# Are Goats Right for Me



## Nate (Jul 2, 2017)

Hey everybody please excuse my ignorance right off the bat. I have never owned goats but have always wanted too. I am looking a putting in an area for goats at my house. Let ne start by saying I have plenty of room(4acres) to build a house and a pasturw for them this is not my concern. However, I am unsure what types of goats to get and what sex of goat is right for me. The goats will be an addition to my childerens homestead that currently ha ducks chickens pheasants and two minature donkeys. My only concerns are I have time to clean maintain the animals but I do not think I have time to milk a goat. The animals at my house are more of companions/friends than to make money so I dont care about milk/meat. I am just looking for preferably two goats that require maintanence if possible.?? Please help me steer in the right direction if there is one for me. And again I appologize for any stupid questions as I said I have no idea what I am talking about here. Thanks everyone


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I would start with some wethers. Just be sure to research urinary calculi. You will need to make sure they get a balanced diet of around 3:1 calcium to phosphorous.


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## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

I would get two does or a doe and a wether just in case you want to have kids! Does are great pet just like wethers are except you don't have to worry as much about a UTI.


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## Rogersfaintingpygmys (Jul 3, 2017)

Pymgy goats are small and you can find breeds like I have without horns so they are less likely to tear things and you up. I have fainting goats which freeze their joints when they are scared so they are amusing and become prey if a predator decided to get on your property but can fall in water and drown so be careful with small water troughs


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## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

Rogersfaintingpygmys said:


> Pymgy goats are small and you can find breeds like I have without horns so they are less likely to tear things and you up. I have fainting goats which freeze their joints when they are scared so they are amusing and become prey if a predator decided to get on your property but can fall in water and drown so be careful with small water troughs


I've owned Pygmies and to be honest I don't recommended them at all! If you want small goats get Nigerians or mixed breeds are good too!


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## lilaalil (Sep 5, 2014)

I've always heard pygmies are more likely to have attitude problems. 

I'd get 2 wethers (castrated males) if you are just looking for nice pets. You can always get a doe later if you decide you want kids or milk. There are so many wethers that need good homes. Local goat dairies sell bottle babies for $25 each here. If your kids help bottle-raise them and don't mistreat them, they will be excellent pets. As far as breed, I love Saanens. They get huge, but their personalities are just the best. Intelligent and extremely mellow. If you're interested in teaching them to cart or pack, they are a nice big breed for that. People often think small goats like Nigerians are will be easier to handle, but even a little goat is strong and fast, which is why I prefer the gentle giants. 

If you get wethers, do read up on proper diet and the best time to castrate to avoid urinary calculi.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I would decide if you want to breed them first and then go with either female or the wethers. My goats income so this is coming from someone that is looking at this with money on the mind. If you for sure want to breed just go with girls. A wether is just going to be a mouth to feed and no way to pay for it. There are females out there that are just pets but let me tell you they can go either way when they come into heat. They can be very loud and annoying while in heat. So if you want pet I would go with the wether. No hormones at all to deal with lol
Breed wise? I went with boers. I don't like milking and also just don't have the time. Boers are no milking lol but they are also the 'it thing' in my area so bring in money.
I don't think you HAVE to milk Nigerians and those are super super cute little goats! They are also small and depending on how old your kids are might be a better fit because they are so small.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I would go with Saanen or LaMancha for children. Every Nigerian I've ever owned bit... hard. 
My daughter just had to find homes for the pair I bought my grandson because they were biting him. 
I think they have small goat syndrome lol 
You can't separate them very far from Pygmies yet, they are still very closely related.


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## Nate (Jul 2, 2017)

JK_Farms said:


> I would get two does or a doe and a wether just in case you want to have kids! Does are great pet just like wethers are except you don't have to worry as much about a UTI.


Thanks for the input again excuse my lack of knowledge I am a newbie. Dont I have to milk a doe.? Or are goats like cows where you have to impregnate them to get milk?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You have to breed to get milk but there are does that can have a precocious udder which means they come into milk without being bred. If you just want pets, stick with wethers.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

goathiker said:


> I would go with Saanen or LaMancha for children. Every Nigerian I've ever owned bit... hard.
> My daughter just had to find homes for the pair I bought my grandson because they were biting him.
> I think they have small goat syndrome lol
> You can't separate them very far from Pygmies yet, they are still very closely related.


Well that makes sense, I'm small and have small man syndrome lol

Not all breeds you will have to milk. Meat breeds wouldn't need to be milked, boer, kiko, savanna, Spanish or the fainters. Well pigmy too but I agree they can be snots. Some dairy lines you probably don't have to milk either but the issue is you probably wouldn't know till they kid.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

As far as maintenance, you may have to keep goats separate from all your other animals. Chicken feed is horrible for goats, some donkeys hate goats, so you will have to have a nice draft free shelter, clean water, loose minerals, hay and possibly some grain specifically for goats. Goats are browsers, not grazers, so they will not graze down a pasture. Do some research on parasites as well, their hooves will have to be trimmed, and you may need to copper bolus and add some selenium to their diet. All things to consider. I would try to visit some farms and see how they manage their goats (noting condition) and decide if the upkeep is worth the time and maintenance for your family.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Wethers are awesome, and so many of them need homes! If you've always wanted goats anyway, I'd say go for it. Wethers are low-maintenance, are comparatively cheap to feed (mine stay fat just looking at hay), and they're so much fun to have around. I second getting big wethers. Miniature goats are adorable but it seems like the smaller the goat, the bigger the fencing requirements. Training goats to pack and pull is very rewarding for you and your kids. My wethers will be pulling a wagon full of candy in the 4th of July parade tomorrow. You can also train them to do tricks and obstacle courses for fun. And even if you never have time to train them to do anything except come in for treats and care, you'll still find them very funny and entertaining just to watch.


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

I don't have a lot to compare it to, but I just wanted to throw this in. Someone mentioned getting boer goats. I only have 2 (they are my first) and one is a boer. She went from a completely unhandled wild animal to the most lovable cuddle baby ever, in just a couple of months. My other goat is a love sponge, too (she's Nubian) but way more high strung. I have heard a lot of people say Anabelle's (the boer) sweet, calm, laid back, personality is typical of boers. Might be worth considering even though they are bigger.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Goats are very entertaining! You can put stuff in their pen for them to climb on, & then watch them play. You can also walk them like dogs. Do you know that goats really REALLY hate water?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All very good advice.


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## Boer goat27 (Jun 30, 2017)

if you want weathers I would get one's that is at least a year old so he is less likely to get urinary calculi. I would also talk to your local 4-H agent to see if any of the kids that have show goats are selling them so that way they will be more use to being handle and around kids so they will more interactive with your kids. Plus the 4-h kids can tell which local breeders to steer away from because they have problem goats with health issues like parasites. that's the good thing about kids if the had a problem with a breeder they will tell you up front to stay away. I know our 4-H kids do but it is because they want everyone to enjoy what they do not to be ugly. Also at the end of show season mom's and dad's will make better deals with you then selling them to market so the Kids and them will let go and not be broken hearted as they have grown attached. before we got our own farm we sold some really good goats cheap to prevent the tears


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## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

Nate said:


> Thanks for the input again excuse my lack of knowledge I am a newbie. Dont I have to milk a doe.? Or are goats like cows where you have to impregnate them to get milk?


Well if you want milk then yes but mostly the kids will milk her for you. Yes the does have to be bred and kid in order for you to get milk unless you buy a doe in milk but you'll have to rebreed her to get more. 


Jessica84 said:


> I would decide if you want to breed them first and then go with either female or the wethers. My goats income so this is coming from someone that is looking at this with money on the mind. If you for sure want to breed just go with girls. A wether is just going to be a mouth to feed and no way to pay for it. There are females out there that are just pets but let me tell you they can go either way when they come into heat. They can be very loud and annoying while in heat. So if you want pet I would go with the wether. No hormones at all to deal with lol
> Breed wise? I went with boers. I don't like milking and also just don't have the time. Boers are no milking lol but they are also the 'it thing' in my area so bring in money.
> I don't think you HAVE to milk Nigerians and those are super super cute little goats! They are also small and depending on how old your kids are might be a better fit because they are so small.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Buying wethers over a year old will not reduce the risk of urinary calculi. Male goats of any age can get stones if they are fed the wrong diet. To put the odds in your favor, make sure they were not castrated too young (under three months is generally considered too young), and avoid feeding grain or overfeeding in general. A fat wether is more likely to develop stones than one that is fit. Dairy breeds may be somewhat less inclined to get stones because they are not predisposed to obesity like the meat breeds. 

Crossbred goats in general are often healthier than purebreds because of their "hybrid vigor". Sometimes a cross between a mini breed and a large breed, or a meat breed and a dairy breed, can produce a wonderful, hardy goat with few health issues. 

The nice thing about looking for pets is that you only need them to be healthy, not pedigreed or expensive. I would recommend avoiding sale barns even if the price is right. It's better to pay a little more to get healthy goats from a knowledgeable and helpful breeder. Ask if they test for diseases such as CAE and CL. Look for a healthy coat, bright eyes, good energy and appetite, friendliness, and curiosity. If buying kids, look for these qualities in the parents. Best of luck whatever you decide!


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## Pecansandies (Jun 16, 2017)

catharina said:


> Do you know that goats really REALLY hate water?


Could've fooled me!


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## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

Pecansandies said:


> Could've fooled me!


How did you get a goat in water!?!? Mine think that if water touches them they die lol!


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Pecansandies said:


> Could've fooled me!


I know, right? I went for a swim in a high mountain lake one time and my old pack wether followed me right in! He wouldn't win any swimming medals, but by golly he wasn't about to be left on shore!


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Pecansandies said:


> Could've fooled me!


No way!!! Is that your goat?


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## Pecansandies (Jun 16, 2017)

JK_Farms said:


> How did you get a goat in water!?!? Mine think that if water touches them they die lol!


100+ degrees for a week straight and he would come running in to the pens and jump straight in to cool off. Desperate times call for desperate measures I guess!



catharina said:


> No way!!! Is that your goat?


He's a goofy one for sure! But yeah I claim him.



Damfino said:


> I know, right? I went for a swim in a high mountain lake one time and my old pack wether followed me right in! He wouldn't win any swimming medals, but by golly he wasn't about to be left on shore!


Hahaha. I think only if I had a bottomless can of corn would one of mine go to those extremes!


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Pecansandies said:


> Could've fooled me!


That is insane! Smart little boy! Mine even drink carefully to make sure the evil water only goes in their mouth and doesn't touch anything else on them. They purse their lips, stick them out really far, and stand back and SLURRRRRRRPPP. Lol


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

I call my water spray bottle 'goat napalm'.


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

catharina said:


> I call my water spray bottle 'goat napalm'.


That is hilarious.


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