Advice on electric fencing for goats

[Birdsong 82]

Good morning all. I was looking for some advice on electric fencing for goats. It Wouldn’t it be their permanent fencing Or even used when no one is home. They currently have a large fenced in area but anyone who has goats knows the greenery goes quickly. We used to let them Out to roam the yard and graze And they were good about staying in the yard. The 2 1/2 acres keeps the 4 of them more than happy. We recently had a family move into the house next-door. They were never interested in until people moved in. They are super friendly and sometimes attention hogs. Even though the neighbors think the goats are charming I know they will not find it charming when they go into their yard and eat their flowers in nice bushes and anything they can. So I was thinking Electric fencing. I’m so tired of driving steel posts and pulling 2 x 4 galvanized fencing. And electric fencing seems like a cheaper option. Plus I would like to be able to move it around. I’ve heard of fencing like that but was wondering if anyone have experience or advice Thanks!

 

[res]

I have been using Premier 1 electric mesh for my herd of 15-25 Boer goats and LOVE it. As long as you have it properly grounded and have a good charger, they will totally respect it. I have not had problems with them getting tangled in it.

Premier 1 actually has their own VERY LARGE farm where they test out all of their products. I trust them completely when they say the fencing is safe and effective.

The fencing comes with "step-in" post that can easily be moved around. It is somewhat hard to install it so it looks "classy" with the step-in posts, as the fence tends to sag. I actually took the fence off the posts, and installed it differently, so it is tensioned and tight and it looks REALLY good. I will try to take some pictures to post.

 

[Birdsong 82]

That’s the fencing I Was looking at. It’s seem to have good reviews but I don’t always trust reviews and I know how crafty goats are. So If it sags a bit it’s not a big deal to me. I live in an extremely rural area So down my dirt road the only person who passes my house is my one neighbor. And a sagging fence looks classy compared to his yard. It would be nice to move around as things get cleared. And we are planning to move soon so it would be nice to be able to take it with me. I’ve never dealt with any kind of electric fence so they will be some research to be done I just hope the sagging isn’t too low. Mine are boer Nubian mixes and the have an amazing jumping range for their size

 

[Birdsong 82]

Is there an energizer that is recommended for the fence? I’m not sure how all that works and I tried to read about it and I’m still A little confused on how all that works. And do I need a grounding system? They won’t be using it 100% of the time but most likely every to every other day.

 

[res]

Yes, you will need ground rods, at least 2 of them, sometimes 3. It depends on your soil. Premier 1 sells chargers/energizers, and I am positive everything they sell works GREAT, but a lot of it can be pretty pricey. I have use Parmak battery, solar and AC chargers since the 80's and have nothing bad to say about them. They are usually available locally, though they are not carried by TSC. Gallagher and Kencove are also good brands. Just avoid ANYTHING Zareba from TSC, or any other charger brand they carry. They are all made-in-China crap.

The fence definitely does not sag to the ground, and you should be fine with your lack of picky neighbors. I had to spruce mine up a bit, as I was already bending neighborhood "unwritten" laws by having goats, I did not want anyone to have anything more to complain about... The trick to electric fencing is that it is ALWAYS a visual and conditional barrier, it is NEVER a physical barrier. Meaning, electric fence is not designed to withstand animals "climbing" over it or rubbing on it, instead the animals must be conditioned to have a level of fear of the fence to the point they DO NOT want to be near it, thereby eliminating the worry that they may climb or jump it. It needs to be HOT HOT HOT. Mine pegs out the voltimeter built in to the charger. It will knock you down if you touch it, and I promise you, my goats do not go near it!

Premier 1 is actually a fantastic source for info, they have brochures/pamphlets they can mail you, and even their paper catalog is a great learning tool, as they describe almost everything in detail. Don't be afraid to reach out to them for advice, either by phone, email or chat!

 

[Birdsong 82]

I saw many chargers at TSC. They are American farm works brand. I have to look up reviews on those. The ones at Premier one were probably the pricier ones I’ve looked at. Which would be OK but our air conditioning and well pump just went out so pricing Is being looked at a little bit more. I’m trying to figure out the cost in my head. Premier one says it should be a solar powered pulsating one. Not sure what that means or if I have to use solar

 

[Birdsong 82]

These are the ones I’m seeing at TSC. There was some solar powered ones too but I wasn’t sure how powerful would be powerful enough for goats

 

[res]

I saw many chargers at TSC. They are American farm works brand. I have to look up reviews on those. The ones at Premier one were probably the pricier ones I’ve looked at. Which would be OK but our air conditioning and well pump just went out so pricing Is being looked at a little bit more. I’m trying to figure out the cost in my head. Premier one says it should be a solar powered pulsating one. Not sure what that means or if I have to use solar

American Farmworks is junk... it doesn't have the power of other brands, even though the label states it should. They all crap out within a year, or less....

You don't *have* to use solar, but solar does allow you to be very "free" in the placement of the fencing. With solar, you do not have to worry about a power source...

Pulsating means low-impedance "pulses" of current - it is not a steady "flow" of power. It sends out surges that zap the animal and surprise it. It is nothing like getting shocked by a downed power line or a wet hairdryer - fence chargers do not "grab" onto you and hold you/paralyze you. Fence chargers just startle the animals (or human if we touch it!). To me, it feels like someone punched me in the chest. It truly does hurt, but the pain doesn't really linger. The pulses also generally eliminate the chance of the fence starting a grass or brush fire if a weed or branch touches the fence...

Do not buy a cheap charger off of Amazon, either. Premier actually did an online article about a year or so ago, talking about the foreign-made chargers being marketed on Amazon with incorrect labeling, that HAD started grass fires because they were NOT low-impedance.

 

[av8torcrj]

Premier all they way. Love them. I have lots of Poultry net plus 12/48/3 double spike in green. There is NO way to make the white fencing NOT make your place look trashy in my personal opinion. Green is all but invisible. Patriot p20 charger. Goats touch the fence once... never again. All but promise. My experience.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Charger will have to order also. I have 2 more determined goats and 2 wusses. Romeo got stung by a bug a couple weeks ago and ran to mommy and wouldn’t leave and was jumpy and clingy til the next day. I was reading about the strength for goats. Would that strength hurt my cats , dogs or chickens? If it’s something new then everyone is gonna want to investigate