?? About goats

[JDRandyC]

I have about two acres that I have been spraying to try to keep the weeds down. I am tired of spraying and would like to get some goats but I don't know anything about goats and I have some questions.

How many goats would I need to keep the thorn bushes and weeds down?

Do I need a special type of goat?

My fence is a field fence and I have heard that goats can get their horns stuck in a fence. Is it best to try to find goats without horns?

Do goats require any additional food other that what they can find on their own? What other maintenance do they need?

Any other info you have that you think might be helpful for my situation would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Bird]

Yep, I used to have some goats and I've had them get their horns hung in the fence. You know goats are browsers more than grazers, so they'll eat leaves and twigs as well as some grass. I over fed mine, so they sure got fat.:laughing:

 

[nybirdman]

Get dairy goats,we had a couple of pygmys and they were a pain.Just remember they like to climb and jump.

 

[farmall 55a case]

I've heard that if you want goat to use to clean up areas you want meat goats so they don't cut up there utters on thorns and such? Don't really know tho. I don't have any. Have been kicking the idea around tho about getting some.

 

[ozley]

3 or 4 Goat would be fine. If you keep them on the spot all the time you will need to watch for worms. Watch for lice too. What fence you have they will get through it.
Top 10 Tips for Raising Goats

 

[jwstewar]

We've been raising goats now for about 4 years, currently we have a herd of 29. We use them for show and market wethers so we don't use them to clear brush. Whatever you do, don't get just one goat, it will be lonely and depressed and die pretty quick. Get at least 2. Goat like any other livestock will have to be vaccinated and like the others said you will have to watch for parasites - both internal & external. They will also have to have their hooves trimmed periodically them to them up and standing correctly. They will need a decent shelter. Goats don't like rain and they don't like wind. Cold doesn't bother them - if they are out of the wind. You can buy "goat" feed as well that you can supplement their browsing with - depending upon what types of vegetation they will be clearing. In the winter you can also feed them hay if they won't be out browsing. I know a lot of folks get by without giving any grain, but we like to keep ours with grain. You will need to watch their balance of calcium to phosphorus. You will want a 2 to 1 ratio to prevent Urinary Calculi (Kidney Stones) this is especially true if you have bucks or wethers. This can happen if you feed a large amount of corn. You will also want to watch to make sure they have the proper levels of copper if your ground is selium deficient.

 

[powerpace]

Have a good fence or a have a car that doesn't have a good paint job.

 

[Reyer Farms]

You really can't fence in goats, you can only hope to fence them out!
They are great for clean up and sale good too.

 

[lutt]

Six strands of high tensile electric will keep them or anything else in, but probly more than you would want to fool with! LUTT

 

[Bird]

I once read that the way to test a fence for goats is to take a bucket of water and throw it against the fence. If any water gets through, so will the goats.:laughing: In reality, I never had a problem with any of my goats getting through the fence, but a couple did get horns hung up in the fence.