Thinking of getting goats

[QHlover]

I have been thinking of getting goats. My cousins breed Pygmy goats and I think they are the cutest things on earth! They would live with my horse, which is one of the reasons I would get goats, because my horse is lonely and we can't get another horse.(I wish we could)

I don't know if I should get a couple Pygmies or if I should get another breed.

 

[Catahoula]

What other breed do you have in mind?
Other than getting couple goats as companions to your horse...would you like to get milk or get meat from your goats?

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Pygmies are awesome and have great personalities if they are raised right. If you get goats, keep in mind that you will need two even if they have a horse friend in order to keep them happy and content. It sounds like you are looking more for a pet than anything else so a pygmy would be a nice fit. They also can be used for milk (we do and ours is a decent milker) and for meat (I have not done this and I am not sure if would be worth the cost of sending one in for processing since I know I couldn't do it myself). If you want a lot of milk or meat in addition to a horse companion and pet, then there are a lot of other larger breeds you could choose from.

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

You may want to look at Nigerian Dwarf goats too. They are like Pygmys but they are a little bigger, give more and better milk, and they have alot less issues, as far as kidding and such.

 

[CoffeeCow]

We have a pair of boer/pygmy crosses (they probably hve more than just the 2 breeds in them) and they are wonderful little yard dogs. they love attention.
we got them after they were weaned from their mom. and the guy we got them from really didn't do anything besides feed his goats. They were pretty skittish when we got them, but the kids and I went out and sat in their pen and just talked to them for a while. it took a month or so before they would willingly come up to us.. but now, you couldn't beat them away with a stick
Goats are great if you treat them right. but they do need a good deal of attention. so make sure you have time to talk to them every day.

 

[bonbean01]

Ummmmm...goats are adorable...sheep are awesomely adorable...just my 2 cents worth and sheepie bias

 

[pridegoethb4thefall]

Keep in mind, not all horses like goats, or at least can be bratty to them at first. That 'brattyness' can manifest in kicking or chasing the goats at first, which could lead to injuries.

I thought to do the same thing with my mare, but she wanted to show them who was herd boss, and chased them and would bite and kick them! So I had to keep them seperate .

A much bigger breed may be th way to go, or maybe ask your friend if you can just borrow a few goats to see how your horse responds. Not all horses will be brats, but better to find out before you buy, or find out with a bigger, tougher breed.

 

[Isthelifeforme]

I have pygmies and they primarily annoy me because they are little escape artists. However, they can be very useful at keeping a horse company or at getting rid of weeds in a pasture. I have milked a pygmy before and although I wasn't very experienced, I was able to get a cup of milk rather quickly. Another benefit is that every pygmy I have seen is very calm and non-aggressive. You don't want an aggressive goat I am sure.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

BTW - If youa re going to get goats, build a pen for 20, because the people on this website will not let you stop at two. They hook you and then you have 10.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

BTW - If youa re going to get goats, build a pen for 20, because the people on this website will not let you stop at two. They hook you and then you have 10.

Not just that, they will entice you with beautiful kids and you will have no choice but to take a road trip across the country to buy one x2 though---build bigger than you think you need.