I have kept and raised different types of goats, including the American Pygmy, Boer, LaMancha, Nubian etc., and some less renowned breeds such as Kamor and Khurasani.

Goats, no matter which part of the world they belong to, share certain characteristics that are universal.

Among them is their love for jumping around. Goats’ natural instinct is to jump and climb wherever their feet can take them.

How high can Goats Jump?

Depending on their size, goats can jump from 4 feet to as high as 12 feet. Although not very frequently but goats are known to jump over fences. A fence that is higher than 12 feet, with wires as low down to the ground as possible and the spacing close enough to keep the smallest goat head from getting entangled in it; you can set up the ideal fencing.

That is because the tendency to go through the fence wires or to try to pass from under it is more prevalent. Also, goats tend to climb up the pole in a bid to go to the other side, especially when there is more vegetation or plants outside, around the fence.

How to STOP Goats Jumping Fence and Escaping?

Be it in the highest mountain ranges which are home to some of the most magnificent wild mountain goats or in a small cattle house in a Nepal village, goats are known for their jumping behavior.

Even the domesticated goats are extremely agile, something that it seems like, comes naturally to them. Just as with people, the goat kids tend to be more playful and jumpier compared to the grown-ups.

The easiest way to stop goats jumping over fences is to make the fences high enough for them so that they fail to go over it.

Goats can jump as high as 12 feet, therefore, making a fence which is higher than 12 feet will keep any goat in and safe. Another way to keep them from trying to jump over is to make sure there is less vegetation or plants outside, around the fences.

As a rule, goats prefer crawling under the fence rather than trying to jump over, therefore, the fence’s bottom cable needs to be kept as close to the ground as possible and kept tight.

Let’s Explore how High can Different Goat Breeds Jump!

Mountain Goats

Mountain goats are active, bold and extremely skillful. The largest individual mountain goat can be as tall as 3 feet and can weigh about 300 lbs. They have very strong legs and can jump three times higher than their height.

Mountain goats jumps the highest among goats and can jump up to 12 feet (about 3.5 meters) in one go, as recorded by the National Geographic.

Nigerian Dwarf Goats

Nigerian Dwarf goats are compact, passive, but quite productive small animals. They are one of the best pets as they are easy to manage because of their small size and friendly attitude.

If you are keeping just the Nigerian Dwarf goats your fences probably need be not any higher than four feet high because the tallest Nigerian Dwarf might measure about 1.75 feet and cannot jump higher than 4 feet.

The fence posts should not be more than eight feet apart from each other as goats have a habit of leaning, standing, rubbing, and chewing on the fencing, especially if the pastures are small or if there is enticing vegetation outside of the fences.

Pygmy goat

The tallest pygmy goat is about 1.67 ft tall and they cannot jump any higher than 4 feet. Pygmy goats are fond of jumping as are the other goats, but they cannot jump any higher than the regular goats.

The fencing for pygmy goats should be 4 feet or about 1.2 meters to keep pygmy goats safely inside.

Boer Goat

Boer goats are one of the largest goat types. There average height is about 2.5 feet and they can weigh up to 230 pounds. On average, Boer goat reaches sexual maturity at the age of 5 months.

To keep Boer goat jumping out of the fence it is advisable to keep the fence height at about 42 inches or 3.5 feet. An electrified wire, or an offset wire which is fixed about one foot inside the outer fence near the top, may be required if goats make jumping out a habit.

How High Can A Baby Goat Jump?

Baby goats or goat kids can measure about 17 inches and like jumping around a lot. However, they may not fancy going over fences.

If the parents can be kept safe in the fences, the kids are themselves safe. However, they might try to escape from under the fences. Goat kids like hiding and may therefore, try to run away from under the fences. It is important to secure the fences from under.

Goat Fence Ideas & best Fences for Goats!

Make no mistake, your goat is one of the cleverest pets that you can have. Choosing suitable fencing for goats is the single most important thing you can do, due to their natural behavior that includes jumping around, trying to climb up and crawling past spaces.

Fencing Types and Height

As a rule of thumb keep all fencing a minimum of 4-feet high. If you have breeds that are highly active, including the miniature breeds, keep the fence at five feet. There are several options available for you to choose fencing. They have their own merits and demerits.

Can a goat jump a 4-Foot Fence? Depending upon its breed and size, and depending upon how spacious the area is, the jumping behavior varies. Most of the goats may easily jump over a 4-foot fence.

Woven Wife Fencing

Woven wire fencing is one of the most popular choices amongst people who use fencing for different purposes. However, woven wire fencing is quite expensive and installing it could be a bit of a headache.

If you’ve really made up your mind regarding applying woven wire fencing, you must keep four-inch spaces to make sure the goats do not get their head stuck inside the fence openings.

Cattle or Goat Panels

Another fencing option could be using the cattle or goat panels with specified spacing. They are a great option. These are available in different heights and lengths, and you may choose according to your needs, keeping in view what breed of goat do you have. However, this is important to note that the higher and the wider the fencing is, the better would be the safety.

There is one disadvantage to using cattle panel because the tallest panels could be as high as 52 inches, that might mean you have to add a few more wire linings of electric fence all over the top in order to discourage your most active breeds to try to jump over.

Using Wooden or metal Posts?

Goats have a tendency of rubbing against walls and fences. They are extremely persistent and won’t stop this habit. Therefore, if you are looking to keep your goats in fences, it is advised to use either wooden or metal posts.

The posts must be kept about eight to ten feet apart from each other and they must be buried minimum two feet deep in the ground. Also the posts in corners must be on the outer side because the goats will try climbing up the fence’s support and they are very good in climbing.

Electric Fencing

People who have experience also say that electric fencing is a great choice if you are keeping goats. As we already discussed goats are quite likely to pass from under the fence instead of taking the pain to jump over it. Therefore, when placing wires, it is important to keep the bottom wire as close down as possible.

If your area suffers from electricity blackouts you may use solar-powered fence for extra protection. Electric fencing for goats shall require a charge of 4000 to 5000 volt.

Keeping Fence Wire Low

Moreover, the fact that goats are an excellent climber, crawler as well as jumpers must all be the considerations while choosing your fencing, placing the poles or fixing the gate. They may not just jump over, they can crawl from beneath the fences and they can climb up and go out from anywhere even slightly possible do so.

Space between Fence Wires

Another important aspect of fencing involves the space between wires. A tried rule that you may follow is to make sure the smallest goat should not be able to pass its head through the fence. Once the smallest one escapes it may create wider space making it easy for the other ones to follow and pass through.

Gate Locks

Goats are incredibly clever. People who keep goats will tell you that their cleverness is seen on a regular basis. One area relevant to fencing is the door bolt which they will, over the time, learn to unbolt and go out.

You are recommended to add bolt latches or a padlock to keep them in. Also, no matter what type of latch you use, make sure it is placed on the outside of the gate, out of the reach of the goats.

How tall of a Fence for Goat To make sure it CAN’T Escape?

The tallest goat could jump as high as 12 feet in a single bound. A fence that is taller than 12 feet can be safe to keep any breed of goat inside. Although It’s really rare that a goat actually would need that high of a fence.