By Katie Spring, Communications Manager
There’s a saying that goes, “a fence that holds water will hold a goat.”
Notorious for their curiosity and mischief, goats are known to find their way out of any boundary put around them. But at Does’ Leap Farm, owners Kristan Doolan and George van Vlaanderen have discovered that the best goat fence is one you can’t even see.
In 2024, with a $16,848 NE-DBIC Goat & Sheep Dairy Development Grant, Does’ Leap installed a virtual fencing system for dairy goats.
Through the grant, the farmers purchased the Nofence system – replacing net fencing with goat collars and an app. Now, instead of moving fences each day, Kristan and George simply map boundary lines on their phones. When it’s time for a new area, a pair of herding dogs help efficiently move the goats. Once in a new paddock, the app sends signals the to goats’ collars, which beep when a goat gets too close to the line. After just five days of training, the goats learned to stay within the virtual fence line.
As part of the grant project, Does’ Leap also collaborated with Agritech Institute for Small Farms to develop a rotational grazing system that includes both traditional grassland and silvopasture. Virtual fencing allows the farmers to set paddocks in areas they could never bring net fencing into – which means the goats can now access browse in forested areas. This is especially helpful in hot summer months. Unlike grass, the woody brush (on what is otherwise considered marginal land) offers shade and hydration in the form of leaves, twigs, and forbs.
Along with introducing the goats to previously inaccessible land, Kristan is introducing forbs like cup plant and chicory in specific pastures. All together, she’s tracked an increase in milk production when goats are eating more browse and forbs. “In comparison to 2022 and 2023, we increased our milk by about 3600 pounds over the period of July-November. This equates to a roughly $6500 increase in gross income over this period.”
This growth in production is paired with labor savings. Since implementing the virtual fencing, “we have seen monthly labor savings of around $460,” said George.
There are challenges, though.
Poor cell service can impede setting new pastures. To get around this, Kristan and George load the pasture boundaries onto the goats’ collars when they’re in the barn overnight. Spotty cell service doesn’t dampen the benefits, though. With the incorporation of additional land and feed, the virtual fencing system has transformed the farm’s management.
The results: better feed, more milk, and increased sales.
