# What do you do with YOUR goats ???



## SmallFarmGirl (Jan 3, 2012)

I know there is a large amount of people on this site who own goats ! 
What do you use your goats for ???

~Pet
~Milk
~Meat 
~Hair 
~Or a combination of a few ???? 
~ Weed and brush control 
~ 4-h 

 I would love to hear what you use your goats for!!!


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## SmallFarmGirl (Jan 3, 2012)

I Have 2 Nigerians... I 

~Drink milk ... 
~And love them as great pets !


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## Mamaboid (Jan 3, 2012)

I have 4 does and 2 bucks.  I use mine as 

Pets
Brush and scrub management

Breeding for pets, meat and more breeding animals.

May or may not get into milking at some point in future.


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## elevan (Jan 3, 2012)

Pet
Milk
Meat 
Weed and brush management
Breeding


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## 20kidsonhill (Jan 3, 2012)

originally to get a large amount of briars and brush under control.

4H projects for our kids
Meat


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## larryj57 (Jan 3, 2012)

I have 12 Does and 1 Buck, all Boer or Boer mix,I sell them as meat goats


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## currycomb (Jan 3, 2012)

well, the goal was to sell the bucklings. only had 3 this year, 2 the dog got(stupid goats got out of pen)the other we smoked. lots of doe kids for future breeding stock, until hubby saw how much the feed bill is, so now we are reducing the herd by half (i hope)


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## SmallFarmGirl (Jan 3, 2012)

Very interesting Ya'll !!! Keep them coming !!


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## wannacow (Jan 3, 2012)

I have 2 nubians and 2 saanens.  One of each is bred    and the other 2 are too young.  Right now, we use them for milk and brush control.  If the raw milk bill passes in IA, DH said I could increase the herd and may be able to quit my job (part time) and stay home and care for them and make cheese etc.  We are trying to be as self sufficiant as we can.  Still have a long way to go though...


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## Annamarierw (Jan 3, 2012)

pets/entertainment
milk
meat
lawn mowers


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## TGreenhut (Jan 3, 2012)

~Pet
~Milk
~ Weed and brush control 
~ 4-h


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## poorboys (Jan 3, 2012)

Milk, Meat, Sell to 4-hers' and they are my friends.


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## RamblingCowgirl (Jan 3, 2012)

Well the first time I had goats I was in 4-h, and they were dairy goats. Long sad story short, I had to sell them. Didn't know how much I missed em til I got around others...

Now my hubby to be & I have 3 dairy does {1 bred for march kidding yay!} and he is a natural goat lover, they faver him over me for now. We only have a tiny travle trailer on the place, no room for my sewing machin or anything really. So I'm staying with my parents until she is ready to milk...then I'll just have to live simple until the house is done. Good thing there will be a goat kid or kids to keep me from being bored  We should have some reg Alpine bottle babys by then too.

They are pets, milkers, to breed & sell breeding stock. He wants to keep some wethers for meat, and from them I will keep or sell hides. And I'd love to show again.

If you love goats you should enjoy how we got them home http://theramblingcowgirl.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/got-goats-in-a-car/ my family is still talking about it

ETA: a working link


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## 77Herford (Jan 3, 2012)

I have 1 British Alpine Doe with twins, 1 French Alpine doe with twins and an adopted Saanen buck.  6 Nubian Wethers, 6 Boer Wethers and four Nubian does.  I milk the Does, sell the wethers for meat and have sold all but two of the bucks born.

On my southern opperation I have 148 Boer does and 58 Kiko does with 6 Boer bucks and 4 Kiko bucks.  This is my main meat op.


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## breezy B ranch (Jan 3, 2012)

*Milk
*Pets


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## autumnprairie (Jan 4, 2012)

I have 7 goats 1 boer buck, 2 boer does, 3 nubian/ alpines and 1 nubian/saanen
at the moment they are friends and breeding stock,
they will be 
milk
friends
meat
breeding


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## ragdollcatlady (Jan 4, 2012)

I have 5 nigerians and 1 nubian
I got 2 nigerians first, for pets but fell head over heels and am officially a goat junkie  totally addicted! My son showed his nubian at the county fair last year and my daughter wants to show the nigerians this year.
They are 
pets
milk
show
breeding stock/selling some offspring  
I would like to use some for meat, but Nigerians are pretty small, so I don't know about that yet
Kat


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## peachick (Jan 4, 2012)

after waiting several years  hubby finally said....  why dont you find something that will take care of that field  so i dont have to mow it anymore.

my goats are for field maintenance
and to make me smile

I also show them and breed them


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## Mzyla (Jan 8, 2012)

Wow! Most everybody's goats are "lawn/brush maintainers"
My are mowing, pretty much everything else but brush and/or grass.
Their first choice for brushing is any paper they can find, any clothes, wires,,,,,too many to name it,,,,
but surely are not brushing diligently as yours!
Lucky you people!


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## zzGypsy (Jan 8, 2012)

milk
meat
pets (ok, just one or two of them)
pasture restoration
weed patrol
poison ivy erradication
training my LGD pups
entertainment
pulling a cart
training my herding dogs

and at some point I may get angoras for fiber


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## Queen Mum (Jan 9, 2012)

Officially, I tell people I raise the does as mothers to pack goat babies and for milk to make cheese. And that the bucks are for breeding to the does so I can have potential wethers for sale as pack goats, but unofficially, the facts are as follows:

Mine are part of an intense income reduction program.  They eat up my income as fast as it comes in.  ]

Secondary to that, they keep me company and entertain me endelessly with many antics and amusements.

Third, they are quite educational.  I have learned to make cheese because if I didn't I would find no justification for their primary and secondary purpose.

Fourth, they are very friendly and keep me happy with their companionship.

Fifth, one of them keeps me quite fit, by causing me to chase him whenever he escapes his enclosure.  Alas, he seems to be somewhat lax in his responsibilities of late.  He's been laying around alot and complaining that I'm not feeding him enough to give him the energy to bulldoze down the side of his pen.  (That would be Houdini.) And since rutting season is officially coming to an end, he is complaining that there are not girls to chase.

Sixth,  the girls, keep me on my toes during kidding season by giving me grandchildren to care for and babysit.

Seventh,  they are quite addicting so they feed an addiction.  

I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. 

They are far from useless, I think...  But they find me rather vexatious as I have been repeatedly told that I should feed them more dried banana peels and that I am not making goat cookies fast enough to satisfy them.


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## Mamaboid (Jan 9, 2012)

Queen Mum said:
			
		

> Officially, I tell people I raise the does as mothers to pack goat babies and for milk to make cheese. And that the bucks are for breeding to the does so I can have potential wethers for sale as pack goats, but unofficially, the facts are as follows:
> 
> Mine are part of an intense income reduction program.  They eat up my income as fast as it comes in.  ]
> 
> ...


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## poorboys (Jan 9, 2012)

first, they are my compaions, I just love em.  I breed my Nubies for the milk, ice cream and occasional chees, sell their offspring to some 4-hers, or just to others that want a nice Nubian, I breed my boers, my dh turned us on to the meat, so wethers we keep and will end up in the freezer, only 2 a year, the does we retain or sell. I take walks with my goats, I go out in the pasture and turn around and everyone including the dogs are all following me, I talk to them and always tell them good=nite. They eat up my wallet, and sometimes confuse me, but in the end they are there as my friends.


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## crazyland (Jan 9, 2012)

Well we have 4 does, 2 wethers, one buck and one buckling. 
What they do is nothing but eat. They aren't very good at brush control as the brush grew taller than me. They tease the dogs. My son rides one of the wethers. And we just stare at them in the pastures. 

What I would like them for is milk, meat, 4H and a little income to offset cost. We just aren't to that point yet.


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## peteyfoozer (Jan 9, 2012)

We have 2 Nubian does 
 They fill in milking the two months that my Jersey cow is dry.
                                         Milk/Cheese
                                         Weed Control
                                         Providing for orphans of all kinds


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## zzGypsy (Jan 9, 2012)

peteyfoozer said:
			
		

> We have 2 Nubian does
> They fill in milking the two months that my Jersey cow is dry.
> Milk/Cheese
> Weed Control
> ...


ah I see you're using what my hubby calls "the direct deposit system"


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## Queen Mum (Jan 9, 2012)

peteyfoozer said:
			
		

> We have 2 Nubian does
> They fill in milking the two months that my Jersey cow is dry.
> Milk/Cheese
> Weed Control
> ...


Does she know that isn't her baby?  Has anyone told her?


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## peteyfoozer (Jan 9, 2012)

This is the most cantankerous goat I had ever known.
No one knows why she liked this calf!

http://forpeteysake.blogspot.com/2011/05/moose-in-milk-room.html


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## RPC (Jan 9, 2012)

My goats are for my nieces to show and sell in 4-H


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## Queen Mum (Jan 9, 2012)

I read the blog.  I understand perfectly why she has a cow and accepts Moose.  She knows that Moose is hers and was waiting for him to come along.   Clearly we are all desitined for our little soulmates of sorts.   Prissy's timing is just a bit "off".  Poor thing.


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## wannacow (Jan 9, 2012)

Loved your blog!  I also sent your pic of the goat and calf to my DH.  He loved it.


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## HankTheTank (Jan 14, 2012)

I don't really have a purpose for my goats....YET! I'm hoping to get more into dairy eventually, and right now I'm getting my wether, Hank, into the Visiting Pet Program. So I guess right now their purpose is to eat up my paycheck, and keep my life interesting and enjoyable!


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## Jen4 (Jan 15, 2012)

I got into goats this past summer... I was given a 1 month old Boer, bought a 3 month old Boer mix so she would have a friend.  Then  in Sept. I bought my 2 Kinder does from my friend who needed to sell them, they both had a kid on em, I sold them... them months later my neighbor got 1 buck & 3 Nubian does... now I have one of their 12 day old bucklings (Ringo)... my 2 Kinder does are due to kid in May.  I got into goats for the milk..... I've been drinkin the their milk since Sept. now, learned to make farmer cheese, yogurt, ice cream.   I love having goats, they are so fun to watch.


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## SarahFair (Jan 16, 2012)

Pets 
Sure.. they keep the blackberry bushes off my fence but that wasnt an issue before.


I hope to get a good milker in the future. My kids LOVE milk but cant digest cows milk.
One of these days I hope to make it up to the feed store that sells raw goats milk (pet quality of course ) and let them try it to see if they handle it better


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