# Goat safety near a pond



## Skooby (Sep 21, 2009)

We are wanting to expand our fencing but it would include a pond but we are concerned that in the winter the goats would walk out on the ice and fall thru when it's not completely solid. Anyone have experience with this situation? Is this something we shouldn't do or do the goats have some instinct not to go on the pond? Thanks


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

I am not sure about the wintertime/ice question but it isn't really a good idea to fence goats near ponds because of all the snails/slugs that live around them--they can carry liver flukes and meningeal worm which can easily pass to goats if they pick one up while grazing.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> I am not sure about the wintertime/ice question but it isn't really a good idea to fence goats near ponds because of all the snails/slugs that live around them--they can carry liver flukes and meningeal worm which can easily pass to goats if they pick one up while grazing.


 I have to completely agree....not a great idea....it is bad for your goats.....  :hug:


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## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

hmm, good points, I hadn't thought of either!


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## mrs. lam (Apr 20, 2010)

:sigh: I'm sooo glad you posted this. We just bought 9 acres with a creek and two springs bubbling up from the ground. We are going to make two small ponds for the ducks and one will have koi....Darn it. :doh: Guess I'll still have to deal with buckets.

Gina


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## Gumtree (Aug 15, 2009)

you can deal with fluke by putting copper sulfate in it...got a book around here that tells the amounts


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## mrs. lam (Apr 20, 2010)

Gumtree, 

I have to be careful with copper products. I have sheep with my goats. I dose the goats away from them. It's amazing how close they are and then be so different when it comes to this. :sigh: 

Gina


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## jdgray716 (Aug 8, 2008)

Truth be told we have two spring fed ponds here in our pens and always have. Not to say this is not possible but we have never had issues. In the winter I break the ice all the way around the pond to avoid this. This year was the first the ice got so thick and it was not the goats I had to worry about it was my LDG's who thought it to be fun to run out. So we made sure to break it out as far as we could and it did fine after that.


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