Fencing Issues Getting Your Goat? Farm Fencing Choices That Work For Goats And Poultry
As a new homesteader or farmer with livestock, you already know that fencing to keep your animals safely constrained and away from roadway traffic and other animals and situations that could hurt them is very important. What you may not know, however, is that not all types of farm fencing works equally well with the types of livestock you have chosen for your farm.
Goats
Because goats are both inquisitive and athletic, they are often considered to be on of the most difficult animals to confine. Standard woven wire fencing with large openings, such as that used for cattle, will not work to safely constrain goats. This is especially true for horned breeds because the goat's curious nature leads them to insert their head through the wire openings only to find that they cannot easily pull their heads back out because their horns have become caught on the wire. When this happens, the farmer must be vigilant and ready to help safely extract them from their predicament. A safer and easier to manage option for goats is sturdy woven wire with small openings, usually measuring 2" by 4" to prevent them from inserting anything more than their noses through the wire. When fencing for goats, remember that they are agile jumpers and climbers, so it is important to make sure the fence is tall enough, usually 5 feet in height, to prevent them from going over the top.
Poultry
Keeping poultry such as chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks on your farm means that coyotes, raccoons, possums and other carnivorous wild animals in the area are a threat to their safety. The flocks will depend upon you to provide perimeter fencing around their areas to keep these threats out. Poultry wire, sometimes called chicken wire, is a good choice for these areas because the openings in the wire are small and able to keep hungry predators out. Remember, however, that coyotes, foxes and other predators often try to dig their way into poultry pens. To prevent this, dig a 10"or 12" trench around the pen perimeter and install the fence so that it extends down into the trench. When animals attempt to dig into the poultry pen, the wire hidden in the trench will discourage their efforts and help ensure your poultry remains safe.
If you intend to use rotational grazing or temporary pastures to manage your goat herds or poultry flocks or want to add additional livestock types to your farm, your fencing installation contractor like Hahn-AA Fencing can help you design fencing systems that will look good, last for years and keep your animals safely contained.
