# 6 ft fence fails to keep goats contained



## Steve0 (Dec 3, 2013)

My two Nigerian dwarves have climbed over 6 ft horse fencing and I had to add 3 more ft to the top of the fence.I saw them climb over it,they get a running start, hit the fence on an angle, run sideways up the fence till they get their legs over the top, these goats are incredible climbers.I built them a special pen w/6 ft fencing as they laughed at the 4 ft original fence.
The 3 added ft have contained them for now,anyone else have goats that act like monkeys?
I can't believe the athletic ability of these small animals.
I don't understand why they want out so bad either,other than they were bottle fed and want to be with me. There are two of them so they are not lonely,I built them a virtual paradise of areas to jump,play,hide,eat and rest.
Everyday they are let out to roam the farm but sometimes I need to keep them contained and out of trouble.I'm so glad that they don't try to leave when roaming the farm as there is no way I could stop them as 4 ft horse fencing is the only containment
I would like to hear from others who have extreme jumpers.


----------



## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Wow! You should get that on video  Funny, but not if you need them in!I have 4 foot no climb horse fencing....my Nubians stay in....kids tend to jump a lot more but they stay by mom so I have never had any escapes. I did however have to put 7 foot tall stall walls to keep babies in...cause they wanted out to mom


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Wow, that is amazing. The other thing you could do is have fencing angled in at the top like they do for prisons.


----------



## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

^^ LOL...that sounds so funny!


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree with Karen.


----------



## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

A line of electric does a lot to deter escapes.... That's pretty incredible though!!!


----------



## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Hot wire!


----------



## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

milk and honey said:


> A line of electric does a lot to deter escapes.... That's pretty incredible though!!!


Electricity.


----------



## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

I've had Nigerian kids escape going under (see my signature photo). And my Nubian escaped by figuring out how to undo the latch on the gate. But I've never had a goat go over our 4 ft fence. Yet...


----------



## Chopsgoats (Aug 20, 2013)

Escape artists they are!!! I had them climb the fence, spend hours figuring out how to undo the gate latch and one of my Nigerians went through the barn window... It's what they do, but every time mine escape they end up on the back porch.


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Karen is right I have a doe that would walk up the beef panel like a ladder.....she went nice and slow and took her time lol. The panel was attached to t post so I just bent it in and fixed it. If this is not ideal for you go with hot wire. They really hate it and once they get bit usually stay far away from it


----------



## FreckledFarmer (Oct 27, 2012)

Wow! That's amazing. We have 5 foot no climb horse fence and it contains our nubians.


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I never had a fence climber or jumper here until I brought home my newest buckling 
I have the 4 foot galvanized goat panels for pens and 4 strands of hotwire for pasture... he went under the hotwire without a care that he got nailed and would take a run to jump halfways up the pen panels to climb the rest of the way and over it.
I have the steel poles from a tarp garage that collapsed last winter so I took the angled poles and attached them to the top 1/4 of the panels of the buck pen by wrapping them with duct tape a few times, then took a roll of 24" chicken wire and zip tied it to the top perimeter of the panels and angled it inward over the poles that already had angles 
( the roof truss of the tarp building) I used scrap wire to attach the chicken wire. Mr. Boris has stayed in the buck pen ever since


----------



## Ride4ever (Aug 7, 2013)

Me and my parents were just talking about goats escaping from fences. My mom wants to exchange our 10+ year 5' electric fencing with 4' wovenwire fence. My dad jokingly commented that goats need 8' concrete walls w/ chain link fence covering the top. Haha. can't keep goats in that. However my neighbor had a problem just like your with her pygmy goats. Her answer was to just keep adding height to fence until the doe couldn't jump it anymore. It is at the moment 8' wovenwire fence. I personally think that 5'-6' wovenwire, with electric at nose level is a good way to keep goats in, but jumpers may need a bit more. I would try the combo of wovenwire and electric fencing and see what happens.


----------



## goatgirl16 (Nov 21, 2012)

I had same problem with my Nigerian tog cross he would run up the side of his house and over his 6 ft fence I had to add 2 more feet it was crazy watching him it was like fence wasn't even there lol


----------



## Steve0 (Dec 3, 2013)

The 3 ft that I added to the 6 ft is pulled in like a prison. I found out that electric wire only works if they touch it,my goats sailed over it and if they did touch it they were in motion and didn't care,hard to stop inertia in one direction and reverse mid flight lol besides they just jump over the gates and don't attempt to jump mid fence
I was just chopping wood and Garsone (my wether) decided to join me,I grabbed the squirt gun and drove him back to where he belongs...6 times this went on finally I put him in his pen.He jumped a 4 ft fence to get to me and it amazes me how easily he goes where ever he wants lol.


----------



## Hollowdweller (May 5, 2011)

Nigerians, pygmies all the small breeds are more prone to escaping than the larger breeds.

Of the larger breeds seems like Nubians are more likely to break out.

That said if there is plenty of feed and water on their side of the fence it goes a long way to keeping them in.

Culling persistant fence jumpers is a really good idea as well.


----------



## robin4 (Oct 12, 2013)

My goats have been getting out so much lately I thought of selling them just to get a little peace!!

Seems like when one starts getting out they all follow.

I had them going under and over, and even squeezing through the gate.

I have a wooded area fenced off with 2 strands of hot wire, which they cannot even explor anymore because they jump right over,and the babies walk under.

I have 5' net fencing with a strand of hot wire running above the fence and at the bottom. IT'S WORKING!!!!! They have been in for a couple of days now without getting out.


----------



## sandraH (Mar 1, 2013)

I have electric and no escapees yet.


----------



## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

Wow! They seem to have it done to a science getting over that fence! My doe was able to jump a 4ft fence I had and I currently have two that are escape artist. Luckily they don't jump fences though they just squeeze through gates. Thanks to them I'm having to get mesh grate gates. 

If it were me I would do what Karen said and maybe angle it at the top, or try electrifying the pen with hot wire rope. I don't like to just use wire because I'm worried somehow some goat or animal will end up caught in it. They can really do some damage to themselves getting caught in wire.


----------



## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

I've used poly wire before (the nylon stuff) but it doesn't conduct as much charge and wasn't effective on goats with their thick hair. So I put up actual wire at the new place and it seems to be effective - I tensioned it well so there's no slack to get hung up in.


----------



## dchemphill1 (Jul 25, 2013)

If introducing hot wire you need to have 6000 to 7000 Volts and you actually help them into the wire so they learn what it symbolizes. A couple pops on the nose, ear or rear and they will stay away. Sounds mean but it is worth your sanity and time.


----------

