# Is having only 1 Goat a bad idea? Will she get lonely? Nigerian Dwarf



## ABHanna4d

We live in the city and have a large back yard about 115'x75'. We have 4 chickens and 1 dog (tremendously friendly lab). We have been trying to get a goat for about 6 months and finally have all the signatures we need to be allowed a goat in the city, but today I just heard that if I only get 1 goat then it will be tremendously lonely and will cry all the time. That they are naturally herders and cannot be without another one of thier kind. 
How true is this? 
Will the goat bond with me and my family and the dog and chickens and accept us as its family or will it get lonely and cry. We are pretty much always home and definately consider all of our pets "apart of the family" and give them all alot of attention. I have 2 small children that are in love with animals and I know they will play with the little goat all day. 
We are wanting a Nigerian Dwarf Goat so it will not get too big to be a nusance to the neighbors (since we live in the city) but still be a productive animal. We are also having a terrible time with poison ivy and have spent hundreds of dollars on treating it but it still comes back and we heard a goat (even a miniature goat) will conquer the poison ivy (and everyhting else back there too for that matter).
I just need some advice on if this would be a bad idea or if we should give it a try.
The breeder said she would do a "loan situation" so if it doesnt work out then she will take the nannie back and refund part of our money. She also encouraged us first to try and petition the city to let us have 2 since they only get to be about 17" tall and definately smaller than the average size dog...but that is a whole other battle and the city ordinances are never easy to get around. 
Thank you 
Abby


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## ksalvagno

The goat will get lonely. They really do need at least one buddy of their own kind. If you aren't around, that single goat will constantly call for you and the neighbors will probably be annoyed. At night the goats like to snuggle up together to sleep. At least mine do and I have Nigerians. Also if you are wanting milk, probably getting milk from 2 Nigerians for your family will work out better than one.

The goat will bond to you and your family but they are always happiest with another goat. Even with a second goat, they will like your attention.


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## ABHanna4d

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> The goat will get lonely. They really do need at least one buddy of their own kind. If you aren't around, that single goat will constantly call for you and the neighbors will probably be annoyed. At night the goats like to snuggle up together to sleep. At least mine do and I have Nigerians. Also if you are wanting milk, probably getting milk from 2 Nigerians for your family will work out better than one.
> 
> The goat will bond to you and your family but they are always happiest with another goat. Even with a second goat, they will like your attention.


Thank you 
Do you suggest I try to petition the city to allow me to have 2 or would 2 goats and 4 chickens get to be a REAL neighborhood annoyance. The breeder who Im wanting to get her from said that 2 goats would be alot less of an annoyance than 2 dogs. We have dogs in the yards all around us (one of which has 2 bull mastives...very kind but huge!) and the neighbors are all supportive of the idea of a goat, but I dont want them to change their minds after we get them (and spend all the money on the goats, permits, supplies, etc). 
Since you have Nigerians do you think that 2 would be relatively unnoticeable?
Any other advice you have Id love too


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## ksalvagno

My lab mixes are larger than the goats. So as far as size, they should be fine. Goats will be goats though, they do make noise. My goats are very loud in the morning when they want to be fed. If they see me and want attention, they will also make noise. But if they don't see me and have been fed, then they are pretty quiet. It is so hard to say with having close neighbors if it will get annoying or not. It depends on the individual goats.

Some people say that Nigerian Dwarfs and Nubians are the most noisy but I have never had anything else so I have no idea if it is true or not. Also some of my Nigerians are noisier than others.

I would spend time at the goat farm where you want to buy your goats and really pay attention to how loud they are and how often they are noisy. Figure that they will do the same thing at your place. Then you can decide if the noise will be too much or not. 

Also, as with any livestock, there will eventually be an odor. I go out to my barn and I love the smell in my barn but it is away from the house and neighbors aren't close. If the goats are out your back door and the wind blows the right way and your windows are open, you are going to smell them.

Do you have adequate storage for hay. You will need to find out how much hay they will need for a year and be able to store it. Some people can buy hay as they need it but around me, if you find good quality hay, you better buy all you need right then. I buy a year's worth of hay at one time.

What will you do with any manure and straw/hay. Can you have a compost area somewhere that won't stink up the neighborhood? They will need a bedding of straw in their shelter and they will poop and pee in it. It will have to be changed on a regular basis and you will need to be able to put it somewhere. Believe me, the smell of that can get bad just sitting around in a big pile.

Just some things to think about. 

By the way,


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## ABHanna4d

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> My lab mixes are larger than the goats. So as far as size, they should be fine. Goats will be goats though, they do make noise. My goats are very loud in the morning when they want to be fed. If they see me and want attention, they will also make noise. But if they don't see me and have been fed, then they are pretty quiet. It is so hard to say with having close neighbors if it will get annoying or not. It depends on the individual goats.
> 
> Some people say that Nigerian Dwarfs and Nubians are the most noisy but I have never had anything else so I have no idea if it is true or not. Also some of my Nigerians are noisier than others.
> 
> I would spend time at the goat farm where you want to buy your goats and really pay attention to how loud they are and how often they are noisy. Figure that they will do the same thing at your place. Then you can decide if the noise will be too much or not.
> 
> Also, as with any livestock, there will eventually be an odor. I go out to my barn and I love the smell in my barn but it is away from the house and neighbors aren't close. If the goats are out your back door and the wind blows the right way and your windows are open, you are going to smell them.
> 
> Do you have adequate storage for hay. You will need to find out how much hay they will need for a year and be able to store it. Some people can buy hay as they need it but around me, if you find good quality hay, you better buy all you need right then. I buy a year's worth of hay at one time.
> 
> What will you do with any manure and straw/hay. Can you have a compost area somewhere that won't stink up the neighborhood? They will need a bedding of straw in their shelter and they will poop and pee in it. It will have to be changed on a regular basis and you will need to be able to put it somewhere. Believe me, the smell of that can get bad just sitting around in a big pile.
> 
> Just some things to think about.
> 
> By the way,


Thank you for the welcome!  I am very excitted to get a goat but REALLY want to completely think it through. 

We do have a small feed store right around the corner from us (less than a mile away) that carries everything we need for goats and chickens year round. They have straw on a consistent basis, but the hay is more sporatic and can be every other month or so, but at least we wouldnt have to stock up for a full year and they said they would hold some for us if we call ahead. (They are GREAT I love them being so close!)

As far as the smell and waste issue. We have a "compost area" that we rotate regularly (a 4 pile rotation about 25' x 25' area) and if it gets to be too smelly we have some friends that have a lot of acreage that said we can come dump whatever we need to anywhere on thier property but they would love to incorporate it into thier compost. So if we do have a buildup problem at least we have options to quickly get rid of it all. 

My only problem and hurdle at this point is the city ordinances and I just dont know if they are going to be flexible at all. And since they can do whatever they want I have a feeling they are going to be really difficult, but at least I can say I tried! And until we can afford to move out to the country and have a lot of property Im gonna do my best with what I have...and hopefully that can include a goat or two 

Assuming I can get 2...(cause I probably wont get just one if she would be terrbly lonely)
How much feed (Purina Goat Chow) on average will they eat a day/month?
How many bales of straw/hay on average  will they eat a day/month?
Do they need suppliments of any kind?
Do they need vaccinations or medications?

Do you have any other things that I should think through and consider that a city girl like me would probably never think about!


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## ksalvagno

Everyone has their own idea on how much bagged feed to feed. I feed my Nigerians a cup a day (measuring cup) of feed. I do have some pregnant girls that I will up their feed as they get closer to their due date. You always want to increase feed slowly or introduce new foods slowly.

I have to admit that I'm not really keep track of how much hay I use but if you are using small square bales of hay, the hay kind of comes apart in flakes or smaller sections. I give 6 Nigerian Dwarfs 5 flakes of hay per day and they pretty much eat it all. Now it also depends on how big those flakes are. If they come off in a large amount, then they wouldn't need as many flakes.

Goats need a good quality goat mineral. I am using Sweetlix mineral. I was using Purina Goat Mineral but found that in the cold weather my goats refused to eat it and there was a greater amount of salt in it than Sweetlix. They love the Sweetlix and are eating it well.

Naturally fresh clean water is a must.

Usually people give an annual vaccine of CDT. If you are in a selenium deficient part of the country, you may give them a shot of BoSe once or twice a year. It would be best to talk to a vet or the goat breeder in your area on what vaccines are routinely done in your area because it differs in different parts of the country.

http://fiascofarm.com/goats/index.htm would be a great site to really read up on things

I think the other thing you need to think about is if you want milk, then you have to have kids every year. So will the goat breeder you are working with allow you to use their bucks every year and will you be able to sell the kids quickly. You will have to decide what to do with the kids that you will have every year.

It really is great that you are researching and thinking this through. That is half the battle.


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## savingdogs

I'm new to goats and don't have any advice to add better than the last post by ksalvagno, I'd be worried (judging by my last "city" neighborhood) about the local dogs being able to get into my yard and hurt my chickens and goats. We had a real problem with people letting their dogs stray. And one goat alone would be very scared in those situations. I have dogs here and when my three see a dog through the fence, they just want to huddle together for protection.


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## ABHanna4d

We've decided that if we cant get 2 we wont just get 1. So its either 2 precious little nannies or nothing. Our neighbors are all really getting excitted (which is extremely encouraging to me) I thought they wouldnt be very supportive but they sure are 
Anyway, we are heading out to the breeder to meet them tonight and I know after I meet them I will just want them terribly bad!


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## ksalvagno

Good luck on your goat quest and hopefully the city will be ok with 2.


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## jlbpooh

I have 2 Nigis too, and in the little more than four months that I have had them, I have only gone through 5 1/2 bales of hay and not quite a bag and a half of feed. I only give mine an average of about 3/4 cup of feed each a day split between 2 feedings. On the days that it is going to be really cold, I actually skip the evening feed so fill up on hay to stay nice and warm all night. They are wonderful little creatures, we love them very much. Mine do not make any noise at all unless they see me coming, or if I am walking away from them. They LOVE attention and will "ask" me to come spend time with them.


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## ABHanna4d

jilbpooh, your profile picture is pretty small but what is that that your goats are playin on? Did oyu make them a little ramp...it sure looks like it would be super fun for them!


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## jlbpooh

ABHanna, yes, I made it for them. There are 3 platforms and 2 bridges. The bridges are made from deck spindles with 3 heavy pieces of rope stapled to the bottoms of them to support them. It is all made from recycled deck materials that I have accumulated. I also have 2 cable spools, and some very unique, very heavy retaining wall blocks that they can jump on too, but those aren't in the picture.  If and when it ever dries out around here, I will be expanding their jungle gym. We have had an extremely unusually wet winter around here. The goats are not happy about it at all.


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## ABHanna4d

jlbpooh said:
			
		

> ABHanna, yes, I made it for them. There are 3 platforms and 2 bridges. The bridges are made from deck spindles with 3 heavy pieces of rope stapled to the bottoms of them to support them. It is all made from recycled deck materials that I have accumulated. I also have 2 cable spools, and some very unique, very heavy retaining wall blocks that they can jump on too, but those aren't in the picture.  If and when it ever dries out around here, I will be expanding their jungle gym. We have had an extremely unusually wet winter around here. The goats are not happy about it at all.
> 
> http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/468_bridges.jpg


WOW!!!! That is amazing! I love it  I'm sure they just have a blast on it too.


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## jlbpooh

They love to play on it. The only problem is that people driving by enjoy watching them and don't always have their eyes on the road. 
I need to put a sign out that tells them to keep their eyes on the road. We have one person that will drive past and the sit on the road and watch them until a car comes. They will drive down a little ways, turn around, and sit and watch them again until another car comes and they turn around again. I can't tell you how many times they did that one day. We have seen them do this numerous times now on the weekends. The ditches on our road are deep, and there is really no shoulder so they block the road when they do this. One of these times someone is going to be watching the goats and miss the curve and run right into the railroad crossing gates. OOPS


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## Marta

Please take this as advise from someone who has only got 1 goat.
Marta is a darling to the best.... she is friends to anyone that wants to take any notice of her, she follows me around the house grounds and even the allotments, down the street she is at my heals,  If she sees someone walk near her she will be begging them to stroke her, if I go to cut wood up or trim the hedges she is there....I would not change a thing apart from GET HER A FRIEND.
If I am not there she screams the house down, If I walk away and she does not notice until Ive gone she screams the grounds down, the only time she is happy is with ME (not Tanya or Kolya she is fine) but left with the goats in the commune down the road she does not want to know me, she would rather run away from me, I go to bring her home in the evening she goes off at 600 miles an hr in the opposite direction, 

Do goats need a mate a buddy a friend of their own kind I shout when I say yes she does. I am longing for her to kid if its a doe she will be kept to milk and work, if its a buck its getting castrated (unless I get my way and he keeps his private parts, but I have a long way to go to change Tanyas mind about the smell when in rut) No matter what the sex its staying as a mate.
Im going as far as building a small pen for the billy?!!!!!!! (hope its a doe)at the end of the orchard thats split in 2 so she is 1 side and he is the other.
I cannot stress this enough YES they need 1 of their own kind.


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## ABHanna4d

Marta said:
			
		

> Please take this as advise from someone who has only got 1 goat.
> Marta is a darling to the best.... she is friends to anyone that wants to take any notice of her, she follows me around the house grounds and even the allotments, down the street she is at my heals,  If she sees someone walk near her she will be begging them to stroke her, if I go to cut wood up or trim the hedges she is there....I would not change a thing apart from GET HER A FRIEND.
> If I am not there she screams the house down, If I walk away and she does not notice until Ive gone she screams the grounds down, the only time she is happy is with ME (not Tanya or Kolya she is fine) but left with the goats in the commune down the road she does not want to know me, she would rather run away from me, I go to bring her home in the evening she goes off at 600 miles an hr in the opposite direction,
> 
> Do goats need a mate a buddy a friend of their own kind I shout when I say yes she does. I am longing for her to kid if its a doe she will be kept to milk and work, if its a buck its getting castrated (unless I get my way and he keeps his private parts, but I have a long way to go to change Tanyas mind about the smell when in rut) No matter what the sex its staying as a mate.
> Im going as far as building a small pen for the billy?!!!!!!! (hope its a doe)at the end of the orchard thats split in 2 so she is 1 side and he is the other.
> I cannot stress this enough YES they need 1 of their own kind.


Thank you so much!! it is good to hear it as fact from someone who is experiencing it! I've been going around meeting some various goats and can really see that they do need a friend...of their own Kind.


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## ABHanna4d

Jibpooh - I love your goat playarea and I would probably be one of those people stopped beside the road watching!!!


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## jlbpooh

I don't mind that they watch, I just wish they would pull in my driveway and safely stop. They can watch the goats all day if they want to then. I do have a lock on the gate though so no one can go in by them without permission. There was someone somewhat close to here that had their 5 year old daughter's goat stolen one night. Today my guineas decided to go in the road and thankfully one of our neighbors was curteous enough to slow down and beep her horn to scare them out of the road so no one hit them. There are a few people around here that are rude enough to speed up and purposely hit them. They aren't scared of vehicles because they will stand right in the way while I am coming at them if I move my truck. The only way to get them to move is to beep the horn.


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