GOATS!....WHAT? HOW?
We need some "Goat Education".
No better place to go for it than my friends in Blog-Land.
Hubby & I have been discussing about getting some goats to help clean up our property.....what kind would we get?
We know NOTHING about goats!
Are they expensive and are they hard to care for?
What kind of shelter do we provide them?
So many questions......is there a good website or book that you would recommend for us to read before we make a purchase?
Any information will be appreciated.........
Baa....Baa!
 | |
| Internet Photo |
I think they are adorable and I enjoy reading about them and looking at pictures that are posted on your blogs.
My dear friends that raise goats......you make it look so easy and enjoyable......please advise!
We only want 2-4 to start with to see how it goes.
I know our grandsons will love it too!
God Bless
&
Be Safe
~Linda~
they will clean up a place....we had some for a while...I loved them...they make great pets...but they do tend to get into trouble...and will chew up everything...
ReplyDeleteI have heard they will eat anything, but I've had no experience with them. The tornado that went through here two weeks ago tore up the house of a man and woman who had milking goats. The man was killed; pictures of the place show total distruction and a goat standing there looking rather confused.
ReplyDeleteI say get a few Nigerian Dwarf wethers(castrated males). They are small and easy to handle. They will need shelter like a small shed, barn or even a couple of dog igloos would work. The problem with goats is if you don't have a good fence they do get out and eat things you don't want them to eat. Good 4 foot field fence can keep them in or get some livestock panels and make temporary pens around the areas you want cleaned up. Dogs love to chase and kill goats so they need to be protected from that. Tying out is not advisable because they can hang or get caught by a dog.
ReplyDeleteThey are easy to care for and fairly cheap to feed. Wethers just need a good quality grass hay and clean water and plenty of brush and
they will be fine. Fiasco Farm has a great website with all the info you need so just google it.
I say get them! But then again they do call me goatgirl.
Oh dear Linda.....please read, read and read more about goats before getting them. They can be finicky creatures....I love my boys so much, but they take a lot of time and care. They are like no other animal, it is very hard to find a vet that knows anything about goats. I have had my guys for 4yrs and even though I love them dearly if I went back in time I would have chose a different animal for the farm......check out www.thegoatspot.com, great forum with great members that are so helpful.....do your homework before leaping into the goat world!
ReplyDeleteWe are also considering goats for farm cleanup and milk and possibly cashmere. I have been researching it for a few years.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for the info references!
It's: thegoatspot.net. not .com :-)
Please post if you do acquire goats and what kind you get!
Goats are wonderful, fun animals! I would recommend visiting someone with goats before you jump in. You certainly want girls or wethers to start with. I'd recommend young ones that you bottle feed so that they will be very tame and easier to handle. Breed probably is best determined by what you want them for: any goat will eat brush. Do you also want to milk or have kids to sell for meat? It is hard to find vets that like to work with goats or are comfortable working with them. I'd recommend finding someone that is willing to offer advice and help out as needed. Make sure you have fencing and shelter and winter food/water figured out before leaping in. They can be the most rewarding animal ever, but they do take work to keep healthy. Parasite control, hoof trimming, and diet are all important things to pay attention to. Before the goats, poo was poo. Now I'm constantly looking at it to judge health. I wouldn't trade mine for the world, but do your research first.
ReplyDelete