6 Best Goat Fence Skirtings for Containment

You check the pasture and your heart sinks—the gate is latched, the fence is standing, but one of your most clever goats is happily munching on the prize-winning petunias by the porch. For a goat owner, a standard fence is often just a suggestion, a puzzle to be solved. This article breaks down the best reinforced skirting options to turn your fence line from a mere suggestion into an absolute rule.

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Why Standard Fencing Fails Your Houdini Goats

Goats don’t just see a fence; they see a challenge. They are relentless testers, using their weight to lean, their horns to lift, and their surprising flexibility to squeeze through the smallest of gaps. A standard field fence or cattle panel often has openings at the bottom that are just large enough for a determined goat to exploit.

The primary failure point is almost always the bottom two feet. This is where they push, rub, and dig. The space between the ground and the first strand of wire is a universal weak spot, especially on uneven terrain. Even if that gap is small, the flexibility of most fencing material allows a goat to create an opening with persistent effort.

This is precisely where skirting comes in. A fence skirt isn’t a different type of fence; it’s a reinforcement applied to the base of your existing structure. It’s a dedicated barrier, typically 24 to 48 inches high, made of a tougher, more rigid, or smaller-meshed material specifically to counteract a goat’s natural instinct to go under or through the bottom of a fence. It’s about adding strength exactly where you need it most.

Red Brand Woven Wire: The Classic Farm Choice

Woven wire, particularly from a reputable brand like Red Brand, is the traditional answer to livestock fencing for good reason. Unlike welded wire, the vertical and horizontal wires are woven together with either a "hinge-joint" or a "fixed-knot." This design allows it to flex under pressure without breaking, then return to its original shape, frustrating even the most persistent leaners.

For skirting purposes, you can buy a shorter roll (26 or 39 inches) of goat-specific woven wire and run it along the base of an existing fence. The key feature of goat and sheep fence is the graduated mesh—the openings are a tight 4×4 inches at the bottom and get larger toward the top. This small lower spacing is crucial for preventing goats, especially curious kids, from getting their heads stuck, which is a serious and often fatal problem. A well-stretched and installed woven wire skirt creates a formidable and long-lasting barrier.

The tradeoff is in the installation and cost. Woven wire is not a material you can just staple up loosely. It requires properly braced corner posts and significant tensioning to be effective, which can be a labor-intensive process. While the upfront material cost is higher than simple welded wire, its durability and lifespan of 20+ years make it a very sound long-term investment in your farm’s infrastructure.

Everbilt Hardware Cloth for Maximum Kid-Proofing

When you’re dealing with newborn Nigerian Dwarf or Pygmy kids, standard 4×4-inch fence openings can look like a wide-open door. This is where hardware cloth becomes an essential tool. With its tiny 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch galvanized mesh, it creates a solid, impenetrable wall at the base of your fence that even the smallest escape artist cannot breach.

Think of hardware cloth not as a primary fence, but as a strategic, high-security upgrade. It’s perfect for kidding pens, small paddocks, or reinforcing specific problem areas along a larger fence line where kids tend to congregate and test for weaknesses. Installation is straightforward; you simply unroll a 24-inch section along the bottom of your existing fence and attach it securely with C-rings, zip ties, or baling wire every few inches.

Its strength is also its weakness. Hardware cloth is not designed to withstand the weight of a full-grown buck leaning against it, as the thin-gauge wire could tear. It’s also far too expensive to be a practical solution for long stretches of perimeter fencing. Use it tactically for your most vulnerable areas and seasons, and you’ll have a nearly foolproof system for keeping your smallest kids safe and secure.

Tarter Cattle Panels for Unbeatable Durability

If your problem isn’t tiny escapees but sheer brute force from large breeds like Boers or Kikos, cattle panels are the answer. These are 16-foot-long, 50-inch-tall sections of heavy-gauge, welded steel rod. They are incredibly rigid and will not bend, sag, or break under the pressure of a goat rubbing, pushing, or trying to stand on the fence.

For a truly bombproof skirt, a cattle panel can be laid horizontally along the base of a T-post fence line, creating an ultra-rigid barrier. A more economical and common approach is to use a bolt cutter or angle grinder to cut a panel in half lengthwise, yielding two 16-foot-long, 25-inch-tall sections of skirting. This is more than enough height to deter even the most ambitious goat from trying to push through the bottom.

The primary considerations are cost, weight, and terrain. Cattle panels are one of the more expensive options per linear foot, and their weight makes them difficult for one person to handle and install. Their rigidity also makes them a poor choice for sharply contoured or hilly ground, as they won’t conform to the terrain, leaving gaps underneath. But for high-traffic areas like corrals, feed lots, and gate areas on flat ground, their durability is simply unmatched.

Premier 1 ElectroNet Skirt: An Electric Deterrent

Sometimes, the best physical barrier is a psychological one. An electric skirt doesn’t rely on brute strength to contain your goats; it uses a sharp, memorable zap to teach them to give the fence line a wide berth. This is one of the most effective methods for training stubborn fence-testers to respect boundaries.

Companies like Premier 1 offer shorter rolls of electric netting, typically 20 to 24 inches high, that are perfect for this application. You install the netting on temporary step-in posts along the inside base of your permanent, non-electric fence. When a goat lowers its head to push or squeeze through the bottom, its wet nose makes contact with the hot wire, delivering an immediate and effective lesson.

This system is incredibly effective, but it requires active management. You must have a properly sized and grounded fence charger to power it. More importantly, you have to keep the bottom wire clear of grass and weeds, as any contact will ground out the fence and render it useless. It’s a fantastic tool, but it’s a commitment; you can’t just set it and forget it like a physical panel.

BEKAERT Gaucho Pro Field Fence for Large Areas

For those fencing a larger pasture or establishing a permanent perimeter, starting with the right material from the ground up is the most efficient approach. BEKAERT’s Gaucho Pro line is a professional-grade, high-tensile woven wire fence. High-tensile wire is stronger and more elastic than the standard low-carbon wire used in cheaper fencing, allowing it to withstand greater impact without stretching or breaking.

This isn’t just a skirting material; it’s an integrated fencing system. The fixed-knot construction is incredibly rigid and resists being forced apart by animal pressure. The wire is also heavily galvanized (Class 3 or Zinc-Aluminum), giving it a lifespan that can be two to three times longer than standard farm store fencing. For a hobby farmer looking to build a fence once and not worry about it for decades, this is the gold standard.

This level of performance comes with a higher price tag and a steeper learning curve. Installing high-tensile fencing correctly requires specialized tools like spinning jennies, tensioners, and crimpers. It’s not something you can easily tackle with just a hammer and staples. It represents a significant investment, making it overkill for a small backyard pen but an excellent, cost-effective choice for fencing several acres for the long haul.

Yardgard Welded Wire: A Versatile DIY Option

Walk into any big-box hardware store, and you’ll find rolls of welded wire fence. This material, often with a 2-inch by 4-inch mesh, is the most accessible and budget-friendly option for creating a quick fence skirt. It’s lightweight, easy to cut with hand tools, and simple for one person to install.

As a skirting material, it does the job of closing the critical gap at the bottom of a fence. You can unroll a 24- or 36-inch-tall section and attach it to T-posts or a wooden fence with wire or fence staples. It will successfully stop casual pushing and prevent small- to medium-sized goats from slipping through the larger openings of a cattle panel or field fence. It’s a fast and effective fix for a common problem.

The critical tradeoff here is longevity. The weak point of this material is right in its name: the welds. A determined goat that repeatedly pushes and rubs against the same spot can eventually break these welds, creating a hole. It’s an excellent choice for lower-pressure areas, smaller breeds, or as a temporary solution, but don’t expect it to hold up for a decade against a large, determined buck. It perfectly illustrates the balance between upfront cost and long-term durability.

Key Factors: Choosing Your Goat Skirting Material

There is no single "best" skirting for all goats in all situations. The right choice is the one that solves your specific problem, matching the material to your animals, terrain, and budget. A Nigerian Dwarf kid has vastly different containment needs than a 250-pound Boer buck that sees a fence as a personal affront.

Before you buy, ask yourself a few key questions. A simple framework can guide your decision:

• Animal Profile: What is the size, age, and temperament of your goats? Tiny kids need small mesh, while big bucks require brute strength.
• Pressure Level: Is this a low-stress cross-fence in a large pasture or a high-traffic corral where they crowd for grain? High-pressure zones demand heavy-duty solutions like cattle panels.
• Terrain: Is your fence line running over flat, even ground or up and down rocky hills? Flexible materials like woven wire conform to terrain, while rigid panels do not.
• Budget & Labor: How much can you invest upfront, and are you prepared for a labor-intensive installation? Welded wire is cheap and easy; high-tensile woven wire is an investment in time and money.
• Predator Concerns: Is the skirt’s job also to keep digging predators out? If so, a sturdy material like hardware cloth or woven wire buried a few inches below the ground is essential.

Often, the smartest strategy is a hybrid one. You might use ultra-durable and expensive cattle panels around the barn and gates, then transition to more economical woven wire for the long pasture runs. By thoughtfully assessing your needs, you can build a containment system that is both effective and efficient, saving you endless frustration down the road.

Ultimately, outsmarting an escape-artist goat is about reinforcing the fence at ground level where they focus their efforts. Choosing the right skirting is a direct investment in your own peace of mind and the long-term safety of your herd.