Need advice about goats

[STROIL]

So i own 30 acres, of recreational property that I visit usually once a week, but sometimes only once every two weeks. I want to keep the 600ft. road to my barn on my property and about 2 acres of clearing around my barn mowed and weed/brush free. As it is now, I mow with a bushhog all over and around my barn and such, but the poison ivy and sticker bushes grow so fast it's hard to keep up. And takes up a lot of time. And the spray killer gets expensive and have to do it every year.

I'm thinking about fencing in the area that I want to keep clear (including the road) and keeping a few goats to munch on all of it instead of me mowing. I have a bunch of questions...some of them pretty naive... I obviously know nothing about keeping goats.

Can any of you tell me if that's a crazy idea? How many goats would be needed to keep 3 acres of vegetation munched down? Would there be piles of goat poop everywhere that I'd be stepping in constantly? What about in the cold winter? Do goats need houses like a dog house, or are they ok to just stand out in the cold? Do they need heated houses? Do they need any food additional over the natural vegetation that grows out of the ground? Do they need shots every year like a dog? Do they need other drugs for worms, heartworms? I can arrange for automatic fresh water when it is not freezing, but I suppose I'd have to get one of those electric watering stations like for horses for when it's freezing. What kind of fence? WOuld T posts and barbed wire work? Or would it have to be welded wire, and how high? Not even sure how much goats cost? How quickly do they multiply? Or, should I get all males so their population does not increase? How about animal control people? would they have an issue with me only being there to tend to the goats once every 7 days or so?

I'd be really thankful for any answers or opinions. Happy Easter!

 

[STROIL]

I had no idea there was a post almost exactly like mine in this exact same section of this forum. I just read the responses to that post, and got most of my answers. Sorry I didn't see that first.

 

[Bigfoot62]

:welcome:

Build a very good fence. You will need a good fence to keep the goats in, and the dogs out. I use 39" net wire and 3 strands of barb wire above that. Posts every 10'.
Get the common "brush" goat. They require very little care. And, two or three should do it.

 

[IndyIan]

I think you're main problem is only being there every 7 days. Unless you go to a crazy fence like 6' chain link, they will get out or caught up in it at some point.
Also dogs or coyotes will be an issue with any normal fence as well and feeding them over the winter will probably erase most of your mowing savings.
Any close neighbors with goats? It would be better for someone to see them every day as they also could use some grain rations every day even just for the minerals. Also we have to trim hooves a couple times a year which isn't fun but for 3 acres you don't need many goats.
In short, its not going to work without someone local to help and probably a couple livestock dogs to keep the predators at bay. We have coyotes coming right to our pasture fence and without our livestock dogs and I imagine it wouldn't be long be for they started taking goats.

 

[schweizer]

We have 2 goats for that same purpose, on about 3 acres. You'll need a sturdy fence. Goats will walk right through a fence made for cows, i.e. a few strands of barbed wire. They are escape artists. The fence would need to be about 4 feet high, narrower gaps are better. We got "non-climb" fencing for about $1/ft from the local co-op store.

If you get wethers (castrated males) they will get along together. One will be dominant. You can put does in with them. Don't get a buck.

You'd need some sore of predator control. We have a donkey. They work great.

 

[flusher]

My neighbor generally has 40-50 animals on his 10 acre place. They keep the ground cover well manicured. In the spring there's a population explosion as 20-30 little newborns show up.

He spent a bundle installing 1/2 mile of goat fence about 5-ft tall with one strand of barbed wire on top. A real improvement over the ratty farm fence that had been there for 50+ years.

He has a guard llama to protect the herd from coyotes and dog packs that roam the area.

Good luck.

 

[RichZ]

The fact that you're going to be there so infrequently makes this almost impossible. The goats need a good shelter, and as was said before 2 or 3 wethers (castrated males) would work well, and a large calf hutch would be an adequate shelter. But goats need water. Who's going to make sure that they have water every day? And, as was said before, they're escape artisits. Who's going to check on them daily? They could get caught in the fence, as well. And in the winter, they'll need to be fed. Unless you can have someone there daily, don't do it.

 

[Mousefield]

The fact that you're going to be there so infrequently makes this almost impossible. The goats need a good shelter, and as was said before 2 or 3 wethers (castrated males) would work well, and a large calf hutch would be an adequate shelter. But goats need water. Who's going to make sure that they have water every day? And, as was said before, they're escape artisits. Who's going to check on them daily? They could get caught in the fence, as well. And in the winter, they'll need to be fed. Unless you can have someone there daily, don't do it.

Good advise. In the winter you need to make sure they have access to feed and water. Even if you do get a heated waterer what if it fails or the power goes out, hard for them to drink ice, .