# Anyone have goats in an urban area?



## Shepherd in training (Apr 13, 2011)

While I live in an unincorporated part of the county (Central California), I do live in a residential area (golf couse in the back yard sort of thing).  
I have been successful, so far, in keeping a small backyard chicken flock (8 hens).  We have completely enclosed a 1000 square foot area (with high heavy gauge wire fencing) and tall redwood fencing to keep out prying eyes.  We also have a lovely coop (one of those Amish kits...very pretty).
I now want to keep a couple goats and have built a goat shed (5x7) to match the coop.  

With that said...does anyone else have goats in an urban area?  Successes?  Failures?  Helpful hints?

Many thanks.


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Apr 13, 2011)

The biggest problem I have seen on here is how loud they can get, I recommend feeding on a very very regular basis, because they can become spoiled and cry everytime they see a person or hear the door opening and closing in your house, and I beleive certain breeds are louder than others.  I now nubians can be real cry babies.  Also, different breed require different amount of feed to maintain body weight, since you don't have much pasture, you may want to look into one of the breeds that wont eat you out of house and home.


----------



## elevan (Apr 13, 2011)

You should also carefully check your zoning laws or homeowners association bylaws to make sure that keeping "livestock" won't be a problem for you.

While some may turn a blind eye on a few chickens...goats are a whole different matter.

I say as long as they are no rules, laws or regulations against it - then go for it!

I would recommend getting a dwarf or mini breed.  You should get at least 2.  And do everything you can to keep them happy (and quiet)


----------



## carolinagirl (Apr 14, 2011)

some goats are nice a quiet....some aren't.  Even though you have a tall fence, they may tell on themselves.  Someone here had good luck teaching a goat to be quiet with a dog no-bark collar.  Maybe that would work to teach your girls to stay quiet?

I think the biggest fear I would have is zoning and neighborhood regulations.  Getting goats might bring your back yard farm to the attention of the officials and the goats could cause you to lose even the chickens.


----------



## Shepherd in training (Apr 14, 2011)

I've found a precedent FOR keeping goats in urban areas.  Check out the article about San Francisco:

http://sfappeal.com/culture/2011/02...francisco-you-can-do-it-would-you-want-to.php

Great! And that's in the City itself.   I've checked my regulations and there isn't anything that says I can't.

Thank you, all, for your input.    Goat people are nice!


----------



## freemotion (Apr 14, 2011)

I have goats in the suburbs.  My house is in the middle of a bunch of lots that are 75' wide, so we can practically see into each other's windows.  We can't bring a truckload of anything to our barn unless it is a pick up truck, and not a dualie. (sp?)  

But strangely enough we are zoned for animals.  We have four acres in the back of all the lots and it juts into an older farm.  Within sight of the front of our house is a major intersection with a traffic light and businesses and plazas on each corner....including one of the major grocery stores in the area, a department store, a large pharmacy, and McD's, along with several other businesses.

You must have a fortress for a fence.  Escapees can get on the road and get killed and leave you with liability if anyone gets hurt in the process.  Even with the best of fences escapes happen.  A doeling escaped near midnight one night this month and stood up and looked into a neighbor's back door, "knocking" on the glass as she pawed to get in, poor scared, cold little thing!  Another time the same neighbor had his door open for air on a hot day as he worked on a car with his son in the front of the house, and a doe escaped and they found her exploring their kitchen!  Neighbors with a good sense of humor....and the sense to put the animals back and THEN let you know after they are safe....is a huge plus.

If you are not zoned, the first fly someone finds in their house this spring will be your fault.  Even though that is ridiculous.  So be extra sure of zoning laws.

My goats are quite popular, and since the law is on my side, they can make all the noise they want.  I'd rather hear them than the neighbor's screeching kids!


----------



## ThornyRidgeII (Apr 14, 2011)

My goats are what one would consider urban also.. my house sits within the city limits.. one of those old farms that bordered the city and was eventually dismantled into high price lots for a new subdevelopment.. yup that is me.. however before the land went up for sale my uncle owned 26 acres that borders the back side of lots in part of the development.. and thankfully that land is considered township/county.. sooooooo when we built the new house the barn was built about 10 yards over the property line on the country side.  along with the chicken coop.. neighbors thought at first I was gonna have a humongous chicken farm and threw a fit.. thankfullly they calmed down (couldn't do anything about it anyway since it was not technically associated with allotment) and all are happy.. the goats are loud at times especially at night before dusk when it is feeding time.. they are all out hollering up to the house.. and the roosters crowing.. well that sound you get used to.. besides the neighbors have the most obnoxious beagles that constantly bark bark bark.. the dogs are noisier than my animals!!  and I agree there are kids shreiking and riding dirt bikes all summer and about 3 miles down the road there is a huge angus farm that you can hear bellowing from cattle every once in awhile.. oh and one last funny thing.. I piped city water down to my barn.. was cheaper than drilling a well !!!  so yes I have city goats!!


----------



## AlaskanShepherdess (Apr 14, 2011)

I'm not really sure what is considered urban.... But we have 5 goats, 1 dog, 1 rabbit, soon to be nearly 200 chickens, a few ducks and 5 cats on a little less then one acre. Never any complaints from the neighbours about noise/smell, one neighbour complains every time we butcher an animal that she particularly liked to watch (like our Turkey a year or so ago). When my brother had sheep they used to get out pretty often and most of our neighbours thought it was a bit of entertainment rather then a bother. My rabbit got out occasionaly last summer (before DH fixed his door) and he always ended up at an elderly couples house. They thought it was great fun to feed him, and they were a bit miffed that he would barely let them touch him, but as soon as he spotted me he would race to me.

When I take my goats for walks to the power line easements for browsing I get a lot of stares. I'm sure most of our neighbours thinks my family is nuts, but we save a lot of money raising our own food and we really enjoy having the animals.

Where we live zoning isn't a problem at all. In fact the only thing we're not allowed to do on our property is have a jail so, we can do whatever we want.


----------



## Goatherd (Apr 15, 2011)

> In fact the only thing we're not allowed to do on our property is have a jail


Darn!  They take all the fun out of living in Alaska!   Scratch that state off my list of potential places to live...


----------



## jodief100 (Apr 15, 2011)

Seattle allows goats. Females and neutered males only.  Here is a link to an interesting website on raising goats in urban areas.  The person who set it up was the one who fought to get goats allowed in Seattle.  

http://www.goatjusticeleague.org/Site/Introduction.html 

When I lived in the city I lived in a suburb of Cincinnati that allowed "Fowl up to 25 birds without a permit, permit required for more. Any livestock except swine and male goats".  I had a 50' by 125' lot, all the neighbors lined up in neat rows side by side. 4 people on the block had chickens.  Apparently the rule was a holdover from when the area was more rural but it worked.  

I was told that if noise or smell becomes a problem you may be asked to remidy the situation or loose your priviledges.  

Check your zoning, you will be suprised at what some places allow.  If yours doesn't, look at what some other people have done to change it where they live. 

Good Luck!


----------



## akamaui (Apr 26, 2011)

I want 2 nigerian dwarf goats and I am not zoned for it even though I have a little less than a half acre. I am able to get a permit to have them since my child is in 4-h. However, that permit is only good for 1 year as they are not to  be kept as pets.
My question is do I go ahead and get the permit which allows the city to have unscheduled visits and then cross my fingers after my year is up that I don't get a visit when I am not suppose to have them anymore? or do I not get the permit and take my chances? My neighbors are all ok with getting goats. I do have a place for the goats to go to in the event the city makes me get rid of them. But I also would like to fight it because I am allowed to have a pot bellied pig but not a goat! They are way smellier I think and attract more flies.


----------



## TwoGoats (Apr 26, 2011)

akamaui said:
			
		

> I want 2 nigerian dwarf goats and I am not zoned for it even though I have a little less than a half acre.


You can do what you are comfortable with.  If you have good fencing to hold the goats then I would avoid all the red tape.    Your only liability would be if the goats got out and damaged the neighbors landscaping.  If you use common sense then you should be OK.   Many times the zoning rules are rigid and don't account for common sense.    Our goats allow us to have AG zoning rather than Residential zoning.   The taxes are much cheaper with AG.


----------



## akamaui (Apr 26, 2011)

thanks. I think I am just being paranoid. And totally agree about the "red tape". I am new to my town and not sure how strict they are. Although 80% of the lots do allow farm animals so its not like they are new to livestock. My fencing is completely secure and they can not be seen from the street.


----------



## Jupiter (Apr 26, 2011)

I am in an urban area with 2 full sized goats plus 6 chickens and 3 mini bunnies. My main concern is manure management. There are lots of creeks and lakes and runoff areas plus we are really close to a fragile watershed.

We'll see how it goes, but I've got 2 composting piles right now. One is working and I'm leaving it alone, and the other one I'm adding to when I clean out the goat house and chicken coop. I use sawdust pellets under straw and the waste hay. They generate a lot of waste, which is great for composting, but I'm having trouble finding enough room for a third compost pile, and I think I need a third one going. I need more room!

What do other urban goat owners do whith all the waste?


----------



## whetzelmomma (Apr 27, 2011)

I highly recommend Nigerian Dwarfs. Mine are pretty quiet, and VERY easy to manage.


----------



## chandasue (Apr 27, 2011)

Jupiter said:
			
		

> What do other urban goat owners do whith all the waste?


Put an ad out in your local paper, bulletin boards, freecycle or craigslist for Free Compost. Gardeners will gladly come take it off your hands.


----------



## ksalvagno (Apr 27, 2011)

If you are not zoned agriculture, then I would be extremely careful about adding goats. All it will take is a neighbor to report you. For some neighbors, all it would take is that goat bleating once and they will report you. Make sure you know the neighbors well. Even if you know the neighbors well, they may find out that they don't tolerate the goats well.

A friend of ours lives out in the country and is zoned for agriculture. The neighbor moved in from the city and is constantly calling the sheriff on them for their LGD barking, smell from the alpacas, etc. And this is in an open area where everything my friend is doing is legal. My friend actually had to have the sheriff remind the neighbor that his phone calls and pounding on their door in the middle of the night was illegal and at least that stopped.


----------

