How to Control Goats With an Electric Fence

For proper containment, goats must respect an electric fence.

Electric fences make an affordable fencing choice for many goat owners, especially when you already have an electric fence in place on your property. Converting an electric fence so that it's capable of containing goats can be a challenge, but it's not impossible. One of the keys to successfully controlling goats with an electric fence is making sure your goats are properly trained to respect the fence. Spend plenty of time on this training, because without it, your goats will very likely develop the bad habit of running straight through your electric fence, destroying your hard work even as they escape.

Things You'll Need

• 14-gauge electric fence wire
• Plastic electric fence insulators
• Aluminum foil

Instructions

1. Install additional wires on your electric fence to make the fence goat-sturdy. Most livestock require only one or two electric wires for containment, but a goat-secure fence needs minimally six wires, states Gail Damerow, author of the book "Your Goats." Add additional wires to the fence using 14-gauge electric fence wire; depending upon the type of posts your electric fence has, use plastic clip-on insulators for steel T-posts, slide-on plastic insulators for metal rebar posts, and nail-in plastic insulators for wooden posts. According to Damerow, a 40-inch-tall fence typically provides enough height to adequately contain goats, so locate the wires at alternating 6- and 7-inch intervals from one another, with the bottom wire approximately 6 inches from the ground.

2. Tear aluminum foil into 12-inch-long, 2-inch-wide strips. Fold the strips of foil around one of the middle wires on your electric fence, wrapping the two ends of each foil strip around each other several times to secure each strip in place. Position the strips approximately 2 to 3 feet apart from each other the entire length of the fence. Make sure the two ends of each foil strip dangle slightly from the electric wire in order to attract the goats' attention.

3. Plug in your electric fence and let your goats loose in the electric fence-enclosed area. Stand inside the fence with the goats to help reassure them as they explore their pasture, recommends Patricia Garland Stewart, author of the book "Personal Milkers".

4. Watch the goats and talk soothingly to them as they move closer to the fence and sniff the foil strips out of curiosity. Once shocked, the goats will step back from the fence rapidly and dart toward you -- instead of through the fence -- since your presence means security to them. Remain with your goats for approximately 1 hour while they get used to the new electric fence; repeat this training process once or twice daily for three days or until each goat demonstrates an awareness that the fence will shock, usually by refusing to get within a foot or so of the fence.

Tips & Warnings

• Minimize instances of accidental electric shock by always making sure your electric fence is turned off -- and unplugged, as an extra safety precaution -- before working on or near it.

References

• "Your Goats"; Gail Damerow; 1993
• "Personal Milkers"; Patricia Garland Stewart; 2006