Backyard Goats? Bad idea?

[nayeli]

I am also thinking of getting goats and my lot is also 1/3 of an acre. We have the backyard fenced in with a privacy fence so it shouldn't be an issue. I want to be more sustainable, organic, healthy, and natural so I'm getting a little homestead going lol.I have heard Nigerian Dwarfs milk tastes like cow milk, so I'll probably go with them (testing the milk first obviously).

 

[SA Farm]

Also, if we were to go look at a few, what red flags should we watch out for? There are a lot of farms that I see advertise their goats on Craigslist... Is that ok, or is that a flag? One place has nice pictures but it says "$250 each or two doelings for $400". I read somewhere that if its on sale it's a red flag...

Some very decent breeders will advertise just to get the word out. Two for less deals are often given for goats because good goat breeders don't want their babies to go by themselves as goats do best with companionship, but if it's too good to be true, it usually is. The best thing to do would be to go and see what they have, meet the parents, find out how much milk the mother or mothers produce, find out about the father's dam as well, and see where and in what condition the herd is kept.
The main red flags to me would be:
Untrimmed hooves,
Unsanitary conditions,
Unhealthy animals (Especially if they're in the main herd!)
Indoor only
Really low prices. ($250 for unregistered is pretty average. I would be worried if it was $150 or less for a ND doeling.)

I don't have an issue with sheds for goats, actually. As long as they're cleaned out regularly and well. You could consider getting a dog run for the goats. That way they won't take up your entire yard and they would still get to be outside

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

Thank you! That's very helpful. I am reading everything I can. Husband is still doubtful.

I am a little confused on the milking aspect if it. So, milk doesn't keep coming in as long as you milk them? You have to breed them over and over? Why would that be? I'm going on 3 1/2 years of lactating, personally. Lol.

Also, how long does the milk keep if its raw? How will I know if something is wrong with the milk?

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

I am also thinking of getting goats and my lot is also 1/3 of an acre. We have the backyard fenced in with a privacy fence so it shouldn't be an issue. I want to be more sustainable, organic, healthy, and natural so I'm getting a little homestead going lol.I have heard Nigerian Dwarfs milk tastes like cow milk, so I'll probably go with them (testing the milk first obviously). 

I am looking at Nigerian dwarfs as well

 

[crazyfeathers]

We have 2 pygmy goats and have excellent neighbors. They are housed in the barn with constant access to the outdoors via a ramp. We are in the city limits of a small rural farming area. Our goats outdoor pen is roughly 1500 square feet plenty of room, the chickens and pigs also join them in the summer. I love my goats and as far as noise, if I am late for feeding I not only hear the rooster scolding me I hear the goat. She can be loud and the neighbors have commented that they can hear her inside their house, but we are lucky and have wonderful neighbors. Is a goat louder than a barking dog or a roosters crow, I would say NO. As someone before me commented, they only make noise if they are in need of food, water, affection, or food lol. I didn't think I would enjoy our goats but they are lovable, sweet animals and just for pets. Good luck I hope you have understanding neighbors and everything work's out for you.

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

Aww! Thank you for sharing. We went to meet some goats (just for fun) yesterday and they were so sweet. The kids loved them. I noticed that they weren't very noisy at all... At least compared to our dogs. Lol. Husband is coming around but wants to wait a few months. Still need to talk to our neighbor. We will see.

Any more advice or stories are welcome!

 

[H Diamond]

Thank you! That's very helpful. I am reading everything I can. Husband is still doubtful.

I am a little confused on the milking aspect if it. So, milk doesn't keep coming in as long as you milk them? You have to breed them over and over? Why would that be? I'm going on 3 1/2 years of lactating, personally. Lol.

Also, how long does the milk keep if its raw? How will I know if something is wrong with the milk?

Most does will milk through. They usually drop production some in the winter, and pick back up in the spring. If you're on 31/2 years, you know all about supply and demand, lol. Goats work about the same as humans on milk production. Yes, there are some that just dry themselves up, but it's entirely possible to milk them through.

I use 7 days as a rule of thumb for my milk. Cleanliness, temp, and health of doe are pretty much the factors when it comes to how long the milk will last. You must keep all your milking equipment clean and sanitized. Milk needs to be cooled rapidly (some folks even keep an ice water bath in the fridge to put it into first) and kept cold. And your doe must be healthy (no mastitis, etc). If those factors are all taken care of, it will keep for quite some time. As for how to know... you'll know, lol. You can smell it and it will smell sour. It will also start separating in the jar. The nice thing about fresh raw milk is once it does start going "off" for human consumption, it's still perfectly fine for the chickens or pigs.
Oh.. I almost forgot... milk into a stainless steel bucket (or another material that is not porous) and store your milk in class. Plastic cannot effectively be sanitized at home for milk storage.

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

Thank you, thank you!

 

[newfoundland]

We have pygmy goats. I don't think they make very much noise at all. Nothing as loud as a barking dog, more like bleating. they are wonderful escape artists so you need to on top of the fence checking.They will eat practically any vegetation, and my grandmother's goat ate my granddads best army dress shirt off the washing line! If you ended up with more milk than you can use, think about cheese making. Goats cheese is much sought after.

 

[bugflipper]

I used to raise goats and dislike them greatly today. The main reason is the smell. The males urinate on their face for perfume. It is very nasty smelling and can be smelled at far distances if the wind is blowing in your direction. The next issue is they are selective foragers, meaning that they browse the absolute best things first such as clover, then work on down the line until they get to grass. The problem with this is the better plants such as clover are generally nitrogen fixers, meaning they naturally fertilize the pasture. By selectively grazing them the goats create a pasture that isn't as nutritious. Supplemental feed is generally required eventually when they ruin the pasture. Another aspect is them being escape artists. As soon as they get out they love to get into mischief, eating the neighbors flowers, beating up their dog or climbing on your vehicles. I never could stand the billies wanting to push on your leg with their horns or outright ramming you. The last issue I had with them was their crying when in heat. It sounded like a woman crying very loudly. It honestly got on my last nerve to hear what sounded like a woman in distress. Or if they really got going a woman being chased on a scary movie.

I now raise hair sheep. Pretty well everything is opposite. The only sound I've heard is a very low bleat that is almost inaudible when very close to them. They graze on the worst foods first. Weeds and briars are their favorite. They do not smell beyond the natural lanolin in their fur which you can smell on your hands after petting but can't smell them standing next to you. I have never had one get out with the same fencing utilized previously. They do not want to challenge or hurt you by hitting or pushing with their horns. I raise american black belly. I would suggest the black bellies to anyone or the hornless version the barbados black belly over a goat any day. The only feed requirements are hay and feed in the winter. Each will eat about $22 worth of food over the winter. In the warm months no food is required but I do give them sweet feed to milk. It is like crack to them. Nothing else in the world matters if you have a small pail of sweet feed.