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Veteran
Posts: 242
 
Location: Nowhere Land | ALRIGHT SO I BASICALLY CANNOT STOP THINKING ABOUT THESE COOL LITTLE FURRY BUNDLES OF FUNNY! Who has Goats here? Pros/Cons.. diets, cost? Please dont hold anything back.. I need all the facts. I have met quite a few and have fallen in love with each of them.. How are they Kept? Where do you keep them? etc |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 425
Location: California | When you get one, you should get two. LOL or a friend. My poor goat is by herself. I got her @ 3 weeks old. Her mom had 4 kids & wasn't accepting her. I bottle fed her & basically treated her like she was one of the dogs. She followed me around a lot for a while. Eventually she started getting into EVERYTHING. Horse grain, dog food (which she initially hated, soon became favored), chicken scratch, everyone elses hay BUT mine. As soon as she sees me it's constant crying until she is either let out to play or fed.
I have to keep her on a leash now when she comes out to play-otherwise she will get into everything. Oh & when it's time to be put away (if she's not on the leash), she will run & not let me catch her. I would love to have her out all the time, but we have lots of coyotes.
I need to find her a bf.
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Veteran
Posts: 242
Location: Nowhere Land | OH MYYY! Shes very cute! Do you have a secluded area for her pen? or does she live in your barn? |
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 Go Your Own Way
Posts: 4947
 
Location: SE KS | Good fences, vaccination program, not 1 by themselves, learnig curve if they get sick. BY the time you know they are sick,
you are lucky to pull them out of it. So get to know your goats. started with 4 does, and now have 28 does from those 4. Keep changing bucks every 2 years. Goats are easy, but find some one close that is knowleagble on them to help you.
they must have shelter, good mineral, salt, pasture is best. they are browsers, not grazers.
Love my goats.
Edited by Dinero10 2015-03-25 1:29 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 242
Location: Nowhere Land | There are quite a few "breeders" locally here. However, I would like to pick up babies from the "meat" pen at the auction. Give something a good life with loving people instead of being sold to slaughter and put in someones fridge. Most of the ones sold at the sale for meat are VERY young, so I have done pretty extensive research on bottle feeding the youngsters. Have any of you had experience buying from an auction? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1119
| I have a goat named Petunia, and I love her! She is a nubian, so she's pretty big. She has full run of my property because my fences won't keep her in. She hangs out right around the house though, will go out with the horses or hang out with the dogs. She does get in to everything. The reason she's named Petunia is directly tied to me not having any landscaping left at my house. She thinks she runs the place and doesn't like to be told "no." She follows me everywhere and is one of the best desensitizers I have for my horses. Life without her would be boring! |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | We started with 3, two got sick and died. the third one that was terrified of everything survived. threw him out with the older lambs. He is evil now that he's big. destructive, loud, has the dog straight terrified of him... |
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Go Your Own Way
Posts: 4947
Location: SE KS | AngieM1 - 2015-03-25 1:31 PM There are quite a few "breeders" locally here. However, I would like to pick up babies from the "meat" pen at the auction. Give something a good life with loving people instead of being sold to slaughter and put in someones fridge. Most of the ones sold at the sale for meat are VERY young, so I have done pretty extensive research on bottle feeding the youngsters. Have any of you had experience buying from an auction?
at times, you can get good bargains at the sale barn. Just know that if they are already weak, you are bringing home what ever sickness they pickuped up. i would dr. them with a covexin 8 shot, worm them, and since you are just starting out, pen them, and give them acces to "good" hay , mineral, salt - clean water and watch them for good 7-10 dyas.
When buying goats, their tails should be up and not laying down. Eyes, should be pink, if they are faded in color, that is a cooper defincieny, mineral will take of. if they are snotty nosed, pass on them.
Bottle feeding creates it own problelm that they will know no boundaries with you and follow you, get into everything, and they become a pet, if that is what you want, fine. I raise my for brush control and meat.
I don't buy mine from the auction.
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 Expert
Posts: 2159
Location: NW. Florida | I just had a guy call my office, he has 230 lb. billy and he's having problems keeping him penned. He jumps and demolishes fences. What do you recommend? |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | Carbon Copy - 2015-03-25 3:13 PM I just had a guy call my office, he has 230 lb. billy and he's having problems keeping him penned. He jumps and demolishes fences. What do you recommend?
Hot wire tape. Two strands and three at best, I hate a mean buck they usually won't last long after they start showing their evil side around here. In fact, when I buy new bucks I try to get in the pen with the yearlings and see how they associate with me. If they're killing the panels-I pass now. If they show any aggression to me - I pass.
As I get older I get more rigid in the traits I allow in my herd. The nannies have to be good mothers and I'm getting them down to all being two teat'ed.
I'll have about 35 to sell in the summer if your looking for boers as I'm selling every doe that has had triplets and quads. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Shelter is very important.... Something K9 and rain proof.... Good vaccination and worming program.
Edited by komet. 2015-03-25 8:15 PM
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 Winner winner chicken dinner
Posts: 2047
Location: California | I love my goats so much! They are 4 years old now, but I got them as babies and bottle raised them, so they are so gentle. Here's a pic of two of them. These two are brothers and I have a third one that is not related.
I agree to get at least two...I'm getting a 4th one next week because my friend had him all alone and it's not working out. The new one will be a nubian too, just a brown one. I can't wait!
Here's a pic of how tiny they were when I got them.
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Goats are cute as hell but they are pests! They will eat your flowers, get into everything, jump on cars....I always had them to practice goat tying.....bit I hardly ever practiced LOL. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 412
Location: In Husker Land | Here is mine..meet Lucy! Mine thinks she is a dog..but we love her!! She is my buddy!
https://m.facebook.com/lucythegoat
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| We had a herd of registered boer goats, still have 3 here for pets but no longer are breeding. I would not suggest buying from a auction. Buy from a good breeder with a disease free herd, will save you the possible heartache of loosing them and many vet bills. A auction barn is a great place to bring home CL, look it up, people can get it too. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| This was our main herd sire. Pictured at 290 pounds and not quite 2 years old. He was gentle as a puppy.
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | My dad gave our daughter a bottle baby goat for her birthday a few years back. A Nigerian Dwarf. He was beautiful and sweet. Like a little puppy. Everyone said he needed a friend, so we bought some pygmy thing. She was awful. She would jump on the porch and eat my plants and flowers. Ate all the bushes. Jumped on the grill and pooped all over it. Was in the back of the trucks all the time. Would get in our families cars when they'd visit. Harassed the dogs. Headbutted. And was an escape artist. The neighbors were always shooing her out of their gardens. Unfortunately, she turned the little dwarf into a spawn of satan. So we found them a new home. LOL. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I don't have one, but my cousins did for goat tying
The bad they carry lung worm, and my one cousin actually acquired it from the goat, she had a persistent cough, and thankfully her mom is persistent, a bronchoscopy showed lung worm, she was treated along with the goats, and she has residual effects somewhat like asthma.
Goats can also carry a disease that can kill bison, so if you have bison, you may want to get them tested. |
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Go Your Own Way
Posts: 4947
Location: SE KS | cheryl makofka - 2015-03-26 11:31 AM I don't have one, but my cousins did for goat tying The bad they carry lung worm, and my one cousin actually acquired it from the goat, she had a persistent cough, and thankfully her mom is persistent, a bronchoscopy showed lung worm, she was treated along with the goats, and she has residual effects somewhat like asthma. Goats can also carry a disease that can kill bison, so if you have bison, you may want to get them tested.
I have asthma - the goats have never been a problem. Keep them vaccinated, good worming program. should have no problems.
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 Expert
Posts: 1210
Location: Kansas | You should get some!! Especially if you want any fence under 6 ft jumped/destroyed, you don't like to grow any type of garden (because after you spend hours planting, the goats will eat it after jumping over said fence), and you like having little goat turds everywhere!!
*My mom has 8 and I secretly hope the neighbor is going to shoot them every time they jump the fence and are in his hay pasture. They were all super cute and cuddly as babies... adults bossy a**holes. |
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What Name?
Posts: 1994
| Lol goats pee on their heads and rub them on one another...
They're cute.. AND tastey. =D I personally have my heart set on some jersey calves. I think lambs are cuter than goats, but then every goat I've ever met was pushy. Which irritated me. I would probably raise some for the butcher because after having eaten one of our neighbors BBQ goat at a cookout in town, boy.. they're tastey. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Dinero10 - 2015-03-26 12:03 PM
cheryl makofka - 2015-03-26 11:31 AM I don't have one, but my cousins did for goat tying The bad they carry lung worm, and my one cousin actually acquired it from the goat, she had a persistent cough, and thankfully her mom is persistent, a bronchoscopy showed lung worm, she was treated along with the goats, and she has residual effects somewhat like asthma. Goats can also carry a disease that can kill bison, so if you have bison, you may want to get them tested.
I have asthma - the goats have never been a problem. Keep them vaccinated, good worming program. should have no problems.
The cough was caused by the lungworms she contracted from the goat, and now has long term mild respiratory issues from the lung worm |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | americanpride08 - 2015-03-26 1:59 PM
Lol goats pee on their heads and rub them on one another...
They're cute.. AND tastey. =D I personally have my heart set on some jersey calves. I think lambs are cuter than goats, but then every goat I've ever met was pushy. Which irritated me. I would probably raise some for the butcher because after having eaten one of our neighbors BBQ goat at a cookout in town, boy.. they're tastey.
Pretty flexible goats to be able to do that! |
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What Name?
Posts: 1994
| Chandler's Mom - 2015-03-26 11:37 PM americanpride08 - 2015-03-26 1:59 PM Lol goats pee on their heads and rub them on one another...
They're cute.. AND tastey. =D I personally have my heart set on some jersey calves. I think lambs are cuter than goats, but then every goat I've ever met was pushy. Which irritated me. I would probably raise some for the butcher because after having eaten one of our neighbors BBQ goat at a cookout in town, boy.. they're tastey. Pretty flexible goats to be able to do that!
well I think the mother urinates on the kids head. Or something like that. My friend owned goats for years and that's what she told me. I know they stink. But so do cows. Lol whatever I get will be getting baths with my gelding in the wash stall |
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 Pork Fat is my Favorite
Posts: 3791
Location: The Oklahoma plains. | I am not good at posting pics but we have a goat named Johnny Cash. He is a HOOT - better than 95% of the dogs we have had. He doesnt get in to flowers or on cars or pee on himself. We have had 3 and he is the only survivor. And he doesnt seem to mind being alone. He has the horses and dogs as friends.
https://www.facebook.com/LaneAcresGoat
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | americanpride08 - 2015-03-27 7:01 AM
Chandler's Mom - 2015-03-26 11:37 PM americanpride08 - 2015-03-26 1:59 PM Lol goats pee on their heads and rub them on one another...
They're cute.. AND tastey. =D I personally have my heart set on some jersey calves. I think lambs are cuter than goats, but then every goat I've ever met was pushy. Which irritated me. I would probably raise some for the butcher because after having eaten one of our neighbors BBQ goat at a cookout in town, boy.. they're tastey. Pretty flexible goats to be able to do that!
The bucks spray their heads with urine during breeding season... Once in a while a kid may get in the way when mom pees but it's no more common than a calf being in the wrong place when that happens. |
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 Something Like That
Posts: 2300
Location: kansas | We are currrently running about 125 head of commercial meat goats, woven wire fence and 2 strands of barb on top. Some are on an 85 acre lot with some cattle and a guard dog and the rest on on a 40 acre lot with another guard dog and standard jenny. We have never had a problem with them jumping fences or bothering anything, but then they are not pets. People who have a lot of problems are the ones that have pets. We did have to put a strand of hot wire up because the dogs will go over the fence to get to other dogs or coyotes on the other side. Everything except the goats stay away from the jenny, she is their herd leader and will even chase the big dogs if they stay in her space. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| We got one goat to practice goat tying on, we keep him in a horse stall in the barn. He gets tied to trees during the day all year if it's warm, and he keeps all the weeds around the trees eaten. He does get lonely, but he is happy to be with the dog. I don't know if we have a "special" one or if all goats are like this, but he's so dumb it's hilarious. He gets his head stuck in everything and when we tie him to the tire swing, he pulls with all his might so the tire swing stretches out and then it swigs back, lifting him off of his feet, he does this over and over, I think he likes to "fly"! We keep a dog harness on him and he has a leash. He was a bottle baby and is very friendly. He loves the cats but they get mad because he likes to clamp down on their tails!!! Goats are so fun, and fairly easy. |
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Expert
Posts: 1549
Location: Southwest Louisiana | We have two pygmy goats and they are hilarious. Male and female, male is fixed. If I had to do it again, I would just get females. I've learned that males can easily get crystals in their urinary tract from calcium build up. Once you realize that's what they've got, it's too late. Usually caused from feed. Mine are pasture and hay only, I never feed them grain. The male is a little turd and will push to get his way even though he's a little pygmy. The female is as sweet as can be, but she'll head butt every barn cat within 20ft of her, lol. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 679
Location: The Republic of Texas | AngieM1 - 2015-03-25 1:11 PM
ALRIGHT SO I BASICALLY CANNOT STOP THINKING ABOUT THESE COOL LITTLE FURRY BUNDLES OF FUNNY! Who has Goats here? Pros/Cons.. diets, cost? Please dont hold anything back.. I need all the facts. I have met quite a few and have fallen in love with each of them.. How are they Kept? Where do you keep them? etc
well im not really a goat person, but I got talked into them cause my kids go thru massive amounts of milk and it is supposed to be better for them, anyways....I fell in love with my pygmys. they are entertaining as all get out and the milk is good. I don't feed grain but they roam my pasture a do really well. mine don't eat my place up and tend to stay in the clover patch. from what I read they don't need much and grain is optional and can be bad for them. 10% or less of their deit is a good rule. if you don't have good grass alfalfa and timothy hay is great.....good luck...hope you have fun |
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