A warning to anyone aspiring to be a goat herder: Please use proper fencing. Cattle panels are dangerous for goats and sheep, especially the young ones. That is to say, do NOT use panels that are 6×6 inches. They can get caught easily owing to their horns and this can lead to deep lacerations and they can also cut off their oxygen supply. Proper sheep and goat panel fencing uses 4×4 squares so goats and sheep can’t get their heads through the mesh.
There are all kinds of videos on the internet showing how to rig up your goat with PVC pipe strapped to its horns with duct tape. Innovative, but it does not solve the real problem of simply not stringing the proper kind of fence. Safety rules with these critters because they are curious and are always getting in to trouble.
Goats are also not kind to one another when one is in trouble. A bully may just start ramming one that is in trouble and this can lead to serious injury. Fortunately, the kid we freed from the fence line today was not being bullied by the others in his herd, but they were not there to help him either.
Since we live in the country, we are always on the lookout and listen closely for the cry of goats and sheep when we pass by a pasture that does not have proper fencing for them. I could hear this little guy’s plaintive cries from the car. He was fortunate this time.
As you can see from the video, he took off like a shot and ran quickly back the the herd. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for similar mishaps!
