What breed to get?

[Sjisty]

I am considering adding goats to my menagerie. I have a 4-foot fence. Their area would be about 1 acre. Here's what I am looking for - is it possible?

Quiet, well mannered. Won't jump fence. Won't but company. Gets along with chickens!

Any ideas?

 

[trestlecreek]

Well, you're asking for a lot!!!
I would separate the chickens from the goats. I have chickens too, and I love them, but you run the risk of more disease and the risk of a goat butting a chicken!!

I have a 4-ft. fence and none of my goats jump it. I have miniature goats. Having said that, there are small goats that can and will jump the fence (I've had a few), so when getting one, be sure to ask the owner if the goat is a "jumper".

As far as a goat butting someone, that happens from time to time. Generally speaking, a buck is capable of butting and some bottle-fed kids like to butt people(they thing WE are their playmates and ask to play). Normally speaking though, dam raised wethers/ does do not butt people unless they are encouraged to do so.

 

[cmjust0]

The fence-jumping thing has more to do with what's not on their side of the fence than what may be on the other side, in my experience. Yes, goats can be adventurous, but if you provide them with everything they need on their side of the fence, they typically won't feel it necessary to jump a fence...or even just slip a fence, really.

As for breed, maybe a LaMancha? I've never owned one, but folks tell me that their quiet, gentle disposition more than makes up for the gopher ears.

That's a lot of make up for, IMHO, so they must be just super well mannered goats..

 

[lupinfarm]

I have a softspot for pygmies, ever since I was a wee little girl and they had them at the local Ag fair. We're going to look at some pygmy doelings this saturday, I'm hoping we take a couple home... !

 

[goatdude95]

Toggenburgs are very nice and mellow

 

[crazygoatlady]

everyone has their preference, my brother had pygmies and they were escape artists. His buck came over and climbed my fence to get in with my Nubian does in heat. I also wouldn't put goats in with chickens--woudn't take the chance that goats might get into the chicken feed --my goats got out, popped the lid off of the barrel of the chicken grain and I lost my bucks, saved the doe, if I knew then what I know now, I might have been able to save them, but it was a horrible very painful death for them, I felt terrible. the chickens might also poop in the goat feed and the hay, passing diseases. I have some goats that jumped the fences and others that didn't. I didn't matter how much hay or room they had on in the fence, if they decided they wanted something on the other side, they went for it. Each goat has her or his own personality even within their own breed. I have twins that do completely different things, one is a gem on the milkstand, the other is a pain. One will jump a fence, the other won't. If you need to keep them in, put up a tall fence. Electric fence didn't work for us. when one found she could put her nose under the fence, she laid on her belly, slipped her nose under first, closed her eyes and crawled on her belly. Others watched her and did it also. smart--yep--cute --- loving--yep--pain in my behind --yep, but I love it.