Goat as a pet

Busi Girl

Any suggestions as to what breed of goat is best for a pet? I wouldn't be planning on milking her or putting her in kid. Is Saanen the most common as a pet?
Thanks

lakill Farm

totally crazy. my nephew had 2 female goats as pet and they were mad. they can jump 4ft easy. nothing stopped them.

gazahayes

I had a few pet saneen's last year once their fed on a bottle and get used to you they'd follow you around anywhere. They would jump and climb anything tho if it was in their way.

Busi Girl

lakill Farm wrote: »

totally crazy. my nephew had 2 female goats as pet and they were mad. they can jump 4ft easy. nothing stopped them.

Well i've always had a goat since i was a young age...always been really quiet and never any trouble. I just wanted peoples opinions on what other types are suitable as pets...

_MadRa_

We had a goat for about a week when i was a child. It ate all of my mothers flowers.
Also a male goat will drink its own urine and smell bad.

EastTyrone

pygmy goats would be a good job

EGAR

I prefer the Anglo-Nubians as pet, they have an excellent temperament and grow quite big and are hardy.

Matt Care

If anyone is interested in goat keeping in the Boyle / Lough Key area you might like to know that Harmony Farm (Judit Keleman) are running them at present. See more on http://harmonyfarming.wordpress.com/

nihicib2

To be honest I wouldn't recommend keeping a goat on its own, they are herd animals and it wouldn't be fair on them to keep them alone, also a lot of people think goats can survive and thrive being tied to a stake with no shelter, goats HATE the rain and do not have the same protection as other animals, they need good fencing as all types of goats are inquisitive and will jump/climb fences to get at the next field, neighbours prize winning roses etc :eek:, While they are not grazing animals like sheep they do like some grass and a varied vegetation, also if you have any trees on your land they will destroy them unless they are protected, they like a varied diet but some plants like rhubarb and rhododendron are extremely poisonous to goats. We learned this the hard way and also when goats get sick they are not as resilient as other animals and go downhill quickly.


We keep Nubians, Sannen and Alpine goats and I find the Nubians to be the ones who try to escape the most, but then again it could be that our Alpha Nubian just has that type of character that is very nosey and she thinks the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence :rolleyes:

The Nubians are very friendly and cheeky, Sannen's are quieter as are the Alpines, but to be honest I think it al depends at what age you get them, the younger the better, if you get them as adult goats then you cant be sure what habits they have learned, if I couldn't really choose a favourite as they all have their own individual characteristics. Maybe go to someone who keeps goats or to the course already recommended and check out the different breeds and see which one appeals to you most.

If you are getting goats I would recommend getting maybe a young castrated brother and his sister, if he is castrated then you dont get that 'pungent' buck smell off him when he reaches sexual maturity and because they are brother and sister they will be well used to each other, also if you can get kids that dont have horns, less hassle in the long run, no getting stuck in fences and safer for everyone. Getting them just weaned off their mums and eating nuts also gives them a chance to get used to you and they grow up with you and your family.

Pygmies are the smaller breed of goat and are good as pets but if you are thinking of milking in the future then there are better breeds for milking, thats what we keep our goats for.

Hope some of this helps, like I said personally I would never keep a goat on its own, its needs some type of housing for shelter and make sure you have good fencing.

paddylonglegs

Hi,

I wanted to know if it would be worth while getting a goat to help clear underbrush, weeds, plants, grass on a half acre site. The site is a residence which would have had a garden but this has been unoccupied for 8 years so it is very overgrown.

I have heard goats are very good at eating a variety of brushland and may be a cheap option to help clear the site before landscaping starts. There is a 1 metre high wire fence all around. would I need to make this higher to stop the goat(s) from jumping? The perimeter of the house is woodland.

I would expect I would need the goat for a month or so but would not intend keeping it as a pet after use. Should I look at buying and sell on after or is this possible to do? Any advice on how the goats should be helped shelter and bedding? Any advice appreciated

Thanks

Graces7

paddylonglegs wrote: »

Hi,

I wanted to know if it would be worth while getting a goat to help clear underbrush, weeds, plants, grass on a half acre site. The site is a residence which would have had a garden but this has been unoccupied for 8 years so it is very overgrown.

I have heard goats are very good at eating a variety of brushland and may be a cheap option to help clear the site before landscaping starts. There is a 1 metre high wire fence all around. would I need to make this higher to stop the goat(s) from jumping? The perimeter of the house is woodland.

I would expect I would need the goat for a month or so but would not intend keeping it as a pet after use. Should I look at buying and sell on after or is this possible to do? Any advice on how the goats should be helped shelter and bedding? Any advice appreciated

Thanks

In a word, no.
Goats are picky about food and there is some thing that comes across as wrong about this idea.
Better hire a machine?

Goats need care and companionship.

I had one for nine years. No special breed and I kept her in milk all that while. Smiling at the memories.
Of her racing off down the drive wth a daffodil hanging rakishly from her mouth.. of taking her for walks on a lead and sitting knitting while she grazed...
Of trying to keep her out of my vegetable garden and finally having to tether her as she perfected a technique of getting out and lying in wauit for cars in the ditch and leaping out at them...

Ah well!

paddylonglegs

nihicib2 wrote: »

While they are not grazing animals like sheep they do like some grass and a varied vegetation, also if you have any trees on your land they will destroy them unless they are protected, they like a varied diet

Graces7 wrote: »

In a word, no.
Goats are picky about food and there is some thing that comes across as wrong about this idea.
Better hire a machine?

Goats need care and companionship.

ha ha, nice stories. However nihicib claims they like varied vegetation. These are two conflicting reports then. Apparently goats are browsers, as opposed to grazers such a cows who will eat pretty much only grass.

I would plan to pair up a brother and sister goat for companionship, and would plan to research what their bedding and shelter requirements are.

what fencing heights are required to stop goats jumping over?

Graces7

paddylonglegs wrote: »

ha ha, nice stories. However nihicib claims they like varied vegetation. These are two conflicting reports then. Apparently goats are browsers, as opposed to grazers such a cows who will eat pretty much only grass.

I would plan to pair up a brother and sister goat for companionship, and would plan to research what their bedding and shelter requirements are.

what fencing heights are required to stop goats jumping over?

Not at all.. And browsers means that they are not like sheep who eat to the ground; maybe borrow a few sheep from a neighbouring farmer. I know that some do that. That would be much more effective.

Cattle eat more than just grass; they love hegdes and when four got in my garden they feasted on my runner beans etc.

Goats will eat eg nettles, but mine never touched eg docks. As a ground clearer a failure...

NB br and sr would need fixing of course.

Matt Care

I am no expert but I would think the Brother/Sister thing could go pear shaped fairly quickly unless boy is neutered. Also one metre fence definitely not adequate. Get some expert advice on goat proof stock fencing - budget at least €5 per metre unless you are erecting it yourself. It would probably have to be the high tensile style sheep fence with extra strands (bull wire?) top and bottom and possibly an electric strand too.

I could also recommend a one-day goat management course as per those done by Harmony Farm near Boyle, up by Lough Kee for about €55 per head

see also http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/sheep/3078376

Matt

Graces7

Matt Care wrote: »

I am no expert but I would think the Brother/Sister thing could go pear shaped fairly quickly unless boy is neutered. Also one metre fence definitely not adequate. Get some expert advice on goat proof stock fencing - budget at least €5 per metre unless you are erecting it yourself. It would probably have to be the high tensile style sheep fence with extra strands (bull wire?) top and bottom and possibly an electric strand too.

I could also recommend a one-day goat management course as per those done by Harmony Farm near Boyle, up by Lough Kee for about €55 per head

see also http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/sheep/3078376

Matt

If you mean the square fencing they call shire fencing and use for sheep, my goat used to get her head through and get sttuck as she had horns.. I used to get phone calls to come and rescue her.

The reason I made sure I kept mine in milk during the winter was that the only billy goat available ( small island) was her dad and the local custom was to kill the kid at birth. No way.

Matt Care

OK, fair enough. I did say I was no expert. I think the goat course people who were recommending the high-tensile sheep fencing have all their goats dis-budded as kids, so they don't have the horn problem. I guess you could add a layer of chicken wire to stop the head-poking thing?

Matt

Graces7

Matt Care wrote: »

OK, fair enough. I did say I was no expert. I think the goat course people who were recommending the high-tensile sheep fencing have all their goats dis-budded as kids, so they don't have the horn problem. I guess you could add a layer of chicken wire to stop the head-poking thing?

Matt

Lot of cost for a short term thing... Must be rich!

Markcheese

Always found a couple of strands of electic wire on top of yr fence would keep them in ... +1 on castrating+debudding... Also shelter they hate rain, you need 2 goats as they're social animals...:
Have seen a tether system using rope , fence posts and black pipe... U put in two or three posts in a line , attach a 4 foot tether to the goat and put that on main rope using a swivel (so they can run up and down main rope,) put 4/5 foot of black pipe either side of the swivel joint ( now they can't wrap around each other or the post. Move the posts daily, keep an eye out for rain ...

Graces7

A lot depends on what the weeds are... No critter seems to eat rushes/reeds if you have those. Ragwort is a no and thistles too..

Markcheese

Yeah but they'll flatten briars , no matter how high... And when they eat around the rushes, thistles and ragwort u can strim them when the goats are gone...

Graces7

Markcheese wrote: »

Yeah but they'll flatten briars , no matter how high... And when they eat around the rushes, thistles and ragwort u can strim them when the goats are gone...

Easier just to strim the lot. Ragwort? Not good for critters and on the black list as are thistles.

Markcheese

Pretty sure goats won't eat fresh ragwort, (sheep do with no prob..) If it's dried (in hay or silage) animals can't detect it, and it'll kill cows and horses...worth checking with those that know for sure ,beware of topping a field with ragwort ..

Graces7

Busi Girl wrote: »

Any suggestions as to what breed of goat is best for a pet? I wouldn't be planning on milking her or putting her in kid. Is Saanen the most common as a pet?
Thanks

OP; have you thought re rescue? A goat I mean...