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Fencing ideas for Pygora goats
Goats
in general are very curious and precocious animals. lf there
is a way out of a fence or gate, they will figure it out.
The first year we had goats, they kept getting out. They
didn't go far, usually up the stairs and onto our deck outside our
bedroom. I remember many mornings we would wake up to clippity clop of
tiny hooves as our goats making their way up the stairs to look in the
bedroom window at us. After several times of them escaping,
we finally figured out how they were doing it. Here's some
things we learned: -A
6 inch gap between a gate and a fence is enough room for a Pygora goat to get through. -Check
your fence for low areas where the goats can "crawl" out
from. It's not so much our adult does but the babies
can find a way to weasel their way out. -Check
for any broken wires in the fence. It's amazing how a goat
can squeeze out of a very tiny spot. -Do
you have anything such as a wood pile or a dog house close to a
fence? This is fun for a goat to climb up and out of
the pasture. -If
you have electric fencing to keep them in, test the fencing for
electrical currents every day. The goats are very smart and
will know when it is on or off. -If
you have a rail fence, are the rails spaced close enough that a
goat cant squeeze through? It is especially important to
have the rails closer at the bottom. -Is
your wire fence tight or loose. A goat can quickly figure
out if there is loose fencing that can be smooshed down and
climbed over. I get asked a
lot about what type of fencing works best for Pygora goats so I
decided to put together this photo webpage. The intent
is not to teach how to build a fence but to show some different
types of fencing that people use for their Pygora goats. I
hope you find the photos helpful.
I myself, do not use electric
fencing myself but others have found that it works quite well for
Pygora goats. I found that "field fencing"
works best for our farm.
Good fencing is not just about
keeping the Pygora goats in but also keeping the predators
out. I have heard more stories about the domestic dog
causing more Pygora fatalities
than natural wild predators. It doesn't matter how big or
small a dog is, once the instinct kicks in when seeing a running
goat, it can be devastating especially if it happens when you are
not home and able to stop it. For the dog, it's not so much
for the kill but the thrill of the chase. Dogs tend to chase
and grab onto the back legs bringing a goat down. Most times
they will not stop until the goat stops moving. I have
heard more than once, "Oh my dog would never do
that". Don't under estimate what your dog is capable
of. You also need to look out for neighbors dogs and
visiting dogs.
Types of fencing:
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Pygora
Goats
