# Question about recommended acreage for goats.



## MUni Rider (Dec 21, 2008)

I'm not a goat(s) owner yet, but hope to be some day. Maybe as soon as the spring of 2010? 

Anyway, my question is what would the recommended acreage be per goat? I currently have just under 3 acres behind/around my house. I'm thinking that would be enough, but I am curious what you all think. I wasn't able to find anything here or from lurking the Yahoo messages off-n-on over the last year. 

Thanks, and sorry if this is a "noob" question that you are sick of answering.

Ed


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## nrspence (Dec 10, 2008)

Heck ya, you could easily fit a few goats in a three acre pasture. Just make sure you give your goats all the stuff needed for a safe, enjoyable home, good fencing, good shelter, and equipment to play on(spools, rocks, stuff to climb on).


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## woodpeckerhollow (Dec 21, 2008)

Wish I had that much room, I read somewhere that the minimum amount of space each goat needs is 10' X 10', that is if you are penning them up, I have 2-20X20 pens and then my gang gets highline or out time during the day when I am home, but our perimeter fencing is still down so they must be supervised or they'll go on walkabout without me. :roll: (Sorry Charlie, and thanks again!)
The good news is, they all come running when called, and when I say it's time for bed they put themselves in their pens. They all respond to their names with a soft hum, indeed my son calls them the backyard hummers. :lol:


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## MUni Rider (Dec 21, 2008)

Good to hear! I was afraid that acreage (or lack there of) would be a non-starter. My "pasture" is not really flat, fairly up-n-down actually. A triangle with a ravine down one side, and a cliff overlooking several nieghbors on the 2nd, with a straight fenceline on the 3rd side. Not all of that will be fenced in, but at good portion will. Lots of rocks here and there for them to mess with scattered about, big junipers and prairie grass everywhere, several bushes and clumps of shrubs and what not. The junipers and rocks in the ravine area would provide plenty of natural shade and wind shelter if they so chose, in addition to built shelter. (From day one, I thought the place had "goat home" written all over it.)  

I have the shelter bit covered too, both in pre-existing buildings and an old greenhouse that can be used for it's lumber to build/modify as needed. I'll keep an eye out for spools and such as well.

Yucca plants, prickly pear, and (chola?) cactis are here as well. Do I need to go on a killing spree of everything sharp and pointy? I hope not. I like some of my desert flora.

ps... thanks for the speedy responses.


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi,

I admit I'll have to check the internet and convert acres to hectar - german metric system - to get a real idea about how many pasture we're talking about.

But you should keep in mind: the smaller the property the higher are some risks or probabilities that problems may occur:

- parasite infections: if you don't clean the pasture regularly
- diminishing plant versatility: the goats eat the good stuff and leave the things they don't want which grow more then. They also kill quite effectively slow growing plants and trees.
- erosion: I've seen my goats dig away the grass and plants to make hollow sand baths.


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## nrspence (Dec 10, 2008)

Ya your pasture sounds perfect for goats. I would leave all those prickley native plants. Your goats will learn fast what plants to watch out for. Having those plants in your pasture will prepare them for encounters when they are out on hikes. Make sure have really well built fences. Goats are escape artists.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

I have 15 year round goats on 2 acres. They are divided intopaddocks the largest of which is an acre. In wet climates, parasite prevention is a must. Also the more goats the more you have to feed them purchased feed. But if your pocketbook can stand it you can have a lot of goats on three acres.


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