Whether you're an intensive goat farmer, a self-sufficient homesteader keeping goats for their milk and meat, or your goats are simply kept as pets and companions, building a proper enclosure and grazing area for your goats is key to keeping them healthy and happy and preventing escape. This means erecting a sturdy, reliable fence around your goat enclosure, and choosing the right type of fencing for your goats can be more difficult than you might imagine.

Goats are curious, tenacious and surprisingly strong creatures, and even the most contented goat will often try to escape an enclosure via climbing, digging or simply barging their way through it. Consequently, you need to choose a fencing type capable of withstanding their attentions, and wire mesh fencing is one of the best and most widely-used choices for goat keepers. Here are some of the chief advantages of keeping your goats safe and secure with wire mesh fencing:

No injury hazards

One of the most common ways captive goats become injured is when they get their heads caught in fences as they try to push through them. This problem is particularly hazardous if your goats sport horns, preventing them from removing their heads, and a goat trapped in this position for any length of time can injure itself severely in its attempts to escape.

Choosing wire mesh fencing is perfect from preventing your goats from trapping their heads. Since it is available in a number of varieties with differently-sized gaps between the individual wire strands, choosing a densely-woven fence with small gaps will prevent your goats from getting caught.

Predator resistant

The impassable nature of densely woven mesh fencing cuts both ways, and these fences are also handy from preventing predators from entering your goat enclosure and menacing your animals. Choosing wire mesh fencing with gaps no larger than a few inches will reliably keep out any predator large enough to seriously endanger your goats.

Strong

Wire mesh fencing is very strong, particularly when it comes to load-bearing strength, and is capable of withstanding ramming attacks from the largest, angriest billy goats. 

Flexible

Many goats also have a habit of leaning on the fences of their enclosure; sometimes this is simply done to rest tired hooves, but larger goats may also lean on your fencing in an attempt to topple it completely. The moderate flexibility of a wire mesh fence allows it to safely absorb the weight of a leaning goat without breaking or toppling, provided the posts that hold it in place are firmly planted in the ground.

Durable

Even the cheapest varieties of wire mesh fencing are capable of lasting for many years with minimal maintenance, and most are treated with galvanised coatings that prevent rust and corrosion from shortening their lifespans. Choosing a mesh fence with a more robust anti-rust coating (such as plastic or power coatings) will increase its longevity even more.

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