Anyone have dwarf goats?

[junior67]

where do you get your woven wire from? I was searching around for it but welded kept coming up and not woven for most places.

 

[Debbie292d]

I had a few dwarf or pygmy goats for a few years. One was a fainting goat and he was hilarious! But all of them were entertaining and the easiest creatures to care for on a daily basis.

Some of my thoughts:
I recommend NOT getting a billy, or if you do, get him castrated. In the presence of nannies, the billy can become aggressive and territorial. Heck, he'll even do that if there are NO nannies. He pees on his face. Yes, he turns his head and aims his pecker at his face on purpose. Something about the scent. And OMG does the smell ever cling to your clothes and hands, it's oily and it stinks! He'll also ram his head into anything, anytime, for any reason. Usually out of boredom or being blocked out of somewhere he wants to go (in the nannies' pen, for example). He can break down a fence in no time.

They'll stick their heads through the fence if the holes are remotely large enough to squeeze through, and if they have horns, they can get stuck and things get serious in a heartbeat. Make SURE the fence has holes small enough they canNOT get their heads through. Less than 4"x4" (chain link is GREAT). Those wire cattle panels are NOT safe. Ask me how I know.

We layered our cattle panels with chain link, and that finally was secure to keep that billy goat away from the nannies (when I did not want them to breed). T-posts every 6-feet. After a season of head-butting, the fence looked like waves on the ocean. I'm told it would have been better to pen him up away from the nannies where he could not see them, or line the fence with wood panels or pallets.

However, they never ever tried to breach the livestock gates. Plenty of room for them to squeeze through between the pipes, but they never tried. I have no idea why. That wether goat, though - could scale just about any fence before he finally grew too heavy to try it. Up and over a 4-ft chainlink like a breeze until he was about a year old.

We gave the goats to our son who kept them penned up for several months, and they birthed kids in that pen, but finally he just let them roam free. They never left the farm. They might wander down the drive to the road (gravel, dead-end), or to the far end of the pasture, but never left the property in two years. Very much home-bodies and prefered to stay in familiar territory.

They slept in a lean-to or garden shed when weather was wet or snowy, but otherwise they just camped out in the middle of the farmyard. Right out in the open. I think they liked this best because they could see in all directions and nothing could sneak up on them.

Herding goats is EASY to get them to go where you want. Want them to go in the pen or into a trailer? Just rattle that feed bucket or treats in a can. They'll follow you ANYwhere. If they were out of sight, I'd call them: "Hey, billy-billy-billy goats! Come and get it!" And they'd come running. Goats are very food-motivated. Don't try to 'herd' them into a trailer or pen, it doesn't work. But rattle a bit of feed in a bucket, and you're the Pied Piper. My neighbor and I walked two nannies from her place to ours, a half-mile down the road, with just a feed bucket. We had them on leashes, but it wasn't needed.

To separate them into different pens was easy, too. They'd all follow me into the first pen, then I'd start back to the gate. Throw a few treats on the ground to grab their attention, then rattle that can again. Confusion. Easy then to block the ones you want to stay in the pen while leading the other(s) out the gate and into the next pen.

Do NOT let them have grain. It causes urinary tract infections and kidney problems. Give them pelleted goat feed as a supplement if you want, but mostly just feed hay and let them forage. Our vet said hay and forage is best, the rougher the forage the better. In the winter, I'd pull the kudzu(?) or nuisance vines off the trees in the ravine and fencerows and throw that in the pen for some green feed. They LOVED it. I also used this time to prune lower limbs on trees, and they loved that, too. Ate every leaf and bit of bark off the limbs.

Keep their hooves trimmed. Check every couple of months or so. If they have rocks to run or climb on, it helps.

Good luck! You're in for an adventure!

I don't have goats but know people with them and would love to have a couple but no, no, no. I best stick with my chickens and I can visit the farmer across the way if I want to see some and donkeys too.

You should put this into an article though as it was great to read, informative, and very interesting!

 

[Debbie292d]

where do you get your woven wire from? I was searching around for it but welded kept coming up and not woven for most places.

For an example, this stuff is knotted, not welded. It's pricey!

https://fencing.bekaert.com/en/fenc...5-ga-660-high-tensile-fixed-knot-cattle-fence

 

[StinkyAcres]

Along with keeping up with hoof trimming you also have to have them vaccinated annually and dewormed when necessary. It's important to do regular fecal checks and only deworm if they test positive to prevent over-usage of dewormers which causes parasite resistance. Rotational grazing if you have pasture or keeping them on a dry lot helps cut down on the parasite load. The goal is to keep them from eating close to the ground where the parasites are.

where do you get your woven wire from? I was searching around for it but welded kept coming up and not woven for most places.

Tractor Supply carries woven wire fence.

 

[junior67]

I don't have goats but know people with them and would love to have a couple but no, no, no. I best stick with my chickens and I can visit the farmer across the way if I want to see some and donkeys too.

You should put this into an article though as it was great to read, informative, and very interesting!

I have no clue how to do that. Lol

 

[noelgeorgia]

Reading through this older thread since we're thinking about getting a couple of NDs goats. I read the males can ruin the milk from the females because they pee all over them self often and it will taint the flavor of the milk. I was told to keep them separate unless it's mating time. Since I think they're social, should I get a couple males and a couple of females or just get females and find someone to breed her with locally?

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

Reading through this older thread since we're thinking about getting a couple of NDs goats. I read the males can ruin the milk from the females because they pee all over them self often and it will taint the flavor of the milk. I was told to keep them separate unless it's mating time. Since I think they're social, should I get a couple males and a couple of females or just get females and find someone to breed her with locally?

I'd personally just get females and breed local if you have that option

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Reading through this older thread since we're thinking about getting a couple of NDs goats. I read the males can ruin the milk from the females because they pee all over them self often and it will taint the flavor of the milk. I was told to keep them separate unless it's mating time. Since I think they're social, should I get a couple males and a couple of females or just get females and find someone to breed her with locally?

I agree with @Pampered chicken girl above - just get females and find someone with a buck you can breed them with, or get AI done by the vet. Read my post on this thread - it's full of reasons a billy or buck is a huge challenge to deal with. If you just want to add to the herd but not more females, get a wether goat or two (castrated males). Don't put two bucks together, ever.

 

[noelgeorgia]

I'd personally just get females and breed local if you have that option

Yeah that's what I'd like to do too.

 

[noelgeorgia]

I agree with @Pampered chicken girl above - just get females and find someone with a buck you can breed them with, or get AI done by the vet. Read my post on this thread - it's full of reasons a billy or buck is a huge challenge to deal with. If you just want to add to the herd but not more females, get a wether goat or two (castrated males). Don't put two bucks together, ever.

Wow that's good to know. Reading through your post now. Seems like a couple of females is best especially since we're just starting out.