Someone has tried for two nights to break into my kid pen.Yesterday when I went out to feed and milk I found the top of my kid pen partially removed,and one of my pet taxies in front of the back gate. This morning when I went to milk I found a board missing on the west side of my kid pen.Thank goodness both doelings were still inside and unhurt. Any suggestions on keeping my goats safe would be appreciated. Bettie

-- Bettie Ferguson (jobett@dixie-net.com), May 18, 2001

Answers

Gez O' Pete's...and we all thought we were getting away from crime by moving out of the city. What next...security alarms in the barns??? Oh well, guess it is all over .

Unless you have $1,000 goats, my guess is it is kids trying to get at them. You might trying installing a security light by the barn or rigging up some sort of "alarm" like with loud cow bells, etc. Or how about a BIG dog or better yet....replace the goats with a mean bull! Bet they don't come back!

Best of luck, it is a shame you even have to worry about goat thieves!

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), May 18, 2001.

For long term, get geese. They will raise a ruckus and are very frightening to intruders. Short term, bring the does inside at night until you have better security. (What would "kids' do to them if they got at them?)

-- seraphima (djones@kodiak.alaska.edu), May 18, 2001.

I rigged an inexpensive alarm system by wiring a loud doorbell buzzer (not chimes, but BUZZER) to a motion sensing floodlight. When the motion sensor turns on the floods, it also turns on buzzer. That should be enough to freak out any kind of rustler. You may even be able to find a horn or siren that will run off 110 voltage.

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), May 18, 2001.

Oh Bettie! Not the babies! That is the biggest problem when you have tame goats, they love everybody! Surprised your donkeys aren't making any noise with intruders at night. If mine bray at night, after their evening meal, it is always something or someone around, even the drunk neighbor coming in, I always head out. This is where dogs really come in handy, first off folks are half scared of them to begin with, but they also wouldn't have had the chance to get to the barn at night anyway. I loved Skip's ideas on the alarms, even a motion detector set up to lights and the water hose (we did this for the emus) would shock them! Oh! and green tattoo ink in the nozzel so you can identify them to the cops! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 18, 2001.

Good idea Vicky.The more I know about people , the more I like my animals.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), May 19, 2001.

You can use 2x4 in. cage on the the pen,even the top.Also the wire used to reinforce concrete, and sercure it on all side of the pen including the top and have a chain and padlock to lock the door.I've heard of a few people here and in other states who've had their goats stolen.My neighbors dogs alarm everyone who can hear ,that someone who doesn't belong is around,but I keep my goats caged at night and the door has a home made lock that would take a person who doesn't know where it is an hour or 2 to figure how to open it.Thieves have been around before citys have ,so there is no place to get away from them.You just have to dicourage them from coming around your place,by making it hard to get anything.Theives are usually lazy and go after things that are easy to steal.Don't set up any traps that can hurt them cause they will sue you if they get hurt robbing your place.I would sleep in or near the pen and wait for them if you think they will be back again.A scare crow that's set up in a chair that looks like a person, might keep them away.It's such a busy time of year and you have to waste time now on trying to dicourage theft,some people makes others life harder than it already is.Hope you catch them.

-- SM Steve (A12goat@cs.com), May 19, 2001.

Just a thought, could it be the Kids playing in the pen? I would think that if a child wanted to get in or let them out they would have. However kids jumping and playing in the pen might be lousing the boards. Another thought, could it be coons trying to get in to the feed? What if you make the ground soft and smooth around the pen and see if there are any tracks in the morning.

-- Julie (Julstrad@aol.com), May 19, 2001.

Do you have bears around your area? My friend up North of me has black bear trouble every spring. Lost geese and sheep to them last year. The bear tried several times to get to the milk cow through the barn wall. Finaly the game wardens caught it with a live trap. Had two bears looking for food that year. Scarry as their barn if a half mile away from the cabin.

-- michelle (tsjheath@nci2.net), May 19, 2001.

I like the idea of a motion sensor triggered dye sprayer to identify the scoundrels. Has anyone perfected this idea? Maybe a device to spray fresh cow hocky on the offending person(s). Of course, I'd forget to turn it off and . . .

-- Paul (hoyt@egyptian.net), May 21, 2001.

Someone stole my african geese yesterday in broad dailight. I am heartsick I have had them for many years and they were my pets.. They too raised a ruckus if a stranger came. I miss them so much already. They took 5 in total.. Im afraid to get more for fear of loss. Any ideas would be appreciated. I really cant afford to buy more either.. Lyn

-- Lyn Boyd (diplomat@dog.com), July 26, 2001.

Good GOSH! Thats pretty low. I like the alarm ideas/motion lights. We ahve the lights and a LGD and his back up, our killer minature daschy! My heart goes out to you, hope you can scare them off before they do harm!

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), July 26, 2001.