Thinking about minature goats - help please...

[stevepax]

I have a spot in my yard about 20' x 20', that I think i could easily fence off to keep 2 mini goats, either pygmy or nigerian dwarf. I can build a small shelter for them, build the fence with no problem, and there is a feed store just a few miles away where I can get local grass hay, mineral supplements, and all that stuff. On nice summery days I can let them out of the pen to roam the whole back yard, too.

Some stuff to consider - this is just my back yard in a suburban neighborhood. Mini goats (under 100 pounds) are allowed by the city municipal code, so that's no problem. But I live near Portland, Oregon, so keep in mind that it rains most days for about 8 months per year here.

My area to fence off is mostly directly underneath some huge evergreen trees (the kind we only get here in the NW), and it only occasionally rains really hard - mostly just a gentle rain.

What do you northwesterners do about the goats during the rainy winter and spring? I suspect they'll want to mostly stay in the shelter for that time? It's not like the shelter will be a huge barn - maybe about 6x8 feet or so. Should I hang a tarp up in front of the shelter to help keep rain off of another 10x10 area or so? It won't be perfectly dry, especially if the wind is blowing, but like I said mostly it's just a light rain. I guess there could be water runoff too, since the yard is far from perfectly flat and level.

Where should I keep my hay? With only 2 small goats, I'll just buy a bale or two at a time. Can I keep 2 bales in my garage side by side on a wooden pallet? Should I cover it or anything, or just use it since each bale will only last 3 weeks or so?

My kids and I obviously spend quite a bit less time outside during the rainy months. Will the goats care much? I can see the pen from my back door, and of course I'll force myself out there in the rain to do daily chores. I guess probably most goat pet owners aren't exactly out playing with their goats for hours each day in the winter, right?

What about cleanup for a small shelter and only 2 goats? How often to completely clear out the entire floor? Do they want pine shavings for bedding? How often should i completely change that out? Or just spot-clean it with a small shovel for poop and urine every day? I don't want a smelly goat pen - my wife will not be pleased.

What to do with the waste? I dont' have a garden to put compost on. Will pine shavings compost, or should I use straw for bedding anyway? Then I guess I could offer goat-poop-compost on craigslist? Some people will take anything for free...

What am I not thinking of here in terms of daily work and how to manage things?

 

[doxiemoxie]

What do you want from the goats? Will they be just pets? Are you thinking of milking? or for brush clearing your yard?

If you want friendly goats you will need to spend time with them every day. If its going to feel like a chore to give them any attention beyond thowing them some food and changing their water you might want to reconsider. Some like getting scratched or brushed. They like being talked to and going for walks. Most goats HATE rain. So make sure their barn is big enough that you can join them too.

Drainage is another thing you need to consider. Its not good for goats to be standing in mud. Just with the damper environment and keeping them mostly penned you will need to keep up on trimming their hooves, you may need to do it monthly.

You can store hay out of the rain, on a pallet covered with a tarp. You want to keep it as dry as possible to prevent mold growing and to keep rodents from nesting in it.

I can't tell you how often you'll need to clean but you should be able to get people to take the poop. People like it because goat poop can go directly onto plants without burning them.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

With the drainage question, one spot in my niggie goat pen gets SWAMPED with almost any rain. Added a few pallets and it's much better. If their hooves get and stay wet, they'll rot. Not good. Check the area out next time it rains and give that some thought and imagination.

Also, you might want to rethink the grass hay. They need a good portion of it to be alfalfa, 2nd or 3rd cutting (1st has too many stems and not enough leaves).

For housing, a large dog house would work well, if you aren't going to breed them. Plenty of room for them to keep each other warm and dry. If you plan to have them kid, you'll need housing that you can fit into also (in case you need to help).

Pine shavings for bedding? That's like a snack for mine. Wouldn't last more than a day.

Mucking out will be necessary, especially with your amount of rain. It'll get mucky and build up and will reduce drainage.

I know these are just a few talking points. Other things to think about: if you give them a little snack (mine love muffins and any old bread -not moldy) every time you go to see them, eventually you'll be opening your back door and hearing their bleat "gimme"! Mine love to be scratched, and will even stop mid-nibble just in case their munching will stop my fingers from scratching. Mine love to snack on hair, rose bushes, and when they get crabapple clippings, it's like they are high on heroine.

Enjoy and good luck!

 

[elevan]

My answers to your questions are in BOLD print.

I have a spot in my yard about 20' x 20', that I think i could easily fence off to keep 2 mini goats, either pygmy or nigerian dwarf. I can build a small shelter for them, build the fence with no problem, and there is a feed store just a few miles away where I can get local grass hay, mineral supplements, and all that stuff. On nice summery days I can let them out of the pen to roam the whole back yard, too.

If you only want 2 dwarf breeds you can house them in a calf hutch or an x-large dog house.

Some stuff to consider - this is just my back yard in a suburban neighborhood. Mini goats (under 100 pounds) are allowed by the city municipal code, so that's no problem. But I live near Portland, Oregon, so keep in mind that it rains most days for about 8 months per year here.

They need a place to go to stay dry.

My area to fence off is mostly directly underneath some huge evergreen trees (the kind we only get here in the NW), and it only occasionally rains really hard - mostly just a gentle rain.

Expect them to eat the evergreens...as high as they can reach.

What do you northwesterners do about the goats during the rainy winter and spring? I suspect they'll want to mostly stay in the shelter for that time? It's not like the shelter will be a huge barn - maybe about 6x8 feet or so. Should I hang a tarp up in front of the shelter to help keep rain off of another 10x10 area or so? It won't be perfectly dry, especially if the wind is blowing, but like I said mostly it's just a light rain. I guess there could be water runoff too, since the yard is far from perfectly flat and level.

I'm not a NW'er but my goats will go out in the rainy weather if it's a warm misty type of rain. They need a dry, draft free place to sleep / relax.

Where should I keep my hay? With only 2 small goats, I'll just buy a bale or two at a time. Can I keep 2 bales in my garage side by side on a wooden pallet? Should I cover it or anything, or just use it since each bale will only last 3 weeks or so?

Garage would be fine...on a pallet is good..covering it isn't needed unless you're painting or something in there.

My kids and I obviously spend quite a bit less time outside during the rainy months. Will the goats care much? I can see the pen from my back door, and of course I'll force myself out there in the rain to do daily chores. I guess probably most goat pet owners aren't exactly out playing with their goats for hours each day in the winter, right?

My goats get less time with me in the winter than they do in the spring-fall

What about cleanup for a small shelter and only 2 goats? How often to completely clear out the entire floor? Do they want pine shavings for bedding? How often should i completely change that out? Or just spot-clean it with a small shovel for poop and urine every day? I don't want a smelly goat pen - my wife will not be pleased.

Depends on how you want to manage. I do a yearly clean out...I'll do some light cleaning in winter but it's mainly a big yearly clean out. I use Sweet PDZ to keep smell down.

What to do with the waste? I dont' have a garden to put compost on. Will pine shavings compost, or should I use straw for bedding anyway? Then I guess I could offer goat-poop-compost on craigslist? Some people will take anything for free...

Pine shavings will take a while to compost. Straw is better...but chopped straw is best (run the straw through a wood chipper or leaf shredder). You can usually find someone to take away the waste for free. Goat manure can go straight into the garden without composting if you use straw....if you use wood chips it'll need to compost first.

What am I not thinking of here in terms of daily work and how to manage things?

Clean water - clean water buckets. Goats don't drink if they think their water is dirty.