Lay it on me!

[IamRainey]

Thank you all for the candid comments! I'm learning with every one. ...tho I still haven't heard much about what care they will need.

Yes, Devonviolet, I have considered chickens. In fact, I have a small coop and flock and enjoying them is what makes me want more farm animals. Mine are a Plymouth Rock, a Cream Legbar and a Barnvelder. In June I'll be getting a Black Morans, a Swedish Flower Hen, a Lavender Orpington and a Weyendotte chicks. I figure these will be enough to last me so I want to experience as many and as handsome as possible.

As for my age, Mini Horses, I know I could enjoy and take care of the animals. That's precisely the experience I'm after for my grandson and for myself! The issue is that my husband and I are not in our retirement home. We expect to be moving in a few years when my husband does retire. So keeping our present house sale-able and not complicating the moving process are the age-related issues.

Our next digs may be a bit more rural and may have a bit more space and even be somewhat less manicured. We're both looking forward to a variety of animals then!

 

[IamRainey]

I should have asked about predators as well. We have raccoons and coyotes n our vicinity. For my chickens I had to dig 18" and bury the hardware cloth 360K around them to protects them.

I guess goat would be safe from hawks but how would they fare with the mammalian predators? Would I need to shut them up every night. And how strong would their enclosure need to be?

 

[Mini Horses]

We are enablers here Give us an inch and we will take you a mile! Many of us are farmers who have retired, living our dream and loving it.

You can provide a shed for the goats and close them at night. So long as they have water, hay and ventilation, they will be fine. For two, using it as a bedroom, an 8X8 would work. Open onto a fenced lot for daytime. They do jump extremely well. Think about that with fencing and what is placed by it, thus allowing "steps" for them to escape. They do need shade from strong sun and shelter from wind/rain. As a dog would. They can easily be trained to walk on a lead. When young & small, hawks can pick them up. Older, mostly your coyotes are major! A coon can attack but generally prefer your chickens & eggs. Rabies vaccine the kids...in case.

Stay with us. You all will soon be fully retired and "farming" like many of us. I still work PT but off today and made a few bucks digging some ditches for another as I have a backhoe on my tractor. Love my tractor! Love to ride it. We aren't old, just getting started with fun things. It's my version of off roading. Most of us are anxiously awaiting warmer weather to get gardens going, kids & lambs are being born, an exciting time.

 

[Latestarter]

Aside from their food, I guess you should plan on them getting a CD&T vaccine once a year. You can buy the innoculation and syringe/needle at a farm store and do it yourself. Not expensive... less than $10 I would say. If you do give rabies, that would have to be by a vet. Many don't do rabies for livestock, just the dogs as required by law. You have to check on that locally with vets/goat owners and see what's the accepted practice.

As for care aside from the above... you need to have hay available to them 24/7. Maybe a small serving of goat feed daily. If you buy wethers, you can buy a feed with Ammonium Chloride AC already added to help avoid urinary calculi UC. You can also get minerals for them that includes AC. You'll need some "treats" for them and the selection there is pretty broad. Many are mentioned throughout the site here. Fresh water goes without saying. And probably the most important is personal contact by you with them. They are very friendly animals and very inquisitive. As a result, given the opportunity, they WILL get themselves in trouble. Many say goats are just looking for ways to kill themselves. It's not really THAT bad, but sometimes it may seem so. Like breaking into your chicken food and gorging causing bloat, which can kill them... That sort of thing.

A 20' x 20' fenced area would be "adequate" for dry lotting a couple of Nigie goats. More if you can give it would be better of course. You could put a few elevated things inside for them to climb/jump on for entertainment as long as they are not close to the fence. The fence should be 4' min and welded wire is not recommended as goats can be hard on fencing. Woven wire is better. You could also go as strong as chain link. If you did, you could always pass it off as a dog kennel area when you put the place up for sale. An 8' x 8' shed with adequate ventilation should be adequate for their sleeping needs, getting out of the rain, and when closed, security from coyotes/stray-neighbor-your dog attacks. A coyote can jump straight up 5' plus, but the fencing is still the best line of defense as they could get in, but not back out carrying a goat. In the end when it's time to sell, just remove the fencing and lay down sod. Or leave it and as I said, call it a kennel.