What I need to know about having a goat?

Question

I am thinking about getting a goat and am wondering what is entails, what you need to know, and any general information anyone can tell me. I saw them on petfinder and have always wanted one. I have enough land, I just don't know anything about owning them, or if someone with no goat experience is a suitable owner for that matter.

Answer 1

growing up on a farm my father always had a saying about goats,you need a fence strong enough that a bull cant knock it down,high enough so a deer cant jump over it and wire small enough so a mouse cant squeeze through it,and you just might possibly be able to keep a goat in it
goats are curious about everything,get into and onto(the higher the better) everything and like to taste everything,they are comical and extremly smart and sweet though some males and occasional females can be overly agressive,but the saying is true they are escape artists,the best type of fencing to keep them in is a tough type of wire with smaller holes,like chain link if you can afford it,and high enough so that they don't leap or climb over it,they generally don't stray too far if loose but they will find the nearest vegetable or flower garden, your favorite tree or the grain room and demolish it in about 3 seconds locks are not a problem for goats they figure out most of them you have to be smarter than your average goat and that is sometimes tricky,EVERYTHING needs to be tasted by a goat,your clothes,jewelry,shoes so expect to be nibbled on alot,housing isn't too dificult they are content to sleep in a dog house or a nice 3 sided run in shed,or something fancier like a box stall as long as they can get out of the elements and stay warm they are happy
as far as nutritional needs they are ruminents which means they regurjitate thier food after eating then spit it back into the mouth and chew again,they need plenty of roughage in the diet,they will eat grass,but prefer things like shrubs bushes small trees,bark off trees those types of things,if feeding hay they need a good coarse type of hay they also make a special feed(grain) for goats,they should not eat horse grain as it has too much of a certain nutrient(maybe selenium not sure) for goats,though my goats have eaten horse grain with no problem it is not advised for extended periods of time,it is advisable to have company for your goat another goat is best but a sheep,cow,or any type of equine will do,a goat is a herd animal and if alone expect it to scream for you when your not around,or if it escapes waiting on your door step to greet you every morning THEY HATE TO BE ALONE
they will need to be wormed regularly,and to have hooves trimmed when needed as well,they sell many many books on raising goats it is probably a good idea to pick one up and read it cover to cover before getting your goat,the book called RAISING GOATS THE MODERN WAY is an excellent source of information and covers everything a person would want to know about goats.....good luck,they're worth it

Answer 2

Goats can be wonderful pets, especially if they were bottle-fed as kids. There's a few major things you need to know before you buy, though.
Never get an unfixed male goat. Ever. They emit a sexy goat musk that smells like the rotting effluence of a thousand corpses sprayed with the stuff they put in natural gas to make it smell bad. To intensify the stench, they pee on their neck and forelegs. Plus, they're very rude during the rutting season.
Fixed male goats don't have that problem, but the dairy and meat breeds get to be the size of a small pony. This is hard on fences, since goats like to stand on them to watch you as you come to visit. Pygmy goats are much shorter, but still very powerful and heavy.
Always get two goats. They need a herd to feel safe at all. Being alone, to a goat, is far worse than it is for any other pet.
Never get a goat with horns, unless there's coyotes or mountain lions in the area. They're quite strong, and having horns is like having crowbars on their heads at all times. You'll be patching fencing constantly. Like dogs, goats with horns should be taught to respect people: they can do serious injury, to humans and to other goats. It's not common, but it can happen.
I had two sweet, friendly, odor-free dairy does for a few years, and they were just wonderful. They were smart, curious, funny. They loved to climb, and they always came up to stand on the fence to say hi.

Answer 3

We raised milk goats as well as Pygmy's and Boer. They are very social and loving pets. They learn almost like a dog. They can learn their name, no, come here and lots of other things. It would do alot better if there were two. They stay in family groups and need attention.They will eat most all weeds, they don't eat tin cans unless they are deprived of food. They don't drink alot of water, but what they do drink needs to be in a clean container, they don't like leaves and things in their water. They will climb on everything including vehicles if they have access! They are very, very good climbers. Your local feed store will have the feed you will need for them and they will need to be wormed at least 2 times a year. You will also need to sevin-dust them for fleas and such you can get that at your local garden store and even wal-mart. They will need a lean-to of sorts to get out of the wind and rain - if they are inside it is going to rain! They hate the rain and getting wet! There are alot of resources on the Internet, just don't get too carried away with the extremists they can worry you to death and make it miserable to own a pet!

Answer 4

Hello, Goats are great pets....I use to raise Pygmy Goats and Angora Goats. You need really good fencing to keep them in. Goats also need supplements go to this site to answers your questions about vitamins and minerals. www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/meatgoats/meatgoatfs15.htm
Goats are fun to watch and enjoy they are an awesome hobby to have. Goats love to jump on things, we used old stairs for our goats to jump on and off and we also made ramps.
I hope you find what you are looking for in a goat, the rescue origination's will also give you some great tips about goats.
Maureen

Answer 5

Goats are very interesting and fun critters. You need good hay, browse, and REALLY good fence.
A good place to look for information is your county extension agent, like for 4-H. I have goats, two "goatee girls", who are curious, and fun. I feed them good hay and they get my horse feed mix, which contains vitamins and dairy minerals, and they do very well on that.
And of course plenty of fresh water.
On the internet, you can look under "goat care" or "goatkeeping" for tips and tricks on dealing with goats
And of course, i will remind you again, make sure you have a VERY good fence, like small-space cattle panels, because goats love to climb, and stick their heads in places.
Safer and saner is better.
Then you just love them. They are sooooo fun.

Answer 6

I use to have goats and really enjoyed rasing them. They love company. Get two. They need a place that is draft free and dry. Thats pretty much to it. I had collors on mine and put a little bell on it so I could keep track of them if they got out of my little barn I had. Like I said they are fun,I know you will enjoy.

Answer 7

look on the internet for a proper diet, shelter and treats having a goat isnt easy