Never had a goat...new....advice!?

[CashNKristin]

My husband would like to own a goat. I have been told we should get 2 so they don't get lonely. He doesn't want to milk them. A few questions which might sound stupid but again, I have never had a goat before!

#1 We have kids...which breed is the best kid friendly?
#2 What kind of "house" do they need?
#3 Are they okay around chickens?
#4 Well...I don't know....those are the main questions but any other info to a newbie would be excellent!

 

[elevan]

#1 We have kids...which breed is the best kid friendly?
Don't know of any breed that would be a problem. If they are just pets then I suggest pygmies.

#2 What kind of "house" do they need?
Depends on the size of the goat. 2 pygmies can be housed in a large dog igloo.

#3 Are they okay around chickens?
Yep! Mine range with my chickens.

Additional Info:
You need to get at least 2 goats. They are herd animals and need a buddy.
Good fencing is a priority.
Get goat specific feed.
Do lots of reading on this forum

 

[elevan]

Oh and

 

[20kidsonhill]

What kind of space will you have for them? You may enjoy a couple larger breed types if you have grazing space for them. But if you don't have a lot of grazing, like less than an acre or two, then the smaller breeds eat a lot less.

All our goats do pretty well around our children.

 

[Chirpy]

I would agree on getting smaller breeds (Nigerian Dwarf or Pygmy) if you don't have lots of space; and, you do have children. All goats are kid friendly though... if they were raised properly. I totally trust my large breed milk goats with any children around but if something were to spook any animal and they took off running... people can get hurt.

I would highly encourage you to make sure the goats do not have horns. Even the sweetest goat can toss his/her head to look around and take out a persons eye... children are at their level in height so it's even more dangerous for them to be around a horned goat. Plus, they can get their horns caught in fencing or other things.

It sounds like a couple of wethers would be great for your family. By getting boys (NOT bucks... wethers) you can feed them the same hay. Wethers often make the best pets with their laid back temperaments and the fact that they never come into season!

Any goat that you get; if you get them as a baby.. make sure that you don't allow ANY behavior as a kid that you wouldn't want them doing as an adult. Getting on your lap, jumping up against your leg.... that's really cute when they are 8 pounds... when they are 80 lbs. or 120 lbs. ... not so cute!

Have fun!!

 

[Ariel301]

What exactly do you want the goats for, since they won't be milk goats? Pets?

For pets, wethers (neutered males) generally are the best. You do NOT want an un-neutered male, they stink, pee on themselves, and are unpredictable in behavior. Females can be kept as pets also but generally cost a lot more.

Since you have children, I would recommend looking for goats that have had their horns removed, for safety.

Any breed (or mix) should work if you're just after pets, so look at what is out there and see what you like the looks of (and what is available in your area). I breed LaManchas, and out of all the breeds I have handled, I find them to be the most easy going. My Alpine is super hyper and pushy, but the "Munchies" are very mellow and laid back, and affectionate. They remind me of Golden Retriever dogs, they are just super gentle and willing to please. They do also come in a mini size.

For housing, you will need a sturdy, goat-proof fence. Goats are very good at escaping. Barbed wire will not hold them; you will want a climb-proof wire mesh. Large dog houses or a small shed are adequate for housing; they just need a place to get out of bad weather and feel safe when they want to sleep. I have a shed for mine, but they seem to prefer crawling into the dog houses that are meant for the kids to play in.

 

[MissDanni]

I have twin cashmere boys and they don't smell bad at all. I was expecting them too from everything I read, but they don't. We do however brush them regularly.

They were bottle babies so they are really friendly and we have spent plenty of time with them and so have all the children who come to visit.

Our doe is also a cashmere and was a bottle baby herself. She is a load of laughs and acts like a dog most of the time. She lays in the lawn and snuggles up with anyone who's interested in a good cuddle.

For the first year the three slept together is a large dog house. This actually worked out really well because winters here can be pretty cold and nasty, especially this past one.

The boys now have their own house and pen and the doe is in her own area in the main barn and will be getting her own new house shortly to share with her baby/babies .... that is if they EVER decide to be born.

Our chickens and goats love each other. We had a batch of chicks that we couldn't decide who they should live with so we tried letting them in with the goats. It worked perfectly, the goats keep them warm at night and the chickens keep the goats clean by picking stuff out of their fur.

As for your children, you may want to get bottle babies, if you don't want to bottle feed them you could always get some that are a bit older and have been weaned off the bottle. Personally, I have found that they make much nicer pets and really enjoy spending time around children.

I suppose its like any animal though, you need to raise them up to behave how you want them to. (For the most part)

If you are really thinking about goats you are in the right place, BYH has been amazing for us and the people here are more than willing to offer advice, guidance and a few good laughs.

Best of luck to you and welcome to BYH!

 

[vegaburm]

We have Nigerian Dwarfs and they are great with the kids. We have 4 children, ages 3-8, so the goats do get well socialized. We don't bottle raise, but our kids are very friendly anyway because we still spend a lot of time with them. I'd say small breeds with children, and agree on them being disbudded. I have a group of three kids right now and they come running to me when I come into the pen to get their scratches. Fencing! A dog house will work for a house, but get a good fence. With chickens you just have to be sure the chickens can get their food but the goats CANNOT! Can be a little tricky. I'm sure others on here have tricks for that. Ours live separately. I've heard putting them together makes for more of a risk of cocci as well. My chickens free range, but don't fly into the goat pen. Funny, I wish they would go in and help with the flies!

 

[GOATBOOTS]

I agree. Any breed will be good with children if raised right. We have Nubians and I am partial. We love them so much. They follow us around like dogs. They do tend to be a bit vocal though so you may want to consider that depending on where you live. Like the others said if they are just pets, a weather (castrated male, sorry if you knew that but I didn't when I first started my research and had to google it, thought I would save you the trouble) is a great choice. Yes you do need more than 1. If you do go with a large breed I suggest you don't use welded wire fence. I would use field fence or chain link. Goats always think the bushes on the other side of the fence are better and will constantly stand on the fence and push on it and eventually break the welds. then all they have to do is walk right through it (I just re-fenced Friday because of this). I don't want to push disbudding on anyone but I believe it is the only way to go. Please do some serious research on it. Also this website has some good info for people new to goats on it http://www.fiascofarm.com/goats/index.htm. Just be aware there are many "right ways" to take care of goats. Your "right way" is the way that works best for you and keeps your goats happy and healthy. It will come with experience and helpful information from many others. You have started in a great place. Good luck!