Goats are energetic jumpers. If you have raised goats at a point, you can relate to that fear of your goat gleefully leaping over the fence. Full of energy and enthusiasm, goats fancy leaping as high as they can. But how high really can a goat jump?
Averagely, goats can jump as high as 5 feet. However, breeds like mountain goats can jump up to 12 feet, while pygmy goats can’t jump higher than 4 feet. Larger goats find it more challenging to leap high into the air, while the likes of the Nigerian dwarf and mountain goat are more athletic. When constructing enclosures for your goats, it is safe to go for fences of at least 12 feet.
Goats are many things, but not dumb. You may think you have fixed their fencing only to come back and find the horned rebel leaped out. How about we learn specifically about how each goat breed can jump and how to construct a befitting fence?
- How High Can Dwarf Goats Jump?
- How High Can Mountain Goats Jump?
- How High Can Baby Goats Jump?
- Is Jumping Good for Goats?
- Why Do Goats Like to Jump?
- How Far Can Goats Jump?
- How Tall Should a Fence be for Goats?
- Do Boer Goats Jump Fences?
- Can Fainting Goats Jump?
- Why Do Goats Jump on You?
- Why Do Goats Jump on Other Animals?
How High Can Dwarf Goats Jump?
The Nigerian dwarf goat is one of the most compact goats there is. It is not the most active goat and has a welcoming demeanor.
At a maximum height of 1.75 feet, the Nigerian Dwarf goat can barely jump higher than 4 feet. The same maximum jumping height (of 4 feet) applies to the pygmy goat.
How High Can Mountain Goats Jump?
The mountain goat is barely 3 feet tall but is one fireball you would struggle to curtail. The mountain goal is an avid jumper. Notoriously agile and courageous, this goat breed is furnished with sturdy legs.
Add all these to the mountain goat’s high activity levels, and what you get is a goat that can leap up to 12 feet. This enthrones mountain goats as the highest leaping goats.
How High Can Baby Goats Jump?
Baby goats have a penchant for jumping about the place. A baby goat is averagely 17 inches tall. Baby goats can barely leap up to twice their height into the air.
Is Jumping Good for Goats?
Fundamentally, jumping is a recreational activity for a goat. Aside from when escaping from danger or yearning for freedom, goats jump to stimulate themselves.
Emotionally, this keeps them balanced, reducing their propensity to negative habits. What’s more, jumping keeps your goats physically fit.
Why Do Goats Like to Jump?
Most of the time, goats jump when they are excited and in the mood to play. Baby goats are more empathic about jumping, as it is massively exciting for them.
Jumping for baby goats is also a means of enhancing their vision. This habit is more prevalent in goats that have spent a sizable chunk of their lives in higher-vegetation lands.
As commonly obtainable in taller grasslands, baby goats (having not grown tall enough) would have to jump since the grasses and brushes would obstruct their line of view if they remain on the ground. Jumping gives them a broader view of their surroundings and better anticipation of predators.
Adult goats are not as enthusiastic jumpers as their younger folks. When the former jumps, they do so for more serious things as scaring off approaching predators.
The goat aims to send a message of strength and toughness to the predator by parading such athletic prowess, hoping to deter the latter. This is especially if the goat perceives the predator as contemplating chasing after it (goat).
In other situations, goats would jump to better communicate among themselves. Studies have shown that when goats jump, they could be sending signals of imminent danger to their fellows.
How Far Can Goats Jump?
Goats are naturally lovers of freedom. So you can be confident they will make determined efforts to jump as far as they can out of their enclosures, however much they love you.
The horizontal length a goat can jump is determined by parameters like its size, athleticism, breed, and temperament. Smaller breeds like the Nigerian Dwarf and pygmy goat can jump as far as 10 feet.
Bigger goats can jump higher but not as far (laterally), given they lack the compactness of smaller breeds.
How Tall Should a Fence be for Goats?
The fencing height requirement varies for different goat breeds. As we have earlier established, each goat breed has its maximum jumping height. The height of the fence should be respectively optimized around that for each breed.
Consequently, for Nigerian Dwarf and pygmy goat breeds that rarely jump above 4 feet, a fence height of 5 feet would do the job. For a breed like the Boer goat (relatively disinterested in jumping), a fencing height of 3.5 feet is befitting.
However, for a dynamic breed like the mountain goat that can leap as high as 12 feet in one bound, you need something higher than 12 feet for your fence height.
As a ground rule, ensure that your fence must never be less than 4 feet. A tall enough fence is not enough to make your enclosure infallible for your goat. Being curious and dogged animals, Goats are known to chew and lean on fences when determinedly trying to escape their enclosures.
Given this, your fence should be constructed from premium-grade wire so your herd can’t chew through it. Woven and electric wires are good options here.
This should be supplemented by metal or wooden posts – preferably depth. A subterranean depth of 2 feet would do for staking the post, leaving the other 6 feet on top of the ground.
The opening between the fencing matters too. Goats can attempt squeezing through, either in an epic “prison-break” attempt or trying to fetch weed located beyond the fencing. Accordingly, keep the openings at most 4 x 4 inches.
Do Boer Goats Jump Fences?
The Boer goat doesn’t have nimbleness as its greatest strength. With a sturdy built, weighing as much as 230lbs, this goat breed is not a high jumper.
But of course, a Boer goat would fancy jumping out of its enclosure to savor the air of freedom. An average Boer goat will struggle to leap over a fence height of 3.5 feet.
Can Fainting Goats Jump?
The fainting goat is one breed terribly disinterested in heights. Fainting goats are born with myotonia congenital, which causes their muscles to stifle when they jump.
Given this medical condition, fainting goats don’t fancy leaping into the air. If they must jump out of necessity, they would barely jump higher than 2 feet.
Why Do Goats Jump on You?
Goats are emotional animals. They have happy spells too. And if they are sentimentally bonded to you, they would playfully jump on you when excited. A goat can also hop on you in aggression – typically when it feels threatened or protecting its little one.
Why Do Goats Jump on Other Animals?
Just like when attacking humans defensively, goats can jump on other animals they perceive as threatening to deter such animals. There are other curious times when goats would hop on other animals to “appear bigger” to scare off predators.
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Mike is the Founder of Familylifeshare. Mike is well-knowledged in marriage, parenting, dogs, blogging and committed to sharing his knowledge and expertise with his readers. Know more about Mike from here.
