If you have (or have had) goats, please tell me about your experiences.

[Sahamamama]

We are starting to consider goats, but this is still in the (very) early stages. Before we would actually get any goats (if we do), we would work out a 4-H lease with a local goat owner (for a year or six months twice), and gain actual experience that way. We live on 2+ acres, have access to people experienced with goats, and have neighbors with goats. I've thought about asking our neighbor to teach us how to care for goats, and in exchange for that training we could work for him. Still thinking about my comfort level with that, though. He is very nice, but my husband isn't always home.

 

Anyway, if you have or have had goats, please share your thoughts. Thanks!

Edited January 8, 2016 by Sahamamama

[Shelly in IL]

We raised show goats my whole childhood. Best advice - good fences. They are master escape artists. They are not grazers like sheep, so don't expect lawn mowers - they prefer things like rose bushes and flowers. They are wonderful animals!

[itsheresomewhere]

A good friend say if you think the fence looks like it will keep them in, add another foot.

 

D has goats and they are great animals. When they say they are master escape artists, they are not joking.

[foxbridgeacademy]

I love goats, we had 9 of them when I was a kid/teen.  I should say I had 9 of them since I was the main caretaker.  There is absolutely nothing cuter than a tiny little kid maaaa-ing at you the problem is they grow up and you have to chase them all over the place to get them back inside the fence(electric fences curtail that activity considerably).  Luckily we had a lot of property adjacent to us that they could roam (and we fenced in the garden).  Lots of cleaning out of barn stalls, but excellent for compost, lots and lots of compost.  They don't like to be alone but can be particular about who shares a stall with them.  They're both super smart and astoundingly stupid at the same time, mostly just contrary.  Depending on your purpose you could start with either a pygmy (at least they're little) or a LaMancha which IME are much calmer then other breeds (Nubian's are pretty tame too). Get them when they small and handle constantly so that when they're older they see you as friend not adversary. 

[StephanieZ]

We've had goats for about two decades. Critical facts: You MUST have fencing that is 100% dog proof. Goats are very vulnerable to dogs. If your fencing isn't 100%, eventually, a roaming dog will maim or kill your goats. Personally, we use 4x2 inch knotted wire. It MUST be secure and dog proof. Second critical fact, goats need company. Poultry doesn't count. Must have 2 goats unless you have a horse or sheep or dog that will be living with the goat.

 

Other than those two critical facts, everything else is fairly obvious (food, shelter, water). If you live somewhere it freezes, then having electricity to the shelter to allow for a heated water bucket makes your life easier, but it isn't critical if you are willing to break ice and change water daily during extreme temperatures. Talk to local goat owners to find access to a goat vet. (Dh is a vet, so we don't have to worry about this one.)

 

Have fun!!

 

[BlsdMama]

We had dairy goats - just two adults and doelings for almost two years for milk.  Loved it.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat and I'd do it exactly the same way.  We got our does as adults from a goat dairy.  They had been handled, milked, and dependably contained their whole lives.  That last bit about contained is important.  Once goats learn they CAN escape, they get more creative.  :)  We had a Saanen/Nubian cross that was obnoxious but gave great milk and an Oberhasli that was sweet to my girls but not terribly fond of me. She was a massive milker.  We found them to be the best pets we ever had.  They're like dogs with better personalities, though less trainability. ;)  I loved having goats.  LOVED it.

[gardenmom5]

I did attend a lecture by a woman who does living medieval history.  she had a goat.  eventually the goat caused so much chaos (despite her best efforts), she had to deal with him.  she said he was very tasty.

[foxbridgeacademy]

I did attend a lecture by a woman who does living medieval history.  she had a goat.  eventually the goat caused so much chaos (despite her best efforts), she had to deal with him.  she said he was very tasty.

My sister had to do that with a goat that had just gotten too old and infirm.  She was short a leg and too old to kid, can't have an animal that isn't productive :glare: .  They made sausage and tanned her hide and made a drum out of it.  She's also butchered some males but that was their intended purpose.

She is currently down to 3 goats but is trying to get rid of two of them due to bad attitude and she's moving.  She plans on keeping the LaMancha who's a real sweetie.

 

Once she gets moved and set up with more goats/garden she'll be offering hands on classes.

 

 

 

 

*FYI- I am not a proponent (for me in my life, you do what you want :D ) of eating animals I've raised or met.  I wouldn't even consider eating the pigs that my mom/sister raised because I saw them once when they were piglets.   

[ocelotmom]

I did attend a lecture by a woman who does living medieval history.  she had a goat.  eventually the goat caused so much chaos (despite her best efforts), she had to deal with him.  she said he was very tasty.

 

I suspect *a*  goat and "he" were the problem here. As others have mentioned, you really do need multiple goats since they're herd animals, and uncastrated males are notoriously problematic.

 

Anyways, websites make it sound like goats are delicate snowflakes that will explode into piles of bloody poop at the slightest offense. In our experience, they've really been pretty easy.

Edited January 12, 2016 by ocelotmom

[gardenmom5]

I suspect *a*  goat and "he" were the problem here. As others have mentioned, you really do need multiple goats since they're herd animals, and uncastrated males are notoriously problematic.

 

Anyways, websites make it sound like goats are delicate snowflakes that will explode into piles of bloody poop at the slightest offense. In our experience, they've really been pretty easy.

 

I don't remember what her exact situation was - whether it was a single animal (I don't think so), or an uncastrated male (more likely).  I grew up in a very horsey area - though most of those pastures have since turned into houses. it has become a very expensive area to keep a horse.  (with a 50 acre state park with nothing but horse trails.) chickens, sheep, and goats were common.  the lunch lady at school would take home the slop leftovers and feed them to her backyard hogs.

 

sil used to have a hog farm.  we heard the stories of the animals we were eating . . . and the cats with the average two year lifespan.  if they didn't get caught in farm equipment - the coyotes or other preditors eventually got them. but these were "working" cats.  their job was to keep down the mice population.