# The goat backstroke - Will Goats Swim across a bayou?



## Ted (Mar 24, 2008)

Do goats swim? I am thinking about getting a few goats. I have a bayou near the back of my property that is not fenced and marks the end of my property. I am wondering if I get goats, will they swim the bayou to the other side or do they have a natural fear of deeper water? Or should I fence all along the bayou? I would rather NOT fence!

The bayou is more or less wide at certain points - at its narrowest about 30 feet, and at its widest about 100 feet. It is pretty deep at all points.

I sure would like to rely on the bayou as a natural barrier. What to yall think?

Ted


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## Muddy Creek Farm (Oct 5, 2007)

First off - welcome to The Goat Spot. 

I know my goats certainly wouldn't swim across water no matter how deep it was. My goats won't even walk across a puddle.....


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Welcome :wave: 

My goats hate water and do anything to stay out of it! The only times i have heard of a goat swimming is when their owners were out in the water themselves. Goats swimming is very rare, so I would say you are safe to see it as a natural barrier as long as there is NO way to get around it - believe me, goats will find a way!


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Hi, and welcome! I agree with the "goats hate water" theme. I don't know how hard they'd try to get "around" whatever barrier runs "up to" the water? My goats won't even come out of their shelter when it rains. And if it's not raining, but still soggy they stay in also. 

So, Ted, tell us what breed of goat do you plan to get? You know they are "habit forming" right? :lol:


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## Ted (Mar 24, 2008)

Thanks for the replies. Yes I intend to fence laterally into deeper water so that they would have to swim out to get around the fence. 

One thing I am concerned about is that one of the two storey's books on goats said that toxic plants tend to grow near a water's edge. I would not want my goats to eat any toxic plant, and I can't recognize which ones are toxic, if any. 

As far as a breed, I am not quite sure. I vascellate between a dairy breed and a boer type animal. I may settle on a boer buck or kiko buck and nubian does. One thing I am concerned about boers though, is their hardiness. One person told me that boers develop illnesses rather easily, and they are pretty hard to maintain. Then again, a website that I just ran across said that boers were very hardy. I just don't know what to think. As I said, I live near a bayou in central Louisiana, and we have quite a few insects here. It also gets very hot in the summer. Maybe I should do a little more research to try to find a breed that can handle the heat and insects. Any ideas?


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

climate really does play a BIG part on the hardiness of the animal. I to have heard the same about boers being sickly and then being one of the harder breeds. IT also comes down to your herd management as well and buying from healthy herds. Put the money up front so you dont' have to pay later in the vet care!

From what I hear Kikos are a hardy breed all around. 

What is your goal with the goats?

as to the poisonous plants.......... there is a thread on that somewhere I do believe, check the goat care basics 101 area.


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## Shazzy (Oct 16, 2007)

I wish I had a bayou as a fence - my goats would probably stay in it, unlike the one I've got now. That's it, my next project is a moat! Off to start digging trenches!


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## Dover Farms (Oct 16, 2007)

Welcome to The Goat Spot!!! :wave: 

Are goats hate water, too. It will depend on your goat, though. I was on a website and the goat enjoyed swimming and it was out in the middle of a creek. My main concern would be that it will keep your goats in, but not keep predators out.


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## Muddy Creek Farm (Oct 5, 2007)

Ditto on that one Jacque. I would worry about dogs and such swimming across and hurting your goats.


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## Ted (Mar 24, 2008)

That's a good point. I never thought about predators. Actually, in the woods behind us where the bayou is, there are coyotes that we hear from time to time. I have heard tell also of the odd panther scream, although I have never heard one myself. I suppose these would cross water for a nice goat meal.


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## Muddy Creek Farm (Oct 5, 2007)

I think if you could put a strand or two of hotwire that may help with predators.


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## Sara (Oct 5, 2007)

You could do plastic netting, and then electrify that.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

hot wire would be your best choice I think - a regular fencing wouldn't keep those preditors out


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Ted, Welcome to The Goat Spot :wave: :wave: . glad to have you here.
I agree with everyone, but I would also worry about them maybe going for a drink and maybe drowning, you know, getting butted by another goat or running from something, :scratch: I am just a worry wart like that.


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## Muddy Creek Farm (Oct 5, 2007)

So am I Lori, I worry about every possible way a goat could get hurt lol. It is a curse :roll:


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## bigoakfarm (Oct 6, 2007)

I had the bright idea once to have a pond dug to water the goats. They nearly dehydrated because they wouldn't go anywhere NEAR the water in the pond. So not only did I have to go back to using the water trough but I had to constantly weed eat around the new pond to keep the snakes and snapping turtles under control too. We had a spring that emptied out into a small cave though and they would go back and forth through the stream that ran out of there easily enough. 

My point is that you may have several in your herd who wouldn't dream of going into the bayou but there will likely be that ONE or two who will and if your luck is anything like mine, the first one in to drown or escape will be your most expensive one.

I would fence across with at least some inexpensive electric wire. They're probably not going to try to hard to get out of a fence that only leads to water and it should help with the coyotes. Also, if you do run into trouble with predators at some point and need to bring in an LGD, electric fencing will work great to contain a dog for you.

WELCOME!
Kristen


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