When deciding if it’s the right time for you to own livestock, poultry or other various furry and feathery friends, there are a multitude of considerations to be made prior to the animals coming to live at the farm.

One of the most important components of our farm setup is electrical fencing. When touched, it gives off a shock; the voltage varies depending on the unit that the fence is hooked up to. This is to deter predators and scare them off if they get too close.

Fencing, whether it is electrical, welded or barbed, can be tedious to put together and align properly, but is a crucial element of keeping the animals safe and secure. Not only does our electric fencing keep predators such as coyotes and bears out and away, but it keeps the sneaky and curious livestock in their pen. We have had the goats escape their pen numerous times when the fence is not working properly, and then they help themselves to the planted trees and shrubs on the property.

 Since we first owned chickens, they have been free-range, meaning they can roam as they please on the property. But recently we’ve had to put up fencing against a fox, which hunts for chickens—it’s for the chickens’ own protection. While we do have the fencing set up, when we can be there, the chickens are let out to free-range while we watch over them for protection.

There was a time when Francis, one of the most curious and friendly goats, was trying to sniff the electric fence to sense if it was on or not. He got just a smidgen too close and shocked himself right in the nose. He yelled out and rolled backward onto his back, got up, and then proceeded to stampede away, bleating.