Goat Housing

[nccatnip]

I am new to goats (3 Boers) and during my research learned they are extremely hardy and require little care. Good food, shelter, regular worming and hoof triming on occasion is all you need. They are escape artists, electrical fencing is just a suggestion to a goat but they usually do not wander far if content at home. They can be great fun and adorable pets. The pygmy's can be housed in dog houses. I got mine to clean up areas of my land, they are great for that and have saved me lots of work eating thick briar bushes and privette. Maybe that is a way of talking hubby into it, tell him he will not have to spend time cleaning up the property, the goats will do it. You can tell him they will be employees- between making milk and ground maintence.
If I were you, I would consider getting dairy goats, if you email me I have some interesting info on a farm in NC that is right up your alley.
BTW- if you join the Yahoo Freecycle group for you county, you can probably get a doghouse free.

 

[schmoo]

My DH makes sure to never tell me absolutely NO to anything. Otherwise he'd come home to me having 10 goats just because I can.

I mean if he had some serious reason, like he would have to take care of them or they were expensive to keep etc. He has no real reason.
BUT- you have a great reason for wanting them.

 

[NewGuineaChooks]

We have a variety of goats, for milking.

We are very happy with our Nigerian Dwarf does. They are easier to handle than the full size breeds, but still have good milk producing ability. I would recommend Nigerian Dwarfs instead of pygmy, if you are considering milk production and not just pets...so many Pygmies are bred just for pets, that there's no telling how much milk you get if you decided to go that route. Our Dwarfs are -maybe- 6 inches taller than the pygmies.

I'd also recommend getting two does instead of one of each. You can usually arrange a trade with other goat owners for breeding in exchange for one of the kids. That way, you don't have to worry about a smelly billy goat (they really do smell). And, if you decide to milk a doe, the billy has to be penned separately, a LONG way away, or he makes the milk smelly and strong tasting and unpalatable. If you DO get a billy---make sure he is de-horned. Makes it much less painful when he decides to be aggressive and butt you in the leg.

Good Luck, whenever the time IS right for you to get goats.

-maureen

 

[Iamaqte]

Quote:
Amen to that! My husband knows better. I might drive him a little crazy with all my animals, but the day he tells me no is the day the animals move into the house and he goes out in the barn! LOL<BR>

I now have 7 goats.. 2 pure pigmys (females) , 2 1/2 pigmys (males), 2 Muti mix breeds (females), and 1 larger mix breed.

They aren't expensive in my opinion either. I dont have any health issues just hooves trimming. Quite simple.

They are almost like having a dog.. when I am home, i let them out of their pen and they follow me around. I take them down to the creek and everything. I love my goats.

I have partial houses throughout their penned in area and then at night they go in the barn.

I hope your DH changes his mind!! The are great pets!!

 

[Southern28Chick]

I'm going to get him real drunk tonight and then he'll say I can have them.

He was never around a lot of animals growing up so he thinks that they're always sick or expensive to feed and blaa blaa blaa. I feel like I'm trying to talk my parents into letting me keep a puppy or something.

Maybe if I take him to some local goat farms and let him see that they aren't going to cost us an arm and a leg then he'll understand. He's so annoying sometimes. I just want to

when he talks to me like he's my dad.

As he was falling asleep last night he said "You better not go and get any goats...I mean it."

What gets me is we have 2 acres that we don't use for anything!!! What's the point in having the land if you don't use it?

 

[Mrs. Hoppes]

We have 7 goats and one acre. One goat is due to kid soon and we are picking up another goat in a couple of weeks.

We are also taking two goats in for processing in November and another one in the spring.

That said, goats are fun and relatively easy. The milking is the hardest part. There is a learning curve, but once you figure it out, it is not difficult.

They have wonderful personalities and will use any opportunity to outwit you including sticking their foot in the milking pail just when you are about to finish (read FULL pail of milk) even though it accomplishes absolutely nothing except a ruined pail of milk.

Opposable thumbs ALMOST levels the playing field when it comes to goats.

 

[k625]

I was thinking of getting a pygmy goat, and a friend of mine told me they eay EVERYTHING in sight, they used her car as a mountain, and they can jump very VERY high. She said they did more damage than anything else, and recomende something that didnt jump! lol. Just thougth I would throw it out there. I dont mean to poo pa anyones parade, but it made me think twice...but they are too cute for words!

 

[schmoo]

Hee Hee you think like me southernchick.........a little moonshine will loosen him up! Maybe paint a coat of the red nail polish on and

before you know it you'll have goats.

Good idea about going to see some and having him hear how they are not expensive will help him understand too.

If my DH ever says anything about my "hobbies" being expensive (and they are NOT) I remind him of his hunting and how expensive that is (he has a $400.00 bow)

and he quickly decides it's not worth a battle.

Good luck and tell him to do a shot for me!

 

[mdbucks]

Quote:
That is called a buffer, so you dont get bothered by the neighbors.

I have a feeling someone will be having a headache till the goats get there

WORKS EVERY TIME

 

[Southern28Chick]

If my DH ever says anything about my "hobbies" being expensive (and they are NOT) I remind him of his hunting and how expensive that is (he has a $400.00 bow) and he quickly decides it's not worth a battle.

I could throw that in his face. He's a civil war reenacter and he spends THOUSANDS on his "hobby". It probably won't work thought because as far as he's concerned I'm sitting at home all day making soap to sell and I don't "work". I keep telling him that a new business takes a year or 2 before it makes $ but he just sees me as unemployed. We got into a fight last weekend and he said he "was tired of supporting my a$$." We'll see who make more $ in a year or 2.

Gotta go, it's rainin buckets (thank goodness) and my hen house windows are open.​