With every new endeavor there seems to be a learning curve.  You can read books, make plans and talk to people who have gone before you.  These are all good preparations but for me anyway, the best way to learn is to “just do it.”

 

Such as been the case with so many of my farm and garden projects.  For every new thing I’ve tried, you’ll find on the shelf in my room at least three books and a pile of articles to go along with it.  Nobody can say that I don’t so my research, unfortunately doing research and actually having the experience of doing are two completely different things. 

 

It often takes an unusual situation to distinguish between one who has prepared by researching and one who has prepared by experiencing.  The heavy rains we’ve been blessed with over the past week have been my unusual situation and I have been tested.  Actually, I would say it’s the heavy rainfall on top of all the other new experiences that have really tested me this week.  One thing I’ve learned, if it can go wrong, it will.  Here is a sampling of some of this week’s experiences and what I’ve learned from them.   

 

Brooding baby chicks- This is definitely not a new experience for me, I’ve raised hundreds of chicks.  Reading books told me that I am to set up a draft free area using cardboard walls, supply a heat lamp and dry bedding and observe them to make sure they’re not crowding under the lamp or dispersing away from it.  Like I mentioned, I’ve done this, I’ve also brooded chicks other ways but for the most part, this is simple and it works well.  So… I had some new hatchlings in a stall in the barn, I used corrugated polycarbonate from my old greenhouse as a draft shield, heat lamp, bedding, all was well…until a curious dog or rooster knocked over the draft shield and all the chicks escaped and I was left picking up chick carcasses all the way out the barn door.  I can imagine it was quite a thrill for the dog.  Lesson learned- no matter how sweet and gentle the dog is, no canine can resist the urge to chase little fluffy play toys, until they no longer run away.  Keep the chicks in a dog-free zone.

 

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Raising kids (the four-legged ones)- this is a new experience for me and I’ve done my research.  I have yet to find a book that will tell you that when there’s trouble to get into, they’ll find it and if you think you have a potential hazard around, fix it immediately.  Two experiences support this knowledge, first was my mom of triplets, finally after three days in the barn with her newborns she ventured out to the woods with the other goats.  Two of the babies followed, only one came back.  Goats can’t count.  She was happily nursing her two when I came to check on them and realized one was missing.  I stole one of the two babies to use on my search.  His hollering finally convinced little brother to holler back.  He was stuck in the cattails by the lake.  Luckily I was able to get him out and dry him off before any damage was done, he’s doing fine now.  My other trouble maker wasn’t so lucky.  Our old dairy barn still has the gutters and barn cleaner which empty to a small concrete pit in the back.  This pit has the tendency to fill up with water, definitely a hazard so I covered it up.  The little rascals were always playing around it and eventually my cover slid off just enough for a little doe to fall in.  No fun.  I have since filled the pit in but I had to learn the hard way.  Lesson learned- baby goats can’t swim, eliminate all drowning hazards!

 

Here you can see the manure augar that comes out of the concrete pit behind the barn- pretty easy to see why baby goats like to play here.

 

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Putting up goat fence- I firmly believe that all the research in the world will not teach you how to do this effectively.  There are so many different opinions as to what works, some will say nothing but livestock panels all around, others insist that woven wire is the only way, still others say that woven wire alone is not effective, you need something that shocks.  Here’s what I’ve discovered, no one fence is perfect for every situation.  You need to pick the option that will work for your pasture but is also cost effective.  Here’s what we did.  We have an overgrown grove behind the house, about 1.5 acres requiring about 1000 feet of fence- it goes along the lake so no fence is needed there.  The sturdiest fence would be cattle panels at a cost of $1200- not including posts.  These would work but there is a risk of goats sticking their heads through and getting stuck, plus, a little pricey!  How about woven wire?  The wire itself costs about $350 but again you have the head-in-the-fence problem so a couple hot wires would be needed to prevent the goats from getting too friendly with the fence.  So, figure another $200 for wire and insulators (not including posts).  Who would have though the pasture fence would cost so much!

 

 

We decided to go with just the electric wires, 4 of them (you can't see the bottom one, it's low to keep the young ones in.  All the goat people are now freaking out “Four isn’t enough!”  Maybe not if this was a high pressure pasture but the way I see it, these girls have no reason to get out of the fence.  There’s plenty to eat, there are no bucks around and generally everything they could possibly need is in that fence.  I can see maybe a kid getting out but they don’t go too far.  I’ll keep you posted on how the goat fence works out.  It could be another case of live and learn but for now the only lesson learned- books and magazines can only give general guidelines, unique situations require unique solutions.

 

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Putting up a garden fence- The purpose of a garden fence is exactly opposite of that of a goat fence.  Here we need to keep the critters out, not in.  We deal with all sorts of critters sneaking snacks from the garden, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, goats, dogs, cattle, kids (2 legged), birds.  Of course with some of these sneaking snacks isn’t the problem.  For example, the cows occasionally get out, it just happens.  Have you ever seen what 60 1500-pound beef cows can do to a garden?  Fortunately I haven’t but it’s been close a time or two.  We’ve been wanting to fence off the garden for some time now and it’s finally happening.  Of course I did my homework first.  I researched all types of fencing, even requested samples.  I compared their effectiveness and price and finally settled on welded wire- 14 gauge, 36” tall, 2”x 4” spaces between the wires.  Now, I have a reputation for putting up absurdly crooked fences so I tried to get Bill to help out.  Unfortunately it’s so rare that we’re both home at the same time, coordinating our fencing was not easy- so I set the posts…hehehehe.  IT’S JUST A GARDEN FENCE, NOBODY WILL SEE IT BUT US!  So gimme a break!  He did help me stretch the wire and attach it but that didn’t turn out so pretty either.

 

 

Perhaps welded wire wasn’t the best choice.  Notice how it tends to flop around along the top edge- we just couldn't pull the stuff tight!  I can’t think of how we could have made it better, except for, well, getting the posts in straight and making the fence on level ground, and…oh, just gimme a break already!  Regardless of how it looks, I think it will work.  Lesson learned- sometimes you just have to say “good enough!”

 

  

 

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Okay, so the list could go on, my critters teach me something new everyday.  They never cease to amaze me.  The other day as the sun was setting I watched the goats play and at one time there were 4 baby goats, less than 2 weeks old climbing in the trees.  How do they do that?  Maybe someday they’ll teach me and it will be yet another lesson learned.

 

We haven't been successful with electric fence alone with the goats? We've tried up to four strands too...they stayed a two days the last time...and then went back to their old pen...luckily we had only put two moms and kids there to try it out...fencing is an great expense...if you find any solutions let us know! :)