Is there a particular breed of goat that makes a nice pet?

[taraann81]

My family and I are thinking about getting a pet goat, either a female or a wether. Is there a particular breed that make nice pets?
A good temperament is a must. Floppy ears is a preference, but if another breed with out floppy ears has a better temperament then we would go with that.

Size doesn't matter big, or small. I guess what I am asking is which breed of goat makes the best pet?

 

[FrizzleFreak]

Nubians have floppy ears. They are often very in your face, but in the sweetest way. They always want to be in your back pocket. Also, they are very good dairy goats.
They are noisy. They are large. They come in every color of the rainbow. And I love them!!!!
Depending on where you are, I may be able to hook you up with a couple in a few months (like august or september.)

 

[taraann81]

I don't mind big and where I live loud isn't a problem. Thanks for the offer but I'm in Ontario. There is a guy near me that has 4 week old he calls them dairy croos goats for sale for 35. He says that they are drinking milk from a pail. Does goat milk from the store suffice? Or should I spend the 65 and get the 11 week old weaned ones that he has? I

 

[FrizzleFreak]

Milk from a pail is not the best way to feed a goat, especially a floppy eared goat. Pretty much, if it's a dairy anything it's got good temperament. With socialization etc of course. If you get milk replacer that is SPECIFICALLY for goats, then that should work fine, and be less expensive. I know that there are people on here that use whole cow's milk from the store. I would get a bottle though, pan fed babies are prone to certain diseases- mind you, I can't remember what they are, but there's a little red flag going off in my head.

 

[taraann81]

If I decided to go with the weaned 10-11 week old will they eventually(with socialization)be just as friendly as the 3-4 week old unweaned babies?
I read Storeys guide to raising dairy goats, but now that we are pretty close to getting one I feel unprepared and unknowledgable. A little scared.

 

[FrizzleFreak]

Yeah, the 10 week old will be plenty friendly-I just love bottle feeding! You do have to get up at 11:00, but it's worth it!
It's okay, don't feel scared. Get a good fence. A good rule of thumb is if they can get their head through, they will find a way to get the rest of them through. Get some grain, all stock is fine. Storey's guide is amazing, keep that on hand. And remember to post pics!

 

[taraann81]

OHHH, bottle feeding does sound fun. How many times a day and how many ounces are required @ each feeding?
Thanks for all this advice. I've said it before but will say it again, this is a wonderful site with great people. Its so nice to be able to get so much information from so many knowledgeable people. I am sure I will be here alot in the next few weeks, with MANY questions!

 

[Sammysmom]

My son adores his Nubian wether. He plays with him like he's a dog. He doesn't fetch, but he sure wags his tail whenever he sees my son!

The only time I've found them to be noisy is if they are left alone or it's feeding time!

 

[Haviris]

All breeds can make excellent pets, for floppy ears I'd go w/ nubian or boer. I have both and both are sweet friendly goats! I'd go w/ young and bottle raised either by you (if you have the time to commit to it) or already weaned (especially if you go w/ a nubian). They do have colored boers, but the traditional color is white w/ a red head. Nubians come in a much larger range of color, I have one solid black and one black w/ tan markings and tan moon spots.

Mini Nubian is another option, but since you don't care about size the other two will probably be easier to find.

If you were closer to me, I might could help you out, I think my boer doe may be bred to my nigerian dwarf!! Not sure yet what I'll do w/ the kid/kids.

 

[aaronzclark]

Almost all goats are nice if raised from birth miniatures are my favorite