Do you have a goat that likes to jump fences? Well, you are not alone. Goats are good jumpers and can often scale heights that would stop other animals in their tracks. If your goat is getting out and running around, it can be a real problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not only is it a safety hazard, but it can also lead to problems with the law if your goat ends up on someone else’s property. In this article, Charlotte Riggs, an expert goat farmer who has years of experience in keeping goats from jumping fences explains the steps to take. Read on for her top tips!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Owning goats for the first time is a steep learning curve for all involved \u2013 and one of the first things you\u2019ll probably notice is that (some) goats can be excellent escape artists! It\u2019s a seemingly endless battle for many goat owners, with some goats seeming to be true escape artists. Houdini would be envious!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No matter how hopeless it might seem to keep your goats contained, this truly isn\u2019t an impossible goal \u2013 and you can stop your goat from jumping the fence with a few simple tips and ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s face it \u2013 even the springiest goat can only jump so high. As such, making your fences higher is definitely the first port of call to stop goats from jumping fences. A few extra rails or strands of electric fencing may be good options here \u2013 however, don\u2019t use barbed wire, as this poses a serious risk of harming your goat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you add extra electric fencing, always supervise your goats carefully to ensure they don\u2019t still try to jump (which could get tangled).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And of course, even when you have made that fence higher, ensure your hard work is not undone by removing any potential take-off objects from near the fence. A brick pile or upturned wheelbarrow provides perfect launch points for the determined goat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Goats are amazing opportunists. As such, if they notice \u2013 for example \u2013 that the bedding or soil is higher in one spot than in others, they may take advantage of this to jump out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As such, ensuring all ground is flat and even is crucial to prevent goats from using this elevated ground as a springboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes, the issue might not be that the goat is jumping so much as it is climbing out. I\u2019ve seen in a few instances our goats use their dew claws to scrabble over a bit of loose stock fencing \u2013 which indicates that section of fence definitely needs to be tightened! So, always check your fencing is secure and non-climbable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Invariably, there\u2019s always a reason for a goat to jump out. I often joke that if there\u2019s no reason for a goat to do something, that\u2019s reason enough, but this isn\u2019t entirely true. Indeed, if your goat is jumping out, there\u2019s most likely a reason behind this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It could be that they prefer the look of the food on the other side; they\u2019ve run out of food; their herd mates are bullying them, or they\u2019re looking for attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Always consider the reasons your goat might be jumping out to help find the most suitable way to stop them – sometimes, putting out a little more hay at night to fill their belly could be enough to stop it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have a small pen that your goats are escaping from \u2013 such as a pen for bottle kids \u2013 you may be able to put a roof over the pen to stop the kids from escaping. Of course, this may be less practical if your goats are escaping out in the field! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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