# Wether jumping fences



## whatknott (Feb 22, 2008)

I have a lot of goats and they are used in our traveling petting zoo. So they are all friendly and have been bottlefed. I've got one problem goat and really don't want to give up on him. He's a year and a half old, supposedly fainter/pgymy cross wether. About two months ago, he discovered it was fun to jump our fences. We have new fencing for most of their area but we use hog panels to separate species in a couple of places. And it's the hog panels that he jumps over. Not a big deal when he jumps out into the yard because he jumps back into his area then. However, he's learned he can jump also into the area where the chickens and ducks are and devours their food. If I pick up that food, then he squeezes through a narrow trap door to go in with the rabbits to eat their food and then jumps their fencing to get into the trash cans where the food is stored. I gave him to an elderly lady who had lost one of her pet goats and needed a companion for her goat. He didn't even last 2 hours there as he jumped over her gate, which was 4 feet high. He's a wonderful goat for our petting zoo - loves people and also loves the other goats, but I'm ready to strangle him when I find him eating another critter's food!! Any suggestions? I've read about hobbling, but it seems a little cruel to me. I've tried squirting the hose on him when I catch him and while it stops him right then, it doesn't stop him permanently. His name is Chip and if I sell him, that leaves Dale here without his buddy and Dale is a perfect gentleman. Any suggestions?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I have a jumper too... I ended up putting up a 5th hotwire to keep him in, For the pen that he's to stay in, take another couple sections of cattle pannel and attach them to what you already have, line up the squares so that you can zip tie the panels together, extending the height another 2-3 feet.


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## whatknott (Feb 22, 2008)

Anyone ever see or use this for dogs? Thinking it may work on goats too.
http://www.dogsupplies.com/products/No- ... rness.html


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I bet that may work!! Especially since he's in a pen with no danger of getting caught up in brush.


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## Guest (Jun 4, 2012)

Had a buck like that and wound up with a collar and 4' chain on his neck with a 16lb bowling ball on the other. He could get around just fine but never jumped another fence.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Try a halter with a foot ot two of chain and a bell or a light weight (fishing sinker?) on the end of the chain. When he throws his head up to jump. it will swing around tapping his shoulders and chest. He should learn not to throw his head up quickly. I say should, he is a goat after all. This works great on horses that jump the fence. You don't want the chain long enough to tangle his front legs, just long enough to tap his shoulders.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

whatknott said:


> Anyone ever see or use this for dogs? Thinking it may work on goats too.
> http://www.dogsupplies.com/products/No- ... rness.html


I would definitely try this. It looks like it might work.
I bought a jumper from a guy one time during my brief goat trading days. That goat could clear a five foot fence flat footed. I did not hesitate to take him to the sale yard. One of the Boers I bought last fall would jump a solid or wood fence, but not a wire fence. She is now too fat to jump.


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## whatknott (Feb 22, 2008)

I ordered one - will let you know how it works for him.


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## whatknott (Feb 22, 2008)

update: Tuesday night we had a petting zoo and he was along. Unloaded him and the other two goats and then went to unload the other animals; discovered he had already jumped out and was in eating the chicken food! GR-R. So I took an empty milk carton, filled it about 3/4 full of water and used binder twine and tied it to his collar. Well, before it was even dark, he had jumped 3 times, but the milk carton never made it over the fence, so he was stuck next to the fence but the milk carton was keeping him from wandering. WEll, that wasn't a good scenario to leave. So took off milk carton. Next day, he didn't try to jump out until evening. Then I had received the dog harness; so it took two of us to figure out the harness and I was about ready to throw it away; but eventually got it on. He coudln't quite figure it out and was still behaving himself with it on when I went to bed. This morning, he was walking around with the harness dangling all over the place. He had gotten it off except for the part around the neck. Took if off and am now trying to decide what home I want to sell him to!!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Im not sure about the set up you have or if this would work, but just an idea and maybe you can get it to work. What if you got like a run line up off the ground (try to stick with me as I try to explain lol), I would say about 6 feet. It would have to be some thing that is slick and off of that a chain or rope that goes down to his collar, give enough room that he can lay down and eat but not enough to get tangled up in. And as he walks the rope will slide along that high wire. 
I know people dont like to tie the goats up on a long leash, but when I was little we had a BAD goat, we tied her up on a long rope, she got tangled so we put the rope threw a garden hose and she never got tangled again. 
Hope this helps, good luck!!


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