Goat Fencing: 3 Most Popular Types

Afraid to get goats because they might escape and run off, due to a lack of proper goat fencing? Or maybe you have goats and it's a constant fight to keep them in the pasture? You're not alone. All of us goat farmers have the same struggle. These little critters seem destined to escape. The solution is to understand the 3 most popular types of goat fencing. Then, you can determine the best way to provide secure fencing for your own goats. Before we jump into the 3 most popular types of goat fencing, one more thing. I want to let you hear from one of our fellow goat farmers, Jamie. Here's her story about goat fences and some things that don't work so well...

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My Personal Struggle With Goat Fencing

(Learning the Hard Way)

"Having goats myself, I have seen the many tricks they conjure up. At one point, I owned a cross-bred billy goat named Sonny. He could escape through every single type of goat fencing we placed around him. The only thing he couldn't escape from was a large dog kennel. Of course, staying in a dog kennel is not a proper life for a rambunctious billy goat. So we eventually had to sell him in order to keep all parties involved safe. It was not in his best interest to roam outside of a fenced-in area. We wouldn't be able to protect him from predators. A vehicle might hit him in the road. Thankfully neither incident ever occurred. But we didn't want to press our luck by continuing to let him have his way. When we had Sonny, I learned valuable lessons about goat fencing. I had my goats in a couple of small 16 x 32 foot pens made out of cattle panels. The cattle panels themselves provided a sufficient enclosure. However, it wasn’t enough to keep Sonny inside.

Don't put a goat shelter too close to a fence. Your goats will learn they can use it to jump over the fence and escape

A shelter along one side of the pen that stood about 3 feed tall aided Sonny’s escape. He would jump on top of the shelter’s roof, jump over the goat fencing and out of the pen. It still seems rather astonishing that a scrawny forty pound mixed-breed horned billy goat could jump onto a 3-foot-tall shelter, over a 4-foot cattle panel and onto the ground without breaking any bones.    

Tip: Don't set up any structures near your goat fencing that they can jump from to get over the fence.

I also learned from “Sonny Houdini” that the chances of him straying far from his two does were highly unlikely. Although Sonny was a free-spirited billy goat, he did enjoy the company of his female friends.

Tip: Give your goats something INSIDE of their goat fencing that is more interesting than stuff OUTSIDE of their fence.

I have moved since owning Sonny, and I have new and different goats. My two does are larger than Sonny, making their escape attempts a little harder. But my two wethers are dwarf crosses (smaller). For their goat fencing we used woven wire tacked onto white composite fence post. We selected woven wire that is 4x4 inch squares and we set the fence posts every 10 feet.

Woven wire goat fencing is the best choice for goats. It will flex and slide when they push or stand on it, rather than breaking like a welded wire fence.  

There are two gates to this 1.5 acre pasture. One gate sits higher up off the ground and leads to another larger pasture. I owned the larger pasture. So goats escaping under the second gate and into the larger pasture is not a problem. However, the fact that they then escape the larger pasture is a problem. This wouldn't be a problem if only one or two, or even three goats escaped. But when all four escape, the whole herd is out. They tend to gravitate towards the back road I now live on. I tried several things to solve this problem. First, I tried patching a few holes found in the larger pasture’s goat fencing next to the exit gate. I fenced the larger pasture with 5-strand barbed wire with a 1-strand electric fence in front. That worked well for awhile, but then one day I found all four goats out in the garden. I decided that they needed more feed to keep them happy inside their pen. That didn't work either. Finally, I cut a cattle panel to fit under the gate from their pen to the larger pasture. It worked!

Tip: Goats can go UNDER goat fencing just as easily as they can go OVER it.

Another method I've used to solve the problem is to use large guardian dogs or donkeys to guard the goats. My Border Collie/Great Pyrenees-cross guardian dog has been very helpful in securing my goats. She is a very intelligent nocturnal canine that sleeps during the day and patrols during the night. She keeps predators away while keeping my little Houdinis safe. Donkeys are another option as a livestock guardian animal if goats are in a rural setting where predators are prevalent. Goats are easy prey. A guardian dog or donkey could mean the difference between safe goats or a terrible alternative." ~Jamie~   That story from Jamie sounds familiar. It reminds me of goat fencing troubles we had before we learned about the best types of goat fencing. If you're getting started with goats,  you'll want to avoid dealing with the same stresses I've had with my goats. I recommend you consider the 3 most popular types of goat fencing for your own goats. To get started, you will need to consider several questions.

GOAT VIDEO - What Kind of Fence is Best for Goats?

Video Credit: Rebellion Ranch

Important Questions to Consider

Before Choosing Your Goat Fencing

• How many goats do you want to have?
• Will they be males? females? both?
• How many acres?
• Are the goats pets only?
• Or will you use them for breeding?
• Will there be kids to consider in the future?
• Will you need to separate the does and bucks?
• Will there need to be a weaning pen at some point?
• Do you live in town or in the country?
• Are predators or neighborhood dogs going to pose a problem?

Answering those questions will clarify which type of goat fencing should be used for your goats and why. Now let's talk about which type of goat fencing are the most popular, and why.

The 3 Most Popular Types of Goat Fencing

(I'll start with #3 and work our way up to #1)

The #3 Most Popular Goat Fencing is... An Electric Net Fence

  One popular type of goat fencing you can consider for goats would be electric net fencing.

Easy to Install

Electric net goat fencing is a good temporary option for goats. It's inexpensive and easy to install. But it's not durable enough to be a permanent solution to keep goats from escaping.

The greatest benefit for electric net fencing is the ease of installing and moving it, and the fact that it's inexpensive. Electric net fencing should only be used for the perimeter fence for goats if: (1) your goats seem to respect goat fencing, (2) their environment is an in-town type of setting, or (3) the goat fencing is only temporary. This type of goat fencing would work well as an inside-the-pasture dividing fence, where a woven wire or high tensile wire fence is used as the boundary fence, and the electric net is used to divide it into separate pens. This may be beneficial if goats are used for breeding and does and bucks need to be separated or does and kids need to be separated. Electric net fence can be taken down, put up or moved to allow for grazing in different areas with ease. There is no need for heavy equipment or strong laborers with electric net fence.

Inexpensive

An electric net fence is inexpensive at an approximate maximum cost of about $1.70 per foot including posts. It is by far the most economical choice. It can be purchased with the fence and the posts connected. If that's the case, the supplies are simply the fence itself. The tools are the charger, ground wire and the ground rod. The posts should be able to be stepped into the ground with your foot in the area that is desired. No digging or hammering is needed. Hook the fence charger up and your temporary fence is ready to go. If you get the solar-powered type, you don't even need to plug it in. It doesn't need to be near any source of electricity.

High Maintenance

Electric net fence is a high maintenance fence. It's a temporary type of fence, so spraying herbicide to kill weeds around it would not be appropriate. Instead, you can just move the fence to mow around it. You must check a net fence frequently in case it gets knocked down. Keeping the electrical charge going on a net fence is important in order to keep your goats within its bounds. So be sure to check it daily for proper functioning. When we have used electric net fencing for our goats, we have seen that the goats "test" the fence daily. They seem to know right away when it's not working (such as on a cloudy day when the solar power unit runs down). When our goats figure out that the goat fencing isn't charged, they don't waste any time. They start pushing through it so they can eat any tempting plants on the other side.

Bottom Line

If you use electric net fencing, it will be inexpensive and easy to install. But it should only be considered for temporary use, since you have to keep an eye on it constantly.  

The #2 Most Popular Goat Fencing is... High Tensile Wire Fence

Another great choice for goat fencing is high tensile wire. High tensile wire can be electrified. It can withstand wear-and-tear and horned goats have less of a chance of getting stuck in it.

Easier to Escape

In contrast, it has large gaps between the wires where goats might escape and it is not easily movable.

Can Be Electrified

Solar-Powered Electric Goat Fence Charger. The needle in the green zone, and a repetitive clicking sound, tells you it's working properly. The "hot" wire from the red terminal is connected to the fence. The wire from the black terminal is connected to a metal rod inserted into the ground.

High tensile wire makes a great choice if access to an electrical source is available. As an alternative, you can also use a solar power head to charge it. Make sure it's in a spot that gets plenty of sun. By having a fence that is electrified, you can be confident that your goats will be kept safe.  Predators will be deterred from getting around the fence. Make sure you get a power unit (aka "charger" or "energizer") that is strong enough to give a decent shock to any animal touching it. Some animals stay away from the goat fencing if the power head delivers about 2 joules of energy. Some larger or stubborn animals require about 5 joules to react.

Thickness of Wire

The specifications for your fence will depend on the size of the area the fence needs to protect. Class 3 galvanized 12 ½ to 14 ½ gauge high tensile wire will take a lot of abuse. It will last for many years. If you have horned goats, there's less chance their heads will get stuck in high tensile wire. However, high tensile wire does have large gaps.  You will need to space the wires carefully to keep your goats contained.

Large spaces in High Tensile Wire goat fencing allow goats to escape more easily than with other types of fencing

If the high tensile wire is not kept electrified, then the chances of goats escaping will increase tremendously. Electric goat fencing can short-out or become non-electrified for several reasons. This can be due to dry grounding rods, fallen branches, excessive weeds, wires touching or breaks in the wires.

Fence Alert Warning Light

A helpful tool with electric goat fencing is a “fence alert warning light”. It is an inexpensive tool that hangs on one strand of the electrified fence. This should be placed on the strand that is most important with goats, which is one of the lower strands. When the fence is not electrified, or the voltage is low, the light will blink. This warns that something needs to be fixed to prevent a goat from breaking free.

Long Lasting

The fact that high tensile wire is a permanent fence can be viewed as a "pro" (if you need a fence to last for a long time). It can also be a "con" (if you're really needing more of a cheap, temporary portable fence. High tensile wire is not a good choice for a separation fence (to keep bucks and does apart).But it's a very good choice for a boundary fence (to keep predators out and keep goats in).

Estimated Costs

A 12 ½ gauge, class 3 galvanized high tensile wire costs about $0.125 per foot for 5 strands and $0.15 per foot for 6 strands. For the cost of metal posts, add $6.25 to every 12-15 feet and $12 for wooden posts.  Add the cost of the electrical charger and all of the supplies as well as labor cost involved. Of course, these estimates can vary depending on your geographic location.

Here's how to install high tensile wire goat fencing...

Compared to woven wire it is easier, but compared to electric net fence it's harder. So, I grade high tensile wire as a medium difficulty level of installation.

Supplies

An electric goat fence can be mounted on metal T-posts using snap-on plastic insulators

Supplies needed for high tensile wire are: the proper gauge of high tensile wire, posts, insulators, larger corner posts and brace posts. You can use either metal or wooden posts. Either type of post will require an insulator due to the conductivity of the electric fence. The types of insulators differ depending on which posts you use. For wooden posts you will need to nail the insulator to the post, but for a metal T-post you can simply wrap and snap the insulator. It's important to keep in mind that a special type of insulator will need to be used at the corner posts.

Tools

The tools needed for high tensile wire are similar to woven wire. As long as corner posts are involved, a hand-held post hole digger, gas-powered auger post hole digger or a front-end loader will need to be utilized for any wooden post involved.

A gas-powered auger post hole digger is a MUST when you want to install a lot of wooden posts for permanent goat fencing.

A post driver will be needed for metal posts. Other tools and supplies needed include a good hammer, fence pliers, a high tensile wire "Spinning Jenny" (this could mean the difference in a taunt fence or a loose fence), a good pair of working gloves, a fence charger, a ground stake, smaller gauge wire to create a connection with the ground and an electrical source (if solar panel charger is not used).

Procedure to Install

Proper installation of high tensile wire goat fencing begins with the posts being set. Once line posts, corner posts and brace posts are set you can begin stretching the wire. The spinning jenny will become a life saver during this process. It will create a beautiful taut fence with less effort. You should place the fence so as to create a good physical barrier as well as psychological barrier with the use of the electricity. A good placement of the fence wires for goats would be 5 wires from bottom-to-top. Place the first wire 6 inches from the ground, then next wire at 8 inches from there, next 8 inches, next 10 inches and next 10 inches, with a total of 42 inches from ground to top wire. The bottom 2-3 wires should always be hot (in case an animal tries to go under).  There should be a ground at the #3 and #4 wires, and the top 1-2 wires should be hot as well (in case an animal tries to climb over the top).

Electrified high tensile wire must be fed through a special plastic insulator. This can be nailed to a wooden post with a metal staple. The insulator prevents the electric fence from "grounding out" against the wooden post which would stop the fence from working.

Once you stretch the wires, preferably one at a time, begin placing insulators at the same height on every post.  Place the wire inside the insulator. It is important that you install corner wire correctly to eliminate a shortage problem. Run each wire through a special insulator. Then, wrap the insulator-covered wire around the post and tie the wire back to itself. Only the insulator should be touching the post, not the wire. Once all of the wires are in place, it is time for the fence charger installation.

Charger Installation

If the fence charger isn't solar-powered, place it  in a barn or shed close by where electric service is available. If solar-powered, it should be facing the South and placed on a post outside of the pen.

A wire coming from the red terminal on the charger is connected to the fence wire, which applies the electrical charge to the fence. A special tool is used to "crimp" (smash) a special clamp on the end of the charger wire which secures it to the fence wire.

There are two prongs on a fence charger. You should wire the black one to a small metal fence post or grounding rod that is placed in moist soil, and the red one is hot and should be placed on a wire of the fence that should be hot. From that one hot-wire the other wires that should be hot can be connected with wire between them so the electrical charge can move through all of the "hot" wires.

Maintenance

You can maintain high tensile wire goat fencing either by mowing, weed-eating or spraying herbicide, whichever you prefer. Although high tensile wire goat fencing is good, it's not considered the "best" for goats. That leads us to the most popular goat fencing option of all.

The #1 Most Popular Goat Fencing... Woven Wire Fence

The benefits of woven wire is the fact that it is a permanent fence, it is a great boundary fence, it provides adequate security and is low maintenance.

How It Works

Woven Wire gets its name from the fact that wires are "woven" (wrapped) around each other, rather than being welded together. When a goat butts the fence or stands against it, the woven wires will slide and flex without breaking, unlike a welded wire fence.

Woven wire should not be confused with "welded wire" goat fencing. With woven wire, the wires are "woven" together so they slide and flex if a goat stands up against the fence with its front hooves. "Welded wire" fencing, on the other hand, has inflexible welded joints which tend to break when a goat stands up against the fence. So woven wire is the best choice for goats; NOT welded wire. Woven wire is a great perimeter fence that is most likely to keep predators out. This would work well in the country, if there will be a large herd of goats, or if the goats will be used for breeding and kids in the herd are a possibility in the future. Smaller spaces in woven wire are more effective to keep small kids from pushing through, compared to high tensile wire.

Low Maintenance

Woven wire is permanent goat fencing that will provide you with peace of mind, knowing that your goat herd will stay inside and predators will stay outside. Woven wire is a low maintenance type of goat fencing as long as weeds are sprayed and trees are trimmed to keep fences clear from brush and debris that could fall onto it.

Horn Issues

Some negative aspects of woven wire are the fact that horned goats can get their heads stuck, it is permanent, and standard height of 4 feet may not be tall enough. To get around the potential issue of horns getting stuck, make sure that the square spaces in the woven wire you choose are no larger than 4 x 4 inches at the bottom of the fence.

Posts

You should tack up woven wire goat fencing with metal T-posts or wooden fence posts, thereby making it a permanent fence. The process of putting up woven wire with either type of post will take more time than for a temporary electric net fence, so making sure you place the fence correctly the first time will be helpful in the future.

Woven Wire goat fencing with large spaces like this can cause a goat's horns to get stuck easily. To avoid this, use woven wire with spaces no larger than 4 inches by 4 inches.

Proper Height

One disadvantage of woven wire goat fencing is the standard height of 4 feet, which is too easy for some goats to jump over. You can remedy this with one or two strands of barbed wire, or electrified high tensile wire, at the top of the woven wire to successfully contain your lively little goats.

Best Brands

The cost of woven wire varies depending on the type and brand used. The best insurance with woven wire is to not buy cheap brands. Stick to Red Brand or Gaucho, ensure the squares are smaller, the height is at least 4 foot, and the gauge of wire to be 14 ½ or greater. Remember, the smaller number the gauge, the larger the wire (12 gauge is larger wire than 14 gauge). Red Brand woven wire at a height of 47 inches with smaller squares at the bottom will cost $0.45 per foot. (That is not factoring in the cost of post, labor or other supplies, but fence only.)

Installation difficulty is an essential factor in deciding between different types of goat fencing

Woven wire installation is the hardest, but it provides the best physical barriers for the goats. For woven wire you will need supplies like  woven wire fencing, posts, clips or staples, and large corner and brace posts. Once you have decided that woven wire is the goat fencing that meets your needs, then you must decide which type of post to use. Choose between wooden fence posts or metal T-posts and the types of clips or staples you will need for each. For goats, the question to ask for the post selection is...how much money is available? Metal T-posts will be less expensive, but wooden posts will be sturdier and more permanent if you can afford the added cost.

Bendable wire T-post clips are used to connect a wire fence to a metal T-post using a pair of pliers.

If you choose metal T-posts, then you will need to use metal T-post clips to tack the woven wire to the posts. Wooden posts require staples and it is critical to purchase the correct staples. I know this factor seems insignificant, but in reality it is huge. Staples should have double barbs on the ends to ensure that they do not come out of the post over time. One great brand of staple for this is Centaur. You will need large wooden corner posts 6-8 inches in diameter to stabilize the goat fencing. You can place the corner posts in a figure “H” or with a brace at a 45 degree angle to create a secure fence for your goats.

Tools Needed

To install woven wire you will need the following: at least two laborers, a hand-held post hole digger, auger driven post hole digger, or a front-end loader (you will need to choose one of those three for the wooden posts and for the corner posts), a T-post driver (only if metal post are chosen), hammer, fence pliers and a good set of leather gloves.

Installation

Metal U-shaped galvanized fence staples can be used to nail a woven wire fence to a wooden post.

To install woven wire, put the posts into the ground, making sure each is level while also taking into consideration the hills and valleys of the land. You should buy posts that are  a length of 5 feet (60 inches), and make sure you bury at least 1 foot (12 inches) under the ground (this leaves 48 inches above ground for fence placement). You should place them approximately 12-15 feet apart. Once all line posts, corner posts and brace posts are in place, it's time to begin stretching the woven wire. You should place woven wire  far enough off the ground to ensure it will not rot, but low enough to keep your goats within its perimeter. This is where two people are truly needed. One person should stretch and stabilize while the other person staples or ties the clip to the post.

Tip: Place the wire on the inside of the goat fencing to decrease the chances of the goats pushing the fence off the post.

You should stretch the goat fencing from one corner post to the next and then cut and restart. This will ensure that, if a hole or other damage to the fence occurs, then you may only need to replace one side of the goat fencing. It also ensures a more taut fence as you will only have to stretch one side at a time. Difficulty of maintenance of each fence varies. Woven wire will require spraying the ground with herbicide, as mowing or weed eating is not possible due to the lack of ground clearance. Now that we've covered the 3 most popular goat fencing types, let's talk about some other related, important things you need to know.

GOAT FENCE VIDEO - Bad Goat Fence Idea - Don't Do This

This video demonstrates why you should use "woven" wire fencing with goats, NOT "welded" wire.

Video Credit: Chikin Town

Important Tips AFTER Choosing Your Goat Fencing

Goat Fencing Posts - Metal T-Posts vs. Wood

As we discussed above, you can install goat fencing using either metal T-posts or wooden fence posts. So let's discuss how you should determine which to use. If electric net goat fencing is the best option for you, then neither one of these posts are needed. Electric net goat fencing usually comes with its own plastic posts built in. However, if woven wire or high tensile wire is one of your choices then you must decide which type of post you will use to hold your fence up - metal T-posts or wooden posts.

A spring-loaded T-Post Driver tool with handles on it is ideal for pounding metal T-posts into the ground. It's a lot quicker and easier than other methods.

Metal T-posts are less expensive than wooden posts, making them the obvious first choice if money is a priority. If money is not an issue, wooden fence posts would be the best choice due to better durability and permanence. Wooden fence posts provide sturdy goat fencing with the most eye appeal. Installation difficulty is also an important consideration. Metal t-posts are easier to install as they only require moist ground, a T-post driver and a strong laborer. Wooden fence posts require a large piece of equipment to install. It may be a tractor with a front-end loader or a backhoe to push the wooden post into the ground. Another option would be a tractor with an auger-driven post hole digger. The most labor-intensive option for wooden post installation is a hand-driven post hole digger. I would not recommend a hand driven post hole driver for a larger pen.

Important Tip: Even if you choose metal T-posts, larger (6-8” in diameter) wooden posts still need to be used for the corner posts and 5-inch-diameter brace posts.

Regardless of which post type you choose, the height of each post should be no shorter than 5 feet for line posts. The cost of metal posts will add $6.25 to every 12-15 feet ($6.80 for wooden posts). The cost for corner posts is about $15.00 per post (each corner needs three 8” posts and two 4-6” posts).

Troubleshooting Goat Fencing Problems

Troubleshooting your newly built goat fencing may not be a problem at first, but eventually something is going to go wrong. For woven wire, troubleshooting is simple - find the hole and patch it. If your problem is the goats jumping over, take away their crutch for jumping over (nearby objects) or place 1-2 strands of barbed wire or electric wire at the top of the woven wire. You can also utilize combinations of 1-2 strands of electric wire in front of woven wire. For troubleshooting electric goat fencing that has quit working, it is a matter of process of elimination. The easiest way to determine a problem with electric goat fencing is to start at the fence charger itself. Make sure the fence charger is running properly. To do this use a fence tester and place it on the red prong of the fence charger. If that is working, then check the ground rod.

A wire from the black terminal of the fence charger is connected to a series of several "Ground Rods" nailed into the ground. A good connection to the ground is important for an electric fence to work properly.

Confirm that the ground rod has moist soil around it and be sure to insert it deep enough into the ground (in dry areas or during times of drought it may be necessary to pour water at the bottom of the ground rod). The next step is to trace the wires from the charger. Make sure the wires from the hot prong on the fence charger are hooked up to the proper wires or net fence. If so, continue to follow the wires or fence with the fence tester to find an area where it goes from a good voltage to an area where voltage is lost. Check the perimeter of the goat fencing for grass, weeds, brush, limbs or trees touching the fence. Make sure the goat fencing is free of debris to ensure it is at a proper functionality. After a storm, be sure to walk around the perimeter of the goat fencing to check for any limbs, trees or other debris that might have fallen onto the fence. As mentioned before, a great investment for an electric goat fencing is an alert light that will blink when the goat fencing is no longer electrified.

Gate Options

Deciding the type and size of gate is the last step to building a pen for your goats. The gates, much like the goat fencing choices, must be goat-proof. Gates vary from common metal pipe gates to mesh filled gates. They can vary in lengths of 4 foot to 16 foot, and heights of most commonly about 4 feet. Some metal pipe gates have smaller spacing at the bottom than at the top which will deter your goats from getting their head stuck through them.

A long gate for your goat pasture, covered with woven wire, is a good choice. It allows you enough room to bring in a truck, trailer or tractor when hauling in equipment or large hay bales, or when loading up goats to be taken to a show or other destination.  

The most important factor in a gate is the length. If you plan on feeding round bales of hay, it is necessary to have at least a 12-foot gate to allow a tractor or truck through to set the bales out. If you plan on feeding square bales and/or grain, a smaller gate will be adequate enough for your needs.

Keep Your Goats Entertained

(So They Don't Want to Escape)

Find a way to entice your goats to stay within their pen, or it will be more difficult to keep them there. A few things that can help them stay content are feed, good hay, good grass, supplements, toys and shelter. Evaluate your grass situation. Do this by identifying quantity and quality of grass available in the pen and taking soil samples. You may need to fertilize, spray or seed annually or biannually to keep grass quality at an adequate level. If grass quality is an issue, ensure that good quality hay and/or grain is being supplemented. If you use temporary goat fencing, consider moving it frequently to discourage over-grazing of one area. Supplemental mineral blocks or loose minerals are also vital, not only for health reasons, but also to keep your goats happy within their pens. If they are deficient in a mineral they may escape to try and find it elsewhere. Always keep a shelter for your goats so they can escape the weather and extreme temperature, and so they feel secure within their pen.

Goats love to climb on plastic playground equipment. It keeps them entertained so they aren't so focused on trying to escape through the goat fencing around their pasture.

The last tip to keep your goats from escaping is to keep them entertained. Give them toys. Goats are fun-loving animals that love to run, jump and play even as adults. Place large balls, barrels or blocks in their pen to keep your goats happy and yourself entertained.

Dealing With a Chronically Troublesome Goat

Unfortunately, there are times when all you can do is never enough for that Houdini goat. Once all options are completely exhausted, including triangular neck collars (which train a stubborn animal to stop escaping through fencing), it may be time to make the decision to sell a troublesome goat. A troublesome goat not only causes issues for you, but can lead your whole herd into danger by showing them how to escape as well.

Conclusion

In review, choose the fence that best suits your needs. Ask yourself important questions like...

• What is the environment like where I will raise my goats?
• How many goats do I plan to have?
• Do I plan on breeding my goats or having them as pets only?

Woven wire (the #1 most popular type of goat fencing) and high tensile electric wire (#2) are great choices for the large herd in a rural setting, especially if breeding goats is in the plan. A good confinement for an in-town setting, backyard pets or temporary situations is electric net goat fencing (#3). Cost, installation difficulty and maintenance are all factors you should consider in selecting your goat fencing.   Whether you're building new goat fencing, replacing old goat fencing or enhancing existing goat fencing, I hope this article has given you plenty of tips on how to keep your goats safely inside their enclosure.

Other Tips for Goat Beginners

Goat fencing is the only downside to keeping goats – and it can be a huge one, fellow homesteaders. I thought I armed myself with enough knowledge to prepare myself for the escape artist antics of goats, but I was oh so wrong.

Doing your due diligence when getting ready to keep goats will definitely save you time, money, frustration, and sore muscles from all the fence mending that will need to take place.

If you have neighbors, they will probably only be kind hearted about your herds great escape one or twice.

Getting it right the first time is truly the way to go when erecting a goat fence. Now, for the sake of absolute transparency, I need to tell you that I no longer keep my goats in a fence of any type on a daily basis. We live on a 56-acre survival homestead with absolutely no neighbors in sight.

Thanks to this awesome set up (including a creek near the end of our private half mile farm road the goats refuse to cross) I do not have the same worries that goat keepers on smaller acreage are forced to deal with.

I taught our highly intelligent herd of miniature goats to free-range – as I did the standard-sized goats we had for a short amount of time.

The process was decidedly easy, and I was determined to defy all of the naysayers who said it would be an impossible task.

Perhaps I will write a “how to” article to help others who want to do the same thing, but for now, we are going to tackle how to build the perfect goat fence – it can be done.

Even though my goat herd free ranges to keep out woods cut back and prevent the need for us to ever mow any grass or weed eat, I still have several small areas fenced in for temporary use by members of our goat herd: the nursing stalls, a quarantine habitat, and a converted horse stall with a fenced top cover for put up at night.

My limited use goat fenced in areas follow the same procedure and premise as should be used when constructing a permanent goat fence around a pen or browsing pasture area.

The Two Jobs of Any Goat Fence

A perfect goat fence must do two things: keep the goats in and predators out. You herd of goats will only stay alive and healthy is the fence does its job – when the fence fails, the herd will not last long.

Wise words from my popaw danced through my head when I first started fencing in goat areas – and it would serve you well to heed them also.

Pop said, “if you want to know if your goats can get out of the fence, simply pour a cup of water over it. If the water flows through the fence, expect the goats to as well.” Wise words, indeed.

Goat Fencing Planning Tips

• Expect the goats, no matter how docile, to assume the grass is greener on the other side of the fence and both push and attempt to climb over the barrier – near constantly.
• While you do not want your goat fencing to be at all flexible, you yourself must be. Like humans, all goats are different. A perfect goat fencing for one homesteader and the type and number of goats he or she keeps might be a near miss someone else.
• The size of the goats will play a determining role in both the height and weight of materials used to pen them.
• If the goat pen or pasture is small or too many goats are house together, expect more attempts at escapes.
• Placing natural or man-made objects to climb over, under, and through in the goat pen will help keep the herd both physically and mentally stimulated. A bored goat is far more likely to become keenly focused on escape attempts – and can become aggressive to other herd members and human keepers. Remember, goats are superb jumpers as well as climbers. Always place play and climbing structures in the middle of the pen to ensure the goats cannot use their “toys” to help them jump or climb to freedom.
• Fencing for standard size goats must be at least 42 inches tall to ensure they cannot jump over them. Miniature goats herds require a fence that is only 32 to 36 inches tall to prevent similar escape attempts.
• Always consider the type of predators that would view your goat herd as a fine meal, when pondering the type of fencing materials to use.
• Always use pressure treated lumber when using wood materials as part of your goat fencing plan.

Goat Fencing Materials

There are multiple good goat fencing materials options.

Which ones you choose to use when erecting a goat fence will depend on your budget, the space being fenced, the predators you are trying to keep out, as well as the size of goats being kept.

4 Best Goat Fencing Materials Choices:

1. Wood Panels – 2 X 4 or 4 X 4 boards mounted to hardwood corner and perimeter panel posts.
2. Livestock Panels – goat panels only on interior portion of fence but hog panels of cattle panels can be used on exterior levels to better deter predators.
3. Electrical Fencing – This is used ONLY as an addition to bolster safety around and on top of other more sturdy goat fencing materials being used. Electrical fencing is also highly recommended to be placed onto interior fencing levels to keep the herd backed away from the primary perimeter to deter climbing, and to better ensure they are out of reach of predator paws and claws.
4. Barbed Wire – This too is used only to keep goats away from the primary fencing materials and not a sole fencing barrier. Barbed wire placed around primary fencing and on top of it will help deter predators, goat climbing, and keep the goats away from the fence and out of reach of predators trying to reach inside.

Goat Fencing Interior First Layer

Regardless of the breed or size of goats you decide to keep, none of the fencing materials used should have an opening that exceeds four inches.

Such an opening will allow a goat to push its head through but, typically, will not allow the head to move back in because the horns will get stuck.

A panicked goat with its head stuck in the fencing will jerk and pull, and thrash about frantically trying to get free, hurting itself, breaking its own neck, or hanging itself, in the process.

If a predator is in the area or attracted to it by all the noise, the goat is essentially serving itself up on a platter.

I would recommend using a first layer of fencing on the interior of the pen that has even smaller openings.

A goat can put its hooves into such an open space to attempt to climb the fence, and either get up and over or have its legs slip through the space and get stuck on other layers of fencing or injured – sometimes severely.

The best options for the inside pen layer of fencing:

• Wood posts
• Wood pressure treated boards spaced no further than two inches apart
• Metal wire panels – goat panels
• Wood pallets

Make sure that the metal wire panels you purchase are actually goat panels.

The same style of fencing is made for both hogs and cattle – and they have openings that are simply too large to be safe for use an an interior fencing barrier for goats.

Goat Panels

These metal wire panels are also referred to as sheep panels. They are four feet high, and have smaller openings to deter climbing.

Hog panes are a little bit shorter than three feet tall, and have wider openings between the metal wire.

Cattle panels are four or even five feet tall and also have wider openings. All versions of livestock panels that I have ever seen either in a store or on a farm are always 16 feet long.

Chain Link Fencing

Never use chain link fencing as the interior layer of a goat pen. The openings are too large and the goats will attempt to climb it, and potentially cause injury to a leg that slips into the opening.

Some newbie goat keepers have tried using 6 foot tall versions of chain link fence as a goat pen perimeter, thinking it would completely prevent climbing or jumping over by the goats and better protect them from predators.

While such a fence is too tall to jump or climb by goats, the openings simply make it far too dangerous of a first layer option.

Climbing predators like mountain lions and bobcats will not be deterred by the height. Bears might not be as well.

Skipping a top layer on a pen that will also serve as sleeping quarters because such a tall fence is used could lead to disastrous results.

Using chain link fencing as a second layer of goat fencing can be a fine idea because it is so sturdy, has strong metal posts, and a tight and secure fitting bottom – but do not skip the hardware cloth trenching even if using chain link fencing on a goat pen.

Electric Fencing or High Tensile Wire

A layer or high tensile wire or electric fence netting on the interior fencing area can also help prevent climbing onto the main fence support by the herd.

Electric fence netting is my least favorite electrical fencing option. It is quicker and easier to erect, but is also easier for the goats to get tangled in.

High tensile wire is an extremely durable livestock fencing option – when it is strung correctly and attached to proper posts. It takes longer to install that wood planks or livestock metal panels but stands the test of time.

High tensile wire must be attached to wood posts and not metal T posts, and is secured in place with sturdy post staples.

Goat Fencing Exterior Layers

Once the interior goat safe and anti-climbing portion of the fencing is installed, it is time to add at least one additional exterior barrier against predators, a top border, and ideally, a top cover.

The top border should be either electrical fencing or barbed wire – or both. I prefer using both to better thwart creatures that climb who also want to eat my herd of miniature goats.

The exterior layer of the goat fencing can be a combination of electrical wire, barbed wire, or metal wire panels. – or again, a combination of all three.

You can safely use hog or cattle panels (which are often easier to find) as an exterior goat fencing layer because the herd members will not be able to actually reach them unless outside of the pen.

The more barriers you place between your goats and the outside world, the safer they are from themselves and predators when your back is turned.

Goat Fencing Support Posts

Hardwood fence posts that are at least 10 inches in diameter should be used as corner posts.

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They must be sunk at least one and a half feet into the ground, and still extend to the desired height for your herd type, above ground.

Unless you are dealing with large predators like bears, wolves, and mountain lions, smaller hardwood posts (diameter at least 4” wide) or metal T posts can be used as side supports.

If you are keeping large goats or ones that are known to not like being penned, consider using wood posts instead of metal T posts, because they may not be able to stand up to the frequent pushing on the fence by the goats.

Even goats that are not primed for an immediate escape 24/7 will rub up against the post very often to scratch both their backs and in-between their horns.

In my personal experience, T posts tend to shift more as the ground freezes and thaws or becomes incredibly muddy during a rainy spring, than wood posts.

Place a post every six feet along the goat fencing if keeping a standard size herd. When keeping miniature goat breeds it is often safe to place posts every eight feet.

The posts must be firmly attached to the fencing layers it is supporting. Never uses zip ties.

I do not care how many times you may read that doing so will provide enough strength and the goats will not chew them. Using zip ties simply will not work over a long period of time – or sometimes even over a short one.

I recently used zip ties to attach some hog panels to T posts when making a simple barrier to keep the goats away from our round hay bale storage area.

My cheap and easy fix did not last three days before the goats had chewed through them and I had to cut metal wire and wrap the hog panels to the T posts like I should have done in the first place.

If a goat chews through a few zip ties during the night, the herd can immediately become more vulnerable to predators, if not escape entirely from its pen.

If zip ties are chewed upon over time and snap, or several are chewed through during the day and only loosen the fence and the need to make a repair goes unnoticed, the same bad result can (and likely will) occur.

Instead, use wire that is of a thick gauge or fence staples, depending upon the type of goat fencing materials that you are using.

Electrical fencing plastic attachment pieces vary depending upon the type of charged wire, string, or tape that you are using.

The roll the electrical fencing being wrapped around will have instructionals and often a photo, of the types of fencing attachments that should be purchased separately to use when erecting.

A solar energizer (charger) type or sometimes even brand, will also be noted on the roll of electrical fencing. The solar charger will probably be the most expensive item on the goat fencing budget.

Goat Pen Gate

The gate that connects the goat fencing must be as sturdy, tall, and secure as the barrier itself.

The simplest yet safest way to make a livestock gate is to build a picket fence style gate that is as tall as the fencing, and cover it on each side with metal wire panels – goat panels on the interior.

You can also purchase a metal livestock gate from an agricultural supply store, and simply install it between to corner size hardwood posts.

Make certain to purchase a gate that is designed for goats so the openings in-between the metal gate rails are not too far apart.

If you are running electrical fencing around the goat pen, you will also need to install a gate designed to work with them to connect the beginning and ending sections of the electrical wire, string, or tape.

These gates look like slinky coils with a rubber covered piece of metal that serves as a latch. The latch can be connected to a fence staple or nail to secure it in place.

When installing the electrical fencing gate, make certain it will not dangle low enough to touch either the homemade wood and metal gate or the purchased metal livestock gate.

Otherwise, the connection of the two materials will cause it to short out, leaving the goat herd vulnerable to escape and to predators.

A gate should be built out of hardwood or be a small livestock metal gate. Always use at least one two step lock on the gate to prevent the goats from nudging it open and to deter predators.

The goat fencing gate should have a two step lock to prevent it from being knocked free by nudging of the gate by the herd.

Two-sided clasp livestock hardware work well for goat closures, but can freeze during the winter and be difficult to open.

Goat Fencing Beyond The Pen

In addition to erecting and securing a goat pen, you should also factor the creation of at least one nursing stall and quarantine area into your goat husbandry budget.

The stall also includes a climbing ramp to entertain the kids, and to give the goat momma break while penned in small quarters.

The stall has topper on it and has hardware cloth from the top of the wood stall sides to the topper to ensure predators don’t get in, and the baby goats don’t climb up the ramp and jump out.

Our goat nursing stall if 12 feet wide and a little more than five feet deep. It is large enough for a nanny goat to have freedom of movement when kept inside for several days, before it appears she is getting ready for kidding.

A quarantine stall and living quarters follow the same design as the nursing stall. This space allows me to keep a new goat separate from the herd in a safe place where it cannot get out and predators cannot get in.

It is vital to have a space to place an injured goat, a sick goat, and to quarantine a new goat for two weeks to ensure it is healthy, before putting it in with the rest of the herd.

I strongly caution against using one stall or secure space to pull double duty as both a nursing stall and a quarantine stall.

Doing so could allow a pregnant nanny or her kids to come into contact with contaminated hay or other bacteria that was not completely removed or disinfected after a stay indoors by a sick member of the herd.

Predator-Proofing Goat Fencing

Because keeping predators out is one of the two things all goat fencing must do to be effective barriers, using materials that will deter attacks is of the utmost importance.

With every type of fencing you decide to use when enclosing an area for goats, consider any and all predators that will want to get inside, and how those animals walk, climb, claw, bite, or attack before buying materials.

A fellow homesteader friend once had a sheep attacked severely by a predator that reached its claws in through split rail fencing, and held it tight while biting it about the head and neck until there was nearly nothing left.

Know your predators folks, doing otherwise can most assuredly cause tragic and needless loss on your homestead.

A Note on Chicken Wire Fencing: Bad Idea

I have known folks who actually used chicken wire fencing to attempt to keep their goats in – they were not goat keepers for very long.

The idea behind going what seemed to be a bargain basement route to goat fencing involved the small openings in the fencing that the keepers felt the goats could not get their hooves into to climb.

Well, they can and will. Chicken wire is very pliable, which is why it is lousy at keeping chicken predators, like the deadly mink, out of the hen house.

It does not take much weight at all for even a young miniature breed goat to force the chicken wire opening to expand when a hoof is placed on it during a climbing attempt.

Not only will a goat climb a chicken wire fence, it will also get both its hooves and horns through and stuck in the fence, during the fight to free themselves from it.

Chicken wire will NOT keep out any predator that seeks to attack a goat, except, maybe, a domestic dog. Nix any ideas of using chicken wire to pen in even miniature goats or their kids.

The only place I use chicken wire for our goat herd is to cover the top of the nursing and quarantine stalls. Because the fencing is placed over five feet from ground level, there is no danger of the goats getting tangled in it.

Goat kids, especially mini goat kids, are prime targets for hawks, eagles, and bobcats.

If a bobcat worked long enough, it could claw the openings in the chicken wire wide enough to get through it, but they do not want to either drop the more than five feet to the ground…

They’ll also have difficulty getting back out of the stall, and they won’t want to walk out onto something that gives even the tiniest bit under their weight.

Coyote-Proofing a Goat Fence

The number one predator of goats almost everywhere is the coyote. Just one coyote can kill multiple goats in a single night.

A nursing nanny goat and her kids are often prime targets of coyotes because even a large nanny will be in a weakened state after giving birth, and will be unable to fend off the attack – especially since she will be focused on the welfare of her kids.

Billy goats (or bucks, if you prefer) are not immune to coyote takes.

A large male goat can shove and use its horns to attempt to thwart the coyote, but the entire time the predator will be reaching in or around the goat to bite anywhere it can grab to disable its meal.

To deter coyotes from getting inside your goat pen you will need to use wood fencing with 2 X 4 or 4 X 4 slats or metal livestock panels as interior and exterior layer fencing materials, as well as electric fencing.

Keeping Domesticated Dogs Away

Your sweet little Fido may be a goat killer in disguise. Sometimes, goats and dogs get along famously – until they don’t.

Many goat keepers urge newbies to never allow goats and dogs to get too close to each other or be alone together, even if they have gotten along without incident for months – or even years. I cannot say they are wrong.

Goat fencing that will prevent any domesticated dogs, yours or strays, from getting through or under the goat fencing will not only need to be strong enough and sturdy enough to prevent a dog from pushing through it, but thwart digging under it as well.

The best way to keep dogs out of the goat pen is to trench a one foot wide and six inch deep space around the perimeter of the pen. Line the area with hardware cloth (rabbit hutch wire), and fill it back in with dirt.

Use a bottom board or pipe at the base of your fence to ensure there is no chance of the end of the fencing separating from the bottom of the perimeter.

A dog or any other predator with a tendency to burrow, should be prevented from digging their way inside the goat pen.

Bobcats Proofing Goat Fencing

As nocturnal hunters, bobcats will be roving for a meal when the goat herd is most vulnerable. The herd should be put up at night in a barn stall with a closed top or inside of their own little barn.

Any billy goat or other mature goat that attempts to use head butting and horn jabs to protect young goats or a lactating nanny from being attacked can be seriously harmed or killed in the process.

A bobcat would rarely ever attack a standard size goat or even a mature miniature goat, unless it happened to be a nanny who was weakened and distracted after kidding.

A bobcat will definitely prey upon goat kids at any given opportunity.

Add electrical fencing to the top of goat fencing set up that used 2 X 4 or 4 X 4 pressure treated wood slats and hardwood posts and / or livestock metal panels to construct the goat fencing will help deter bobcats, dogs, coyotes, and a host of other predators.

Electrical fencing alone will not keep predators out or goats in, but it does provide another layer of protection from escapes and attacks that can be invaluable.

Stringing several layers of barbed wire in between and above the electrical fencing placed at the top of the goat fencing will also deter this deadly climbing predator.

Coyotes are considered nuisance predators in the vast majority of states, meaning you can shoot to kill if the wild animals are threatening your livestock.

Bobcats are definitely nuisance predators as well, but protected ones. If you shoot a bobcat, you had better be prepared to convince a livestock agent, forest ranger, or other law enforcement believe it was a last resort effort.

The fines are steep for harming a bobcat, and doing so can include jail time if convicted of such charges.

Keeping Wolves Out of the Goat Pen

Wolves will choose to attack large livestock like cattle over a smaller meal of goat, but when hungry, any inhabitant will suffice.

A wood fence with slats no further apart that two inches as an exterior layer with goat panels on the interior layer will help prevent a wolf from either pushing through the goat fencing or stretching a paw inside to claw at the herd.

You will need to add barbed wire and – or electrical fencing at the top of the goat fencing to help prevent wolves from climbing over the barrier and into the goat pen.

To deter nocturnal predators like wolves and bobcats, add some solar fence post lights and motion detector lights on and around your goat pen.

Wolves can and will attack a goat herd and, perhaps, kill multiple members during a single nighttime hunt.

Wolves once enjoyed the same protected status as bobcats in all 50 states, but some now allow for the killing of wolves that are threatening livestock and property.

Know the laws in your state before hunting for these predators, or risk high fines and possible jail time.

Preventing Foxes From Getting Inside the Goat Pen

These predators are among the smallest that threaten a goat herd, but are deadly, and must be fenced out of the pen all the same.

Typically, a fox will target poultry birds for a meal, but an unprotected goat kid would quickly grab the attention of these sly predators, as well.

Both the noise and frequent romping of goat kids will rapidly attract the attention of any fox lurking on your homestead.

While a large and aggressive billy goat can sometimes deter a fox determined to get fed, a wether, doeling, or nanny goat often cannot.

Use the hardware cloth trenched perimeter 4 X 4 boards spanning the entire ground level portion of the fencing border to help deter these burrowing predators.

This same design should be used when constructing a nursing and goat quarantine pen or stall.

The goat fencing barriers best suited to keeping a fox out include wood and goat panels. Adding some barbed wire or electrical fencing to the barrier sides as well as a few strands at the top is also a good idea.

A fox is a rather unique predator because it is one of the few animals that has been known to kill just for sport. In most states, a fox is considered a nuisance predator.

Visit your state’s department of natural resources website to learn more about your options to deter and put down these small but mighty attackers.

Keeping Goat Kids Safe From Birds of Prey

A bird is only a threat to a goat kid or an injured young goat. But, the two top birds of prey, hawks and eagles, both enjoy protected status.

The only legal way you can prevent the loss of goat kids to these predators is to outsmart them.

A large bird of prey is capable of swooping down to the ground in the blink of an eye, and flying off with any animal that weighs no more than five pounds.

A goat kid, especially one from a miniature breed, will not weigh this much when born.

I never allow my mini breed goat kids to free range or roam outside of a pen with a covered top until they are two months old due our large hawk population.

A kid that is snatched by a hawk but is too large or struggling to much for the bird to successfully fly away can be dropped to the ground, and killed or severely injured.

Cover the nursing stall and young kid pen with chicken wire, hardware cloth, or bird netting to prevent attacks from birds of prey. Hawks have incredibly magnified eyesight.

To keep them away from my chicken coop I painted two large eyes on top of it. Silly, sure. But a fellow homesteader told me he has done so for years, and it actually seems to help.

Using motion activated decoys, especially those shaped like an owl, also seems to provide some deterrent for hawks.

Bird tape is rather expensive to purchase to use in large quantities, but psychedelic duct tape has the same prism effect, and is a far cheaper option.

Use bird tape or the duct on top of the goat pen, on the side of feeders and waterers, and anywhere else that it might catch a bit of sunshine and bother the eyes of birds of prey enough that they choose to pass your barnyard on by and search for a meal in a less annoying place.

Protecting Goats From Mountain Lions

Mountain lions (or cougars, if you prefer) hunt and kill large livestock during both daytime and nighttime hours. They are one of the most formidable predators any barnyard livestock could have.

Even the largest and most aggressive and big horned billy goat will be no match for a hungry mountain lion.

If you are forced to deal with large predators like cougars or bears, the goat fencing materials you choose have to be sturdy, tall, and attached to equally stout posts.

A top cover on a goat pen or stall is essential if mountain lions exist where you are keeping goats. Like bobcats, cougars will not want to walk or climb onto fencing that gives beneath their weight.

Chicken wire will not be the best option for a top covering when dealing with mountain lions, or bears.

Hog panel metal fencing should be used to cover the entire top of the goat pen.

Yes, this will be quite an expensive fencing material, but will still be cheaper than losing an entire herd and having to buy all of your meat and milk at the grocery store from here on out.

Using 2 X 4 or 4 X 4 wood boards or even logs, is an equally sturdy option for goat fencing that will thwart mountain lions – and a cheaper one.

However, more top to ground hardwood post supports will be necessary (increasing price) and the manual labor involved in building the goat fencing will be more physically time consuming.

Once the hog panels or wood boards are in place, the entire area will need to be covered in chicken wire or hardware cloth as an added layer of protection for the reach of strong arms, legs, and claws. If using wood boards or beams, place them no wider than five inches apart.

Light and sound deterrents as noted above, should also be incorporated into you fencing designed to deter cougars and other large predators.

Deterring Bears From Getting Into the Goat Pen

To keep bears out of a goat pen you will have to invest both more time and money into the project than you would to keep any other predator out – including mountain lions and wolves.

To keep a bear out of your goat pen you will need to use wood boards, hardwood posts throughout, metal fencing (such as hog panels) electric fencing, and construct a sturdy top cover, as well.

Motion activated decoys and solar lighting can also help convince a bear to move on to a less fortified, loud, and bright target… if the predator is not too hungry, that is.

A bear would prefer to take down a cow instead of a goat to fill its stomach, but these ferocious yet beautiful wild animals will not be picky when their stomach starts to growl.

If a goat herd is minus two or four members during a single night, and the only thing you find as a clue in the pen are big spots of blood, a bear has come to call.

Keeping goats in a pen or stall and predators out can feel like a too daunting of a task, but if you plan properly after garnering the knowledge you must posses to keep predators at bay, you only have to build a goat fence once.

Fencing Maintenance

Any fencing will need repairs over time, but choosing the right materials to protect your animals and keep them within your chosen boundaries will go an incredibly long way in keeping fence maintenance to a minimum.

Going into this article you likely already knew that keeping goats in was going to be a tumultuous task, and now you know that keeping predators out to keep them alive can be a daunting chore as well.

Always inspect your goat fencing daily. If a goat finds a breach in its armor after you have put them up for the night, you could arrive at the barnyard in the morning for feed time, only to be greeted by a smiling herd standing somewhere they definitely do not belong.

Once a goat has discovered a spot that it can poke its nose through, the animal will work tirelessly to widen the hole to get its entire head out – even if pulling it back through is not going to be an option.

Those greener pasture noted above can be quite an alluring sight for a curious goat.

Checking your fence daily for signs of trouble and remembering to plan ahead when building a goat herd to avoid costly and time consuming fence expansions later on, will help ensure a happy, healthy, protected, and securely fenced herd for years to come.

Keeping miniature donkeys in with the goats or allowing them to free range next to the goat pen can also help keep predators, especially coyotes, far away from the fence and the herd itself.

Adding a pair of livestock guardian dogs to the barnyard can also help prevent predators from testing the limits of your goat fencing.