Who has goats?

[dustponds10]

I just got some goats and I am wondering about movable sheds that are small enough and easy to move so I can stake my goats out on pasture and fence lines and they have cover from the elements.

 

[SlowMoneyFarm]

I have had goats - biggest thing is keep them dry and have a draft free spot for them. I wouldn't suggest staking them...too many times dogs/coyotes etc go after staked goats and they're helpless to do anything but scream. :-( If anything else use adapted calf hutches - these could be moved around and goats could be put inside at night. I've also made 4x8 semiportable sheds - 2x4 and roofing tin that do the job, easy to make but will probably take 2 people to move unless you put wheels on one end.

 

[glenolam]

Depending on the size of goats you have dog houses may do the trick, too.

 

[17roses]

I have goats, most of which I have in our pasture. However we do have a family milking goat that we keep in an x-large dog kennel with shelter, water and fresh hay. During the nice days she is "staked" out and can reach shade under one of the trees and a water bucket (which we have to refill 2 to 3x as she loves to push it over). I dont stake her during the rain, in the snow or severe heat or when I am going to be gone more than an hour. That being said, I personally wouldnt stake a goat that was not full sized (like mine) and with a full set of horns to protect herself and release excess heat. Large fully horned goats are not easy prey, even staked but as I said, I wont leave her long. IMHO, leaving any kind of animal on a permanent tether is dangerous to the health of the animal. Goats are intelligent, social trouble-makers by nature and I believe in fencing animals in, not tying them up. Again, this is just my opinion.

 

[dustponds10]

Great information everyone. I plan on keeping them in during the night in a pen in our barn and tying them up when I am home so that they can eat some weeds and pasture.

 

[Skyesrocket]

Congrats on the goats! Depending on how your property is you might be able to just let the goats out loose when your at home. Providing that you don't have close neighbors or gardens to protect. Don't let them out loose until they have had a chance to settle in and get to know you.
I have 16 goats that are left out loose during the day when I'm outside working. That will change once I get my garden planted though...lol
Good Luck with your goats!

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

My "I have WHAT in my yard?" exclamation has just gotten bigger - I now have two goats. We have a 25 x 25' pen for them with a wooden 3 sided house for them to hide in, but once they get settled we planned to stake them out to do hillside trimming. We would only do it when we were home to be able to check on them. I don't think we will have a predator problem, we don't really have much in the way of predators, except loose dogs, and mama goat has already put the dogs on notice that she has horns and plans to use them!!

If others do stake (with supervision) could you let us know how it goes??

 

[17roses]

I have WHAT in my yard? :

I don't think we will have a predator problem, we don't really have much in the way of predators, except loose dogs, and mama goat has already put the dogs on notice that she has horns and plans to use them!!

If others do stake (with supervision) could you let us know how it goes??

Loose neighborhood dogs are definately our biggest problem. Coyotes usually dont strike during the daytime hours.

We do stake ours out and it works great. The property in front of ours is covered in maple saplings, blackberries and tall grass. We use the dog stake and metal lead as the goat will easily chew through anything cloth or rubber and the stakes used for dogs have the ring so it wont wrap around itself. Every couple of days we move the stake to cover a new area. We make sure there is still plenty of tall grass and brush to eat since goats get stomach worms from short grass and long fiber is necessary to keep their rumen working properly.​

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Thanks for the comment. I got the metal lead and I got a ring for around trees. I had them out on it for a very short while yesterday just to start getting them used to the idea, they adapted pretty quickly. They should be able to do a nice sized ring around the trees. There is plenty of long stuff - thistle and saw grass - they can eat that OK can't they??

 

[17roses]

I have WHAT in my yard? :

Thanks for the comment. I got the metal lead and I got a ring for around trees. I had them out on it for a very short while yesterday just to start getting them used to the idea, they adapted pretty quickly. They should be able to do a nice sized ring around the trees. There is plenty of long stuff - thistle and saw grass - they can eat that OK can't they??

My girl eats what she likes and leaves the rest. Goats like to browse and should not be used as lawnmowers. As long as you move them around enough, it is unlikely they will eat much of something bad for them. The exception is Cherry Trees. Never let them near them. When the leaves begin to shrivel (even a tiny bit) they produce cyanide. This will and does kill goats and they do love them. I use a face harness as the picture shows because I know someone who lost a goat because it got scared and broke its own neck by yanking when it was tethered. I paid less than $15 for the harness and the lead at Tractor Supply. Also it makes her easier to control (she is a great goat, but boy is she stubborn sometimes). Hope that helps. There are a ton of really great articles on this site http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/articlesMain.html

I will try to get a better pics later.​