Anyone have goats in an urban area?

[Shepherd in training]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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!