# Bad neighbors and goats



## MarthaP (Feb 10, 2013)

I'm new on here and wanting to learn all I can before getting goats. My son wants goats now (we have rabbits) and I am all for it. So this is my situation...we plan on moving back to where my mom lives to help her out. We will have about 3 acres for animals. We were planning on fencing and getting everything ready before we get any goats. This week has been crazy though with our neighbors goats. They have about 4 acres and have 4 horses, 3 ponies, 1 donkey, 8 goats and like a million chickens. There is no green grass of any type growing there. It's a mess but the worst part is that their goats find a way to get out of their interesting patched up fencing. The goats end up on the road then find my moms shrubs and green grass very hard to resist. 
I've had the sheriff out every day this past week. I've talked nicely to the neighbor about his goats and asked if his goats were tested for CAE CL and johnes? I knew what the answer was. He just looked at me like I was talking Japanese to him. He said he gave them what the feed store said all goat people around our area give them. Geeshhh! There is goat poop all over the land. They have left their pee and poop on all the land. 
My questions after this long rant are if I buy a few good registered goats, what are the possibilities of my goats getting the nasties off his goats? Of course he told me his goats were healthy even though he told me they were not tested. How bad is this for my goats? What would you do? Is there a way to clean up the land?

Any ideas?


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## pixie (Dec 30, 2012)

Good LUCK! Sounds like a very challenging situation. I am sure other people here will have some ideas for you. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.


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## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

Unfortunately, if their goats have any transmittable disease and have already been on your property with pee/poop, there is not much you can do. Some diseases can sit in the ground for years. 

However, I would talk to him a little more and determine how long he's had the goats he currently has and do your own "testing"-see next paragraph. In Georgia here, there's a lot of ole time country folks who have herd animals that just raise them - no tests, not much of anything in the way of herd maintenance or quarantine or safety programs or dietary methods. Pretty much just get them and let them fend for themselves or feed store feed and that's it. That's where I do a lot of my work. So I stay pretty busy. 

With that said, if he's had these same goats for years and they look healthy (see below), I'd say you're probably okay. There's a lot you can look at on your own to determine how big a threat his goats are. While you're talking to him or catch one of his goats out, pet the goat and rub the goat down so to speak checking for lumps or sores (wear gloves to protect yourself, It's winter still you need them on)- that's a main concern symptom. Another thing look at the tail bones, can you see a lot of hip bone - are they way skinny like all bone no meat - another sign. Listen to his herd, a lot of coughing or sneezing. While you're petting the goat look at its eyes and nose - any redness, scabs, or discharge. Notice the rear end, is it black, wet, tarry, or do you notice any other signs of diarrhea or discharge on that end. These are one of the first things I teach in class - How to notice signs of illness. If all these things show up fine- no discharge, no diarrhea, no lumps, sores or scabs, not skinny, no sneezing/coughing, you are probably okay.

Get some really good fence that will keep your goats on your property and their goats out of your area. Then politely tell your neighbor, hey I just got some new goats and I want to make sure Yours stay healthy, can you keep them off my property.

ADDED: If you can get a burn permit and know how to or can hire someone to do it, you can do a controlled burn of your property before getting goats. Sometimes the fire dept will do it for a training session on new recruits. But you'd want to do it about two months before getting goats to allow new growth to come up. A burn will kill all disease on site.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Oh wow, that would not go over well here! I'd be demanding that they keep the goats off of YOUR property! Any way you can fence it in so they can not get into your property? IMO that's probably going to be the best way to keep them out.

Surely the sheriff would do something, I mean after being called out every day, something should be done. Can you get video of the goats when they are on your property? Is there no law in your area about this kind of thing? I would check into it. 

I could not tolerate disrespectful people like that. So sad


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## MarthaP (Feb 10, 2013)

mjgh06 said:


> ADDED: If you can get a burn permit and know how to or can hire someone to do it, you can do a controlled burn of your property before getting goats. Sometimes the fire dept will do it for a training session on new recruits. But you'd want to do it about two months before getting goats to allow new growth to come up. A burn will kill all disease on site.


Thanks for all your ideas. Those goats will never allow mw to touch them but I have been trying to see if they have bumps or lumps and have checked their back ends too. I like the burn idea. I'll have to look into that.

Sent from my iPad using GoatSpot


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## MarthaP (Feb 10, 2013)

HoosierShadow said:


> Surely the sheriff would do something, I mean after being called out every day, something should be done. Can you get video of the goats when they are on your property? Is there no law in your area about this kind of thing? I would check into it.
> 
> I could not tolerate disrespectful people like that. So sad


I have pictures. Lots of pictures. Pictures of goats eating shrubs, trees and nice green grass. Sheriff hasn't done much just call them to come put them up and they drive off. Supposedly they fixed their fence today so we'll see tomorrow. If goats come out again then I will have to do something else.

Sent from my iPad using GoatSpot


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## Sundancer (Jan 21, 2012)

Wow...we have a really good relationship with our 2 animal control people here so I would just call them and they round them up and take them to the shelter. If you hit them in the wallet to bail the critters out, it just might quit. As far as existing, I would also go with a controlled burn.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

Neighbors like that are a problem. Be extra sure your fence is enough to keep them out! Worse case scenario if you worry about nose to nose contact through the fence you could run a strand of hotwire. It sounds like you're not able to follow mjgh06 her recommendations since you can't touch the goats. I like rounding them up and taking them to the shelter- but again if you can't touch them that's unlikely. I hate to do someone elses work for them, but you might stroll down and can see if you know where they're getting out, and maybe offer to give them a hand to fix the fence- unless the whole thing is shoddy of course. 
As for burning I think that's viable, and with such a large space likely the best way. I did however email WADDL with a question similar to this for knowledge purpose- here is what I asked and their reply if it helps. 
I asked about if I had to move to a property that had untested goats, should I burn or use a sprayer for bleach water (if it would work I would be willing to bleach water let the ground sit, rototill and replant for the safety of my goats). Their reply_ -It is always a possibility. Instead of burning and bleaching I would personally be using some of phenolic-based disinfectants (for some of them I provided the links below). Please follow the instructions on the labels and take all the necessary safety precautions.
I hope this will help.
Regards,
artem
http://www.animart.com/store/one-stroke-environ-gallon/
https://www.bestvetsolutions.com/product.php?productid=54
https://www.bestvetsolutions.com/product.php?productid=52
now for large property it's not inexpensive- but in a pinch for someone with a smaller area it may help.


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## ezzrider (Jul 14, 2010)

Sorry for your troubles. I had a similar situation several years ago with a bad neighbor with horses. Their horses kept tearing down MY fence and the smell was well horrible. They had way too many horses for their amount of land. I finally was able to get through the Agriculture Unit with the Sheriffs Department and report the horses as a nuisance. All it took was for them to advise the next time their horses came off their property or did any damage to others property they were going to seize the horses, fine them and put the horses up for sale at auction. Last time we had any issues and thankfully that neighbor is now gone (foreclosure what else). In addition to being a real pain they were also not paying their mortgage or property taxes.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Having a controlled burn is a genius suggestion, as well as checking those goats yourself.
Unfortuneatly, this neighbor probably wont budge. 
Your best best is after the burn to get your own fencing up.
If your girls are not eating off the ground you will probably be ok.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Well, I had something sort of the same but not really. lol 

 I had several Bucks that were jumping my 6' fence like it was not there. All they did was go out and be goats. Well they did go to a older folks house and they were scared of them so they called the Sheriff also. The Sheriff told them that Colorado was a open range area and here in Colorado we fence to keep animals OUT not in, so if he did not want my goats to eat their flowers, then put a fence around the flowers.

 Now I did feel horrible about this and I paid to have the flowers replace. It got worse and worse after that. They called me and wanted to "talk" about my goats that were out again eating their trees now. I know my goats were NOT out at all. They were so nasty on the phone leaving a message, I never called them back and they threatened to kill the goats next time. He said he knows it is my goats because of the "crap" all over the place. he said he knows the difference between the deer carp and the goat. Really it is the same. The Sheriff said let them get out again if they do anything to the goats I have them recorded and I can nail them for it. NO I would rather that not happen.


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