Minature Goats

W5FL · May 28, 2000

We want to get some good breeding stock for Nigerian Goats. Has anyone seen a good book on goats?

My sister in law also said she had seen some goats with no ears. Never heard of goats with no ears, and they might look funny and not hear very well. Has anyone seen one like that?

I have finished a 12x36 ft barn for the goats and about ready to start fencing for them.

Bird · May 28, 2000

Wen, I picked up some good literature on goats from my county agent about 5 years ago. I didn't stay in the goat business long though; only had a buck and 4 does and raised 4 little ones before I sold all 9.

Bird

gordon · May 29, 2000

Bird why did you decide to get rid of the goats?
Gordon

Bird · May 29, 2000

Gordon, I got the goats about as much for recreation to watch them play, and for the grandkids to play with, as anything, and considered getting into the business, but I had them in a relatively small pen by the barn; didn't have the rest of the pasture properly fenced for goats, so I fed them too much, spent too much time and money on them, and finally just decided to take all of them to the auction barn. Just don't have enough time and money to do everything I'd like to do./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird

TomG · May 29, 2000

I think a web search on goats will turn up quite a bit. My wife would like some goats. We just have to figure out where and how.

I think Bird's comment about an adequate pen understates things a bit. Goats are famous for getting out of pens, and real good ones are needed. Goats can really jump. There's a small herd down the highway that regularly gets out and browses along the right of way. Of course, maybe it's the guy and not the goats. His pigs get out too.

Linking two discussions together: According to a friend, if you've got goats, then you don't have to have poison oak or ivy. Apparently they love to browse on the stuff and will clean out a bush lot in no time.

Bird · May 29, 2000

Thomas, I never had one of my goats get out of the pen around the barn, but I knew I couldn't turn them out in the pasture because it's just 5 strand barbed wire. However, there are a number of people raising goats in this area with no fencing other than 2 strand electric fence. And of course, a lot of people in Texas raise goats, along with their cattle, to keep down the brush, vines, and undergrowth. They're really great for that; they're "browsers" instead of "grazers" and they'd rather have that kind of stuff than grass. And besides that, a few years ago, one of the TV newsmen was interviewing one of the big ranchers in Texas, and he said, "You raise cattle for prestige, and goats and sheep for money."

Bird

W5FL · May 29, 2000

Thanks Bird, I will check that out. Their hours are a little hard to get by to see them, but sometimes they mail me stuff.

W5FL · May 29, 2000

I have a little more work to do on the barn. I am closing it out with a 12 foot no clim horse wire gate, so I can lock them in at night if I want to.

I was planning to use 3 ft no climb horse wire with two or three barbs over the top on 5 ft T posts and pipe corners and H's. I really wish I had got 4 ft as the entire place is fenced in the 2x4 no climb 5 ft high with pipe fence and toprail.

Really wanted to be sure my dogs couldn't get in as much as cross fencing for goats and calves.

Started to get field fencing and my Dad told me he worked for a rancher once that he spent the entire day just getting goats heads out of fences so they wouldn't die there. So much for them having a lot of sense. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

W5FL · May 29, 2000

I could believe jumping goats, but not jumping pigs. He has a lot of holes in his fence. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird · May 29, 2000

Yep, Wen, a neighbor told me about having one of his goats die because it had it's head caught in the fence, and I had one that got her head hung in the fence twice, but fortunately, no damage or injury.

Bird