So I finally talked DH into getting goats...

[mamaluv321]

Hi there, new to this forum, found it in byc. So I've convinced my husband about goats, now starts the 6 mos to a year of research to figure out what breed. I'm thinking Nigerian dwarf but not sure. I am a complte newb to goats other than a summer of helping a friend take care of a meat herd 13 ys ago. I only have just over an acre some of which is already occupied by kids, dogs and chickens. I want milkers and only 2 or 3 at the max. So, ANY and all advice, warnings or testimonials would be sincerly appreciated!

 

[Iceblink]

Welcome to BYH!

I have Nigis and a La Mancha, and I recommend them both. Both breeds are known for being friendly and easygoing. The nice thing about the ND's is they cycle through the year, so you can breed them to kid at opposite times and have a year round supply of milk. Plus, they are small.

The La Manchas are bigger, which means they can be bred to any size buck, if you don't plan on keeping one yourself, you can be more flexible about renting or borrowing one. Plus, they give more milk.

Good luck!

 

[Henrietta23]

I've had people tell me Nigis tend to be escape artists. Is that true of yours Iceblink? All things considered, they've been my top choice for when and if we get goats here. I love their look, and the size is a plus for my set up. I worry about chasing goats around the neighborhood though!

 

[michickenwrangler]

I've had people tell my Nigis tend to be escape artists. Is that true of yours Iceblink? All things considered, they've been my top choice for when and if we get goats here. I love their look, and the size is a plus for my set up. I worry about chasing goats around the neighborhood though!

Most people that I know who have Nigis put them in chain-link dog kennels, usually 2 kennel sets also incorporating the barn as one side for more room. No one's goat has escaped yet.

 

[ksalvagno]

My Nigerians are not escape artists. If there is a low spot in your fence or something that they can crawl through, they will find it and get out. But so would my dogs or any other animal. I would just make sure there are no gaps or holes for animals to get out of.

 

[glenolam]

I have an alpine/nubian doe, a nigerian dwarf/alpine/nubian (her son) and a nubian/oberhasli and the nigerian did learn where all the "holes" in the fence were when he was a kid. Now he's too big to fit in them, plus I put two wires of electric fence in - one about 6-8" off the ground and the other 4' high to deter jumping over the fence, which my larger doe did.

Keep in mind that if you don't want to loose any flowers you might have you will want to keep the goats in their own little yard - or out in your yard under close supervision.

They also love tree bark, so they'll eat the leaves off any trees you have and peel the bark, killing the tree. Any special trees should either be off limits or protected in some way.

Do you already have a barn or some type of enclosure for them? If you're only having 2 or 3 a small 8x12 will work out great. Mine live in a "barn" that size with the milking stand, two hay feeders and the grain bin. They love to jump on the feeders (which are wood ones I made from instructions on www.goatworld.com and then cut in 1/2 and screwed into the walls) and sleep on the grain bin and milking stand.

The Nigerian's will give you good milk, but their teats are smaller so if you have big hands you'll have to learn to milk with two fingers.

If you choose to keep them in their own enclosure, put some toys in there like a balance beam made from scrap wood or three different sized stumps arranged so they can play king of the mountain. Here's a pic of my youngest doe (the oberhasli/nubian on the left) and my nigerian dwarf (on the right) on their "mountain" last year.

The green tarp "shed" you see is what I kept mine in until we built the 8x12 in that spot. It was a 10x10 dog kennel that I put a roof and tarps on. Suited them well for quite some time - but they needed something more permanent.

Good luck - they are a lot of fun and worth everything!

 

[mamaluv321]

I don't have a stucture yet, have to save up for a lil bit before I build one and get the goats. I'm just starting the search now. So how big of a pen/yard do I really need? I already have resource for BUCKETS of veg scrap daily from friends at a cafe in town, so I'm thinking they won't need to graze much but I still wanna give "room to roam",any thoughts?

 

[glenolam]

"They" say rule of thumb is about 12 - 15 ft of barn space per goat, which means that 2 goats can share a 30 sq ft barn (3ft x 5ft). But if you can put up a shed or 3 sided lean to that's more accomodating to the goats you can also store your items in there like I do. I also built a shelf in mine that holds 3 hay bales, all medical items, treats, etc. The shelf is about 6ft long and 4 ft wide and is high enough where they can't reach anything.

I read somewhere that 3-4 goats can be kept on a quarter of an acre, just make sure you are providing quality hay free choice.

 

[Henrietta23]

I've had people tell my Nigis tend to be escape artists. Is that true of yours Iceblink? All things considered, they've been my top choice for when and if we get goats here. I love their look, and the size is a plus for my set up. I worry about chasing goats around the neighborhood though!

Most people that I know who have Nigis put them in chain-link dog kennels, usually 2 kennel sets also incorporating the barn as one side for more room. No one's goat has escaped yet.

I was just eyeing those at TSC two days ago, wondering how many goats two of them would hold!
Thanks for the info.

 

[SarahFair]

I like Oberhaslis myself