Tonight my little Alice got her head stuck in the fence!! All the goats came up and we were like WHERE IS ALICE?! SO I went over the hill and heard her maaa and saw her laying there (it was dark, but she is white, so I could see her pretty well) on the ground with her head stuck through the fence!! The poor little thing. Kevin and I got her unstuck and she was no worse for wear, but still... We had ended up getting the wrong fence anyway - with the larger squares, so I feel guilty, but luckily she is fine! Is there anything you can do about something like this? I mean other than getting all new fence, which is not an option!!
My wether got his head stuck in a cattle panel once and has never tried to stick his head through one again. If she was traumatized enough it may not happen again...but some goats take longer to learn their lesson.
Mine will stick their heads through cattle panel, (there's only one spot where its not covered all the way to the top in smaller wire, just on bottom.) but have figured out how to get their heads back out, horns and all. I hope your baby doesn't get stuck again
try putting something on her horns so that it extends past the horns -- like across the horns creating tow T's this way she cant get her head through the fence. The other option is to run a hot wire along the middle of the fence and teach her and the others that the fence is HOT and they dont want to go near it
Stacey's right, it would be best to tape a piece of a broomstick across her horns, provided they are big enough to do so, make sure it extends a good 4 inches on each side to pevent her from sticking her head thru. If they aren't tall enough for that, a hot wire will keep Alice and the others off of the fence. A 5 mile fencer is pretty cheap at TSC as well as the insulators and wire.
My step son is having the same problem with 2 of his goats. He finally asked if I would band their horns for him. I brought the does home with me for banding (we have the same exact fencing) and they haven't got their heads stuck once. They've been here for 3 weeks too. So I'm not sure why they always get their heads stuck at their home. He didn't want me to band their horns but refencing isn't an option and the goats will be stuck for 12 hours sometimes when he's at work so banding was the best option for his situation. Other options are hotwire or taping a piece of dowel/pvc to her horns.
you know it could be what he has on teh otherside of his fence -- goats are always looking for the greener grass so to speak. Also are they board? does he have stuff for them to play on?
Thx for the good suggestions! We got an electric fencer with the two new girls from SC, but haven't got any wire or anything. Kevin figured he'd have to put up a hot wire eventually, but he figured on putting it across the top. I guess we may need one lower too, for the littles!!! LOL I hope she learned her lesson. Boy did my heart drop when she wasn't with the others!!! and we were lucky she was right over the hill and not in the woods!!
We use a hotline.....they learn... to stay away from the fence... :wink: We have in the past ...used what everyone is describing putting on the horns.....but ..we call it a dunce hat...LOL :greengrin:
If you don't get the hot wire up quick, do what Stacey said. I have to do it to at least one of my goats every year. I take like a stick that is longer then the square in the wire and I duck tape it to the horns. They hate it but once it falls off on its own they never do it again. Just make sure that the stick it whatever is not sharp in the ends to hurt another goat.
I will have to find me a stick, I don't want her doing it again. And who knows when Kevin will get the hot wire up! lol
I feel for ya Lawanda. They do look like a bonafide doofus with a stick taped on them but it does work! Love the term Dunce Hat, Pam, thats exactly it!!!
I've used that green plastic netting that you buy at the garden store...I have one wether that's done it twice and I've had to use the bolt cutters to cut him out. Thank God, they are smart enough to wait instead of trying to kill themselves like a horse would!
My nubian has a PVC dunce cap. Be careful of the hot wire, because horns can still get wrapped up in it, and can be just as dangerous as the fence itself.
OH my goats get the zap ONCE. then they stay away. I will say that I believe goats are WAY to smart. They will get close enough to the fence, smell and they can tell if the fence is on or not, I guess the goats can smell something about it. SO if I turn tit off to do something they are right there thinking about getting out, but the dog, on the other hand have no idea.
This is a very funny solution to your problem ...one of the members from backyard chickens posted it and it makes me laugh every time I see it http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/u ... 714jpg.jpg
:ROFL: That is too cute!! Luckily Alice has figured out how to remove her head from the fence by herself now, since she always feels that the grass is greener over on that other side. LOL I have been waiting for her to get stuck again, but I guess she didnt want to wear the dunce hat
