Anyone have experience with goats?

[Pullstart 62,902]

We’re thinking of expanding the farm a bit.  Goats for weed control.  Possibly for kid goats to sell.  For now, I thought picket lines during the day, chicken pen area at night.  Or, we have another 100’ or so of 6’ high chain link fence and we could pen them separately.  
 

any first hand experience would be great!  

[The Freightliner Guy 1,327]

Um are you sure goats cuz my dads friend has a crazy experience with goats 

[Achto 27,587]

2 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

any first hand experience would be great!  

 

I can tell you that if you decide to let them run free, they will climb on every thing! Cars, Wheel Horses, low roofs on buildings, etc.

 

Also they are hardy but you have to watch their health. Often by the time you know they are sick, it may be too late. Kind of like sheep, "A sick sheep is often dead sheep"

 

 

[The Freightliner Guy 1,327]

I was just gonna say how they destroy fences and bounce over everything such your own back

[Lane Ranger 10,968]

Just now, Achto said:

 

I can tell you that if you decide to let them run free, they will climb on every thing! Cars, Wheel Horses, low roofs on buildings, etc.

 

Also they are hardy but you have to watch their health. Often by the time you know they are sick, it may be too late. Kind of like sheep, "A sick sheep is often dead sheep"

 

 

they will also eat everything they can get a hold of !

[Pullstart 62,902]

10 minutes ago, Lane Ranger said:

they will also eat everything they can get a hold of !

Uncle Jim always says “keep eating, I’ll tell ya when you’re done.”  @WHX?? were you a herder before the Navy herded you?

[squonk 41,121]

You have to get more than 1. My B-I-L.got one and it about destroyed the place in a week because it was lonely!

[EB-80/8inPA 1,641]

Hey, you gonna eat that sandwich?

81605B6B-BA69-49A2-95A6-134D75FB3892.webp

Edited September 1, 2022 by EB-80/8inPA
Aaaarrrgh

[Pullstart 62,902]

35 minutes ago, squonk said:

You have to get more than 1. My B-I-L.got one and it about destroyed the place in a week because it was lonely!

That I’ve heard/herd.  I plan to get two or three minimum.

[SylvanLakeWH 25,577]

4H experience with the “kids” (mine and goats)… some observations:

 

they are slightly smarter than sheep, which is a very low bar…

they eat everything 

 

they have no respect for boundaries, personal space or rules

 

they crap everywhere 

 

they stink

 

 

BTW..,

 

(While I’m referring to the goats above, it’s no accident that we refer to little humans as kids)…

 

But more importantly Kevin - Why do you want to reduce  seat time?!? 

[Pullstart 62,902]

19 minutes ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

4H experience with the “kids” (mine and goats)… some observations:

 

they are slightly smarter than sheep, which is a very low bar…

they eat everything 

 

they have no respect for boundaries, personal space or rules

 

they crap everywhere 

 

they stink

 

 

BTW..,

 

(While I’m referring to the goats above, it’s no accident that we refer to little humans as kids)…

 

But more importantly Kevin - Why do you want to reduce  seat time?!? 

 

It’s not that I want to reduce seat time, there are parts of the property I’d like them to manage for a while… clean up the things I cannot (like poison ivy)

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

Old Harry next door had all sorts of animals.  RIP Harry!

 

His goats were great fun.  Most were extremely friendly, like dogs almost.  One was ornery though... 

 

His pickup truck had nearly no paint left on the top of it after decades of goat hooves.

 

I miss Old Harry and his critters.

 

[Ed Kennell 38,181]

My BIL had a herd of around 20 goats for a couple years.    He lost them all to the scarpi disease.

 

I only had one Goat.

Edited September 1, 2022 by Ed Kennell

[nyquil junkie 225]

It depends on the breed and size of the goats. We have a couple, they are our bush whackers. They have never tried to escape or damage anything.  Goats that are hungry will. If hey have enough to browse on and are well fed they are no real trouble.  People get into trouble with goats when they try to keep them in and they run out of stuff to keep them occupied. Goats like to browse and climb on stuff.

 

 

[Stormin 9,981]

  During my last marriage we had goats. Two nannies and a billy. I used to tether them during the day and the nannies were happy to stay in the same place all day. The billy I had to move once a day. That could be fun as he was a big cantankerous beast with horns like elephants tusks.

  It's not quite true that they will eat anything. Not mine anyway.   Nettles and thistles they would not touch until they had been cut down. After wilting for 2-3 days they would eat them. The nannies did not smell, but by 'eck the billy did.

  I always wanted to have a go at making goat cheese, but the ex would give the milk to the dogs. 

 

  

[Lane Ranger 10,968]

12 hours ago, Achto said:

 

I can tell you that if you decide to let them run free, they will climb on every thing! Cars, Wheel Horses, low roofs on buildings, etc.

 

Also they are hardy but you have to watch their health. Often by the time you know they are sick, it may be too late. Kind of like sheep, "A sick sheep is often dead sheep"

 

 

they will also eat everything they can get a hold of !

 

 

They will eat any part of a Wheel Horse tractor Kevin!  My guess is the goat herd would end soon after!  Pete and George were two brothers from Slovakia that lived behind out home. As kids we saw them weekly take there twenty to twenty five goats out of the fenced in pens to run along the railroad right away and eat grass.  They had a couple good dogs that would corral them like sheep.  That 1/2 mile section of railroad righ a way was always clean and no real weeds.  They grew peppers and tomatoes on about three acres that they sold to markets in Chicago . They also made goat sausage.  They milked goats too and I recall that lactose intolerances cussed mothers to buy goat milk for their children!  

[953 nut 55,260]

When I was about seven or eight my dad had about ten milk goats, all nannies. We would barrow a billy when the girls stopped producing milk and needed to be freshened. My recollection through a young boys eyes is that they were a PITA! The kids were cute and friendly but the adults didn't see to like little humans. They had about a half acre fenced in area and a three sided pen for summer shade and winter warmth. Once they had eaten everything that grew (roots and all) the whole area was a muddy mess and we had to feed then hay every day.

Once the Health Crazies got into the act and required pasteurization and the milk couldn't be sold directly to the stores it, had to be bottled by a state licensed dairy. That made the whole operation unprofitable and the goats had to be sold.

On the bright side, that half acre of goat poop made the most productive garden spot we ever had.   

Edited September 2, 2022 by 953 nut

[Achto 27,587]

I've given this a bit more thought & came to the conclusion that if you want to get some goats, you should get some pigmy fainting goats. If nothing else they will be a great stress reliever. When your having a bad day, you can go out, scare your goats, & watch them tip over. Should be a good way to get a laugh to cheer you up. Please note that this fainting (defense reaction?) does not hurt the goats. Plus - This reaction makes them easy to catch.

 

 

Edited September 1, 2022 by Achto

[oliver2-44 9,756]

If your raising them for the meat consider the Boar Goat breed. 

[Ed Kennell 38,181]

I like Dans recommendation on the "fainters".      When my BIL had his 20 goat herd, my job was to bulldog the goats down so he could administer the shots and medications.

The 150lb Billys were always a challenge,   especially the one we called  the "WILD THING".

[DougC 2,641]

I always enjoyed terrifying the neighbors in the middle of the night when they least expected................

 

[DougC 2,641]

If I were to do it all over again I would raise and tend rabbits. Our Pastor shows rabbits and gets great enjoyment when they win and the rabbits that dont win at the show end up on the dinner table.....  

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

1 hour ago, DougC said:

I always enjoyed terrifying the neighbors in the middle of the night when they least expected................

 

 

Hmmm, now ya got me thinking!  Wonder how that would sound on my 1000W PA system... 3AM is about right.

 

Wonder how long it would take for the cops to get here?

Edited September 1, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[Lee1977 6,662]

Don't let your girls make a pet out of any of them. My boss's dauther had a pet goat a real pain in the rear. Had a seven foot high goat lot and you couldn't keep that goat in, untill we put an electric fence around the top. Caught her trying to eat

the tape strips off my truck.chased her away and through  my 16 oz hammer at her. We had cut some trees and had the lumber sawed. I had a trailer load I was stacking that goat was all over the trailer and on the stack of lumber. I grabed a stacking stick and chasted her into a couple horse stalls that we hadn't added the divider wall. Ever time she would try to get out  I hit her with that stick. There for a couple of weeks when I told her to get on it worked. just didn't last very long.

[Mikey the Monkey 697]

Kevin, 2 words, goat yoga. Get some goats, you guys will have a blast watching them and posting pictures of them here. Then when you get tired of them eat them or sell them.