# Pasture Setup for Goats



## nitrors4 (Jul 2, 2008)

Kicking around a few ideas for our pasture if we decide to move forward with more goats. Let me know what you think.

Current setup









Possible layout


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Ya know what, I am going to be SUPER jealous, if you guys decide to build that! That looks amazing!!! Very good planning and I LOVE how the doe pens surround the shelter! That would look very cool! Great ideas on it!!!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Your current setup is awesome! Your plans for the next one is doubley awesome! :thumb:


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

That looks just great! :greengrin: I'm soooo jealous!


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## hornless (Oct 5, 2007)

Great setup, I wish I had so much room! Your goats will love it!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

looks great! the only thing I would add is some gates between the doe pens as moving them from one area to the next might prove difficult if you only can get through the shelter to them.


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## enjoytheride (Oct 5, 2007)

Wow- jealous is right.
The first thing I thought was river and flooding. Since electric might not be available in a flood, if it's not already part of your plan, I would have one high spot large enough to hold all animals in an emergency is a non-eclectric fencing area.
Re: shelters- I always like to be able to feed from outside the shelters so would tend to run the fence so I can approach without having to go into the paddocks. Of course in Texas, you may be feeding outside mostly- here it would be inside a lot due to rain. But having to go through the buck paddock to get to the shelter to clean or whatever would give me pause.
Is the space between the loading shoot and the garden big enough to get you vehicle in straight on?
I agree with Stacey about having gates between the paddocks so that you can just open to switch fields- are the 4 paddocks there to allow rotation?

I'm not clear on the lane running between the big paddocks and the rest. Also if electric fencing, trying to load might cause a breakthough if your stock is skittish.

Where's the feed storage?

Also I might run the fence closer to the driveway to allow bigger paddocks with less mowing but that's a totally esthetic issue that I can't see.
Heck no matter what you do, you'll have an awesome place.


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## nitrors4 (Jul 2, 2008)

We have about 200 ft of land not fenced that backups to the pasture in case of flood. Only 100ft is in the floodway and 500 ft in the flood zone. So even a portion of the two back paddocks are high and dry on a hill. My entire property is surrounded by 8 foot game fence so the hot wire is only for interior fencing. 
Game might not be a bad idea. My thought was we would bring them into the shelter (pen) area for feeding and shot off the gate when we want to rotate pastures. 
Our weather is no big deal down here. We think we are going to die if it hits freezing. I lived in Alaska for a couple winters, so this is too easy. 

Yes I will position the loading shoot so the garden is out of the way. Nothing is drawn to scale and placement might be a little off. I wanted to get the general idea on paper for review. 
The driveway is actually much straighter than in the picture and the fence will be about 6 foot from the drive. 
My house if far from conventional. It has a 20 x 60 foot lean-to that we store all our hay and feed under. 

Oh and I decided to return the regular 5 foot fence and purchase hot wire. Funny thing is for the same price I spent on 300 foot I was able to buy over 500 foot of hot wire, plus the fence charger. 

Setting this up is only time and money. HEHE Lucky for me the wife and I both work for now. We want to get the “farm” setup the way we like then she can stop working and stay home to run everything.


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## goatstafson (Nov 20, 2007)

Are you talking about hot wire fencings or hot electric netting for fences? I have a friend that does the hot electic netting for fences and it works great for the bigger goats, but the young kids can slip right though without ever touching. Sounds like it would be the end of the world if your kids got out since they are surrounded by the game fence, but just wanted to make sure you are aware of the possible issue.

Looks great! I sure wish I had even half of your setup!


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## goatstafson (Nov 20, 2007)

Did you include an area in case you need to/want to milk? I don't see anything listed.


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

Geez....... I can't decide if I'm more envious of the goatie digs or the DH that's so supportive of the whole plan..... including the goal of the wifey being able to quit the outside job to run it. :applaud: That's my goal too, but don't think I'm ever, ever going to get there. 

I hope everything goes as planned for you. 

Almost forgot..... any poisonous snakes coming out of that river that might pose a problem for the goaties?


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## alyssa_romine (Oct 5, 2007)

I am sooooooo jealous!!! I love the possible set up!!!! Can I come live at your farm????  Just kidding....Your plans are an amazing idea....i want something similar but smaller scale....i only have 5 acres.


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## nitrors4 (Jul 2, 2008)

We are using poly rope no more than 10' apart. It works great! My billy hit it yesterday and he has not been within 10 feet of it since.

We are going to be building a small barn where the kidding area is so we can milk the does there if needed.



goatstafson said:


> Are you talking about hot wire fencings or hot electric netting for fences? I have a friend that does the hot electic netting for fences and it works great for the bigger goats, but the young kids can slip right though without ever touching. Sounds like it would be the end of the world if your kids got out since they are surrounded by the game fence, but just wanted to make sure you are aware of the possible issue.
> 
> Looks great! I sure wish I had even half of your setup!


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## nitrors4 (Jul 2, 2008)

Well I have killed about 5 snakes in the last year, but they have all been in the same spot. It is always a possibility, but so far we have been pretty lucky.



MissMM said:


> Geez....... I can't decide if I'm more envious of the goatie digs or the DH that's so supportive of the whole plan..... including the goal of the wifey being able to quit the outside job to run it. :applaud: That's my goal too, but don't think I'm ever, ever going to get there.
> 
> I hope everything goes as planned for you.
> 
> Almost forgot..... any poisonous snakes coming out of that river that might pose a problem for the goaties?


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

Wow! That is a REALLY awesome set-up! Wish we had that. . . .


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

What kind of goats do you raise or are planning on raising?


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## nitrors4 (Jul 2, 2008)

We plan to raise Boer goats, but after a visit to a local dairy farm we are really thinking hard about raising both Boer and dairy. 

Need to think about it and see what issues it will introduce.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Something to think about, there are quite a few meat breeders that I have heard say that crossing Boer with Dairy, such as Nubian produces a better tasting meat, theres alot of info on the web about it ...it's just finding the time to go thru it all that is the problem :greengrin:


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## alyssa_romine (Oct 5, 2007)

Also, If you cross a Boer and a Nubian, they make great 4-h projects....nubians and pygmies do too....


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