Pen Suggestions ~ Updated with PHOTOS

[lupinfarm]

I'm having some issues with my new goat pen. We've decided to scrap the 4-board idea since bringing home April and have also decided to double the size of the pen. My issue is that beyond a certain point I can no longer sink wood posts. There just isn't enough space between the rocks to dig, however I am fairly certain I can sink t-posts (pretty well super certain, there is a t-post in the general vicinity that the old owner used to tie up his dog and it is pretty well stuck in there, like we're talking an elephant couldn't take that thing out). We are looking at buying the wire stock panels and affixing them to our wood posts and t-posts.

Has anyone gone this route? How did it work out for you? How secure would you say your pen is? I'll be adding electric as well to the inside to keep the goaties in. About 1 1/2 sides of my pen will be t-posts, maybe 6 to 8 posts in total and I'm hoping to sink posts along the driveway side with wood so we're a little more secure onto the driveway.

My major concern is not the Pygmy girls but April who appears to have a little talent for jumping up very high. The goats for the most part will be standing downhill from the fence and the fence will be about 4ft high with electric at 6" and electric at 4ft. Should I add more electric?

I still haven't got my large pasture up yet because of our terrain and the sheer cost of it and I wanted to get them a pen going before I go off to school so they have free access to outdoors at all times. In addition to the pen they'll have the 13ftx17ft goat shed too.

 

[glenolam]

I have t-posts with welded wire field fence, then 2 strands of electric at about 4" and 4 ft along the inside. Works like a charm. Our t-posts go through swamp and dry lands and it was a PITA to put them through the swamp. I would even say that some of the posts really aren't in that well. But with the electric the goats don't even dare to test it anymore.

We do have one teeny tiny peice of "wood" fence - that is to say, we stuck a cedar post in to attach the gate, then attached a few 2x6's to the cedar post and a tree that's a few feet away. then we nailed the field fence into the tree as the starter point and on to the t-posts. I did have to put chicken wire along the bottom of the 2x6's though, because there's no electricity there and the little ones could fit between and under the boards.

I would say keep the option to add more electric, but I think with just those two strands you'll be fine. My Eloise could jump over the 4ft fence like no one's business - as soon as I put up that strand she changed her tune.

Kind of now glad we didn't know any better and bought the cheap field fence instead of the "goat" fencing that costs about $100 more.

 

[lupinfarm]

Yeah I'm looking at stock panels, the 16ft x 4ft high welded wire panels mostly because of the ease of putting them up. We're now planning on sinking t-posts for our main pasture and just putting panels up as we can afford them. As long as this pen is finished before I go to school I'll be a happy camper.

Now... to socialize April :/ We're getting there, she'll sniff me if I don't look at her lol and she'll eat out of a feed pan if I hold it. Cissy still hates her, Mione is curious.

 

[glenolam]

I'm not sure how expensive everything is for you compared to me, but a 330ft roll of 4 ft field fence is $140 here, so you'd need roughly 21 panels at 16ft long to cover the same distance. Panels here are $20, so that's $420.00 to cover 330 ft. I know the panels may be more sturdy, but IMO if you're spending the money on the electric, you should save where you can on the actual fence.

 

[lupinfarm]

I'll have to ask at the co-op but I think its more expensive for our field fence. The main concern is the small pen, which I'm okay with panels for... the big field may be more worth it to go with field fence but that is for another day, yanno?

 

[cmjust0]

Yeah I'm looking at stock panels, the 16ft x 4ft high welded wire panels mostly because of the ease of putting them up.

I'd rather take a whoopin' than have to deal with cattle panels. Seriously. They're big, they're heavy, and they're wobbly....I've always found that putting up panels is like trying to push a rope.

If all you can get in the ground are t-posts, I'd go electric.

Well, I mean...I'd go electric anyway because it's awesome and is by far the most superior of all fencing types ever devised by the human mind... ...but a situation where you can't put much post in the ground really is a good candidate for a psychological barrier, simply to avoid physical pressure on the fence.

Plus, electric's WAY easier than hossing cattle panels around.

Serioulsy...I HATE those things.

Oh, and btw...unless your ground is perfectly, absolutely, positively flat...you'll have gaps under panels. They don't flex like woven wire.

I really hate panels.

Really.

Ok.. </rant>

 

[lupinfarm]

:/ I know you are the worlds biggest advocate for electric fence and I love it too but I'm not sure how it'll work for our small pen. It would probably be fine for the larger field, sure, but the pen is small. I was thinking of going with half field fence and half panels for the pen. I can probably run some type of woven fence on the sections that are by the house and on wood posts, but running it on the t-posts may be interesting.

Hmm.. combination fencing... the t-post section is out of sight....


cmjust0, do you have your electric on t-posts? I COULD run electric on the hillside pasture except for the areas that meet the driveway (mum needs some sort of real barrier that isn't electrified here because she has a business and kids tend to be here with the parents and it would be horrible if a kid touched a highly powered electric fence and so on).

 

[cmjust0]

cmjust0, do you have your electric on t-posts?

Oh yeah! More t-posts than wood posts, probably.

The only places where I feel it's necessarily to bury a wood post is:

1) A corner or turn in the line.
2) Where a fenceline ends.
3) Where there's a big dip in the ground and the tension on the wire will pull a t-post out of the ground.

That's it.

If it's a straight line of fence without a big dip, wood posts really aren't required. There are spans through the woods toward the back of my property where there's not a wooden fence post for hundreds of feet.

That's one of the beauties of hi-tensile...the wire basically just floats on the post, so the post is largely irrelevant. So long as it'll stay in the ground, you're good. And not only is it easier to sink a t-post in the ground, it's much much much cheaper.

 

[mossyStone]

I have three stock panel pens I LOVE THEM! my pygoras live in them and i can move them with ease..
No one has climb out or under or thur for nearly 3 yrs of useing them. My nubians are housed in 6 ft no climb field fenceing more because of my dumb A%% Neighbors .
I dont have hot wire up at this time, but i might someday use that on my neighbors side
Our whole place is then fenced with 5 ft feild fenceing every one stays in that lives here... And My GP keeps anything not living here out....


But i really like the panels they work for me and my land is hilly and uneven in places!

Mossy Stone Farm

 

[cmjust0]

Now, I will say this...cattle panels are AWESOME for tomatoes! We have two three-panel-long rows with tomatoe plants on both sides of each row, and we just tie the plants to the panels as they grow. No caging, no staking -- just put up the panels and yer DONE.

Otherwise...hate'em.