Making Paddocks, Part 2
I am very excited that our new pasture is almost ready for the goats. We hired professionals to do the boundary fence and watering system and we did the interior fencing today. Now we just have to hook up the energizer and clean up some leftover fencing materials. If all goes well, we’ll get the goats moved in later this week.
The hardest part will be moving the goats. That pasture is about a quarter mile from where they are now so we’ll probably load them into the livestock trailer to haul them down there.
I’m sure it will be easier than loading the pigs. That was a fiasco! You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to get a pig into a trailer. After many failed attempts, including chasing pigs down our road and falling in the poopy end of the pig pen, we finally left the trailer set up with their food in it overnight so if they wanted to eat they had to go into the trailer. It worked and we just closed the door behind them. Why didn’t we think of that first?!? But I digress…
We now have 4 paddocks in the pasture so we will be able to rotate the does in 2 paddocks and the bucks in the other 2, and still have an empty paddock between them at all times. That’s a good thing since we don’t want any accidental breedings. We should really have about 3 times as many paddocks, but the pasture is not big enough. We have plans to add more pastures.
I am a little nervous about having the goats so far away from the house, but we have a neighbor whose house overlooks the pasture and I’m sure he will let us know if there is any trouble. Not only that, we installed a 4′ high 4″ wire mesh boundary fence that has barbed wire underneath it and 3 strands of electric offset to the inside. Our fencing contractors thought I was a little crazy to put in such an expensive fence but at least I won’t be up at night worrying about our goats. Besides, if it prevents even one coyote attack it will have been worth it.
Hello. I just found your blog and am thankful for the many "tutorials" on tunnels and such. Your fencing does sound good and sound. Do you have mountain lions where you live? We've dealt with four over the past three years but I have managed to not have an issue with the coyotes….yet!
Mrs. Bee, I don't think we have mountain lions but we do have bobcats. We have not had a predator attack yet. For the past year, our goats have been enclosed with polywire temporary fencing. It has worked great. The key is to have a really strong fence energizer and a good ground. One shock, and no animal will touch it again. We also have dogs. We don't keep them with the goats but I think their barking still helps to keep predators at bay.