Conditions to test electric fence additions to cattle barb wire fence for goat containment

Two experiments were conducted to determine appropriateness of conditions in a method being developed for evaluating efficacy of different electric fence additions to cattle barb wire fence for goat containment. In Experiment 1, two 6 × 6 Latin squares (LS), each with 24 yearling Boer goat doelings previously exposed to electric fence, were conducted. After overnight fasting, groups of four doelings were placed in 2.4 × 2.4 m pens without forage. One pen side was five strands of four-point barb wire (non-electrified) at 31, 56, 81, 107, and 132 cm from the ground adjacent to a pasture with abundant vegetation. One LS had periods 2-3 days in length and the other 7 days. Electric fence treatments for each square were addition to barb wire fence of four electric fence strands 15, 28, 43, and 58 cm from the ground at low voltage of 4-4.5 kV (4S-LV); two strands at 15 and 43 cm and high voltage of 8.5-9 kV (2S-HV); two strands at 15 and 43 cm and low voltage (2S-LV); one strand at 15 cm and low voltage (1S-LH-LV); 1 strand at 43 cm and low voltage (1S-HH-LV); and 1 strand at 23 cm and high voltage (1S-MH-HV). Percentages of doelings exiting (6 and 4%) and shocked in 2 h (15 and 16% for 7 and 2-3 days, respectively) were low and did not differ between period lengths. The percentage of doelings exiting in 2 h was not affected by fence treatment. Period of squares affected (P