about cart goats???

[20kidsonhill]

I had someone call wanting to get goats from us to eventually train to pull a cart.

I know nothing about this, and they know nothing about goats.

Would a doe make a good cart goat? Or does it have to be a wether?

What else do I need to know?

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

I have no idea!! Maybe they are looking for a pack goat?

 

[manybirds]

I had someone call wanting to get goats for us to eventually train to pull a cart.

I know nothing about this, and they know nothing about goats.

Would a doe make a good cart goat? Or does it have to be a wether?

What else do I need to know?

either will work but wethers work best.

 

[Chirpy]

I agree that large breed wethers work best. Here's a site that has some good info to help: http://workinggoats.com/?id=80

 

[hcppam]

I had someone call wanting to get goats for us to eventually train to pull a cart.

I know nothing about this, and they know nothing about goats.

Would a doe make a good cart goat? Or does it have to be a wether?

What else do I need to know?

Just because I ran across this.
http://www.caprinesupply.com/products/working-goats.html

 

[20kidsonhill]

I agree that large breed wethers work best. Here's a site that has some good info to help: http://workinggoats.com/?id=80

that was interesting reading. It doesn't mention sex of the goat, but does mention considering the fact if you goat is in heat, so with that I am assuming they use does as well as wethers.

 

[20kidsonhill]

I had someone call wanting to get goats for us to eventually train to pull a cart.

I know nothing about this, and they know nothing about goats.

Would a doe make a good cart goat? Or does it have to be a wether?

What else do I need to know?

Just because I ran across this.
http://www.caprinesupply.com/products/working-goats.html

thank you, I will share these links with the family. They are coming to visit the farm and learn about what it takes to care for a goat or two. As well as looking at a couple that we have for sale. I do have one wether left, but I don't have a pair of wethers available. I do have a pair of does available, that have some nubian in them and should be pretty good sized. They mentioned possibly investing in does, because they may want to breed them one or two times in the future as a family project. They don't have a lot of land, so it would be difficult for them to have a pair of wethers and then a pair of does added to that. Honestly, it is a little late in the year for a good selection of goats to purchase from us or just about anyone around us. They did say they had researched and read that a boer/dairy cross is a good idea. I already sold all my 75%/25% kids this year. I had a couple doelings that would have been perfect for their project. My does that I have left are 88%/12% Boer/Nubian. THey should be pretty big framed. And one wether, who has really nice frame and nice sturdy legs, he would make a nice cart goat. But they reallyl need two. And I don't think pairing a big wether with a doe would be a good idea.


Okay I am rambling.

That is a thought, would it work if they paired a wether with a doe? Who has experience with this long term?

 

[Catahoula]

A friend of mine came across couple people with a doe in milk while backpacking. They get milk for their trip!

 

[20kidsonhill]

A friend of mine came across couple people with a doe in milk while backpacking. They get milk for their trip!

That is practical, but kind of funny.

 

[Chirpy]

The few people I have heard of that do packing or carting with goats have always used wethers. I'm guessing it's because they are larger and stronger. They also usually have very sweet temperments.

If using a doe you are using an animal that realistically has a higher dollar value than a wether so if something did go wrong and an animal was injured... there is less cost in a wether. (I know that sounds kinda harsh but it is true. I'm involved with llama packers and we never use females to pack with -- they can pack just fine but because they are breeding animals they have a higher value than males).

Also, some does can get very testy and unhappy during their heat cycles... wethers never have those issues.

I've thought about carting with my goats but have never done it.