# Free Roaming Goats



## warthog (Sep 2, 2009)

Not sure if this post is in the right category, sorry if it's not.

Does anyone let there goats have free roam?

We are in the process of fencing off our bush area and making a pasture area for our goats.

We thought we might try supervised free-roaming.

We have three cats and two large dogs!!

Today we let our chicks free-roam, (they have been confined to their pen up until now).

We have not had any problems with the dogsd and cats trying to attack the chicks.

Any thoughts or suggestions out there please!!


----------



## trestlecreek (Sep 2, 2009)

Well, it really depends on where you live, who your neighbors are, etc... a lot of variables.


----------



## lupinfarm (Sep 2, 2009)

Lots or variables. I'm very wary about letting any animal free roam here not because of coyotes, or foxes or anything like that... but because of this stupid LGD that keeps coming over here!!! ... There is an enormous Akbash from a farm 2 roads over that keeps wandering over here (he roams about 700 acres with free roaming cattle, sheep, goats, etc.) and he comes at night which scares the crap out of me now. 

For the chickens I put up some plastic hardware clothe/plastic chicken wire on step in plastic posts which allows me to "fence in" a large area so they won't wander off into the dog area (the dog is on a chain). 

For goats, I'd be training/putting up electric to rotate around a large brush pasture.


----------



## freemotion (Sep 2, 2009)

You might enjoy the book "Goat Song" by Brad Kessler.  It is about his and his wife's first year with goats.  He talks a lot about the history of herding and of taking his goats into the woods to browse every day.  It is a sweet book.  It just came out this year.


----------



## beefy (Sep 3, 2009)

i would love to let mine free range but they wont unless i stay right with them. if i try to sneak off they start crying and come looking for me. so i have to put them in a fenced in area.


----------



## skyesrocket (Sep 3, 2009)

"We thought we might try supervised free-roaming."

   That is one of the joys of goat keeping. It does depend on your goats and how friendly they are towards you. Actually as long as your alpha female is people friendly and will follow you the rest of your herd will follow her.
   Maybe you could let us know more about what it is you want to do and how many goats you have.


----------



## fadetopurple (Sep 3, 2009)

-


----------



## ohiofarmgirl (Sep 3, 2009)

i'd say fence just to protect them from dogs and such... you could do mobile electric and move them around???


----------



## warthog (Sep 3, 2009)

The book sounds wonderful, I will try and search it out.

I was hoping to try the free roaming today, but had to be out most of the time, 6 hour round trip getting hay. Ah Belize is wonderful

I will give it a go over the next few days, I am concerned about all my lovely plants and flowers I have around the house, but we will see.

I am lucky in that our neighbours are quite a distance away and that we don't get any stray dogs, our own dogs will not allow that.

Our dogs are quite fiendly to all our animals, and I am sure they will be with the goats once they are used to them roaming free.  But all will be supervised.

If things don't go as I wish, I will consider using a portable fence of some sort, electric is not really an option for me, we are solar powered and completely off grid.  I don't think we could support the extra load and I would be worried if for some reason the solar failed when we were not about.

This is all going to be a learning curve and a little scary

BTW what is a LGD and an Akbash, just curious.

I will let you all know how we get on.


----------



## lupinfarm (Sep 3, 2009)

Livestock Guardian Dog 

andd.. This is what an Akbash is, they are a type of LGD. 

We have a breeder 2 roads over whose breeding stock roam the 700 acres with his animals. 

And also roam onto my property -_-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akbash_Dog


----------



## ohiofarmgirl (Sep 4, 2009)

yep big ol livestock guardian dogs - some breeds are still hardwired enough to do a great job of this. with just a smidgen of training you can have the dog live with the flock/herd. a regular old dog may or may not work the same - but these breeds are really something. as for me, a favor an Anatolian - our next dog for sure


so umm.. geez... be VERY careful with your friendly dogs. check out the predators section on byc for examples of folks who couldnt believe Mr. Fluffypants was really a killer.  dogs cant resist things that smell like poop and run when chased. so good for you for supervising! but dont turn your back. 

and yep those goaties will find your flowers

;-)

and here's the good news - there are solar electric fences! might want to give it a look just to see your options.

happy friday!


----------



## warthog (Sep 4, 2009)

Thanks for the info about solar electric fences, I will check into it.

This afternoon I let out my little ones.

The two dogs we have are both x breeds one is a rottweiler/german shepherd cross (nutuered male) and the other is a bull mastif/german shepherd cross (spayed female), although I think she is a little of everything:

I took them into a bush area (a chair for myself) and sat with them, wasn't long before they were in my garden area, only yards from the dogs.  So a watched very closely, the dogs showed no interest at all.  They got a little more curious as time went on, but with the usual commands of sit, stay and no, they just went back to sleep.

However, Pepper my oldest doe (5months), she is the bully of my small herd (4).  Decided trying to head-butt the dogs would be fun, she got her nose slapped and the dogs just turned away not at all interested.

Now I know that this needs a close eye, because the dogs may just turn.

It was fun to see the goats running and jumping about like something possessed, they really dig enjoy their freedom.

So in small doses I will tie them out and let them roam all of course supervised.

I really do feel that given time and patience the dogs will take care of the goats, just like they do the chickens and cats. 


I will keep you all updated.


----------



## skyesrocket (Sep 4, 2009)

It sounds like they had a good time. Keep a collar or short tether on your lead goat and that way when they do get into the garden you can just lead her away from it and the others should follow. They might complain about it, but if you keep walking away they will follow.


----------



## ohiofarmgirl (Sep 5, 2009)

hey! i just love the idea of you sitting out there in your chair with them goats! yay!

earlier this summer i assigned myself the job of "duckling lifeguard" when they were in the kiddie pool we got for them. i loved it - nothing like watching splishin and splashin to make a happy summer day... and of course a cool and refreshing drink was a requirement...i'd recommend that for yer goat watchin too
;-)

yay also for your good dogs! i have two brontosaurus sized german shepherd who help me with all the critters. the goats try and bonk them too..and the chickens.. crazy goats!


----------

