If You’ve Ever Chased a Goat, Read This

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Currently Happening on the Farm
Things are cooling off quite a bit. Mornings are in the high 60s for us, which means it’s officially fall in Texas. So if you’re in Texas or any state where it’s hot, congrats, we made it!

This past Friday, I finally took down an old structure we used to have for turkeys. It had been sitting in the way for a while, and I needed a little more shade for my chickens. So I tore it down, cleaned the area up, and moved the chickens over.

Saturday morning, they were so happy. Lots of new paddocks, new grass, and plenty of shade to enjoy. Sometimes the small changes make the biggest difference on the farm.

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If You’ve Ever Chased a Goat, You Know
If you’ve ever owned goats, you already know this: the fence you think will hold them, won’t.

Goats are smart, stubborn, and they love a challenge. If there’s a weak spot, they’ll find it. If there’s a gate latch that’s loose, they’ll open it. And if there’s something on the other side that looks even slightly more interesting than what they already have, they’re gone.

When we had our Nubians, I lost count of how many times I had to run across the yard yelling while one trotted away like it was a game. I used to think we had good fences. The goats proved otherwise.

What Actually Works
After years of trial and error, here’s what we learned:

• Five strands of electric wire will hold a goat better than almost anything else. The key is to keep it hot and keep it tight.

• Field fencing works great for smaller areas, but make sure the squares are small enough that they can’t push their heads through. Once a goat gets its horns stuck, it’ll do it again.

• Good corner braces matter more than you think. Goats will test the tension. Weak corners mean sagging fence.

• Shelter placement helps too. If your shelter is too close to the fence, they’ll climb on the roof and jump over. Keep it centered.

You don’t need to spend a fortune, but you do need to build like you’re dealing with escape artists.

Bonus Tip
If you have trees along the fence line, don’t let them grow into the wires. Goats love standing on tree trunks to reach leaves, and that’s usually when they realize they can also hop right over.

Tool I Recommend
If you want to skip a lot of fence chasing, I recommend this fence tester:
Allsun Digital Electric Fence Tester

It’s simple, accurate, and lets you check your fence without guessing. If your wire isn’t hot, it’s just decoration. Using this link helps support the newsletter if you find it helpful.

Fun Fact
A goat’s pupils are rectangular, which gives them a wide-angle view of nearly 320 degrees. That’s how they always seem to know when you’re coming with a bucket or a rope.

Closing Thoughts
If you’ve ever chased a goat, you know that building fences is as much about psychology as it is about structure. Goats are curious by nature, and they’ll test every inch of what you build. Start strong, stay ahead of them, and you’ll spend a lot less time running through the pasture yelling their names.

Next week, we’ll talk about building a good goat shed and how to design one that keeps them dry, safe, and happy.

- Tim Parker
Start My Homestead