Message-ID: <KF16+,US7mA@ssc.msu.edu> Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 14:50:16 EDT From: Don Osborn <mailto:don.osborn@SSC.MSU.EDU> Subject: Re: Confining Goats To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
> The Agricultural systems program at AIT maintains a small goat herd for
> research purposes on integrated agriculture with fish ponds. We are
> having some problems confining the goats to the experimental area of
> campus and keeping them out of the academic area. Can any one advise me
> on what it takes to confine goats. Could we use such simple methods as
> small canals, if so how wide would they have to be to deter goats. Will
> something like a cattle guard deter them, and finally how about single
> strand barb wire, etc.
Confining goats is theoretically possible, but I'm not sure if it has ever actually been been done in practice. Apparent cases of successful confining of goats may in reality be ones where the goats themselves have for one reason or another decided it's not worth their effort to get out of (or into) someplace. Think in terms of raising the cost/benefit ratio to the goats of moving out of the designated area. Goats hate water, so the canal option is good, but probably insufficient by itself. Add fencing, etc. and the cost rises, but perhaps in direct proportion to a decline in the attractiveness of your campus. Eventually some of the goats will still probably decide to get out anyway.
One simple option would be simply to expand the experimental area.
Don Osborn mailto:don.osborn@ssc.msu.edu osborndo@pilot.msu.edu
P.S.- Sorry I couldn't resist - I had much frustration trying to keep goats away from tree seedlings in West Africa some years ago ...