Cheap Goat Fencing Ideas: Pallet Fence vs. Wire Fence (What Worked for Us)
Updated: Oct 17
Goat fencing can get expensive fast, especially when you are just getting started and looking at all the “best” options people tell you that you need.
But I am a big believer that you do not always have to start with the best of the best. Sometimes you start with what you can afford, make it work safely, learn as you go, and improve things later.
Do what you can to achieve the goals that you want.
That is exactly what we did with some of our goat fencing. In this video, we walked through two different setups we have used: a budget-friendly pallet fence and our regular wire goat fencing, including the very simple fix we had to add once we realized baby goats are basically tiny escape artists.
Watch Our Goat Fencing Video
If you would rather read than watch, here is what we learned and what worked for us.
Our Cheaper Pallet Fence Option
The pallet fence was our cheaper way of getting a section fenced without feeling like we had to buy the most expensive fencing setup right away.
It also was not terribly hard to put up. One portion took us roughly a couple of hours. Your time will obviously depend on the size of the area, your ground, the pallets you are working with and whether you have help, but this was not some week-long construction project for us.
What We Used for the Pallet Fence
Wood pallets
T-posts
A few nails or screws to help keep everything from twisting and shifting
Broken pallet pieces for filling any larger gaps
We used about one T-post per pallet. The T-posts helped keep the fence from moving too far, and the nails or screws were mainly there to keep the pallets from twisting around.
We used a compressor and nail gun because we had them, but you absolutely do not have to own those tools to make the idea work. Screws will do the job too. It may take a little longer, but not everybody has a compressor and nail gun sitting in the garage—and you should not have to buy one just because you want goats.
Why I Liked the Pallet Fence With Baby Goats
One thing I really liked about the pallet fencing was how well it worked when we had baby goats running around. The openings were small enough that they were not slipping through the fence the way they could with some of our wire fencing.
If we had an odd larger opening between pallets, we filled it with broken pallet pieces. Nothing fancy. The goal was simply to make sure there was not a baby-goat-sized doorway waiting for somebody to discover it.
Another little bonus is that I have been able to hang small feeders right on the pallet fence, which made the fence useful for more than just keeping everybody where they belonged.
What Happened With Our Wire Goat Fence
Our regular wire goat fencing worked well for the adult goats, but we learned something very quickly once we had babies.
The openings near the bottom were smaller, but farther up the fence the openings became larger. When the kids were tiny, some of them figured out they could climb up and squeeze their little bodies through those larger openings.
And because goats apparently enjoy making simple things complicated, they would get out, wander around and forage, then come back with nice full bellies and have a harder time getting themselves back through the fence.
Our Simple Fix: Chicken Wire on the Inside
We fixed that problem by adding chicken wire along the inside of the existing fence where the babies could get through.
For us, it worked very well as an extra small-gap barrier while the kids were little. I would not treat lightweight chicken wire as the main structural goat fence by itself; in our setup it was an added layer on an existing stronger fence.
The Biggest Lesson: Pay Attention to the Size of the Openings
If I were buying wire fencing again specifically with tiny kids in mind, the size of the openings would be one of the first things I looked at.
A fence can look perfectly goat-proof when you are standing beside a full-grown goat and become a completely different fence when a determined little baby decides to test every square inch of it. If I were to use wire fencing again for another enclosure, I would use a style with smaller openings toward the bottom instead.
Pallet Fence vs. Wire Fence: What Worked for Us
Pallet fencing gave us a lower-cost option for getting an area enclosed.
The pallet openings worked well for keeping our small kids contained.
T-posts, nails or screws were the main hardware we needed for the pallet section.
Our wire goat fence worked, but the larger openings became an escape route for baby goats.
Adding chicken wire inside the stronger fence solved that baby-goat problem for us.
A Few Things I Would Check Before Using Pallets Around Goats
If you decide to try pallet fencing, inspect every pallet before it goes anywhere near your animals. I would not use pallets with sharp edges, loose boards, protruding nails or staples, or anything that looks like it held something you would not want your goats chewing around.
And remember that this is simply what worked on our homestead. Your goats, terrain, predators and property may require a different or stronger setup. Whatever you build, walk the fence regularly because goats have an impressive talent for finding the one weak spot you somehow missed.
You Do Not Have to Build Everything at Once
This is probably the biggest thing I wanted people to take away from the video.
Homesteading can make you feel like you need thousands of dollars worth of perfect equipment before you are allowed to start. You do not.
Build what you can afford. Make sure it is safe for the animals you have. Pay attention to what works and what does not. Fix the problems you discover. Upgrade when it makes sense for you.
That is pretty much how we have learned everything around here anyway.
— Vee
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