Flexibility of fencing
Using electric fencing to confine goats can be a convenient way to pasture the animals where they can keep grass and weeds clipped in hard-to-mow places. Electric fencing also affords the flexibility of rotating grazing areas so that goats are moved frequently to clean ground and fresh grass. But there's no one-size-fits-all way of finding the system best suited to your needs. Success with electric fence comes from mixing trial and error with borrowed ideas from others.
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At Rumbleway Farm near Conowingo, Maryland, Mark and Robin Way have had mixed success with electric fencing, occasionally finding their small flock of Boer goats outside the fence and nibbling the flowers in the yard. But for them, the benefits of electric fencing outweigh the risk of the goats getting out.
"Our farm has stonewalls and hedgerows, and we have been using the goats to work the hedgerows back," says Mark. "Our grazing paddocks are the size of a stone-fence hedgerow. The goats graze young saplings and weeds, and we supplement with a small amount of sweet feed. Rotating the goats every two to three weeks keeps the worm load at a controllable level. We use a semi-permanent electric fence of four to five strands of smooth wire. This gives us the flexibility to move the fence closer to the over-grown hedgerow as the goats keep clearing the fence row."
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Solar or plug-in
Fiberglass posts spaced every 20 feet support the wires, which are attached to the posts with metal clips. The Ways have used both solar-powered and plug-in chargers to electrify the wires. "Solar fencers gives us flexibility, and the plug-in models give us a more consistent source of electricity," says Mark.
When goats get out of the fence, the root of the problem stems from the fact that an electric fence is "a psychological barrier and not a physical barrier," Mark says. That means that when goats get excited or frightened, they can run through an electric fence. Because goats are ready learners, running through the fence can easily become a habit.
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Move the shelter too
To reduce the chance of fear causing goats to run through the wires, the Ways provide the animals with a moveable shelter. "The moveable goat shelter moves with the goats from paddock to paddock, and this gives them security," says Mark. "They know that their house is where they are supposed to be." A two-horse trailer presently provides shelter, but it is too small for a flock of five does and 10 kids. A four-horse trailer would be more ideal, says Mark.
Goats in, predators out
Like the Ways, Susan Schoenian favors an electric fence made from multiple wires. She recommends five or six strands of high-tensile wire, particularly when an electric style of goat fence is chosen for use as a boundary fence. Susan has used such a fence to confine goats on her own small farm at Clear Spring, Maryland, and also in the course of her work as a sheep and goat specialist at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center.
"The purpose of a boundary fence is not just to keep goats in, but also to keep predators out," she says. The safest practice is to keep all the wires 'hot,' with the first wire placed about 6 inches from the ground. From the bottom wire up, wires should be spaced at intervals of 5 inches, 5 inches, 8 inches, and 10 inches.
"Keeping the bottom wire hot is particularly important because goats are fenceline grazers," says Susan. "The way they are most likely to learn to respect an electric fence is to be hit by the current on the bottom wire." Some classes of goats will test, or challenge, the wires more readily than others, making it of particular importance to keep the wires hot. "At the Research Center, we conduct a meat-goat performance test," Susan explains. "We get goats from many different places, and we find that the bucks are always testing our fences."
Use cross fences
At the Center, the interior crossfences used to create smaller grazing paddocks within the boundary fence are simply two strands of smooth wire. But the goats often challenge this fence. An improvement, says Susan, would be crossfences made from three stands of polywire, supported by step-in plastic posts. The white polywire would tend to create more of visual barrier. While more costly than other forms of electric fencing, commercially manufactured netting made of polywire can be particularly effective at keeping goats confined.
The netting fence stands about 4 feet high, and the squares are small enough to discourage even young goats from sticking their noses through the netting. The fence is designed so that the bottom wire can rest on the ground without shorting out the electric current running throughout the netting.
"Electric netting works great if you don't have to move it a lot, because it can be difficult to move," says Susan. "One way to move it is to fold it in sections one on top of the other."
Train the goats
Paying attention to a few basic details improves the effectiveness of electric fencing for goats. For starters, when goats are first turned out, take time to "train" them to the electric wire. This can be done by enticing goats to walk up to the electric fence and touch it with their noses. This first lesson often teaches a lasting lesson about respecting the fence.
Second, spend some time making sure the bottom wire or two are free from debris. When weeds or grass contact the wires, the green plant material can short out the electrical current. Finally, make sure goats have plenty to eat, so that they have less cause to test the electric fence. Web sites of the major electric fencing companies offer tips for designing effective electric fences and proper grounding systems.
