# Goats and heights?.......



## NuMosaFarms

Hi everyone,

I know this may seem like silly post to some, but my wife and I have a funny kind of question...lol. Do goats know when they are to high up on a "structure" to jump down? The reason we ask, we were told by some friends about a goat farm not far from us that had a high bridge for their goats to climb on. So of course we drove down to check it out. Wow... there was a big sign that said "Goat Mountain", and they weren't kidding. They had built a climbing station that had maybe three different levels of platforms, which was joined by steep ramps and bridge type crossovers. The lowest level had to of been eight to ten feet off the ground, with the highest level being between sixteen to twenty feet up. I can tell you that the four main upright beams in the climbing station are telephone poles if that gives you a idea how high it is. Will also mention that the walkways or crossovers looked only to be about three feet wide, and there are no side rails ANYWHERE. We have a climbing station for out Pygmys as well, but our highest level is only about six feet high. I can imagine only what would happen if one of the goats jumped down from twenty feet up. Surely broke bones or death. Not that it matters, but I think the goats out at "Goat Mountain" are Nubians. Si that leads us back to our original question. Do goats automatically know when they are to high up to jump down? My wife loved "Goat Mtn" so much she wants me to build a higher climbing station for our goats. I just don't where it crosses the line from being something fun for the goats to climb on, to being something that could put their little lives in danger.

Thanks,
BJ & Debbie


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## milkmaid

Goats know not to jump from dangerous heights, but they are always butting each other off their climbing toys. I would never build something that high for them to play on! That is an accident waiting to happen. The 4' roof of their little house makes me nervous enough.


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## liz

I agree...most goats do like to be up high...I have a couple tables that are just 3-4 feet high and it's plenty high enough for my adult tubbies and babies seem happy enough leaping from them too....a tower type thing would be neat for them to play or relax on but I wouldn't go any higher than what you have and walkways should have a railing of sorts to prevent a goat from falling off during play


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## nubians2

Mine are Nubians and I wouldn't got any higher than 4 feet. Not only do I not want any injuries, I also don't want them to know that they can jump higher than that.


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## liz

nubians2 said:


> Mine are Nubians and I wouldn't got any higher than 4 feet. Not only do I not want any injuries, I also don't want them to know that they can jump higher than that.


 :wink: :thumbup:


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## freedomstarfarm

Highest I will allow my goats is up on the large wire reels on side. 

There is a farm not far from me that has boers and they have a 2 story goat tower. I always worry and wonder if there has been a issue ever.


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## NuMosaFarms

Ok,

I don't feel so bad.... It appears that everyone feels the same way I do. Although it looks cool with the goats climbing high just like their ancestors or relatives do in the wild, it would worry me to death. We love our little goats waaaaaaay to much to ever put them in danger. Mine already have one bridge that crosses from one climbing station to the next, but as I said the highest point is only between 5 & 5 feet high. The other 2 tiers are either 2 feet or 4 feet high. I'll probably build them another bridge going to yet another tiered climbing station, but my heights will still remain within 5 to 6 feet or lower.

Thanks,
BJ & Debbie


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## LaZyAcres

This last weekend my boyfriend just finished building a platform for my goats  It is just over 6' high. While we were STILL working on it, the bully pushed the mini off the top. NEEDless to say, we were horrified but she was fine. She was so fine that she climbed right back up and jumped off herself! Most of them love it but there BTW there are now guard rails :leap:


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## VincekFarm

Wow, that is crazy for goats to be in! But then again I'm not sure if they would get hurt. I had this doe in the past who would jmp the fence each and very day which is approx. 6 feet high and one specific day we had a haywagon that we were about to unload. So this doe of mine climbs all the way up to he top of he hay wagon, where the railing on the top ends and where the hay does too. Then she jumps off, lands perfectly and then bounds off like nothing happened. :scratch: 

Maybe it just depends of the goat..


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