Let's talk about the little weird eyed critters ..who's got em how do you keep em ? Favorite breeds . Anyone have them for milk ?where the heck to you even find them to buy ?
We're looking. At getting two or three Nubian Dwarfs , half for milk and half for ...well pets... Kinda about all our critters are pets. Look at converting a part of my old shed that the dogs don't sleep in any more for a little barn ans just running a electric next fence with a solar charger . Deal is we're having trouble really finding the dang things for sale which is odd because remember last time we had some they where pretty easy to find but maybe that was just one of those live stock fad type of deals
Anyhow
Goat post

Wolfdog, my wife has goats. Make sure you have a fence a snake can’t crawl through, because it seems as if the goats will go through a hole that small. Eric

I'm considering getting rid of most, not all, of the cows and having goats when I retire from the day job and the kids are gone. Easier to handle.

I run a medium sized herd in Western Kentucky. 100+ goats at the moment, but half of those are kids that will be sold soon. How much space do you have (acres)? Goats do better with browse than grass, but can be raised on pasture. Fences need to be good. We have an 54" high, 8 strand high tensile wire that is electrified. Our goats are mostly Kiko with some Boer and Spanish mixed in. Meat goats not milkers. You will need to learn about parasite (worms), they are the nemesis of keeping goats in any semi-humid or humid environment. We are going to try breeding with a Savanah buck in the future to build a meatier carcass. We run a rotational grazing system, moving them to new paddocks every few days, better forage and helps with the worms. We don't have a barn, they are out on pasture 24/7 with access to some 3 sided shelters that we move with them. I would try to buy from someone who has raised them for awhile and keeps them in the same type of system that you intend to. The ones at the auction are often someone else's problem children. On the Facebook as Crossed Rifles Farm LLC. Be happy to answer any questions. Tennessee Meat Goats is a great source of information.

My friend Mohamed might be able to help you…..he will probably knock on your back door.
202 4984952

I am guessing he would prefer new goats, not once fired. Then again maybe used is what he wants. I don't judge.

Take a 5 gallon bucket fill it with water and throw it at the fence. If the water goes through then so will the goats --- electricity is your friend. I got rid of my goats and am sticking with sheep.

We had some and I will never own another one

They are the biggest PIA livestock that ever was created

They don't eat anything you want them to eat and eat everything you don't want them to (vegetation wise)

They are parasite magnets

If you don't have rocky real estate you have to catch the demon spawn and trim hooves

And that is just a few of the reasons

Buy you some and when you have had enough, remember I told you so

Goats used to be free around here, but not anymore; the recent immigrants of all colors and persuasions pay good money for them. I have even become a fan of goat meat....way better than lamb, no comparison really.

Maybe I should tell you the story about the goat we named 5 mile -- yes there is a reason. PM me if you want to hear.

I recommend not getting goats. They are too personable. Your wife, like mine, likely will not want to sell or use them for meat and they'll become like white elephants. In my opinion there's no point feeding and taking care of an animal just to have it, at least if you have a lot of them. We had in the mid forty some goat range at one point. We let them die of old age, rather than selling them for a profit. Most died between 14 and 17 years of age. We have 4 left.

At one point Diane was milking 20 some goats. Milking ties to you to the farm to tightly, especially when you're not really profiting from it.

Keith

Hate 'em. Finally got rid of the last one last winter and I plan on never ever having another. Had all kinds through the years. Had one that would clear a six foot tall fence. Forget about welded wire fencing. They will eventually destroy it. Much like horses they are born to die. A billy will make your whole yard stink.

sold ours last year I think it was. we had nubian and alpines crossed them to get thw milk we wanted. Daughter has dairy sensitively so had them for over a decade. Ours stayed in our electro net premier one fence just fine and when we moved them they would follow us arounf like dogs we could be on foot or on the Gator moving them across the farm. No worries about them taking off they were in our pocket.

Had enough fence so they were in a larg enough area we moved them every 3 to 4 weeks when they ate the brush down.

Built my milking stand out of scrap material i got from work when we used to be able to take home scrap instead of putting it in the dumpster.

We sold them because they almost just paid for themselves selling kid and the cheese my wife mad for her csa customers. But the time about 4 hours it took to move them, watering, milking, and hoof trimming got old. The effort was no profitable and if honest probably didn't cover their own cost.

So our time is beter spent on profitable ventures or just family time. Its easier to get away for short trips and no rush trying to get home and take care of goats on the other side of the farm when you get home late.

Well honestly we're not really looking at them for a profit point of it , hence why I said they'd basically be pets lol and we only want 2-3 she wants to be able to collect some milk to make soap and some other stuff maybe sell a little but nothing ground breaking. Same with the quail and the chickens. We dos well the little excess we have and the pocket change usually pays for there feed and a little extra but other then that

I have caught a couple little guys in live traps. The lady got rid of the small breed, could not keep them in the fence. This is just a havaheart trap, I think 1089 model.

wws

Not for me

good read thanks guys

Kids got Nubians decades ago, 4H projects, etc
Kids all grown.
Somehow, we STILL have goats.

Stopped breeding them a few years ago.
Now it's a race to see who.dies off first:
Me or them...

Keith is spot on about milking!!!

Look for some fainting goats. They don't want out of their area. Don't climb fences. Meat goat but make excellent pets. Probably hard to find without traveling. Originated in TN. When I sold my herd they were higher than cattle per pound. Wasn't interested in meat market. Just for pets. Knew a guy in MS that would buy a brushy 40 acres then turn goats in. Let them clean up the brush then sell the 40.

We are on round 3. Milkers in the 90's, lots of meat goats in the 2010's, milkers now the last 2 years. I would never recommend a person gets goats, except for a child that needs the milk.

Goats are like boats, 2 happiest days are when you get em and when you get rid of em

Everyone should own a goat ONCE !

Then you realize why the devil was often portrayed as a goat !

We have goats on our place. Started with Nigerian dwarf while we were still in town. Moved to our place now away from town and branched out to the bigger breeds. We have Lamancha bucks that we crossed with an Alpine doe. The Nigerians have the best tasting milk but are so small it takes a few to make enough for practical use for a family. The Alpine straight up was a lot of milk but after a bit the taste wasn't great, still good for cheese though. The Alpine/LaMancha cross produces a lot of milk and has a good flavor and and cream on the top. They are good for weed control, but don't care if it's a weed or wife's flowers so plan and fence accordingly. We can open a gate let them graze and they will come home when full, pretty easy keepers in the right place. In town it's hit or miss so uptight ones freak and real folks love them

If you have goats eating weeds the milk will taste off. I always fed my milk goat good alfalfa hay and C.O.B. Excellent milk. Mine was a Nubian-Toggenburg cross and produced 6 quarts a day when fresh.

I always kept her on a tether so no problems escaping.

If it's just milk you want, I'd get a small cow and a hog. Small cow for less to feed and less milk as even a small one will give way more than most families can drink so learn to make cheese and butter and feed the rest to fatten the hog.

Cows are easier keepers than goats.

This^^ 100 % Goat milk suck when they have been able eat weeds. When feed alfalfa the after tasting was just hay dust not like you licked a Billy goat as it tast when they have been eating weeds.

Actually if I had it to do over and had what I have now, I think that's what I would do and that's from owning goats,Our pigs get excess goat milk or the whey from cheese making they love it

Ok so some questions on milk goats . Say you don't want like crazy high milk production. Like you just want to be able to get a little here and there . Some for som soap some cheese mabey for the fridge. Would it be best to go with a non dairy specific breed at that point?

Also milking . Once they have to have a kid to produce milk right ? If so do you HAVE to milk then frequently to avoid problems or will the kid just suck up enough so not milking them daily isn't a issue

Again where doing this on a really hobby type deal so ....

Ok ok interesting thank you for the info , sounds like honestly the Nigerians would be the best for us then

Note to self have goat live traps on standby

I've dealt with and raised cows my entire life and honestly I need a bit of a break from them for a bit. Not to mention I want something I can keep in the yard without much fuss....and not have to worry about all the local bulls trying to get after

Dairy sheep.... easier to keep then goats, gives more milk I believe too....bulls ain't gonna bother them, probably hard to find by you but you could be the first in your neighborhood! LOL

When you start milking you stay with milking twice a day rain or shine or keep the kid on her 24/7 and you get far less and a hard to milk goat. The non dairy breeds are just that for a reason, small teats etc

Let's talk...I'm in ..

Ornery and cute critters. I have no knowledge of farm animals. We occasionally see them at the practice. We had a baby lamb for a week that my co worker was baby sitting and it was so noisy! The appeal ran its course quickly!

When we milked we either pulled the babies and bottle fed them and miked mom 2x a day or of we had less time and needed less milk we would separate mom from kids at night. milk in the morning and put the kids back with mom all day. Then repeat

lol

Zoom zoom……..

Wolfdog. I would look into Kiko or Kinder goats as they produce less, but good quality milk. It is possible while they are nursing to just steal a little milk each day. But that's only for about 4-5 months a year. You could breed at different times to have it available all year. I don't raise dairy goats, but I know there are management differences if you want maximum milk.

I have 5 pygmy goats.

I have an issue; if you have an idea, let me know: my goat ~protein blocks don't hold up to the rain. They end up softening & plugging up the drain holes in the container, then it gets smelly & they won't touch it. I need some sort of cover. Or if they make a protein block that is basically weatherproof like the traditional 50 lb salt blocks, that would work too, but I can't find such a block. Thanks