# What about working goats..?



## ovaltine (Apr 15, 2012)

Well I was reading the post about what everybody wants to talk about for the topic of the week and seen a post that wanted more on working goats...which got me wondering what all a "working" goat can do, how else I can utilize these wonderful creatures that I've brought home to milk? How far can a goat pull a cart, a couple of miles...? And can a goat being milked do that job or would that be bad for her? How much weight could they pull and/or if you were to "pack" them how heavey of a load will they carry. They seem so fragile to me and I know that they are actually quite hardy...I am now wondering if I could "take my goat to town,LOL" to get groceries? I quite often go to my freinds barn in the mornings to help her with the morning chores and am wondering if, instead of taking my truck, could I hook up Truffles to cart and save on gas? Truffles is my new dairy goat (I bought a pregnant goat that isn't, post) and eventually my little La Mancha will also be milking...so could I potentially have a "two goat team" to pull or pack? Hmmmm....


----------



## naturalgoats (Jan 3, 2011)

Hi,
Goats can technically pull up to twice their weight though I generally stick to one and a half times. A lot would depend on how fit they are. I've only ever got my boys to do things like fairs but they do fairly well.... again I think if you gradually built up endurance....
I think a milking goat could pull some you want to be careful on her though.... make sure she is getting plenty of feed because she will be exerting more energy... They can pack 15-20% of their weight.... I don't think i'd pack more than twenty or thirty pounds on my boys (200lbs each) but they are really out of shape... 
A lot depends on your equipment... good stuff that spreads the weight well will let your goat do more... especially if you are thinking of really using her for transporting you I would invest. 
I don't think that Truffles will be any faster than walking yourself... but maybe if she is fairly large and very motivated.... How big are your babies? That determines a lot.... 

Hope that helps!
M.


----------



## ovaltine (Apr 15, 2012)

Thanks Miranda! I'm not sure if I'm going to get the girls to work for more than milk. But I do beleive that working animals are happier and calmer animals...so if I could get them to pull or pack...maybe feed or hay from the front yard to the barn, well that would help me (I have a back injury) and them in the process. Hmmmm, I never even thought of this part of goats when I was considering them, but now I have some more options!...and options are always good, Thanks! :thumb:


----------



## Dreamchaser (Oct 30, 2008)

I think as long as they didn't have a full udder it would be fine. I want to do this, but my problem is 3 fold. I am the only one who can build it, my engineering skills are minimal, and then I don't have time to train right now. If at least I could build the cart, I would have it to train with when I do have time to train.


----------



## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Maybe keeping a wether as a pack goat would be a good option as well =D


----------



## Bambi (Jun 10, 2012)

You can work milking does, but make sure they have enough fitness first and make sure their udder is not too big to get in the lines of the harness. It is important on a harness to have adequate breeching otherwise the cart will push over the goat. I have a milking Alpine doe (Sweet Pea) , she also packs but I wouldn't hook her to the cart. Goats can do a lot of chores around the farm. Our boys pull a small two gang disc in the garden and they help with hauling hay bales etc..All of the goats haul firewood in their packs.


----------

