Lots of getting started newbie questions

Sorry if I'm posting a new thread and should have posted somewhere else.

My husband and I have about 5 acres of property and are planning to build a 12x12 barn with a loft for storage and fence off an area about 50'x40' initially. We are thinking to start off with 2 does in this area and expand from there with 2 more 50x40 pastures to rotate grazing and keeping the goats in the barn at night. We have a strong infestation of congon grass in the area we are planning to use as pasture. Our neighbor tells us it's fairly decent for grazing animals, but I'm not overly sure, so we'll probably add some alfalfa and grain. Probably some time later, after we get used to that we will get 2 bucks or 1 buck and a wether. We are thinking to build them a smaller shelter, maybe 4x4 and the same pasture plans. We'd like to supplement their diet with stuff from our garden if possible.

My questions are: 1. is 50x40 too big, too small or just right; 2. how far do the bucks need to be away from the does to prevent accidental babies and making the milk taste bad; 3. is 4x4 big enough for 2 bucks; 4. what is good for them from the garden

I know that's a bit of questions and I appreciate any advice y'all have. Lots of stuff to decide and get together before we actually start - we want to make it as right as possible before we start building and getting goaties.

thanks!

The fencing I bought for my last herd is 4 foot high panels, I think they are cattle panels. The rectangles are probably about 8 x 6 inches? and even my 8 week old kids can get through them. They work fine for the adult Nigerians, but I have had to attach chicken wire to the fencing to keep the kids in. =)

If you are thinking of using your fence as a permanent fencing and kids will be in it, then you will need the holes to be pretty small. They are only about 2-3 pounds at birth and definitely escape artists. =) Also, I don't know how mesh would stand up to every day use if it is not electric. My goats stand on the fence to say hello, so even the cheaper chicken wire had to be replaced within a year or so. Also, if you will be moving it around your yard, from what I understand you will want to use electric fencing. This keeps predators out as well as keeping the goats in.

You might want to look around this site a little bit, because we did have a fence discussion and I remember some great advice, but can't remember exactly what was said. =) There is a search box at the top right of this page. Try typing either fencing or premier 1 and see if maybe some of our previous conversations come up.

Other than that, I'm sure someone will chime in soon!

Here are pictures of my fencing.

SAM_0626.JPG

TwinsClar.JPG

Replies

Jamie Frentz July 8, 2011 at 5:10pm

Ok, thanks Deborah.
Deborah Niemann-Boehle July 8, 2011 at 4:56pm

Sounds like a good start. Just keep playing with them and offering them treats. As time goes on, they'll warm up to you more.

Jamie Frentz said:

Well, we finished the pasture fence, got the barn mostly enclosed enough to be safe and dry, drove to Southern Illinois last weekend and arrived home Tuesday afternoon with 3 goats! I don't have any pics here at work, so I can't post them..sorry. I'd love to show them off, especially my wether - he's such a baby hehe. I started a website yesterday so I can get everything up there, but it's not even sorta ready to be uploaded. I have 1 picture of the wether up now, just as a starting point. www.celticoaksfarm.com, if anyone is interested.

I have a question though, of course :) The wether is very friendly, but the 2 little does are quite shy. I spend anywhere from 45 minutes to 4 hours in the pasture with them every day (of course it's only been since Tuesday) and I've actually gotten Bailey and Kahlua to jump in my lap, but right back out. Bailey is more inclined to let me touch her, but not much and Kahlua has decided it's only ok for me to touch her nose and only if she thinks I have treats. Is there anything else I can do to encourage them to be more friendly?
Jamie Frentz July 8, 2011 at 3:36pm

Just to add a little extra info...we decided to build a 12x16 barn - which I've already decided is too small - and the pasture is 100x50. I'll probably expand that to another 100x50 in the spring and sometime this fall we plan to start on the buck area which will be about 65x100 with a 6x8 or 8x8 enclosure for them. I've also discovered that the idea of chaining the gate closed is a bad one - it's difficult to manuver with 1 hand and it has too much play in it. Oh well, live and learn :)
Jamie Frentz July 8, 2011 at 11:38am

Well, we finished the pasture fence, got the barn mostly enclosed enough to be safe and dry, drove to Southern Illinois last weekend and arrived home Tuesday afternoon with 3 goats! I don't have any pics here at work, so I can't post them..sorry. I'd love to show them off, especially my wether - he's such a baby hehe. I started a website yesterday so I can get everything up there, but it's not even sorta ready to be uploaded. I have 1 picture of the wether up now, just as a starting point. www.celticoaksfarm.com, if anyone is interested.

I have a question though, of course :) The wether is very friendly, but the 2 little does are quite shy. I spend anywhere from 45 minutes to 4 hours in the pasture with them every day (of course it's only been since Tuesday) and I've actually gotten Bailey and Kahlua to jump in my lap, but right back out. Bailey is more inclined to let me touch her, but not much and Kahlua has decided it's only ok for me to touch her nose and only if she thinks I have treats. Is there anything else I can do to encourage them to be more friendly?
Jamie Frentz April 25, 2011 at 12:10pm

Perfect! Thanks Deborah. And that's a good point about the barbed wire. I hadn't really thought of that, but I'd hate to come home and find a barbed wire gash in someone. This let's me build and get goaties faster!
Deborah Niemann-Boehle April 25, 2011 at 11:50am

Barbed wire on top is only necessary if you're trying to keep predators from going over the top, and even then it only works if you're lucky enough for the predator to decide to cross where there is a barb. I personally don't think there's really a place for barbed wire on a modern farm. (I suppose cattle ranchers with thousands of acres still use it because it's cheap.) If one of your animals gets caught up in it, it can be nasty.

People run a strand of electric about a foot off the ground on wove wire fencing to keep goats, sheep, etc., from rubbing on the fence or to keep babies from going through it. I don't think you'd have a problem with babies going through 4X4 openings though.

Jamie Frentz said:

Thanks everyone.

We are not planning to move it around, it will be stationary strung between 6-8" round fence posts 10' apart. By mesh I meant 4x4" openings in the woven wire. We are discussing electrifying the fence, but haven't decided on that yet. We might try just stringing some barbed wire on top.

I'll try searching for fencing again, I don't remember seeing anything about the 4"x4", but I'll look again.

Thanks y'all.
Jamie Frentz April 25, 2011 at 10:10am

Thanks everyone.

We are not planning to move it around, it will be stationary strung between 6-8" round fence posts 10' apart. By mesh I meant 4x4" openings in the woven wire. We are discussing electrifying the fence, but haven't decided on that yet. We might try just stringing some barbed wire on top.

I'll try searching for fencing again, I don't remember seeing anything about the 4"x4", but I'll look again.

Thanks y'all.
Deborah Niemann-Boehle April 24, 2011 at 10:46pm

The fencing we use from Premier is ElectroNet. It is taller (42") and has plastic struts. Some of the other temporary fences are not as tall and they have string struts (vertical strands), so they sag more. Another possible problem with the string struts is that kids could get tangled in them. The plastic struts are more rigid.

http://www.premier1supplies.com/fencing.php?mode=detail&fence_i...
Kare April 24, 2011 at 8:36pm

The fencing I bought for my last herd is 4 foot high panels, I think they are cattle panels. The rectangles are probably about 8 x 6 inches? and even my 8 week old kids can get through them. They work fine for the adult Nigerians, but I have had to attach chicken wire to the fencing to keep the kids in. =)

If you are thinking of using your fence as a permanent fencing and kids will be in it, then you will need the holes to be pretty small. They are only about 2-3 pounds at birth and definitely escape artists. =) Also, I don't know how mesh would stand up to every day use if it is not electric. My goats stand on the fence to say hello, so even the cheaper chicken wire had to be replaced within a year or so. Also, if you will be moving it around your yard, from what I understand you will want to use electric fencing. This keeps predators out as well as keeping the goats in.

You might want to look around this site a little bit, because we did have a fence discussion and I remember some great advice, but can't remember exactly what was said. =) There is a search box at the top right of this page. Try typing either fencing or premier 1 and see if maybe some of our previous conversations come up.

Other than that, I'm sure someone will chime in soon!

Here are pictures of my fencing.

SAM_0626.JPG

TwinsClar.JPG
Jamie Frentz April 24, 2011 at 8:14pm

Thanks Kare.

I'm wondering now about fencing. We marked off some areas tonight just to see what we are looking at taking up in the back and were happy to see that we'd still have some "yard" left. I was looking at the redbrand non-climb horse fencing 48" high with 2x4 mesh and the redbrand goat fencing with 4x4 mesh. Would the 4x4 not be too large? I'd hate to have anyone get out and make it up to the road or over to the neighbor's dog...

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