Goat questions

[Berynn]

I am thinking about getting two goats. They will be our pets.
Why does dogs kill goats?

What is a good goat for a pet?

Do they need to be vacinated?

How often do they ned vet checks?

Do they get along with cats?

 

[NewHopePoultry]

Any goat can make a great pet, but most prefer the pygmy goat.

Any goat can get along with cats, but thats not saying they wont try to chase the cat around or anything like that. Goats are very playful.

Goats need to be dewormed at least twice a year. They need to be vaccinated against Overeating Disease (Enterotoxemia) and Tetanus.

The dogs that attack goats view them as easy pray.

you should check out: http://www.goatworld.com/

 

[picklespickles]

my cat stays out of the goat yard. from bad experience or not, i can't tell you. one of my goats gets along with the dog and sleeps with him. the girl goat, though, will butt the heck out of the dog if he goes in her yard. the dog will go for a third goats neck. so it all depends. i only keep the dog with the horned one, though, just in case.

good luck

 

[kstaven]

If you want pets get "wethers". You will never regret it.

Annual vet checks are a good idea for any pet.

 

[Mikesbirds]

The C&D Tetanus shots, de-worming and hoof trimming are all very necessary, but easy to learn to do. We also have to give selenium shots (BoSe) because our western Oregon soils (and feed) is deficient in this mineral. We only keep disbudded goats (horns removed when they are babies) because they can injure each other, themselves, or you and your kids with those horns.

The most important thing in the long run will be Good Fencing. Goats love to escape and they will get into mischief. They can get hit on the road, they can eat your neighbor's landscaping, or eat toxic shrubbery in your own yard.

That said, Pygmy wethers (neutered males) make wonderful pets. They are easy keepers, can actually get bladder stones if you feed them too rich. They are herd animals and will be happiest with another goat for a buddy. We did have one little pygmy guy, a bottle-baby "runt" from triplets, who was adopted by our old dog. She shared her doghouse AND her food bowl with him. She kept the big goats from bullying him. It was hilarious, and very sweet.

Our pygmies are kept well confined with hog panel fencing. It has smaller holes at the bottom so kids can't escape through the holes. Bigger goats will jump this low fence. "Combo" cattle panel fencing holds in our Nubians and Pygoras; it's about 56 inches high. The panels are 15 feet long and cost $14-18 apiece here, sometimes you can get "blems."
Good luck with your goaties! Look for a reputable breeder to buy your kids. You want to be sure they are healthy and well-started, especially if you are getting bottle-babies. Most breeders are more than happy to advise you after you take home your babies.