50 for a battery, and maybe $150 for wire. We bought 4 big wooden posts, maybe $8 each??? The rest are just metal or plastic t-posts to keep the wire at the right height. So far, so good. I would guess, all told, it was under $500, with the gate and other supplies.


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## cc-rider

homebirtha said:


> We don't have any bucks, so I'm sure that helps. But they definintely respect the fence and stay away from it.
> 
> It's a 7-wire fence, 6 hot wires, and we use a pretty big charger. Look for a charger that says it works on goats. The lower power fences for cows won't always work. I think we paid a little over $100 for our charger, $50 for a battery, and maybe $150 for wire. We bought 4 big wooden posts, maybe $8 each??? The rest are just metal or plastic t-posts to keep the wire at the right height. So far, so good. I would guess, all told, it was under $500, with the gate and other supplies.


How big of an area did you fence in with only 4 posts?


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## Hip_Shot_Hanna

see if the local utility company is replacing overhead cables makes a fine fence


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## exegeses

Will hot wire really keep goats in? We don't have any goats -yet- but we would seriously like to. Our problem is also fencing. We are on 16 acres with no practical fencing at all and we'd eventually like our goats to get most of their eating from pasture, so we're looking at fencing the whole place. Everyone in our area that has goats tells us that hot wire just doesn't work so our intention has been to fence our place with woven wire. Expensive! So we're putting it off for now.


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## Maura

What about portable electric fencing? For goats I would think the 4' high poultry netting would work. Of course, you have to have a good charge on it. You wouldn't need to fence in all of your acreage. You just need to run a wire down the middle and clip the el netting to the wire as you move it around. Just practice rotational grazing. This is what we do around our house and pond, and what we did before enclosing four acres with three strands of wire. We also use the portable to create small paddocks within the 4 acres for grazing.

Electric works better than other types of fencing to keep out raccoons, foxes, and the more dangerous "loose dogs".


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## vegascowgirl

well, admittedly, I don't have any goats yet, so I'm probably not the one to really be responding to this. However, I have been planning on getting some goats and have a space lined out for 'em. I'm not going to have electric fencing...hoping I don't need it. I will just be fencing off a small area around their shed. I am intending to use pallet wood for my fencing. Pallets are cheap (free most of the time, but not all the time or everywhere) and it just takes a bit of time and energy to take the pallets apart and build the fence.


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## exegeses

Pallets. Wonderful idea if it works. We tried taking pallets apart for a fence and it didn't work very well. The nails didn't want to come out and split the wood pieces at least half the time. Is there a wrong way/right way to do it? If so, I HAD to have been doing it the wrong way! LOL Weighing the cost of my time against the cost of buying chicken wire for fencing (this wasn't for goats), the chicken wire was much cheaper!


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## vegascowgirl

exegeses said:


> Pallets. Wonderful idea if it works. We tried taking pallets apart for a fence and it didn't work very well. The nails didn't want to come out and split the wood pieces at least half the time. Is there a wrong way/right way to do it? If so, I HAD to have been doing it the wrong way! LOL Weighing the cost of my time against the cost of buying chicken wire for fencing (this wasn't for goats), the chicken wire was much cheaper!


I'm not sure if there is a right way or wrong way to take them apart...but I've always had success in the past by using a small pry bar. I pry the board up and then hammer or pry the nails back out.  Can't say that I haven't split a few boards, but it has been kept to a minimum.


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## okgoatgal2

i used field fence with a single strand of hot wire around it about oh.....knee high to a goat-to keep the goats OFF the fence so they didn't rub on it and wear it down. this fence was built 7 yrs ago, but we fenced in 2 pastures, about an acre or a little more in all, and i know it didn't cost 500, cause we didn't have that much-but, prices have gone up quite a bit, sooooo....

another thing i've done, requires time and daily work. 4 cattle or combination stock panels, 5ft high. wire together at corners, makes a 16x16 pen that you can move daily, twice daily, every other day, whenever they've eaten down what's in it, move it. this thing was stable, and b/c they were always on fresh ground, they didn't try to escape. but, it does require that movement. i think those panels are 20 or so-atwoods had them on sale for 14 last week. for nite protection, their house can have a small yard attached to it, made out of the panels-would take 3 (using side of house for one side of pen)


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## turtlehead

cc-rider said:


> Are there enough LIVE trees on the perimeter that you don't need posts???


Let me say right off the bat that I am a TOTAL newbie to homesteading and have NO real life experience whatsoever. I've been reading a lot, however, and one thing I have seen repeatedly is that live trees shouldn't be used for fence posts, because the tree will grow around the wire and staples, and that could cause havoc later, on someone's sawmill or chain saw.


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## milkstoolcowboy

Around here, you can get pallets for free most all the time. It takes time to break down a pallet, especially if you pull all the nails.

There's a real hand pallet-breaking tool I have. One of my boys gave it to me, and I think he got it from Gemplers. I can break down a pallet in just a couple minutes.


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## caberjim

cc-rider said:


> How big of an area did you fence in with only 4 posts?


With HT electric, you really don't need a lot of big posts. 4 Corners, gate. Other than that, since the wire does not have to be really tight, just some t-posts or something every 50 feet or so to keep the sag out. Once the goats learn the fence shocks, they will not go near it. I'm getting set to fence in a small 1/2 acre pasture with just some t-posts and 3 strands of electric HT. 

If the food is there, they are trained to the fence and they are happy - they will stay.


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## Mid Tn Mama

I'd get the electric, not for keeping the goats in as much as keeping dogs out. Take that from someone who has lost goats/chickens to free roaming dogs. they are a menace and your goats are helpless.

Since you seem to have lots of area to fence, I second the idea of movable fencing so you can rotate them and get them to stay in different areas at different times. It can't be too hard to do, because in some areas folks rent out their goats to eat the roadside weeds/bushes.


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## tsdave

My billy goat is on a chain. Works great, he destroys everything else with his nearly foot long horns. He is just a little fellow, but ive seen him butt 300 lb hogs and my dog a few times if they get in his reach. He threatens to butt me once in a while, but but i give him a look and he just falls instead of hitting. I only really worry about my nee caps.  A hundred foot chain would give nearly an acre coverage if it was posted in the middle. There are several holes in my barns plywood from him. They will get themselves caught up if there are things to wrap the chain around like sticks. Trees and posts they learn to unwrap.


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## Cygnet

The only way to make a fence 100% goat proof is to make it waterproof, 8 feet tall, electrified, and with no gates. That said, your best bet is probably "field fencing" reinforced with the hottest electric you can afford and NO GOATS WITH HORNS.

I've kept goats for going on five years. I've discovered no fence is goat proof. I use horse fencing (heavy guage "no climb"), have 200 lb wethers (I goat pack) and have a 5' tall fence reinforced with electric.

I've had goats, sufficiently motivated, go OVER a 5' fence. Without touching it. 

I've had a 50 lb doe (the token nigerian) sail over a 6' stall wall. She was pregnant enough at the time to bounce on landing.

My horned goats routinely yank the electric wire off with their horns -- horns do not conduct electricity very well, apparently, and they've learned to use the tips. They do this apparently so that they can then work on destroying the no climb, which is fun. 

I've had them put goat-sized holes through the fence and escape.

They can and will learn to unlock every latch, snap, hook, eyebolt or chain you use to shut gates if they can reach it; I suggest padlocks or carefully positioning the latch so the goats can't reach it. If using a combination lock, I suggest not letting the goat see the combination. I'm not entirely joking about that ... I've come to the conclusion that the only reason sthat goats don't rule the world is that don't have hands, and they taste good to a certain percent of the human population.

When I tried to cross-fence a section of my paddock with drop-you-in-your-tracks and make-you-pee-your-pants level electric fencing, one of the two horned goats learned to chase an unhorned, smaller, goat through the electric fence. The smaller goat would run through the fence to avoid getting butted and then the bigger goat could get out. The really frustrating part was, both sides of the paddock were identical, I was just trying to keep them away from my horse. (Who was going blind.) Chasing the little goat through the fence, apparently, was just fun -- if you're a big mean goat with a sick sense of humor.

On, and let's not forget the ability of horned goats to hook their horns in the wire on either side of a t-post, yank the t-post out of the ground, and then climb over the sagging fence.

I love my goats. I also just spend $500 to build a very sturdy 50X36 foot enclosure for them. Einstein learned to pull the t-posts out when nothing else worked to get them out ... I've become a bit cynical about keeping goats in.

Leva


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## Kazahleenah

raymilosh said:


> Hi all,
> I've been intending to have goats for milking and pasture maintenance but I haven't yet figured out how to do it without much money. I have many acres, some wooded, some fields and I need to keep the goats out of the gardens and other neighbors places, etc. I can build a goat shed easily enough, but I am feeling really stuck on the fencing part. Am I right in thinking that the purchase price of suitable fencing is somewhere in the $0.50 per running foot range? That'd make a one acre fence about $500 plus the cost of the charger. Does anyone have a way of keeping goats that doesn't involve high up front costs?
> Is this the sort of thing people used to do with natural materials before the advent of electric fencing, or did people have either goats or gardens and trade/sell their respective products? I would really appreciate some help with this one.
> ray



Does The Great Wall of China mean anything to you?  Seriously, I used electric fence, and it kept the goats in and dogs OUT. I had a 4 strand and a 5 strand where the young dry does were.

Kaza

PS... before the advent of fencing, people used to have flocks of goats, and the shepards would keep them far enough from the home... or gardens... where they could graze without destroying the family's gardens etc... till it was butcher time etc.


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## bill not in oh

High tensile wire is the least expensive fencing to build and easiest fencing to maintain (unless you can scrounge other supplies).

Any fencing is only as effective as its ability to deter the motivation of an animal to cross the fenceline. ("grass is greener" syndrome)

Seven strand electric high tensile fencing properly constructed will hold goats (usually LOL).

Here's your best shot:
Low impedence charger ("weed burner") providing at least 5000 volts

14 gauge wire stretched TIGHT (corner/gate posts will have to be reinforced) - you can use 17-18 gauge, but don't try to stretch it as tight and be sure to install in-line tensioners as it will sag/tighten with temperature changes

from the bottom up (distances are from the previous wire):
Wire 1 - 8" ground (to the charger or ground posts)
Wire 2 - 6-8" hot
Wire 3 - 6-8" Hot
Wire 4 - 8" ground
Wire 5 - 8 " hot
Wire 6 - 6" ground
Wire 7 - 6" hot

Use plastic step-in posts to adjust the fence height over distances and terrain variance.
Let the grass/weeds grow to just at the #2 wire and as the goats graze/browse close to the fence, they'll quickly get trained to the fence. Then keep the plants trimmed below the #2 wire as even with a low impedence charger if the weed load gets heavy it will eventually "drain off" the charge.

If you have a goat get out of this - get a new goat...


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## Cheryl in SD

Do you have to have a fence? We only have 2 goats and for now (since they get out of every fence I build) they are staked out! I just use a steel post and a rope, easy to move around and I hook their water bucket to the post. I can easily move the post every day or so. Works great! 

Cheryl


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## raymilosh

thanks for all the advice everyone. 
Cygnet, I really appreciated the humor. And Bill, Thanks for the details. I like the idea of permanent posts and wires and using temp fencing to make paddocks within those areas. For those of you with paddocks...do you construct them such that the goats have access to a centrally located goat shed and milking parlor at all times, or do you kind of herd them around daily?
I have plenty of trees I could use to hold the wires and we are blessed with many cedars, too. We have been cutting dead ones to use for many purposes. Fence posts could be yet another. 

I'm also considering (for the first time) the possibility of chaining them up. I kind of have this policy of no fences, no chains, no leashes, no pens for any animals as it seems unnatural or cruel. The need to fence goats was to be my first venture into containing animals. However, I recently had to construct a temporary pen for my chickens to stay in for 6 weeks while my neighbor built his strawbale house (they'd tear it all to pieces looking for wheat kernels) and the chickens don't seem to mind a bit. I am wondering if goats have been bred enough to not mind such "unnatural" things as restraints.
ray


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## willow_girl

Leva,

I think your goats are related to my goats ....

:grit:


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## WindowOrMirror

... the only fence our goats haven't gotten at least partially out of is heavy gauge sheep fencing (14 ga wire I think) 72" tall with 6"-12" buried underground with cedar posts in concrete on the corners and every 32' with metal posts 8' on center between.

R


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## caberjim

I tested our electric fence this AM. Battery was almost dead, so sometime yesterday afternoon, the fence probably lost the effectiveness of the charge. Yet, 8 goats (3 kids) and 14 turkeys did not leave the pasture. The reason is because they know to associate the wire with a shock and stay away from it whether it is on or not. Charger is on the battery now and should be live in another couple hours. If they will not go near it, they cannot test it or try to tear it up. The key is training them to avoid it.

I really don't think fencing them in is cruel. Rather, it protects them from predators and other potential problems, like wandering away or into a road. They are basically free to move about anywhere they wish to go in the pasture. Chains and stakeouts seem more restrictive and problematic to me - I'd worry about twisting, choking, getting hung up. I would only put them out on a lead if they remained in my sight the entire time, which I might do that this weekend to clear a few areas.


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## homebirtha

I think it can also depend on the breed of goat you have. We have LaManchas who are not know to be escape artists, and they're dehorned. I remember reading that Toggenburgs, in particular, are hare to keep fenced. So you might want to do some research on which breeds are easier to keep. 

Our fenced-in area with just 4 corner posts is about 100' on each side. It could have gone longer, as long as you use t-posts to keep the fence even with the terrain. It doesn't haven't be particularly tight tension-wise to be effective. 

On tethering, I would really discourage this as a regular solution. Goats can get into a lot of trouble when they're left tied up with no supervision. They're basically dinner on a leash for any predator. They are very likely to get hung up in their line, could easily break a leg or choke themselves. If you're there watching, it's fine. But I wouldn't plan on having that as you're primary confinement plan. Bad idea.



raymilosh said:


> I'm also considering (for the first time) the possibility of chaining them up.
> ray


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## Laura Workman

So far, I haven't had any problem keeping my goats fenced. I have four foot chain link. Before that, I had four-foot no-climb, topped with 2x4s. It just really hasn't been an issue. Maybe they're just reasonably happy where they are.

That said, a woman I know had a very small goat area and lots of acreage. She'd take her goats out for a walk at least once each day, and they would browse and follow her back home. I don't know what your schedule is like, but if you have more time than money, this might be something to consider. 

I would never stake a goat out unattended, as that is known as "baiting." Any passing predator will appreciate the free meal. And if you're lucky, the goat will be dead when you find it.


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## MaKettle

Had two bucks inside the barn (night protection), and behind a fenced area in the barn in a doorless stall, so the walls were around 8' tall. The front consisted of two cattle panels, one fastened above the other, making it about 8' tall. The top edges of the bottom paney and the bottom edges of the top panel were clipped together. Getting in and out of that pen was a real project for the humans taking care of those goats. It held them two days. On the third morning the boys were found munching hay with the girls, and all had a smirk on their faces. We had goat babies during the coldest winter month--again.


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## woodspirit

I had similar question about fencing in dexter cattle. They are smaller than full size cattle. Sounds to me like the only barrier to keep goats are large oceans. I know they are very intelligent. Around here the bears and dogs would take a tethered goat. In fact a black bear got one south of here this spring that was tied. Goat got away and tried to hide under a truck. Didn't help. For some reason the newspapers were filled with missing dog ads right after I moved in. Haven't seen any dogs chasing deer across my property in a good many years. huh. Strangest thing.


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## Rowdy

As for pallets, I do not tear them apart. I use a jig saw to cut a few pieces off, so two slide together like legos in a way. Then I secure it will a few screws. Rinse and repeat until you have enough of these 'panels' to make a pen. Makes for a fence about 50 -60 inches hight, depending on your pallets.
I get the pallets free from a local plumbing company and an electrical supply house. 
I guess there are various ways to hold them up, but I tend to use what is on hand, T posts, wood posts, braces, etc.

Here is a website that shows what I mean, though my fence does not exactly look like itPallet Fence 

Rowdy


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## Beeman

There is no cheap fence that works or lasts for any livestock. The lasting problem is a big problem with natural materials like untreated wood. When you build this cheap fence you won't have any animals and building it will be OK. When it starts deteriorating you will already have animals and they will need fencing immediately. The price of a fence is nothing compared to the price of the damage a loose goat or two can do. Also keep in mind the fence is also the goats protection as they can't protect themselves.
Do not chain your goats, They will be defenseless to dogs. Even if the dog doesn't bite the goat it will runn full speed and break it's neck when the chain runs out.


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## beckle78

I have fainting goats and on one side of the pen we have chainlink and the other side we have hog panels. Great thing about fainters is they are not big climbers. So when I let them out on our pasture all I have is barbwire and it keeps them in. I do highly suggest getting your goats young, then that is one more plus on your side, they have grown up there and know your farm as home.
I have never fixed a fence or chased a goat yet( 5 years in) But I have went after many horses. I found alot of our hog panels at auctions and at garage sells. We spent under $300 and fenced 10 acres.
Sometimes it pays to put it off a little while and look around.


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## knight88

Before a person can be allowed to have goats they should PROVE that; 
!. They are smarter than a goat.
2. That they have a goat proof enclosure.
This will preclude anyone from owning those creatures.  The second happiest day my wife had was when she got goats. The happiest day was when the goats went to auction...


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## 65284

You said you had many acres. Do yourself a favor and make your life easier. BUY A COW. More/better milk and a whole lot less hassle. Unless, of course, you enjoy being aggravated, irritated, frustrated, and being driven close to the point of insanity.


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## bbbuddy

turtlehead said:


> Let me say right off the bat that I am a TOTAL newbie to homesteading and have NO real life experience whatsoever. I've been reading a lot, however, and one thing I have seen repeatedly is that live trees shouldn't be used for fence posts, because the tree will grow around the wire and staples, and that could cause havoc later, on someone's sawmill or chain saw.


I had an electric-fenced horse pature for almost 30 years that used many trees for posts, but we didn't staple to the trees, we tied the insulators to the trees using baling twine going around the trees. 
Worked just fine...


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## sammyd

We use several methods.
For 2 years we used 3 strands of hot wire. Actually the yellow poly line. Backed with 4' plastic snow fence.
We have used 4 strands of hot wire alone.
We currently use a combination (due to the layout) of several types including 3 strands of barbed wire (top 2 hot) backed with 4' plastic snow fence, 3' hog fence with 2 hot wires, and 33" electric netting. None of our nannies have decided to mess with it after the first encounter. 
For our kids we have 3 sides of the pasture in cattle panel and 1 is the electric netting. They stay away after the first touch as well.
The only time we had escapes was with 3 strands of hot wire and nothing behind it.
Our goats do not seem particularly inclined to jump over the fence. And our milking nanny pasture is daytime only. I wouldn't keep many animals without an electric fencer.
Making a decent fence is not cheap. Having the neighbors mad at you or scraping an animal off the road because you can't control your animals isn't fun. If you can't afford to build a proper fence don't get the animals.


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## Tracy Rimmer

Cygnet said:


> The only way to make a fence 100% goat proof is to make it waterproof, 8 feet tall, electrified, and with no gates. That said, your best bet is probably "field fencing" reinforced with the hottest electric you can afford and NO GOATS WITH HORNS.
> 
> I've kept goats for going on five years. I've discovered no fence is goat proof. I use horse fencing (heavy guage "no climb"), have 200 lb wethers (I goat pack) and have a 5' tall fence reinforced with electric.
> 
> I've had goats, sufficiently motivated, go OVER a 5' fence. Without touching it.
> 
> I've had a 50 lb doe (the token nigerian) sail over a 6' stall wall. She was pregnant enough at the time to bounce on landing.
> 
> My horned goats routinely yank the electric wire off with their horns -- horns do not conduct electricity very well, apparently, and they've learned to use the tips. They do this apparently so that they can then work on destroying the no climb, which is fun.
> 
> I've had them put goat-sized holes through the fence and escape.
> 
> They can and will learn to unlock every latch, snap, hook, eyebolt or chain you use to shut gates if they can reach it; I suggest padlocks or carefully positioning the latch so the goats can't reach it. If using a combination lock, I suggest not letting the goat see the combination. I'm not entirely joking about that ... I've come to the conclusion that the only reason sthat goats don't rule the world is that don't have hands, and they taste good to a certain percent of the human population.
> 
> When I tried to cross-fence a section of my paddock with drop-you-in-your-tracks and make-you-pee-your-pants level electric fencing, one of the two horned goats learned to chase an unhorned, smaller, goat through the electric fence. The smaller goat would run through the fence to avoid getting butted and then the bigger goat could get out. The really frustrating part was, both sides of the paddock were identical, I was just trying to keep them away from my horse. (Who was going blind.) Chasing the little goat through the fence, apparently, was just fun -- if you're a big mean goat with a sick sense of humor.
> 
> On, and let's not forget the ability of horned goats to hook their horns in the wire on either side of a t-post, yank the t-post out of the ground, and then climb over the sagging fence.
> 
> I love my goats. I also just spend $500 to build a very sturdy 50X36 foot enclosure for them. Einstein learned to pull the t-posts out when nothing else worked to get them out ... I've become a bit cynical about keeping goats in.
> 
> Leva


Oh, Leva, thank you! I *NEEDED* to laugh this morning!


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## DQ

vegascowgirl said:


> well, admittedly, I don't have any goats yet, so I'm probably not the one to really be responding to this. However, I have been planning on getting some goats and have a space lined out for 'em. I'm not going to have electric fencing...hoping I don't need it. I will just be fencing off a small area around their shed. I am intending to use pallet wood for my fencing. Pallets are cheap (free most of the time, but not all the time or everywhere) and it just takes a bit of time and energy to take the pallets apart and build the fence.


been down the pallet road. the just put their front feet on the top and jump on top. sorry.

hot wire is _mostly_ working for mine (new place needed goat fence asap) I have a few that when super excited (FOOD BUCKET) will just shoot through the fence. I beat them with a stick and throw rocks at them until they go back in. they figured it out.


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## yoopermom

To show how much of a newbie I was when we first got a goat...

I bought a Nubian doe at a swap meet to "keep the horse company". When I asked the former owner about fencing, he said, "She won't go anywhere." And....

She never did!

She "patrolled" our acre of lawn and two acres of horse pasture, "laughed" at the dogs in their kennel, made a huge ruckus whenever anyone pulled in the yard, and was *extremely* protective of our young son. 

We did lock her in the horse's stall during deer hunting season, but otherwise she was "free ranging".

I sure wouldn't recommend it to anyone else, but it did make for some great stories!

Terri


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## Wendy

I am currently finishing my pasture fence. It has cost me quite a penny, but I am using cattle panels. I have wooden posts every 16' with a metal t post in between. Cattle panels fastened securely with long staples & then a piece of pipe strapping around the wooden posts towards the bottom so when they eat on the other side they don't pop the staples out. Yeah, I know, the panels should have been on the inside so they would push against them, but I like the looks of it the other way & the pipe strapping isn't that expensive. They will stick their head through & eat about 12" on the other side of the fence which makes it nice for trimming. I don't have too.  I have about 15 more posts to set & then finish putting up the panels & I should hopefully finish this weekend. It was expensive, but it has been the only thing I have found that they will not get out of.


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## Oldcountryboy

I tethered a goat last summer and a couple the year before that. I had a makeshift pen made out of two pig panels that I had in a big circle and I kept them inside of it at night time for their protection. The goats all had collars on them and when morning came I would latch on a dog chain about 15ft. long and take them to wherever I needed some brush ate down. About midday I would check on them and move them over just a bit. Then when evening fell I would place the goats back into the small pen for the night. This worked out real well.

Doing it this way might give you more time to build a bigger goat pen.


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## chamoisee

Build a smaller pen of stock panel for the winter, and use New Zealand electric fence for the rest. You can even use the step in posts with the twine so that you can rotate the pasture easily. This kept my herd in with only two strands! 

Do not tether. It is more work than it is worth, and sooner or later, one gets injured or dies, and it's always the one you love or need the most, not the cull that irritates you!


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## o&itw

The reason 90% of electric fences don't work is because they have inadequate charges. The fence charger companies must make millions selling lower tier chargers, knowing that the people are going to be coming back and buying another then another before finally getting one big enough. 

My dad gave me an International "weed chopper" electric fence years ago. It kept in or out anything providing the fence wires were placed properly. Because 1 in a million people had a field set on fire(supposedly) by these fencers, they company was forced to stop making them. I found another one at a farm sale, and between the two I was set up great until eventually both of them failed (I think they were about 40 years old) 

So, I go down to buy a new fencer. First one I got set it was good for horses and would do 10 miles of fence (I was fencing a small pen) maybe 100 yards total. It was a joke. Next I buy a "25 mile" charger of a nationaly know brand.... it was a joke too. While they are often rated in "miles", that is very deceptive... the real stopping power is in the energy or amount of "joules" that the fence can deliver. With the way fence charges are marketed today, that means one needs to buy a "100 mile" or larger charger to be effective. 

If I were going to buy a charger today, even for the small pens I have, I would buy the largest charger on the market. It may cost you $200 but it sure beats buying 2 or 3 or giving up on electric fencing altogether. If there are any "old timers" like me out there, they can tell you that most of the present day fencers don't hold a candle to the old "weed choppers" of the '60's


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## gracie

We've had goats for about 8 years and we've figured out that you need to use Reverse Psychology. When you first bring them home. Put them on the side of the fence you do not want them to be. Then wait and they will always go to the other side somehow. They always want on the side they are not suppose to be.

But seriously we use woven wire with electric run about shoulder height to keep them from rubbing. In our feed lot we use fence panels which are stronger with wooden boards about every 2 feet to keep them from bending these. When we get our buck pen finished this is the way it will be done. Because during breeding season they can really be rough on fences. We had one doe that would literally walk up a tubular gate and jump over. She used it like a ladder. She also learned to turn her self sideways and slide through the largest opening in the gate. One of our dogs still does this. If I ever see him do it and have my camera outside I will get a video of him and show you all what I'm talking about.


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## texican

To build a goat fence without much money, one needs to be a scrounger. Whenever i see or hear tell of someone renovating, repairing, or replacing a fence, I stop by and talk with them, and see what's up. I've saved wire and posts from ending up in a backhoe'd pit. I've actually got loads of t-posts at our 'reclamation collection point' in town. I never let a deal go by... I've gotten to the point (after being burnt once or twice) where if something is available, I change my plans and get the goods 'right now'... and then get em safely to the homestead, for future use.

You're either going to have to buy it or scrounge it. Nothing beats a real fence. Electric's great, as long as something doesn't bull-rush the wire (like a stray bull), a tree fall on it, etc. My perimeter is 3' hog wire, and three strands of barb on top. Cross fences, for pens are 4.5' goat wire, and one strand of barb on top...


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## Wags

Standard field fencing works for our Nigerian Dwarf goats and our Dexter Cows. The cows stay away from the fence, but the goats do lean on it to scratch and to eat.

I do have a separate maternity paddock for the mommas and babies that is fenced with 2x4 horse fence to keep the those little babies in. Otherwise they will walk right through the field fence and then stand there and cry for momma.

We started with just a small area and then expanded it as we had the time and money. Got the last 2 1/2 acres done last summer. This summer we will be tighten up the first bit of fencing we installed since it was just stretched by hand.


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## ET1 SS

About half the time we let our goats freerange. Usually they do not have anywhere to go, so who cares?

Otherwise we have a pen made with pallets, and 2 strands of woven electric wire on top. One hot wire is a foot above the pallets, and the other hot wire is exactly even with the top of the pallets but a foot into the pen.

They can not lick the top of the pallets, nor get their heads up onto the top of the pallets.

I just twine the pallets together. I know that it will not last. I was just playing with the design. It worked well for this past winter, snow 3 foot high and the goats never got out.


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## Qvrfullmidwife

We started with a very small pen--only the size that we could afford to fence securely. For us this was cattle panels. We started with eight panels and added each paycheck until we could enlarge the space.


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## raymilosh

Update.
We never did upgrade to a good fence charger because there was no 110 volt source on that side of the road. the goats, cows and now pigs ignored the electric fence with the solar charger. 
The sheep, on the other hand, could probably be contained with a single strand of kite string. On the ground.

We just wound up buying 48" field fence, wood posts and t posts and installing real fence. 

So, to answer my own question:
How do you build goat fence for cheap.....you don't.

Someday, when we get 110 volts over there, i will probably try electric again.

Oh and i hear there is a difference between a fence charger and a fence energizer. and that fence energizers are more expensive, but way better.


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## fordy

.................have your fence line cleaned with a dozer.....
.................Use field fence with 4x4 inch squares so their horns can't get entangled........
.................build strong corners and h's........
.................my view on electric fence is too use it too keep the sheep\goats from ever even getting close too the "REAL" fence , i.e. , run it about 5 feet inset from your perimeter fence and buy the Strongest charger available . , fordy:cowboy:


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## dezeeuwgoats

Holy Smokes! If I had read this before I got goats - I think I may have been persuaded to never get them! 

I don't know what to think - maybe my goats are lazy and unmotivated? Mine have never shown as much ingenuity or energy as the goats written about here. I have about two acres, surrounded by six foot chain link - with a hot wire about six inches from the ground. Cross fencing is a variety of things - from a six strand hot fence (which they do not go near) to field fencing, to hog panels. The only ones who ever get 'out' (usually 'in' with other goats in a different pen) are the rare baby being weaned, or once a buck thought the other guy's does were better looking. 

Like I said - I guess mine are just too laid back and I'm thinking that's a good thing. Or perhaps mine aren't, ehem, up to the standards of average goat intelligence? Again, I am thinking that is probably a good thing - either way!


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## Minelson

My 3 mini's free roam. I just fence where I don't want them with combination panels. They get locked up at night.


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## Bser

Amen to goats opening locks,latches,etc. About 30 years ago an old man gave me a tip that still works today. Put on a secondary latch made from a old GM rear seat seat belt. they have a recessed button that the goats can't work with their teeth or tongue. nail the belts to the post with large head roofing nails and you are good till the belts rot in 5 years or so. Another thing that helps on goats is to give them toys. old bowling balls;either hung or on the ground;a toy wagon;anything to keep them preoccupied.


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## arcticow

Only really cheap goat fence I know of is four barbed wires with sapling or pole uprights spaced no more than 6 inches apart. Wire them to the barbed wire. Seen them hold Boer goats for several years.


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## stanb999

IMHO the real issue is, if they have food and space they will stay. If they don't they wont.

I use this.










The positive is 14 gage. The negative is 12/2 Barb.

I will say the little ones will cross the wire but they never go far(like 30 ft or so.) the big ones can't get threw. Plus get a big charger. I have 2 fifty mile chargers. One plug in, one solar. The plug in one is for the "winter" pasture. They both work well, but are fencing in about 2 acres each.


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## chrissum

Do you have any farm auctions in your area? Often when farmers sell out/retire they auction off everything, sometimes you can get good deals on fence post, woven wire, barb wire, cattle or hog panels, and other assorted things.


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## lmrose

We use four foot high square page wire sheep fencing with two strands of barb wire across the top for our goats. I am sure they stay in because they choose to because if a goat wants to escape it will no matter what! This type of fence worked for our sheep and horses too.Truth is any animal can get out if it really wants to especially if they get spooked for any reason. We just put them back in if they get out . We try to make sure one of us is home most of the time to keep track of the critters on the farm.

The only thing with wire in our damp Atlantic climate is it does rust horizonially right in the middle after a few years. It happened recently and the goats walked through it like a swinging gate! We need to replace some fencing and haven't found a cheaqp alternative unless it be a pole fence.

If you have your own woods it would be cheaper to cut fence stakes and build a horrizonal pole fence placing the pole close enough together so the goats can't get through.

When we used to keep a buck he had his own goat house which he could reach any time. We run a fifty foot rope on the ground staked at either end. The buck wore a collar of leather with a metal ring attatched. To this was a chain attatched with the other end having a ring that slid on the ground rope. The buck couldn't get tangled up, could reach his water bucket or go in his goat house when ever he wanted.


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