Lets talk about goats!

[CrazyChickGirl]

This summer I have been trying to convince my husband to get a goat. I grew up on a goat dairy and had goats up into my twenties living on my parents farm. My fav, breeds are Nubian, Toggenburg and Alpine. For me, these three seemed to have the best temperament.

I am not sure if I want to go dwarf or just normal size. They are such easy farm animals and lovely pets. We always de-horned and wethered most males. My favorite times were always spring during kidding season. Having such an amount, we had to have circular corrals so that the kids wouldn't get cornered and suffocate. (Even then, you could lose one now and again because they huddle together and on top of each other for warmth.)

Bee hives and goats.... my next project for our little back-yard farm. (If only the husband knew my plotting!!! lol)

I love it! How much land do you have?

 

[amandarc]

Actually it is not the presence of the buck that causes the goaty flavor in goat cheese. It is the enzyme lipase.  If the raw milk was held a few days before it was made into cheese the enzyme has had time to work and the milk and the cheese it was made into may taste goaty. Pasteurization deactivates the enzyme.

ok sounds good. I'm no goat expert, I am only quoting a friend goat owner. Either way, its all very interesting to me.

 

[Tuhmu]

This summer I have been trying to convince my husband to get a goat. I grew up on a goat dairy and had goats up into my twenties living on my parents farm. My fav, breeds are Nubian, Toggenburg and Alpine. For me, these three seemed to have the best temperament.

I am not sure if I want to go dwarf or just normal size. They are such easy farm animals and lovely pets. We always de-horned and wethered most males. My favorite times were always spring during kidding season. Having such an amount, we had to have circular corrals so that the kids wouldn't get cornered and suffocate. (Even then, you could lose one now and again because they huddle together and on top of each other for warmth.)

Bee hives and goats.... my next project for our little back-yard farm. (If only the husband knew my plotting!!! lol)

Sure hope you are able to convince him! Idk what I would do without my goats, they are such little comedians. Right now I just have a herd I keep for meat goats but I would like to get 1-2 for dairy. Just haven't been able to find the right goats for that yet.

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

So, I've been thinking about my dog/ goat dilemma. If you remember we have neighbors, only 1/3 acre and would like two dairy goats. I'm now wondering if attaching a run right to the side of the goat pen would work as an indoor/ outdoor area for the goats, with time in the rest of the yard only when supervised, since we have the dog. How much room do goats need if they will be enclosed a lot of the time in this sort of pen + run set up? Do you think this would work out ok, or would I have unhappy goats? (The pen is decent sized, I can't remember exactly but it's like 14 x 12 or something.) How large would you make the run if you think this is a good solution for us? Or is the "backyard goat" really not a good plan at all?

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

I almost wish I would have built the chicken coop in a different area of our yard, because they have so much room! It would have been a great fenced area for the goats :/ Sigh. Trying to make this work.

 

[Rhandi74]

So, I've been thinking about my dog/ goat dilemma. If you remember we have neighbors, only 1/3 acre and would like two dairy goats. I'm now wondering if attaching a run right to the side of the goat pen would work as an indoor/ outdoor area for the goats, with time in the rest of the yard only when supervised, since we have the dog. How much room do goats need if they will be enclosed a lot of the time in this sort of pen + run set up? Do you think this would work out ok, or would I have unhappy goats? (The pen is decent sized, I can't remember exactly but it's like 14 x 12 or something.) How large would you make the run if you think this is a good solution for us? Or is the "backyard goat" really not a good plan at all?

With that small of an area I would not be getting standard size goats. I would go with Nigerian dwarf if you want milk or either pygmy or Nigerian Dwarf if you just want them for pets. A run for standard size goats IMO would not work. I own both standard and mini breeds.

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

Yep, we were planning on minis. Most likely nigerian dwarf.

 

[Stacykins]

Even Nigerian Dwarves will be quite miserable in a 12 x 14 foot area...

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

Oh, sorry, maybe I wasn't clear. The 12X14 is the barn. Where they sleep. I was asking how big the attached run should be. And if that kind of set up would work. So they would have 24/ 7 access to the barn and run. And then sometimes be let into the yard.

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

It's not going to work, huh? They need the full backyard?