Lets talk about goats!

[The scrambler]

Hello there, I have 3 goats that I absolutely adore and they are awesome!! Two are Nigerian Dwarf's and 1 is a Nubian. They are all males, and we got them to eat the weeds on our property, and they do a wonderful job at it too. They are pets, and we are not going to eat them. They are all wethers, as we found out first hand when looking to see if we were going to get some goats for sure of not, what the males were like not fixed. That is something my nose will never forget.

My husband and I are most likely going to get more this fall. They go for walks with us, and never leave our side. They are actually better than our dogs...(haha)

Teddy and Freddy

Jax has long legs and makes use of em

Jax If you ever watched Sons of Anarchy you know where I got this name

Just chillin in the shade

 

[Leahs Mom]

@GitaBooks
Excellent post!

Now lets talk about housing needs during winter in the north. I have not planned on keeping my wethers over the winter. I purchased the boys do do brush clearing in the understory of an overgrown woods area on the property and was planning on butchering in the fall. However, there is a possibility that I'd like to keep them for at least a second season.

Since I didn't plan for winter, I don't feel that my little "quanset hut" shelters (the metal kind used for hog shelters) are adequate for winter.

So I'd like to hear folks thoughts and ideas on that

You can see an example of the little shelter in this photo:

 

[GitaBooks]

@GitaBooks
Excellent post!

Now lets talk about housing needs during winter in the north. I have not planned on keeping my wethers over the winter. I purchased the boys do do brush clearing in the understory of an overgrown woods area on the property and was planning on butchering in the fall. However, there is a possibility that I'd like to keep them for at least a second season.

Since I didn't plan for winter, I don't feel that my little "quanset hut" shelters (the metal kind used for hog shelters) are adequate for winter.

So I'd like to hear folks thoughts and ideas on that

You can see an example of the little shelter in this photo:

Those are some nice looking goats. : )

Goats are tough animals, but even so, they like to have a wind-proof, dry shelter that they can cuddle in during cold weather. Do you have a shed you could use? A large dog house? Anything with a floor on it so melting snow won't get the area wet. Then you can pile some straw up in there and let them cuddle down inside of it. Again, the most important things are that it be wind-proof and dry with enough room for both goats to comfortably stand and sleep inside of it.

Get creative, there are many different things that can be use for goats. : )

Best of luck!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks for the input!

Also have to mention @oldhenlikesdogs to see if she has some wisdom to share

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: Good points.

I wonder if I put 2 of those shelters end to end, then put a wood enclosure on one end to close it up would work? Of course, there wouldn't be a floor unless I set them on something like a skid, etc.

If I found a way to get them inside the barn, do they need to be able to go outside daily? There is a "possibility" that I could figure out a way to make a place for them in there but not sure if they would have outdoor access during deep snow weather due to position and type of door.

 

[GitaBooks]

Good points.

I wonder if I put 2 of those shelters end to end, then put a wood enclosure on one end to close it up would work? Of course, there wouldn't be a floor unless I set them on something like a skid, etc.

If I found a way to get them inside the barn, do they need to be able to go outside daily? There is a "possibility" that I could figure out a way to make a place for them in there but not sure if they would have outdoor access during deep snow weather due to position and type of door.

As long as there is enough room for them to walk around and maybe some stumps or hay bales to play on, a few days in the barn during deep snow would be fine. We have a large barn, but still, our goats spent a lot of time inside of it. They seemed to enjoy going outside mostly when we were there or during the cooler mornings or evenings. Same with our chickens, they spend a lot of time near the shelter of our barns (we have two and a shed) but during the morning and evening stretch their legs a bit.

 

[5danehouse]

Hi, I have 3 pygmies and a saan. Goats really do need a dry, wind proof space. In a barn, garage or shed is great, with room to move around and sleep. It is important to have a suitable feeder inside it, too. When it is wet outside, it is better for them to stay inside to eat. They stay dryer and therefor warmer, which keeps them healthier and happier. My goats have a pretty routine schedule of their own making. During decent weather, they go out in the morning, afternoon and evening. The rest of the time they like to hang out inside, chewing cud and sleeping. When the weather is really poor, they may poke their heads out, but they'll prefer to stay in all the time, so enough room for moving around is good.

On a whole different topic, does anyone have any suggestions for a decent fly spray for goats and the faces of sheep? The bugs are bad this year and I feel sorry for my guys.

 

[harley587]

I want some goats, but its taking a lot of convincing for my husband. I need to learn more form people who actually have them. Some websites are informative, but they dont cover the real questions, like, are they really fun or just a chore?

Do you have to process the milk, or can it be consumed straight from the bucket?

How much do they really eat?

Do they need special hoof care?

Do they need special suppliments?

Do they really eat everything?

Are they smart enough not to eat poison plants?

What sort of care do they need?

Are they lots of work like a horse?

Are they smelly like rabbits?

Are they mean?

Are you planning to breed, is that what the buck is for?

Do you plan to eat the offspring?

Im going to be watching this thread! I want to learn all i can!

What is a good breed for a new goat herder?

What sort of space requirements do they have?

I'm in the same boat! Answers to these questions would be really helpful in completing my decision.

btw, I did find responses, but any extra is always an additional help!

 

[bdavidson]

I've been raising Nigerian dwarfs and pygmy's for a couple years now and earlier this week I bought a few more ND, this female has long hair on her back legs and I've never seen that before. Is she more than just a ND or is this normal?

 

[cassie]

I'm in the same boat! Answers to these questions would be really helpful in completing my decision.

btw, I did find responses, but any extra is always an additional help!

Most of your questions can be answered by a good book. Go to caprinesupply.com. They offer quite a selection of books and supplies and their catalog is full of good information. You asked if goats are fun or if they are just a chore. They are fun if you like them and enjoy interacting with and caring for them.They are a chore if you don't. A convenient setup goes a long way in making your goat project more enjoyable. You need to have things so it is easy to care for the animals. With goats, you need good fencing. Fencing is to keep the goats in and any predators, like the neighbors' dogs out. Without good fencing your goats will be a headache. They will get out and get into all sorts of things, climb on your cars, plus demolish your roses if you have any. As for the milk, you need to strain it and cool it promptly. Some people pasteurize it and some people don't. I always pasteurized all milk fed to baby goats, but the milk for household use was consumed raw. Goats are fussy about their feed. They need clean fresh water. They will not drink dirty water unless absolutely forced to. The same is true for feed. Hay for goats needs to be of excellent quality, meaning fine stemmed, leafy, and not moldy or musty. It needs to be fed in some sort of a rack so it doesn't get on the ground and get soiled. I never found poison plants to be a problem. If livestock is well fed they tend to leave toxic plants alone. An exception might be wilted wild cherry leaves. As for care, they need their feet trimmed, if in milk they need to be milked on a regular schedule, they need to be vaccinated for tetanus and enterotoxemia (clostridium perfingens) and they may need to be wormed on occasion. You asked if they were a lot of work like horses. I have no idea what you mean. I never found my horses to be particularly labor intensive. If you have a convenient setup, they are not a lot of work. If you don't, they can be. If your barn has plenty of ventilation and the bedding is kept dry, there is little or no odor. That is true of almost every class of livestock including rabbits. If the barn smells, there is something wrong and you need to find out what it is and fix it. That said, intact males do smell, especially during the breeding season. Goats are usually friendly and affectionate. They are not mean or aggressive unless you make them so. Don't tease them and never play head butting games with them. Unless you have a number of goats, you are better off without a buck. Find someone who offers stud service and take your does there to be bred.The breed to have is the one you like and that is suitable for what you want to use it for. Space and feed requirements vary with the size of the goat and what it is used for. A milk goat in full production is going to eat a lot more than a pet wether. I hope this information helps a little.