Everything a goat novice needs to know?

[OneFineAcre]

That is a great idea. I know a few months ago End-O-Way had some available Nigerian does.
You can meet some really nice people and breeders there as well. We decided not go to this show as we only have Jrs and the numbers won't be there... it would be nice to meet you.
OFA will be there and lots of other good folks!
(hint- NC dairy goat breeders are awesome )

We are looking at taking Clarabelle, Cocoa and Shea as milkers.
2 or 3 Jr Does.
2 bucks, probably Big Brown and Valiant.
A lot less than Memorial Day
That's 8, need to look to see if there is a price break for 10.

 

[Southern by choice]

We are looking at taking Clarabelle, Cocoa and Shea as milkers.
2 or 3 Jr Does.
2 bucks, probably Big Brown and Valiant.
A lot less than Memorial Day
That's 8, need to look to see if there is a price break for 10.

There is but unless they moved the deadline (which was the 30th) wow you are gonna be paying some kinda money.
Still thinking I should make a date with DH and take 2-4 goats and me and him show them.

I need to send you a pic of a buck I really like. Isaac is the daddy.

Sorry @Kittycat1356 taking your thread way off course now- that happens here alot. LOL

 

[Kittycat1356]

Thanks guys lol, I'm leaving the state for a month soon, going to lancaster PA, so I'll look into getting goats when I get back. I probably won't make it to any goat or livestock shows before I leave, but I will be going to the east Fayetteville flock swap on the 3rd to sell off a few of my undesired chicks, and maybe buy some new chicks.

If a Billy goat smells less than a goose, I'll definitely consider one. I'll need to find a goat to smell lol!
I have a baby goose living in my room with me currently, he does smell, but I clean his box twice a day so it's not overwhelming. (He was scalped by a feral cat) he's pretty much gotten better, but I want to wait until his skin covers more, I don't want the red to attract pecks or flies to lay eggs in it.

 

[babsbag]

have a baby goose living in my room with me currently

Oh the things we do for our animals. I have been known to have chickens in the bathtub.

 

[Kittycat1356]

@babsbag lol I've had chickens in the bathtub before, just to keep them out of their first rains ( though they could have just gone into the coop!)

I have some news otherwise though about my goat dreams.
I found a beautiful Nigerian dwarf buckling, and I'm crazy sad i don't have a fence and shelter yet, because if i had a buck, I'd want him to be it. (Speaking of keeping chickens in the tub... maybe no one will notice a goat)

And some more news, being in nc, alot of you must know how hot it is, so i work on my coop at night. Last night I heard a ruckus about a mile?~ down the road, sounded alot like coyotes to me.
I might end up putting a door on the goat shelter now.

Do you think my dogs urine would keep them at bay? He barks like mad when he sees a new dog or someone he doesn't know in the yard.
Though I don't think the coyotes come this close to civilization ( at least these ones) we have so many opportunities for an easy meal, but they haven't come yet.

 

[Southern by choice]

We have an average two livestock guardians in each field. Currently 8 working LGD's keep all our goats safe. Coyotes are terrible here.

 

[Ginger's Goats]

Thank you for all the info! Most available does and doelings in my area are either NiDwarf mixes or boer goats? ( not sure what those are lol) so I'll probably end up with NiDwarfs.

I definitely won't breed them more than once a year, less if possible. do I have to milk the doe if she has kids? I'd rather just let them drink and not risk starving them.

I'm looking to buy goats in a month or two if my "schedule" permits, but thanks for the info I'll look into the goats before I buy one less able to produce. ( though I'm used to laking production, most of my chickens lay small eggs or fairly few... Some of my chickens lay once a week. ) but I still get enough eggs lol.

I'll definitely feed hay and pellets then! They will probably even have access to sprouts or fodder, if that's okay, I'm getting into it for my runaway chickens so they can get in their grass need.

I don't think I'll have too many problems with stray dogs getting into my fence once it's up, but will a line of barbed wire stop them?
Also I don't think there will be too many coyotes either, I have neighbors on all sides, and a tiny wooded area in the very back, maybe 15ft deep. There might be opossums and raccoons back there, but I can see my neighbors yard and fence easily, and I see rabbits in there often. I might put up an electric wire or barbed wire if it works, just in case. Because our neighbors occasionally loose their dogs, who are pretty friendly and never bothered my chickens ( even the chicks with a plastic garden fence cage)
We do have Hawks though. I've been trying to think of a safe way to deter them from my chickens if they had such a large run. But I doubt they would take any goat... Maybe a kid, if they were really bold, but they seem kind of skittish.

Well i'm not sure what everyone has said, or if this has come up, but hawks shouldn't bother your goats. No matter if their as small as a pygmy. My (only two) pygmy goats drove my falcons an hawks away! We liked having the hawks and falcons, in our yard (We actually also have 2 acres with woods behind. You my neighbor? Lol non of my neighbors having chickens. Unless your hiding them under your porch???) Anyway, In our yard we used to have probably 3 or 4 falcons and a hawk on our property. (also had two owls in the front, for over 5 years but haven't seen them this year) (There's a massive tree they nested in.) Anyway, Goats drive hawks and falcons away. We got out goats in october and we stopped seeing the hawks and falcons 2 months later. It is good though, keeps our chickens safer. Some people get goats just for that purpose! They house them near their chickens as guardians. Thats the way a friend of mine got into goats.
Wish you good luck! Your lucky about having mostly NDs in your area! All i have are boers, pygmies, and Alpines. Hardly any nigerians. Which is why i'm thinking about getting a pygmy to milk so we make sure we don't overflow with milk like we do with our chicken's eggs.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

You should be careful with young kids though, I know several people who have lost kids to hawks