How to Keep a Goat's Head and Horns Out of the Fence

Goats are hard animals to contain. By nature, a lone goat following its herding instinct will seek to travel off premises to connect with other goats. At the same time, goats facing each other across a fence line may try to assert dominance by attacking each other through the fence. Goat heads and horns become stuck in fences as a result of these actions. Keep your goat out of the fence to protect its safety, your farm property and other animals.

Things You'll Need

  • Fence with hog panels
  • Fence with cattle panels
  • Electrical fence
  • Dehorning tool
  • Measuring tape
  • Washing machine hose
  • Clamps
  • Duct tape
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Instructions

    • 1

      Build a proper, non-electrical fence. Select a fence design with "cattle" or "hog" panels. Cattle and hog panels are a series of small square holes on a section of wire fence. Each hole is approximately 1/2 foot by 1/2 foot -- reducing in size as the fence nears ground level. The small holes make it difficult for a goat to insert its horns. A fence with cattle panels will stand 5 feet high; while hog panel fences will rise to 3 feet. Make your selection depending on the size of your goats -- the larger your goats, the higher your fence.

    • 2

      Install an electrical fence. Electrical fences -- like cattle- or hog-paneled fences -- are often sold in 16-foot sections and are manufactured with a small square-hole design. Choose an electrical fence with a 10,000 volt charge that will quickly back away any animal with which it comes in contact. An electrical fence can be a strong deterrent for a goat -- although the down side is that a goat that does become stuck runs the risk of fatal electrical shock. Consult fence and farm experts for additional guidance when making this choice.

    • 3

      Dehorn adult goat horns. Use a pair of dehorning shears or a saw to complete the job. Cut each horn one inch from the top of the goat's skull. Prepare for the goat to thrash and bleed as a result. Ask an adult assistant to help keep the goat still while dehorning is in progress. Goats are often free of physical pain 30 seconds once dehorning is accomplished. Prepare for the horns to grow back over the next 12 to 24 months -- if you decide to dehorn.

    • 4

      Cover the goat's horns. Measure the length of each goat horn and the space between the tips of the two horns. Total these measurements. Add four inches to the overall total. Cut a piece of round, washing machine hose tubing to suit the overall total. Bend the tubing and insert one end over and down each respective horn. Clamp or tape the coverings at the base of each horn to hold the tubing in place. Adding four inches allows for easier bend and manipulation as you fit the tubing onto the horns. Covering the goat's horns reduces their chances of becoming stuck in a fence.