Chat
08-08-2021, 06:18 PM
Thank You, Nanno, Nathan, and Taffy for your thorough responses! Your answers gave me a lot to think about and research, which I appreciate!
So first things first, I did join Napga, great suggestion.
2nd, I wanted to let you know more of my plans and see what you think, plus ask a few detail oriented questions.
I have identified the space where I want to build the 3 sided goat barn and the "goat yard" where they will be corralled every night for safety sake. This space is about 100 feet long x 110 feet wide. It will contain the entrance to the loafing shed, a baby goat corral, an adolescent area, goat obstacle course and feeders etc.
Question 1. is 100x110ft adequate space for appx 10 goats of varying ages. Maybe 15 goats at most? (i think I read that 250 square feet per goat was good, but not sure if that was for grazing animals or corralled animals etc.)
Question 2. do I have to segregate milking does from Wethers?
I have decided to do some form of economical woven fence, in combination with hot wires around the goat yard in order to keep costs down, predators out, and goats off the woven fence as Nanno suggested.
Question 3. how small does the woven fence need to be to keep Horned baby goats heads from getting caught in it? 4"x4" field fence is the cheapest, but will get 2"x4" horse fence or utility fabric if the spaces need to be that small.
Question 4. Can I use say 4 foot tall woven fence below either 1 or 2 single strand hot wires that are strung at 5', or at 5' and 6 feet? or should I just spring for 5' minimum woven fence with hot wires above? I could see a tall horned goat getting his head over a 4 foot fence and under the hot wire. Though I plan to have a hotwire inside the fence and outside the fence at 1',3', and 5' levels respectively.
For rotational grazing purposes, I really like the price and mobility of the electric netted fence idea, so that is how I am going to proceed with getting the goats out on the larger pasture. I researched the premier1 fence line products and they seem to have good options in this fence category, and in their solar chargers, but they only go to 48 inches tall from what I can find.
Question 5. How tall does my mobile electric net fence need to be to contain the goats during day light hours? Is premier1 fencing good, or should I be looking at a different manufacturer? Furthermore, is anyone using this to keep their goats safe in backcountry camps at night? I have used smaller versions of this for food storage on the Smith River, seems like it would have less impact on backcountry sites than hi lining a string of goats and be better protection for them.
Question 6. Is there any advantages or disadvantages to having a wood floored barn for the goats? Seems like it might be warmer in the winter? Easier to scoop and clean. What might I be missing?
Question 7. Can folks recommend a breed or two of gaudian dogs? will these dogs experience anxiety being left at home when I am hunting, or packing with the goats, or do folks take them with? I could take them on training excursions, not sure I want to add dogs to my hunting and wilderness ranger work?
Nanno, interesting thoughts, and experiences you have had with Alfalfa, I will definitely be keeping that in mind and being careful/researching its use. I take it you supplement with copper and selenium then? or do you just not worry about it, as you watch alfalfa consumption carefully?
It sounds like I will have to keep my goats in tip top shape in order to get the kind of miles out of them that I typically do on foot, 8 miles is probably my shortest trail day for work, but I am encouraged by what I am hearing.
You folks rock! thanks so much for taking the time to read and then answer my questions.
I will be heeding much of your advice and will share my progress here for all to see. My wife and I are super excited to get started! We just had goat milk for the first time today and were surprised how unremarkable it was, as in it did not have any off tastes and we liked it quite alot. Hence, my question about whether and doe segregation. it would be freakin awesome to have a milking doe in the backcountry!
Lindy
So first things first, I did join Napga, great suggestion.
2nd, I wanted to let you know more of my plans and see what you think, plus ask a few detail oriented questions.
I have identified the space where I want to build the 3 sided goat barn and the "goat yard" where they will be corralled every night for safety sake. This space is about 100 feet long x 110 feet wide. It will contain the entrance to the loafing shed, a baby goat corral, an adolescent area, goat obstacle course and feeders etc.
Question 1. is 100x110ft adequate space for appx 10 goats of varying ages. Maybe 15 goats at most? (i think I read that 250 square feet per goat was good, but not sure if that was for grazing animals or corralled animals etc.)
Question 2. do I have to segregate milking does from Wethers?
I have decided to do some form of economical woven fence, in combination with hot wires around the goat yard in order to keep costs down, predators out, and goats off the woven fence as Nanno suggested.
Question 3. how small does the woven fence need to be to keep Horned baby goats heads from getting caught in it? 4"x4" field fence is the cheapest, but will get 2"x4" horse fence or utility fabric if the spaces need to be that small.
Question 4. Can I use say 4 foot tall woven fence below either 1 or 2 single strand hot wires that are strung at 5', or at 5' and 6 feet? or should I just spring for 5' minimum woven fence with hot wires above? I could see a tall horned goat getting his head over a 4 foot fence and under the hot wire. Though I plan to have a hotwire inside the fence and outside the fence at 1',3', and 5' levels respectively.
For rotational grazing purposes, I really like the price and mobility of the electric netted fence idea, so that is how I am going to proceed with getting the goats out on the larger pasture. I researched the premier1 fence line products and they seem to have good options in this fence category, and in their solar chargers, but they only go to 48 inches tall from what I can find.
Question 5. How tall does my mobile electric net fence need to be to contain the goats during day light hours? Is premier1 fencing good, or should I be looking at a different manufacturer? Furthermore, is anyone using this to keep their goats safe in backcountry camps at night? I have used smaller versions of this for food storage on the Smith River, seems like it would have less impact on backcountry sites than hi lining a string of goats and be better protection for them.
Question 6. Is there any advantages or disadvantages to having a wood floored barn for the goats? Seems like it might be warmer in the winter? Easier to scoop and clean. What might I be missing?
Question 7. Can folks recommend a breed or two of gaudian dogs? will these dogs experience anxiety being left at home when I am hunting, or packing with the goats, or do folks take them with? I could take them on training excursions, not sure I want to add dogs to my hunting and wilderness ranger work?
Nanno, interesting thoughts, and experiences you have had with Alfalfa, I will definitely be keeping that in mind and being careful/researching its use. I take it you supplement with copper and selenium then? or do you just not worry about it, as you watch alfalfa consumption carefully?
It sounds like I will have to keep my goats in tip top shape in order to get the kind of miles out of them that I typically do on foot, 8 miles is probably my shortest trail day for work, but I am encouraged by what I am hearing.
You folks rock! thanks so much for taking the time to read and then answer my questions.
I will be heeding much of your advice and will share my progress here for all to see. My wife and I are super excited to get started! We just had goat milk for the first time today and were surprised how unremarkable it was, as in it did not have any off tastes and we liked it quite alot. Hence, my question about whether and doe segregation. it would be freakin awesome to have a milking doe in the backcountry!
Lindy