# How to stop goats crossing water?



## Barnes19 (Sep 8, 2013)

Much to my consternation Rita just crossed the river.

This is a natural barrier that comprises 2/3rds of our boundary, and in 15 years no goat has crossed it.

But now that Rita is smart and has no distaste whatsoever for getting wet up to her ribs crossing the river, I'm in trouble.

I pretty much rely on that river being goatproof ... this reduces me to only one goat proof paddock.

Its very dangerous if they go over the river because thats forest and forestry managers are culling the feral goats.

Any ideas?

(Fence is out. Thought of electric tape but I doubt she's respect it)


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## Twink90 (Dec 21, 2013)

That's shocking my goats won't go near water! When it rains you would think it's acid the way they run for the barn. I would try electric, we use it for our horses, dogs, goats & even keeps my chickens in! It's worth a shot. I have 2 strands so they can't go under or over it.


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## Barnes19 (Sep 8, 2013)

I know right?!!

Its got to be a long electric ... the main paddock would be 500 yards along that river frontage. Trying to get a 2-strand tape organized on all the humps and hollows along there ... would have to cut off the far end of the paddock entirely as there's no way you'd put a tape through the cliffy bushy section ...

I can just see her finding a hollow underneath it or learning to jump ... or even just take the shock and get through ...


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

That is crazy!!!! My goats arnt too bad about the rain but we also have a river that acts like a fence. I can't even get mine to cross a wet spot from where the hose ran over. I really don't know what to say but if its just her going over she shouldn't go to far from her friends. So unless 'getting into trouble' isn't to close to that river she should be fine.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Barnes19 said:


> ... or even just take the shock and get through ...


With the right charger she will respect a properly built electric fence. We've got a charger - I'm pretty sure it's a Gallagher, but I don't know how many joules it delivers - that will bring a grown man (or woman) to their knees! Given the circumstances, I would forget the usual 1 or 2 strand electric fence and go with a regular 6 strand goat fence with maybe the bottom, 4th and 6th strands electrified. While I was building the fence, I would also pen them and rig a training fence just inside the fence, and hang aluminum pie plates on it to make sure they got zapped and learned to respect it. I know it sounds harsh, but you can't afford to have Rita teaching the rest of your goats to cross the river and risk having them shot or whatever the forest rangers are doing with the culls.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Its a bit spendy but what about those underground dog fences or what ever. Gives the collar a good shock when they get close. The crap thing is with goats being so smart, she could very quickly teach the rest of em its ok to cross the water as well.

Strange for a goat to decided to venture into the water on their own. Here I have to do water training to teach the pack boys its ok. But once they learn it, they have no fear of getting into the river.


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## Barnes19 (Sep 8, 2013)

Can't do too much in the way of permanent fence ... we have to graze sheep, cows and horses here too, and the way this river floods anything not halfway across the paddock from there would be swept away several times every winter.

Besides, half of this is impossible terrain, we're talking solid bedrock banks, little cliffs, dense bush ... not a go there ... dad would have kittens at the thought ... and then we'd have to put in a grand total of 7 new water troughs.

Would be trully major, but a temp. electric fence for when the goats are in there could be done ... and if they could be trained to respect it would be an asset in other areas too.

But the problem is she's now learned, and I'd fully expect her to train the others sooner or later. Trouble is unlikely to be close to the river ... but not impossible either, and besides even one goat may decide to band up with a feral lot going past ...

We run a charger on the main fences that packs a fair punch ... I touched it once it sent me reeling ... but I've also seen one goat choose to barge through it ... admittedly this was a little lady in an attempt to get to his highness ... and she's pretty solid stubborn.


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## Barnes19 (Sep 8, 2013)

Hmm... have looked longingly at those dog fences in the past (lol)!

Realistically out of my budget, and the area is very long and far away from the power source.

Yes I've never been so surprised as when I came through checking everyone and saw Rita over the river! I never dreamed it would even occur to them, much less that someone would get over that fear of water. Its fully 20 feet across that water and depth halfway up a goat most of the way. Why would any goat in her right mind cross that in the first place ...

I went over there fully expecting it was an accident and would be a battle to get her back home through the water ... she barely gave me time to catch her before wading in to get home.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

If this is really a big problem maybe put her in a pen for a bit. If be have a 'bad cow' we put her in a pen that isn't with the others but they can still see others and let them think on it for awhile....as in days or weeks depending on how bad. They are usually so happy to be back with the herd they don't get into trouble again. I've never tried with goats but might work. Goat crazy is right she very well could end up showing them all to cross. I had A goat jumping fences last year and by the time I figured out where the spot was to put a extra wire on top I ended up with 3. They learn very fast when it comes to being bad


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## hallsthirdacrefarm (Mar 30, 2011)

I bet she was in heat and there was a feral buck in rut on the other side...bottom line, not worth waiting to see if she will teach the rest of the herd. I'd at least per her with a buddy somewhere else. I might do it for a while and see if she forgets about it....or I might take her on a walk to a deeper part of the river on lead...a part where the water will push over her or push her off her feet...while I was there to hold on to her and pull her back...to reinstill a healthy respect for that river....


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## Barnes19 (Sep 8, 2013)

Lol ... no not in heat ... she was on 1 1/2 weeks ago and bred ... waiting to see if she cycles again, but she's always clockwork 22 days. Besides which there's no feral goats over there right now ... they've recently been wiped out all except 3 or 4 up the top of the hill that are still being hunted.

Have got her out into the one goatproof paddock that isn't bordering the river right now ... with the buck as shes supposed to be breeding ... theres enough feed there for a while.

I'd recently removed her girl friends as one I'm milking and don't want with the buck right now, and another is injured, so I'm wondering if she was missing the company. She's got the boy but they don't seem to company like the girls do.

Scaring her off the river could work ... could be a bit tricky as I can't swim and would feel sorry for her lol ... but a good idea, if it was pulled off right. I think I'd attatch a rope to the bank to be safe.

It does work ... we used to have a bull that always went over, wasn't a problem as he never went far and got himself good feed when it was scarce, and pretty safe for a cow. He always came home when we yelled "what are you doing you naughty boy". He got caught coming home in a flood once and swept 200 yards downstream ... came 'home' 3 paddocks down ... he never crossed again. Poor Chubbles ...


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## Barnes19 (Sep 8, 2013)

I know just the place ... the swimming hole!:twisted:

Has a lovely sluice rapids coming into it where the water all comes through one place.

Have to think how it could be done safely ... gosh I'd feel terrible but simple thing is her life depends on staying home.

In the meantime I'll try her on a 2-strand electric and see if she can be carefully introduced and respect it ... none of them know how to jump so if they don't have reason to learn ...


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## sonyak (Jan 4, 2014)

I've used electro net over bumpy terrain you'd have to trim the brush but they respect the charge on the electro net.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

I don't think putting her in deep "scary" water is going to teach her anything--except perhaps how to swim. Unless she actually comes close to drowning, she's only going to become more comfortable in water, not less. I seriously doubt you want to do anything that dramatic. Besides, goats are smart--she'll know it's not the same place in the river and you're not going to deceive her into thinking all water is the same. 

You might consider selling this one to a person who has fencing on all sides. Otherwise it won't be long before she teaches all your other goats how fun it is to cross water.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

There as an old timer who had a river boundary for his goats. One started crossing it, so you know what he did? He'd follow it, and when it went in the water, he'd push it under!:shocked:. 
Apparently the goat would feel like it's drowning, and would get too scared to continue once they experienced that. He said it worked after two days, but I don't think I would do that to a poor goat .........


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