# Tell us about you and your Critters!



## ShuteyePackgoats (Dec 17, 2008)

Hi all,.... was just on-line reading the invite from Rex,... so here we are. We know many of the packers already located here but for those of you who may not know us, here goes. We are located in CA, just south of Yosemite National Park at 3,00 elevation. Our goats (currently down to 19) have brush and trees on 7.5 acres to brouse on, with another 20 acres across the main road to keep them busy. We breed our own packers which are crossbreds between Alpine/Saaneen/Oberhasli with one strand having 1/16 - to 1/4 Nubian (due to the heat our boys need to deal with here and when in use in Nevada (one of our favorite packing areas). We have been breeding and using goats for packing over the last 11 years now and before that raised milking goats. That's enough for now, Shuteye Packgoats - Rodney and Alice York. Talk with you all soon!


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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

We sold seven packers this past summer bringing our total goat population all the way down to five. Five?? wow..... I haven't been down to five goats in over 10 years. We've had as many as 50 which I can tell you is WAY too many feet to trim! Besides the five packers we have a couple of horses, two dogs and some transient cats. We're fortunate to live in a great place with lots of elbow room and some great areas for goat packing! Here's a few pictures from the back yard.
[attachment=3:3vwb016o]View from Home.jpg[/attachment:3vwb016o][attachment=2:3vwb016o]Avalance.JPG[/attachment:3vwb016o][attachment=1:3vwb016o]December.jpg[/attachment:3vwb016o]


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## hughb11 (Dec 21, 2008)

*Re: Welcome!*

Hello everyone and thanks for the invitation. My wife, daughter and I own Crooked Pine Ranch (www.crookedpineranch) and Great Goat Gear (www.greatgoatgear.com). We have 65 (or so) alpines, saanens, and nubians on the ranch. Several of our boys are pack goats or cart goats and are, of course, some of my best friends. My wife is a goat harness maker through Great Goat Gear and makes my harnesses and packs. Just had a new Saanen buckling born last night....future cart boy!


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## woodpeckerhollow (Dec 21, 2008)

Well, we have 4 goats, 3 horses, 2 dogs, and a cat to rule them all...
The goats live in my backyard, the horses at a friend's house where I can ride around a small lake, the dogs indoors and the cat wherever he wishes, usually outside.... :roll: 
Walking or riding from home has become dangerous, lots of traffic but the goats are used to it. And we don't have enough room for the horses here, hence boarding them elsewhere. But it's all good. 
Rebecca Stacey
Woodpecker Hollow
Fallon, NV


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

Random cute photos: 
The top photo is SImon Doll bench pressing a four month old kid, Boer/ Saanen/Alpine. He's one we are using as a buck this year.

This is Laura Doll's son and one of their toggs kicking back this summer. This is up the Sandy River crossing on the Ramona Falls Trail just off the PCT.

The third photo is my driveway tonight. I was hoping a goat would come out but they are all buried in the straw.

Right now we are between breeding season and kidding season. When kidding season hits we'll be swamped but right now I'm enjoying the holidays and going dog shopping. I want to train a service dog and Bob is 9 now and thinks I'm silly for even asking him to learn new tricks, he has plenty of perfectly good ones already, thank you very much. My antique dog Sam had to be put down this week so I'm looking for another paragon like Bob only younger and not set in his ways.

When kidding season hits we will have upwards of 40 goats here. Fortunately my husband retires this year so I will have help. Once we get the kids going it will be time for hiking season. Can't wait!


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## bernieh (Dec 12, 2008)

We live in mid-coast Maine in the little town of Hope. I have raised and trained Morgan horses for 40 years. We are down to 2 a stud and a mare. Got interested in pack animals 2 years ago as a friend of mine wanted to hike some of the Appalachian Trail and we are too old to carry a pack. I went on line searching for pack animals and until that time never new goats were used. I went out and bought 2 three month old kids. They are half Alpine and half Boer. The older one now two and a half tapes 150 pounds. I walk with them reularly. They follow along like dogs. I have used peanuts in the shell to train them. If we are walking along a road and a car approaches I just say come and they come to me. At that point I reward them with a peanut. Have not put any weight on them yet but have hiked as much as seven miles with them which took 3 hours. I plan to make my own pack saddles, I made flouresent blankets for them so I could take them out during hunting season. I'd sent a picture if I knew how.
We also have 2 cats and 4 Campbell ducks. Bernie


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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

bernieh said:


> I'd sent a picture if I knew how. Bernie


I'll send you a Private Message with the instructions.


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## jross (Dec 20, 2008)

Hi all. I'm glad that you've set up this forum. Rex, what a beautiful place you live in! And Hi Rodney. I hope you can get out here some time for a hunt or a hike.

My wife, Lia, and I live in SW New Mexico, near the Gila Wilderness. It's goat, and goatpacker heaven. We have 3 young packgoats. They will be 3 years old in March. They are Pinto, Apache, and Moose. And what great buddies they are! They love to go for day hikes, but real paradise is packing in and camping out together.

Here's a couple of pics:[attachment=2:1p1n5jkr]IMG_9128_1.JPG[/attachment:1p1n5jkr][attachment=1:1p1n5jkr]IMG_9092_1.JPG[/attachment:1p1n5jkr]


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## wilmothcody (Dec 27, 2008)

*new to the board...*

I am new to the board and new to the goat packing world... I am 15 years old and have had goats for 2 years now, I live In chappell Nebraska just north of the colorado border,, you will probable be hearing a lot out of me... Many ???'s that I will probable need answered.. thanks


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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

Welcome to the forum. There are a lot of experienced people on here who should be able to answer any questions you have and give some good advice. Make sure to ask any questions in the appropriate forum so anyone with the same type of question later can find the answers easier.

Enjoy!


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## wilmothcody (Dec 27, 2008)

this a picture of a soon to be pack goat...










he is only 8 months old and was a bottle baby

his name is Billy and the full name is bottle baby Billy


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi,

well, it seems I should write about our critters as well.

We have currently 17 goats: 4 does, 3 intact bucks (two to become wethers as soon as the weather allows sedation), 10 wethers. We're awaiting lambs from all 4 does this spring.

4 sheep: mixed breeds, bought them as training group for our young herding dogs but they are so easy to handle that they have created a place of their own in our hearts by now.

3 cats which rule house and garden

6 dogs: two old Dalmatians, 3 Australian Shepherds and 1 English Shepherds. The herding dogs help with the goats and sheep. Although the goats are very well bonded, it's easier to walk with the whole herd when there are one or two dogs around to remind them that they have to behave. The dogs keep the goats out of the planted fields, orchards and gardens that we pass on the walks and hikes. They also are a great help in making feeding time a very relaxed exercise. With their help I was this year for the first time able to keep a doe in milk and giving her extra feed without having to take her out of the herd (which in the past resulted in several wethers jumping fence in order to get to the goat outside). Now I feed inside the fence, the dog keeps the goats that aren't supposed to get extra feed away and the goats that need supplementation (kids, lactating mothers) get their extra ration without any disturbance.








This image was taken from our living room.








dto., in summer








almost all of them








these are the "first" goats in our packstring








years ago, the first Aussie still young and the Dalmatians still fit








second Aussie and me at herding lessons


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## jross (Dec 20, 2008)

Sounds like your dogs really earn their keep. The Aussies have the instincts you need, but do the Dalmations have any natural abilities that are useful?

My old dog, Petie, is pretty good at camp security duties, keeping unauthorized personnel (rabbits, ravens, coyotes, etc) chased off, and he enjoys keeping the goats chased away from the kitchen area. Other than that he's just good company, but not much good for anything else. Here he is.[attachment=0:2pr21nc8]IMG_8981_1.JPG[/attachment:2pr21nc8]


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi,

the Dalmatians where here before the goats came. They were riding companion dogs. But we sold all the horses four years ago and now they are on retirement (14 and 10 years old). I do some tracking with the 10 yo, the 14 yo has back problems and can't navigate on uneven ground any longer. She enjoys occupying the arm chair and being petted.


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## goingnutsmom (Nov 28, 2009)

Ok, here goes. We are a family of 5 and we got started in dairy goats almost 2 years ago when milk prices got really high. My thoughts were that it would be cheaper to feed a couple of goats than buy milk, well, it was at first  The we got hooked on the goats! Now with 9 goats (6 dairy and 1 wether), and more babies on the way this spring, it defenitly is not cheaper any more! :lol: So for our critters we have the 9 goaties, planning on keeping some wethers this year (did two breedings with a nice buckling out of Charlie Goggins lines), 3 dogs (german shepherd, australian shepherd and a dalmation/basset cross), 4 cats, 1 parrot in the house, 4 outside aviaries of birds, and 2 guinea pigs. Two of the kids are in their second year of 4-H with goats, mostly dairy, though this year they did add meat goat and pack goat, which brings up that since we have got totally hooked on hiking and packing, my husband and I are doing pack goat with our 4-H this year. Then, since I am a glutten for punishment, a friend of mine who has been packing for quite a few years and myself started up a local pack goat club in our area. Did I metnion that I love goats and packing :lol:


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## tiger408 (Jan 13, 2009)

I'm Annie... my better half is Bill... we're in western Michigan. Not too many goatpackers around here like out west but we enjoy it anyway.  We have 4 children... one still living at home. Currently have 4 goats (hopefully some kids due in March 2009), 3 dogs ( a red heeler, a poodle and a den terrier), 2 parakeets and about 40 rabbits ( Mini Rex and Californians)

Seeing as how this is a goat forum figured I would post a few cute pics of our goats 

Jack smiling for the camera or pretending to be Donkey from the Shrek movie lol









Ondave's Reggie but we just call him Goober... he's all poofy cuz it's *cold* out today 









Sugar, our milk goat, being silly 









and last but definitely not least... Andy, our little Fainter wether


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## steve morgan (Dec 13, 2008)

Hi all, I'm 60 years old and out of shape. I have been married to the same wonderfull , understanding, woman for 36 years.( Boy did she role her eyes around when I said Packgoats ) We have 2 sometimes raised kids (30 and 27). We have 8 wethered goats on 5 acres in a small little town 15 miles west of Port Angeles, Wa. and if I was more computer savy, I would show you all some pictures of us, my hunting trips and a wonderful trip into the Frank Church Wilderness last fall. It was the BIG HORN Crags and I'm going back again. Steve


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## Sbell (Dec 13, 2008)

I live in Olympia Wa and have only been doing the packgoat thing for a year but completely jumped in with both feet. I have a wife who thinks I'm nuts (along with half my buddies  ). 2 daughters who are into FFA and 4H, the goats work out well for that. I had my learning curve shortened by joining the evergreen packgoat club. We have 2 blue heelers, 1 little kick dog, a buncha cats, 2 adult alpines, 1 alpine saanen cross, 1 adult Ober and two 2 year old obers. I started looking at packgoats a couple of years ago b/c backpacking was starting to get a little tough, especially when hunting.


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## imported_goatdaddy (Dec 31, 2008)

My name is Mike and I live in N. Ca. We have 9 goats, mostly dairy. One of my daughters has a toggenburg wether that is 10 months old. We are hoping to keep some wethers this year. We hike and do a little light packing, mostly day pack/hikes. I'm looking forward to doing some over night packing this summer. We are fairly new to goat, only having them a little over a year now. My own personal goat is an alpine doeling who everyone says is spoiled rotten, Just because she sits with me in my chair in the house, come on! She has never pottied in the house so far, thank goodness! She likes to go for rides in my pickup and lays real nice on the seat and looks out the window. It's great to see the double takes people do, LOL!
I also have an australian shepherd dog and a Indian Ringneck named Sonny.
We just got a cart for carting with the goats last month and I made the leather harness my self. It turned out pretty decent.
Looking forward to getting to know you guys.


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## idahonancy (Dec 13, 2008)

My love of goats started in the year 2000. A new friend of mine told me about goat packing. My husband and I are avid hunters. Our home is on one acer with a convenance against goats. After 7 years of wanting a goat I decided to ask all the neighborhood for permission. This took 6 months and I was good to go. I fell in love with Hobbs. He was a 1 year old weather who lived 1000 miles aways in California. It seem liked he should be my boy. After fencing my yard and building a barn.
I found myself doing a 2000 mile drive last Christmas. When spring 08
came I bought 2 babie obers from the same breeder. They are gorgeous, and loads of fun. They have tought me alot. All the books people have written were great. I had no experience with any farm animals. Every book and article I could find I read.
Good book list:
Practical Goat Packing
The Pack Goat
Diet for Weathers
Diseases of the Goat
Pack Goat Manuel
Field First Aid for Goats
Goat Tracks Magazine.


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## Stephen (Jan 20, 2009)

Hello All, 
Name is Stephen, Have a wonderfull wife of 18yrs, and 5 children from 18 to 10. 
I thought about goats for packing when my daughter got cancer a few years ago. (she doing fine right now) but she saw me and her older brother go on hikes for scouts, 50miler,and loved the photo's and wished she could get out in the hills. I discovered pack goats. We have some acres here in the Monroe utah area, lovely mountains too, up to 12,000 or so high, we are at about 5400 elev.
So not too far to get to the lower mountains.
We only have been able to go out this fall some for day hikes, but she loves it, and my other kids as well. Over thanksgiving I traded some wood cedar posts for 4 alpines about 1yr old now, so we shall work on training and learning with them. We do have 2 Saaneens 3yr olds that we have had some minor packing with.

They do follow like dogs on the trail and its fun and great exercise as well, too bad I get off work to late, and now its dark. So in the spring we will return to a couple hrs a night short hikes again.

We are hoping in the years to come to have at least 6 working packers and spending more time in the local mountains, lots to explore, and all kinds of areas to hike and camp in. I would like to retrace the 50 miler with my daughters packing the goats in the future, wonderfull remote area's south of us in the Tushar ranges.

So will be asking questions as needed over the years to come.
Glad to see such a site up. For newbies to get the help needed as we learn from everyones experiances.

You will notice my sweet darling wife, is no where to be sceen with the goats, She not sold on idea of camping, hiking, or those Darn Goats lol... she does miss out, however gets some peace when I an the kids on the trails. 

[attachment=2:3liq55d9]Sm 1hr break Joshua alora gus max emma sandstorm others.jpg[/attachment:3liq55d9]
[attachment=1:3liq55d9]Heading up trail Sm2nd L.H.Fork Monroe Mnt.Joshua Emma dog Alora in front.jpg[/attachment:3liq55d9]
[attachment=0:3liq55d9]smBringing up rear, Kalecia Vanessa, Gus Max Tora Chippers.jpg[/attachment:3liq55d9]


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## Lightfoot Packgoats (Dec 12, 2008)

I'm Charlie Goggin and I've been married to Randy for over 21 years. He also rolled his eyes when I mentioned packgoats, but now he has one! Mikey is only coming 3 next month so he hasn't packed a full load yet but Randy tends to only carry his photo gear now while the goats carry camp.

We've got two daughters, 15 and just turned 12, each has two packers of her own. Marina (15) has two does, Arie (our herd queen) and Shami, our current milk goat.

Sierra has "Wee Gully" our tallest packgoat and the sweetest big guy ever. She is also the proud Momma of Arie's nearly yearling daughter, Kel, who will be packing pillows this year as a yearling.

I've got the rest of the goats, Laz, Pie, Flower, Zulie the princess, half of Capone who is living with Carolyn Eddy and making more packers and Dante.

I won't count 'em, I'd rather not know..

We also have 2 dogs, one is our LGD, Whit, a wild red goofball who thinks even spiders are her friends. She will protect the goats, hens, cats, children and anything else that needs protecting when she isn't making friends.

Kapu, well, he is a dog of leisure, enjoys hiking, eating and making people believe he is starving. He is half pug so his charm is overwhelming.

We have 4 cats, I'd rather not admit to how that happened! 

I was horsey first and that is how I found goats, I accidentaly bought an orphan foal at our local livestock auction. Really, I had no intention...

So, she needed milk and she needed it now! I borrowed 5 in-milk does who faithfully gave me their milk twice a day until Kira was weaned. What a miracle those goats were! None of these fine ladies knew me at all, two were as wild as March hares and all willingly came, allowed me to milk them and went back twice a day for months. Sometimes I was squatting beside the goat, milking her with Sierra, our then 18 month old daughter, draped across my thighs, nursing on me at the same time! What a picture!

Needless to say, I fell in love with goats and when the first kid arrived and it was a boy, I fell in love with him too. We were backpackers in college but since the children arrived and my back was injured we couldn't go out that way any more. Randy had been making noise since before Sierra was born that he missed it and wanted to do it again, packgoats were our answer!

Charlie Goggin
Lightfoot Packgoats


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## woodpeckerhollow (Dec 21, 2008)

Ok I just have to pick on Randy here, but I promise I'll be nice....
Once upon a time, the Goggin family went hiking in an area know for its big kitties, and of course they had their pack string along. And Randy couldn't resist teasing his wife with "Here, kitty kitty kitty" remarks, etc.
That's ok, I got even for her, although I suspect she probably did something herself and didn't tell me about it.....  
As we live 1/2 a mile from Charlie, occasionally we trade off taking care of each others herds, so on one of my trips to Vegas we went downtown to the MGM where they have a lion habitat set up inside the casino.
And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a coffee cup with a male lion on it stating "Here, human human human...." :lol: 
Yeah, I bought it just for him...

Love you guys....


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## eastcoastpacker (Jun 3, 2009)

We live on the eastcoast, I don't know if there are a lot of goatpackers here on the eastcoast in south.

Married, 4 children, (two grown and married) and two younger still at home.

We have 7 goats so far, 3 sheep, 2 dogs, 6-7 cats~ lost count. They just keep showing up. 

We got our goats in Nov. 2008, our sheep last week (July 09) and we are hooked for life!


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## Sophie (May 31, 2009)

Hello my name is Sophie. I love my packgoats. I live in CA with my goats.


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## ohiogoatgirl (Jan 31, 2010)

howdy ya'll! I am katie. I live in southeastern ohio. I have two cats and three dogs and am getting a goat or two soon. I'll post some pictures soon as I can.


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## Stephen (Jan 20, 2009)

Just had the first 2009 day hike, only 3hrs but mostly up hill as it is about all we can do down here, lol until we find an old pickup to haul the trailer up the mountain to the high meadows. So we work the lower trails. Finaly got up this one about 1hr from top before we had to turn and get headed for home, A good 1st trip. 1st time for 2 younger alpines. Plan on more hikes as we can.
[attachment=2:1l7zw5ij]smNear trail head Alora Tora Chippers.jpg[/attachment:1l7zw5ij]
[attachment=1:1l7zw5ij]smGoat van,Trailer all goats.jpg[/attachment:1l7zw5ij][attachment=0:1l7zw5ij]sm Monrovian Park Max glad to be on bridge vs in Snow run off water.jpg[/attachment:1l7zw5ij]


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