New Year -- New Fences

The addition of our pigs highlighted the need for some new paddocks. Although we have 5.25 acres only about half an acre was fenced in with goat fencing. I had previously tried to contain the goats with electric tape but their desire to be up by the barn and us was much greater than the deterrence factor of an electric shock. Having three goats, two pigs and thirty some chickens all on half an acre was definitely taking a toll on the pasture. Besides the over grazing, the rooting of the pigs and their enormous manure production was just too much for the area to handle. So the mild weather around the new year provided a good opportunity to fence in the upper pasture. Enclosing this field effectively doubled the area for the animals as well as enabling the goats to browse the hedge row.


I purchased two rolls of fencing for the upper pasture, but since I was able to tie into an existing line of field fencing in the hedge row I only used one. The other roll was used to fence in a long border with our neighbors properties. The kids helped me remove the electric tape and post connectors as well as driving the tractor with all the needed tools.







Finally, we used the recovered electric tape and some step in posts and a few hog panels to make a paddock for the pigs. The pigs are not nearly as agile as the goats and after getting shocked a few times the first day have been content to be in their quarter acre slice of heaven. Now their rooting and manure is being put to good use, prepping the area of pasture for spring plantings.

They sleep in a simple A-frame structure fabricated from a tarp and some scrap pallets. Another pallet A-frame provides shelter for our rent a stud goat buck Skeeter in the upper pasture.