# Goats in the Suburbs



## asuburbanmenagerie (Jul 4, 2010)

Hello!! This is my first post, but I've been lurking for a few weeks now!  

I am wondering if anyone has advice for keeping goats in the suburbs? I have searched and searched this site and several others trying to find pictures of suburban and even urban goat pens and set-ups but I haven't had much luck. We are on 2 acres with neighbors on the east and an empty lot on the west. I know I have the space, but can't use my entire yard as we will be putting up a barn in the next few years for our business. I also already know that it is ok for us to have livestock on our property as we are not in the city limits and I already keep chickens (the neighbors are cool with them). Anyhow, it would be nice to see come compact goat yard pictures of those who live in the city/suburban areas. 

Any help on where to find ideas like this?

Thanks so much!!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Welcome to TGS!

A large dog kennel is sufficient space for 2 mini's like nigerians or pygmies.
If you are going to pen them, and they won't have access to pasture, be sure to provide a good hay.
Also, a friend of mine went with the dog kennel idea but left the shorter end panel off and built a shed type box on the back so that they have shelter without taking up any space inside the kennel. It also has a roof on half leaving the front half open and the weather side is tarped to cut out the amount of rain and snow that gets in the pen.


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

Our family has kept goats within city limits for over five years. I've been putting together some blog posts regarding urban goat keeping. I haven't been able to add to it recently but will be as soon as time allows. Here's the link to our blog: www.capriola-nd.blogspot.com

There are just a couple photos but I will be taking more. . .


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## asuburbanmenagerie (Jul 4, 2010)

Thanks for the quick replies already!!! I was thinking we'd go with Nigerian Dwarfs-I found someone in Indianapolis who has them and breeds them. They're actually in the city so I'm excited to see their set-up and everything too. Most people close to me who have goats are on "real" farms, so it's just hard for me to picture!

I tried to upload a picture of about where they would go, but the file was to big. Oh well...


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Most here use an online photo site to upload pics...I use photobucket, you can edit and resize your pics once uploaded into an album.
www.photobucket.com

Nigies are very sweet little goaties...and they definately have character!


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## citylights (Jul 3, 2009)

I'm on an acre and a half -- check out my website -- I can't remember what's on there, but I'll try to post some more pics. Have fun!


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## ettasmama (Jun 27, 2010)

We are in the city on a 1/10 acre lot and are in the process of converting half our garage (1 1/2 car garage that is more of a big shed) into goat space with an attached run. We are allowing a bit over 300 sq feet indoor/outdoor for them because that is what the health dept requested we do for my 2 goats. I really enjoyed the book "Personal Milkers" which covered a lot of different topics regarding ND. There they suggested 144 sq feet for 2 ND. I am interested in seeing other people's set ups too.


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

I am in a rural area, but I only have two acres. Plus my neighbor has been using my back acre for several years. I did a lot of new stuff this year, and am using about 1/3 of that now, plus what was already here. I am not using pasture for them, and I go through a lot of good hay. We put in a lot of new facilities in the last year. I was wanting a barn, but ended up deciding that was impractical for me, I got a hay barn, we ran water out to the pens, and built two new pens with housing in them. I will take some pictures tomorrow to give you ideas. It turned out pretty expensive, it was a gift to me from my mother, right before she died. It is so new it isn't quite finished and the newest part is unoccupied so far. We are probably moving some goats in there next week.

Jan


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

Oh, I am raising Kinder goats.

Jan


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## nubians2 (Feb 20, 2011)

I am in a rural area with 3.5 acres. We have two nubian goats right now in a pen that is 40 X 70 and their house is 8X8. There are weeds that grow in the spring but they always have hay to free feed on. I am in the process of goat shopping for more nubians. We are putting an addition on our shop and fencing close to an acre for them. Smaller pen can be done, but would require more cleaning, and hay available all the time. I love having goats and my family is really enjoying them too.


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## ettasmama (Jun 27, 2010)

Yes I have to provide all their food since there is no browse for them other than treats on the opportunities they will have to explore a bit. The upshot is hopefully less parasite issues.


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

I'm in the City of Everett, WA.. and have my 2 nigerian dw. does and one kid right now in my backyard... I'll try and get a couple of pics tomorrow and post them. I plan on getting one more doe for milking, I also have 5 chickens, and am getting bees in a few weeks.... It's so much FUN!!!! Have a good time planning! You'll love it!


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## ettasmama (Jun 27, 2010)

@Milk and Honey, I bet your backyard looks a bit like my backyard. :laugh: I have 8 chickens and am getting bees as well this April although they will not be on our property but will be a few blocks away. My ADGA herd name is Land of Milk& Honey.


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

It has been crazy around here, almost like having a job. Anyway, here are some pics of my space. I have two acres, with a house and mother in laws quarters at the front, and a nice front yard. (Where chickens are now going)

The oldest part is this pen and shed. The shed has been here since 1993. The outer fence was put in to separate dogs that had to be separated. When I got goats it was very nice to have it there already. I use the front part for a kidding area now.









The back of this area is separated by a sort of makeshift fence, and the older kids from this year are in there. 









On the other side of the yard we built a small buck pen, right now there are two bucks (a young kinder and a pygmy buck) and three young wethers in there. The wethers are destined for the freezer.









Last year we did major upgrades, and one of them was to run water to all of these places in the back. It has made a huge difference. We have been hauling water all winter, it was hard. Also, I got this hay barn, which will hold almost 400 bales of hay, and would be a neat little barn someday or something else if someone wanted to use it for something else. I want a secure hay supply that is protected.









That is the front acre. Then we redid the back acre, 2/3 is still in pasture, but the front 1/3 has two new pens, this one will be a buck pen later on this spring when I have to separate the boys out:









And we are just finishing up the new, bigger pen, where mostly does and kids will go:









Both of the new pens have fence down the middle, so although most of the time the gate will be opened in the buck pen, when I want to breed them I will be able to separate the one I want and bring in the doe I want, I always hand breed them. The bigger new pen is separated down the middle so I can separate the kids at night when I start to milk the does in the morning. Then they will get to spend most of the day with their mom. In that pen the big shed is going to be three stalls, so in dreadful weather I can shut them in. It was scary this winter, just one time.









On the kid side is a little shed for shelter and this great kid toy. I think someone here found something very like this on a web page, and my friends here built it for me. 









There are some cottonwood trees planted outside the pens that will make big amounts of shade inside them, in the meantime each one will have a shade cloth.

It took some years to get to this point. And my mother, who paid for all these upgrades. But you can do a huge amount with two acres, and I still have 2/3 acre in pasture. In New Mexico, irrigated land is like gold, no one has big bunches of it unless they are growing alfalfa, and inherited the land.

Anyway, that is pretty much my place.

Jan


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Welcome! :wave: I have Nigis on 1/2 acre of brush. They sleep in doghouses, which works great. If you go with the doghouses, get sturdy ones. Especially make sure the roof is strong - thick and preferably steeply sloped so they won't want to spend half their time up there.  My goats caved in the roof of one of their doghouses this morning. I'm going to build them a small shed or house.

If you use doghouses, you still need some kind of shelter or cover to keep rain out of their hay and minerals.

Lissablack - nice setup! :thumb:


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

Thanks - I am SOOOOOO happy with it. 

Jan


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