Best fencing for boar-cross meat goats

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I am about to start raising goats (boar-cross) but first I have to deal with the fencing issue. The rough, rocky, property is in the Texas Hill Country, and the fences are older than old. I've heard of some using net and some using solar-panelled electic wire. Also, when hearing that people are able to use electic wire in brushy country, I usually hear them define brushy as meaning tall grasses and broom weed. My ancient fences have a hundred years of algerita bushes, persimmen bushes, and cedar trees growing through the them. This works for cattle, but can anyone shed some light as to the best/easiest/cheapest way to make these fences work for goats. I have three to five miles of old fences to deal with. Bulldoze and build new fences; electic wire weaved through the heavy brush; cut brush out of the old and add to it?? HELP!!!!

PS - Thanks for those of you who answered my previous question regarding guard donkeys. This is a great forum.

-- Susan Miller (rover8@wcc.net), December 28, 2001

Answers

Um, I think that might be boer - as in South Africa. If you try a boar you're likely to either make the boar cross, or the doe cross, or both.

As to electric fence, if the current goes to ground where you don't intend it to, then the fence does not work - and if the fence is being touched by random scrub, it will get grounded in random places whenever that scrub gets wet - rain, or even dew.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), December 28, 2001.


Susan, I use regular livestock woven wire fences for my goats. I have used 3 strands of hot wire but they will go through it. I use cattle panels for my bucks. I would suggest the best fences you can afford to keep in the goats. Goats of all breeds are pretty smart and will figure out how to get out of any pasture if you make it too easy for them. Don't forget the gates, mine all open into the pastures because they do figure out how to open them too.

-- Karen in Kansas (kansasgoats@iwon.com), December 28, 2001.

I also use woven wire (6 inch openings) with an electric wire in front on the bottom. Keeps goats in and predators out.

What I did was clear the brush along the fence line and run the fencing, using trees as fence posts (they were there) The woven wire comes in 330 foot rolls. I started with one acre, then another, and so on. I'm almost done now. Remember that goats like to eat this brushy stuff more then pasture.

The electric netting is really expensive in comparison, but easier to use and move if necessary.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), December 28, 2001.


A fence I recently found up here is called Rangemaster. It's field fence, but unlike the others, it comes in 14 gage in addition to the 12 gage. Much lighter and easier to work with. One person can fence easily with this field fence. And the price is about 65.00 compared to 100.00 for 330 feet. Comes in 39" (60.00) and 47" (65.00).

I'm having a go round with Southern States, begging them to get some more in for me. I even emailed the company yesterday asking where in KY I can buy more.

Boer goats don't walk on fences like other types of goats, they are pretty content staying in. They are so big and heavy, they are easier to fence in. This fence is all over Texas, the company is in Mexico, you should be able to find it easily. Put "Rangemaster field fence" into google, and the site will come up along with stores that carry it in TX.

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), December 29, 2001.


Hi Susan,

We are at our 2nd homestead and have had boer and boer cross goats at both locations. At our first location we had a woven wire fence with an electric wire on the inside to keep them from rubbing on the fence and climbing on it. In our new location we were dealing with a lot of shrub, brush, killer blackberries and uneven ground so have gone with straight electric. The key to the electric (we have a 4 wire fence) is that if the goat gets shocked in front of it's horns, it will jump back, if it gets shocked behind it's horns it jumps foreward and through the fence. We lost our first 3 goats with a 3 wire fence but have kept them all with no trouble with the 4 wire. Like someone mentioned, with the electric you have to keep all debris off the fence as it will short it out. We check our fence at regular intervals and always after a storm as branches can fall over and short it out. Once the goats are trained, the fence can be off and they still stay in. To train them, sometimes we have to catch the goat and shock it's nose a couple times so it learns to respect the fence, after that they seem to stay clear. We found the electric fence with steel posts cheaper and faster to put up and change configuration and pasture areas than conventional fence. We also have had no problem with predators (cyotes) even tho we hear them every night and don't have a guard animal. Hope this helps! Darlene

-- Darlene in W WA (tomdarsavy@cs.com), December 29, 2001.



I recently fenced 10 acres in Llano County. I have 8 strands of barb wire. I have sheep but this will keep your goats. The installer charged $1.00 a foot. Most charge about $1.30 to $1.40 a foot. Total material cost will be between $.80 to $.90 a foot.

I'm looking for a donkey or a llama. If you come across anything to share, I'd appreciate it.

-- paul (primrose@centex.net), December 29, 2001.


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