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Posted: 3/4/2016 11:38:25 PM EDT
[#1]
Skip goats, buy a Dexter or two.
Your welcome. |
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Posted: 3/4/2016 11:44:26 PM EDT
[#2]
Do you want meat goats or milk goats?
We raise Boer goats, which are meat goats. Have 18 right now. They breed like rabbits and the does usually have twins and triplets, singles are rare. We have 5 acres separated into three different pastures to rotate browsing areas. They are hardy goats, we vaccinate and deworm them once a year, about 3 weeks after they kid, then just do everyone. We trim their hooves 4 times a year. We feed alfalfa bales and supplement with protein feed in the winter. Sheep can't have copper and goats need copper so you need to make sure you get goat blocks and not sheep/goat blocks. Don't make the same mistake I did with fencing. The best I have found is 6 foot woven wire fencing with a strand of hot wire on the bottom 3 feet off the ground. The will jump anything shorter, even climb hense the hot wire. High tensile fencing is worthless so don't bother. You can use hog panels but the are expensive unless you can find them used. |
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Posted: 3/4/2016 11:47:02 PM EDT
[#3]
BTW a guard animal would be a smart investment. Stick with female llamas, alpacas, donkey or dog.
Don't use a male, they may try to breed your does when they are in heat and it will kill them. |
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Posted: 3/5/2016 12:03:01 AM EDT
[#4]
Great info.. Thank you! Milk was the goal, and/or breeding.
High tensile was my plan for fence. Dang... Ill have to read more. I was planning on alpaca or llama. Do you have a preference either way? And how much acreage? Im targeting only 3-5. Larger tracts are hard to find. |
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Posted: 3/5/2016 12:45:02 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Great info.. Thank you! Milk was the goal, and/or breeding. High tensile was my plan for fence. Dang... Ill have to read more. I was planning on alpaca or llama. Do you have a preference either way? And how much acreage? Im targeting only 3-5. Larger tracts are hard to find. A llama will probably be a better and cheaper choice. Unless you plan on sheering the alpaca for its wool. We have 10 acres, but goats need nothing near that. You can put 5 goats an acre. So a couple acres, so you can rotate will be perfect for you I would think. |
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Posted: 3/5/2016 4:17:48 PM EDT
[#6]
what won't hold water
won't hold a goat.... |
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Posted: 3/8/2016 12:37:04 AM EDT
[#7]
Have some good fencing.
They like to "talk" whenever you are outside. Some people say it's cute, some say annoying. Rotate pastures to keep from overgrazing. Males can get very rank smelling. Some are aggressive.... Don't push them away they may take that as a challenge and headbutt you...... or your kids. Raise them from babies, cuddle them and they will be as sweet as can be. Do you have a purpose in mind or is it just to amuse the wife? |
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Posted: 3/8/2016 1:04:26 AM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: what won't hold water won't hold a goat.... Had goats, why I won't again: Can't contain them. Really, you cannot do it. Destroy everything. They ate the shingles off the barn  The meat tastes weird. The milk is nasty. They have almost no resale value. They REALLY like to head butt you. I was serious when I said Dexter cattle. I feed ours for half a bale of good grass every other day, she is NOT in lactation though, but only a year old, so still growing. Registered Dexters are generally easy to sell, and registered cattle bring a premium price. You get cow's milk, which tastes good. The meat tastes good. Sweet temperament. Unless you cannot handle cow's milk, I cannot see a single reason to get a goat. Just my .02 |
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Posted: 3/8/2016 4:06:19 PM EDT
[#9]
We had goats for a while. They're like a boat. The best day I had was buying them and then selling them all off.
We had tremendous trouble keeping them healthy in spite of rotating pastures, clean water, and supplementing their grazing with commercial feed and hay. Keeping them dewormed was also seemingly impossible. When the kids were born that was always a bright spot as well. But we tried to make them work for us and couldn't. I should have sold them off earlier that I did. |
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Posted: 3/8/2016 5:56:09 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
what won't hold water won't hold a goat.... Truth. We had goats and they'd climb up the 45 degree corner fence post braces and hop right out of the pen. Had to attach a 4" PVC pipe to the brace so they couldn't get good footing on it. That finally stopped them. |
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Posted: 3/8/2016 6:06:22 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Truth. We had goats and they'd climb up the 45 degree corner fence post braces and hop right out of the pen. Had to attach a 4" PVC pipe to the brace so they couldn't get good footing on it. That finally stopped them. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
what won't hold water won't hold a goat.... Truth. We had goats and they'd climb up the 45 degree corner fence post braces and hop right out of the pen. Had to attach a 4" PVC pipe to the brace so they couldn't get good footing on it. That finally stopped them. We had a pygmy goat that would jump up on the back of a bottle calf we were raising with her, and from there over the fence. The calf wasn't particularly appreciative. |
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Posted: 3/19/2016 7:45:41 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
what won't hold water won't hold a goat.... Yup, this MIGHT hold them in: 
I will NEVER have a goat on my property again. If you want meat goats, get Dorper or Kathadin sheep. If you want milk goats, get a Dexter. I've tangled with Boer goats since childhood. I can honestly tell you that they are God's way of teaching you that you don't know a damn thing about building a fence. |
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Posted: 3/19/2016 7:55:40 PM EDT
[#13]
Quoted:
Who has? Any goats 101 you have saved handy? Will be step two after chickens. Any help welcome! Never again! 
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Posted: 3/19/2016 8:28:43 PM EDT
[#14]
I hate goats, with a passion. If you get some goats, you will too.
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Posted: 4/8/2016 11:27:51 AM EDT
[#15]
I have been thinking about goats for brush clearing. I was thinking about something like an invisible fence for dogs with multiple collars. Just string the fence wire where they can see it and its easily movable when I need to move them to new browsing areas.
Am I living in a fantasy land? |
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Posted: 4/8/2016 11:56:53 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I have been thinking about goats for brush clearing. I was thinking about something like an invisible fence for dogs with multiple collars. Just string the fence wire where they can see it and its easily movable when I need to move them to new browsing areas. Am I living in a fantasy land? The goats will trick you into putting one of the collars on yourself and then tag team you across that invisible fence multiple times while they laugh. Oh yeah, I hate goats. |
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Posted: 4/8/2016 4:43:04 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I have been thinking about goats for brush clearing. I was thinking about something like an invisible fence for dogs with multiple collars. Just string the fence wire where they can see it and its easily movable when I need to move them to new browsing areas. Am I living in a fantasy land? ETA: This is what goats do:  |
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Posted: 4/8/2016 9:18:11 PM EDT
[#18]
I think I've decided on getting goats as well. We're somewhat limited for space. Are pygmies worth while ore would they just end up becoming pets? I found someone who has Boers nearby but don't think I could have many due to limited space.
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Posted: 4/11/2016 3:05:42 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I think I've decided on getting goats as well. We're somewhat limited for space. Are pygmies worth while ore would they just end up becoming pets? I found someone who has Boers nearby but don't think I could have many due to limited space. The wife keeps 7 Nigerian Dwarfs on 3/4 of an acre but they are so small that they are like keeping cats. Ours have totally become pets and I really enjoy them. |
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Posted: 4/11/2016 4:14:45 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
How much space? The wife keeps 7 Nigerian Dwarfs on 3/4 of an acre but they are so small that they are like keeping cats. Ours have totally become pets and I really enjoy them. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I think I've decided on getting goats as well. We're somewhat limited for space. Are pygmies worth while ore would they just end up becoming pets? I found someone who has Boers nearby but don't think I could have many due to limited space. The wife keeps 7 Nigerian Dwarfs on 3/4 of an acre but they are so small that they are like keeping cats. Ours have totally become pets and I really enjoy them. It's only a 90ft X 70ft wooded area. I would be feeding with hay nearly exclusively due to the small space and lack of pasture. |
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Posted: 4/11/2016 4:47:20 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Have some good fencing. They like to "talk" whenever you are outside. Some people say it's cute, some say annoying. Rotate pastures to keep from overgrazing. Males can get very rank smelling. Some are aggressive.... Don't push them away they may take that as a challenge and headbutt you...... or your kids. Raise them from babies, cuddle them and they will be as sweet as can be. Do you have a purpose in mind or is it just to amuse the wife? This is extremely important. Have a schedule and if biomass is lower than it should be (poor year or more wildlife than normal eating all the yummy food) make sure to supplement with alfalfa or something of the like. |
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Posted: 4/11/2016 10:38:39 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted: It's only a 90ft X 70ft wooded area. I would be feeding with hay nearly exclusively due to the small space and lack of pasture. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: I think I've decided on getting goats as well. We're somewhat limited for space. Are pygmies worth while ore would they just end up becoming pets? I found someone who has Boers nearby but don't think I could have many due to limited space. The wife keeps 7 Nigerian Dwarfs on 3/4 of an acre but they are so small that they are like keeping cats. Ours have totally become pets and I really enjoy them. It's only a 90ft X 70ft wooded area. I would be feeding with hay nearly exclusively due to the small space and lack of pasture. Thing about goats is they are like rabbits... Pretty much looked at as food by everything else. Ours are all disbudded but even then they are cattle and run without thinking from any perceived danger. Would love to take them to the front of the property but it isn't secure enough for them to be safe. And ours hate cats. Don't know why, they just do. When we got the first two, the wife was worried about owls eating them at night so they slept inside (yes, goats in the house). But as it turns out they are really cool little animals. Ours all have their own personality and as far as pets to they are way easier than our dogs. You won't regret them and if you do you can always eat them. |
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Posted: 4/13/2016 8:27:28 PM EDT
[#23]
We have four goats, and love them. We don't use them for anything but keeping weeds down. Lots of times when we are home we turn them loose and they stay around the yard and pasture no fences are needed. We had to fence off the garden, orchard, and grape area of course because they love th st stuff more than weeds.
At night we round them back up and they live with the chickens. Only time we lost a chicken is when it gets dark and they roost away from the goats. Weasels, badgers, skunks, stray dogs and yotes never come near our goats. Without our goats it would be too much for us to stay ahead of all the weeds, they eat all the young tumbleweeds so I don't have to deal with them. |
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Posted: 4/14/2016 3:59:52 PM EDT
[#24]
Just found this subforum area
in pet section goats as pets also hang out over at the goat spot also tn meat goats has tons of info out there pygmy are great pets, other breeds for other purposes dairy,meat and textile weathers are way to go as pets if you want males...a buck is smelly because he pee's on his belly and beard
our get brushed and fed every morning before we let them into pasture area (helps them not over eat in field) and they come into secure area at night and get brushed again (looking for injures/thorns and such) and then fed again before bed |
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Posted: 4/20/2016 5:44:14 AM EDT
[#25]
I run goats and hair sheep on our 7ac. They really only have about 3ac, but I graze them on the rest when they get their area mowed down. I only have 4' field fence and it has always kept them in. We've never had them get out of the property. I can't say that I enjoy having them. We bought them to clear brush, keep grass short and as a tax break. They aren't very hardy animals and ours don't breed regularly.
When I was initially talking about getting goats, a co-worker told me not to. He said that goats are just looking for a place to die, lol. I know what he means now. If you aren't diligent with their care, they will get sick and die. The hair sheep (barbado, dall and painted desert) are a much better animal in my opinion. They are more attractive, hardier, quieter and better breeders. |
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Posted: 4/20/2016 6:57:41 AM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I run goats and hair sheep on our 7ac. They really only have about 3ac, but I graze them on the rest when they get their area mowed down. I only have 4' field fence and it has always kept them in. We've never had them get out of the property. I can't say that I enjoy having them. We bought them to clear brush, keep grass short and as a tax break. They aren't very hardy animals and ours don't breed regularly. When I was initially talking about getting goats, a co-worker told me not to. He said that goats are just looking for a place to die, lol. I know what he means now. If you aren't diligent with their care, they will get sick and die. The hair sheep (barbado, dall and painted desert) are a much better animal in my opinion. They are more attractive, hardier, quieter and better breeders. Hair sheep are a much better option. If you're looking for something that will clear brush. I grew up with Dorpers. Don't get the black headed ones. They are just goats with less brains. The regular white headed dorpers. Massive carcass if you decide to eat them. Along the lines of Khatadin? But they are very hardy and require very little care. I'm looking for a breeding trio now, in fact. |
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Posted: 4/20/2016 8:22:20 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Hair sheep are a much better option. If you're looking for something that will clear brush. I grew up with Dorpers. Don't get the black headed ones. They are just goats with less brains. The regular white headed dorpers. Massive carcass if you decide to eat them. Along the lines of Khatadin? But they are very hardy and require very little care. I'm looking for a breeding trio now, in fact. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I run goats and hair sheep on our 7ac. They really only have about 3ac, but I graze them on the rest when they get their area mowed down. I only have 4' field fence and it has always kept them in. We've never had them get out of the property. I can't say that I enjoy having them. We bought them to clear brush, keep grass short and as a tax break. They aren't very hardy animals and ours don't breed regularly. When I was initially talking about getting goats, a co-worker told me not to. He said that goats are just looking for a place to die, lol. I know what he means now. If you aren't diligent with their care, they will get sick and die. The hair sheep (barbado, dall and painted desert) are a much better animal in my opinion. They are more attractive, hardier, quieter and better breeders. Hair sheep are a much better option. If you're looking for something that will clear brush. I grew up with Dorpers. Don't get the black headed ones. They are just goats with less brains. The regular white headed dorpers. Massive carcass if you decide to eat them. Along the lines of Khatadin? But they are very hardy and require very little care. I'm looking for a breeding trio now, in fact. The reasons I chose the varieties I have, is color and horns. A ram just doesn't look right without horns, lol. |
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Posted: 4/20/2016 8:35:49 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote History[
The reasons I chose the varieties I have, is color and horns. A ram just doesn't look right without horns, lol. haha! Ok, that is a whole 'nuther ballgame. Dorpers are a bit "bland" looking! I have to agree though, it just don't look right without horns. |
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