While constructing an interior goat pen, we were using white cotton rope about 4ft high as a visual aid in keeping our posts in line & of equal height.... A 9 month old boar cross doe had wandered under the rope with some other does without noticing it. When the others went back under the rope, she stopped, saw the rope, and ran back and forth on the inside of the "rope fence" calling to her pals. She spent about 10 min. trying to find a way out of her enclosure and kept calling to the other goats. Meanwhile, we gave her some hay and had a good laugh, because the other goats would all come and go under the rope without the slightest hesitation, but she wouldn't follow them! As she was eating hay, I coaxed her under the rope and she ran to the others. All we can figure is that she must have been around electric fence when she was younger. We've had her since she was 4 months old and the person we got her from bought her at a local sale. It was the funniest "goat comedy" I've seen yet, and we have a goat that runs on top of rolling plastic barrels too. :o)

-- Sharon in AL (sharonspaws@aol.com), January 06, 2002

Answers

Sharron, I an sure it was electric fence. I have a 3 stand electric fence that looks just like rope. Actually It is called super rope. It has wire going through it. It contains 3 horses, a goat and a cow. In the winter I usually dont even turn it on because the bottom is usually buried in snow. Never had anyone try to test it.

-- tracy (murfette@stargate.net), January 06, 2002.

Sharon, isn't the "power" of electric fence amazing!!?? Like Tracy, I can turn my electric fence totally off during the winter when the bottom strand becomes buried in snow and still contain several does and a 250 lb. buck!! Have also controlled 4 different horses with it! Even a bucket of grain wont tempt them to walk through it.

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), January 06, 2002.

My horse and goat knew when the fence was off for a while, that was why I had to put up a woven wire fence too. My horse would pull the electric fence wire down with her foot when she knew it wasn't on. Never could figure out how they knew.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), January 06, 2002.

I've watched cattle check a fence. I think those little hairs all over their nose are sensors. They act as if they are smelling it. Doesn't matter if it's wire or the rope with wire, or tape with wire. Of course I've seen them get a little too close and get zapped on the nose!

Can't believe they can smell it, but I betcha they can sense it.

-- Deb (Cowlady_98@yahoo.com), January 08, 2002.