Goat and Sheep Fencing
When raising sheep and goats, it is important to build and maintain proper fencing. Not only must the fencing keep the sheep and goats in, but it must also keep predators out. There are many fencing options. A sheep or goat producer should consider fencing to be a major investment that truly pays off in saved time and lower loss rates.
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Basics of Sheep Fencing
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The two most common types of sheep fencing are electrified high-tensile wire and wire-mesh fencing. If using electric wire, it is recommended that you place the wire at least four inches from the ground. This will require that you keep the grass short so that it will not touch the wire and ground it out. Most producers will use five wires. Wire mesh is more expensive, but requires no monitoring of an electric system.
Basics of Goat Fencing
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It can be said that no fence will keep a goat in. However, a well-built fence will keep goats in and predators out. The options for goat fencing include: five strands of 17-gauge aluminum-wire electric fence at intervals up to four feet high; woven wire fencing four feet high with hot wires run at the top and bottom; woven wire with barbed-wire strands at top; and a variety of other configurations.
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Protect Against Capture Deaths
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Many goats and sheep have horns. They will also stick their head through any gap in fencing. If they become stuck by their horns, they can strangle or suffer from capture myopathy. They can also draw the attention of predators or other goats. All openings in fence wires must be large enough to let an animal's head and horns both in and out or too small for a head to fit through at all.
Protecting Against Predators
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Most predators will climb a fence or use the top of a fence to prop themselves over. Coyotes will actually climb a fence, even if the fence is over six feet high. A good predator-fencing method is to make the top few feet of the fence "unstable" by attaching a wire mesh loosely. Climbing predators will not like this. Three strands of electric fencing attached on the outside of your fencing will also deter predators. Many predators will dig under a fence as well. Farmers can cut a cattle panel in half lengthwise and lay it on the ground under the fence to foil the predators.
Protecting Your Fencing
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Experienced goat owners will tell you that putting goats on opposite sides of the fence will result in fighting. The goats will butt heads through the fence, causing destruction. The best way to prevent this is to consider electric fencing for your cross fencing (the fencing between your separate pastures).
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit sheep image by hazel proudlove from Fotolia.com
