Have 3-sided shed/barn no doors (originally built as horse shelter) with opening facing east. Due to a little mis-communication, it looks like (hopefully temporary) my doors will be chain link fence w/a gate - like a dog pen. Does anyone use this type of fencing. Not so much concerned w/goats getting out, but coons, coyote, etc getting in. We're picking them up this wknd so kinda in a crunch for door solution. Hmmm, I suppose they could always sleep in the laundry room! Ha!
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Oh yea, If you are using 2 inch X 4 inch welded wire you are probably good and that is what I bury in the ground. I actually have one pen that has the whole floor (about 5x11) covered with 2x4 wire so nothing can dig in or out. Love that pen. Great for rabbits, chickens etc.
It actually sounds pretty nice and comfy! Chain link is quite sturdy but I am not sure this is safe right now. How old are the goats? I am not certain what you mean by field fence. If you mean what I think you do and it has holes about 4" inches square. It will not keep out a coon or a determined coyote! A coyote should be able to get into anything that a dog can and I have had PLENTY of dogs that could crawl over fences 7' tall and could squeeze through a 4" inch square. I have an adult coon now who lives here loose that was bottle raised and has been captive and a pet since about 10 days to 2 weeks of age. She can get through almost anything! (I DO THINK ANY SPOTS COVERED IN THE CHAIN LINK WILL BE FINE OF COURSE!)They can be very aggressive and they EAT MEAT! You may grow a herd of a hundred there without anything happening, but don't count on it, it is possible they CAN go through big holes and CLIMB and they CAN BOTH DIG. You might want to think about burying some fence in the ground around the edges of the pen to prevent digging! NOT TRYING to scare you to death. But,I don't want to have to think later that I should have said something!
We have our group in what was a dog kennel that we reconfigured by putting on a metal roof and boarding over the chain link walls but keeping the door the original chain link design and nothing has gotten in and we have alot of coyotes and racoons in our area. As long as you have a roof and your door goes all the way up to it I don't see a problem with it. I actually think our goats like being able to see outside!
The fence/gate is 6 ft, but will have field fence on top of that to cover any gap between it and the top of the barn, so if something got in, it would have to dig/push thru bottom. We've had trouble w/coons getting our chickens, but wasn't sure how determined they would be to get a kid. Haven't seen evidence of coyote, but can hear them at night. We have a mini horse back there that hates dogs, so maybe he's been keeping them away.
How tall in the fence and gate? A coon could definitely climb over chain link. Height would play a role in whether or not a coyote could get over it. I wouldn't worry about coons and adults, but not so sure about kids. An adult was one of my first two goats, so I've never had only kids, but I think raccoons are scared of adult goats because they've never done anything to my goat kids. If you will have only kids, however, I wouldn't put it past a coon to hurt them and/or eat them. They have no trouble killing chickens or turkeys.
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Oh yea, If you are using 2 inch X 4 inch welded wire you are probably good and that is what I bury in the ground. I actually have one pen that has the whole floor (about 5x11) covered with 2x4 wire so nothing can dig in or out. Love that pen. Great for rabbits, chickens etc.
It actually sounds pretty nice and comfy! Chain link is quite sturdy but I am not sure this is safe right now. How old are the goats? I am not certain what you mean by field fence. If you mean what I think you do and it has holes about 4" inches square. It will not keep out a coon or a determined coyote! A coyote should be able to get into anything that a dog can and I have had PLENTY of dogs that could crawl over fences 7' tall and could squeeze through a 4" inch square. I have an adult coon now who lives here loose that was bottle raised and has been captive and a pet since about 10 days to 2 weeks of age. She can get through almost anything! (I DO THINK ANY SPOTS COVERED IN THE CHAIN LINK WILL BE FINE OF COURSE!)They can be very aggressive and they EAT MEAT! You may grow a herd of a hundred there without anything happening, but don't count on it, it is possible they CAN go through big holes and CLIMB and they CAN BOTH DIG. You might want to think about burying some fence in the ground around the edges of the pen to prevent digging! NOT TRYING to scare you to death. But,I don't want to have to think later that I should have said something!
We have our group in what was a dog kennel that we reconfigured by putting on a metal roof and boarding over the chain link walls but keeping the door the original chain link design and nothing has gotten in and we have alot of coyotes and racoons in our area. As long as you have a roof and your door goes all the way up to it I don't see a problem with it. I actually think our goats like being able to see outside!
The fence/gate is 6 ft, but will have field fence on top of that to cover any gap between it and the top of the barn, so if something got in, it would have to dig/push thru bottom. We've had trouble w/coons getting our chickens, but wasn't sure how determined they would be to get a kid. Haven't seen evidence of coyote, but can hear them at night. We have a mini horse back there that hates dogs, so maybe he's been keeping them away.
How tall in the fence and gate? A coon could definitely climb over chain link. Height would play a role in whether or not a coyote could get over it. I wouldn't worry about coons and adults, but not so sure about kids. An adult was one of my first two goats, so I've never had only kids, but I think raccoons are scared of adult goats because they've never done anything to my goat kids. If you will have only kids, however, I wouldn't put it past a coon to hurt them and/or eat them. They have no trouble killing chickens or turkeys.