Fencing

We are hoping to get some ND goats soon for milk. We would like to utilize rotational grazing if possible. Any fencing suggestions? I read in Deborah’s book that you could use 4 livestock panels? Has anyone had luck with that? Any portable shelters you’ve had luck with? We will probably only get one doe in milk and some doelings to start. Thank you!!

You need to be a member of Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats to add comments!

Join Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats

Email me when people reply –

Replies

  • It depends! (You'll soon discover that's my answer to just about everything.)

    I really don't like the idea of goats staying in a barn all winter, but in her situation -- they have a huge open field with no wind blocks -- the barn is the lesser of two evils. (We're in Illinois, and there's a very good reason that Chicago is called The Windy City.) Goats really need fresh air and sunshine 12 months a year. If you have a small barn with lots of animals, there is going to be a lot of ammonia build-up, which could wind up causing respiratory problems. Her barn is huge, and they have very few animals in there, so they've never had a problem. I've been there, and it's more of a machine shed than animal housing. 

    We have a barn that runs east-west and is 100' long, so that's a huge windbreak for my goats in winter. They get put outside ever day unless it is raining or snowing. In other pens, we have three-sided shelters that are open to the south, so everyone has a windbreak. My milkers and kids are the only ones that come into the barn at night. The only time that bucks come into the barn during winter is if we are having a blizzard because no one knows what's going to happen with blowing snow. 

    If you have a little 10 x 15 building (like the ones they sell at Home Depot, etc) then during the winter, I would use T-posts and three of the livestock panels to create a semi-permanent yard in front of their little house. The house should be open to the south, so you can open the doors every day, and they can go in and out as they wish during the day.

    If, on the other hand, you have a huge old wooden barn, and you could leave a door open most of the time (except when it's snowing) you could leave them in there more without worrying about ammonia building up.

    Word of warning ... the human nose is too wimpy to be able to smell ammonia before it gets to dangerous levels. 

  • Thank you!! So my understanding is that they need to be kept in the barn (rather than the pasture) at night and in the winter but moved to the pasture during the day in other seasons?
  • Here's the link to a post she made on here about her set-up.

    http://nigeriandwarfgoats.ning.com/forum/topics/movable-pens 

  • Welcome, Melissa!

    I know someone who has used the four livestock panels for 15 years now. In fact, she used to be an active member of this group but hardly ever checks in any longer. However, she never had more than four goats, and they were just pets. Every morning they followed her from their stall in the barn to their outside pen, which also had a beach umbrella or plastic child's playhouse at various times for shade and/or protection from rain during the day. 

    If you get more goats, I'd suggest the sheep and goat ElectroNet by Premier 1 Supplies online. 

This reply was deleted.