Help! Want to get goats! Advice needed.

[Vonna Hale]

Hi,
I'm new here. We are getting ready to move to AR. We would like to get 2-3 goats. We would like to know the best kind to get----ones that are least likely to jump fences.

Next, our property is already fenced with 5 strand barbwire. Is this ok?

Last, we have a horse already. Want to get some bison eventually.

All animals will be running free on 11 acres minus what we fence off around our house.

Thanks for your help. Will check back later.

[Carrie C]

I really don't like to fence goats with barbed wire. Goats run into it and get hurt, udders get nicked, ears torn, etc.
As for what kind, that depends on what you're looking for. Do you want milk? Meat? Eye candy pets? Big? Small? Medium? There's a lot to choose from! Could you let us know more what you are looking for?
~Carrie C.

[vancom]

I'd be cautious about barbed wire. If you have to use what you have, I'd run several stratigically high electric wires on the inside and train them to avoid it--they'll learn fast. No goat is specifically bred to avoid jumping fences--but my Lamanchas never have--but we have 5 foot high 5 strand electrical. If you keep them happy where they are, very few things will make them try to get out!

I couldn't mix the goats with the pigs--water hogs, they were, and would knock over every single way we set up water--we finally fenced them off seperately, three strands low and they have never escaped. I am not sure about Bison--

Good luck. I love my Lamanchas--quiet, med to large sized, good milkers, nice goats.

Vanessa

[Vonna Hale]

Carri Con't necessarily want the goats for milk or meat. We have alot of bushy stuff on the property and thought the goats would help us keep that down. We don't really want big goats. We have looked on the internet at pygmy goats, but it seems they are pretty expensive to get. I also didn't find where we will be able to get them close to home. So I guess we're looking for ones that would be more pet-like.

[Vonna Hale]

vancom: We could put electric wires on the inside. Are Lamanchas big goats? I don't think I have come across those. If we got a pig, it would be a pet pot-bellied. Haven't decided on that yet. Yeah, the bison may be a problem. We'd have one castrated an in a feed lot. Then 2 females and 1 male. These 3 when first bought will be small. They are for raising/reproducing. One of those or a baby will be in the feed lot after the other one is butchered.

[computerchick]

Tennessee Fainters won't/can't jump fences. Not saying that they won't crawl under/through etc like most any goat!!! But you won't find them up and over - they tend to freeze up on the first hoof up.

However, that being said, be careful with electric - I've heard of way too many accidents - it would help if you use flags or similar (I'm assuming you'll do the same for your horse)

Andrea
www.faintinggoat.net
www.arare-breed.net

[AllWolf]

On goats I would not recomend using barbwire for goats because they will get hurt on it. Hurt lots of things on a goat. If you get goats for milking and they run into the barbwire they would cut their udder and have serious problems. Next I do not like electric fencing because they can get tragled up in it easy but that is my opioion on that type of fencing. I would either use field fenceing with the outside of the field fencing with then 3 strands of electric fencing this but electric fencing alone I don't recomend but if using field fencing and then add 3 strands of it then when they touch it they want try to go through the field fencing. Next some people using cattle panels but that will cost a lot of money. So my other thing to tell you do more asking questions, research on the internet what others use and read lots books. OH forgot to say if your goats have horns I wouldn't use field fencing.. All my goats are hornless is why I use field fencing.

I'm fixing to fence off some woods and have been doing lots of asking question and I e-mailed a company about getting horse fencing that looks like a V in the middle because it is very strong.

That is just my Opioion on this.

Good Luck on whatever you decide.

[topside1]

Vancom said it perfectly, "if you keep your goats happy why would they think of leaving". My goats (12) really don't need fences they’re so happy. However I do have barbed wire fencing for steers, I backed up the barb wire with three stands of powerful electric 14-gauge wire. I have never had a injured goat due to striking barbed wire, but keep in mind I spend loads of time with my animals (very tame) plus getting shock training at a young age is quite persuasive. Will be building the herd up to over twenty does soon, with or without barbed wire I foresee no physical goat problems. I visited a farm about a year ago and found all the gates open, pens open, all goats free to explore the world. The owner explained that he has never had a goat pack up and leave. "Why should they, their happy"......Tennessee John

[Vonna Hale]

Y'all have given me alot of things for us to think about. Any more suggestions/ideas are still welcome.

Thanks

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by Vonna Hale

Hi,
I'm new here. We are getting ready to move to AR. We would like to get 2-3 goats. We would like to know the best kind to get----ones that are least likely to jump fences.

Next, our property is already fenced with 5 strand barbwire. Is this ok?

Last, we have a horse already. Want to get some bison eventually.

All animals will be running free on 11 acres minus what we fence off around our house.

Thanks for your help. Will check back later.

If you just want brush-eaters, you can buy "brush goats" which are simply a mixed breed of goat that just raises its own kids and doesn't get milked. Or you can try some Boer crosses so you can haul the offspring off to auction and get a little return. Or you can buy unregistered backyard pygmies which are pretty cheap around here(running $40-$60 for a doe and a bit less for a buck, fullgrown). Be aware that Pygmies are known for more birthing problems than many breeds though we did not have problems with ours. Whatever you decide to get....get HEALTHY ones!! You do not want any with CL, so no lumps or bumps. If you introduce CL to your property it will be there a LONG time and believe me, its not a headache you want!

Barbed wire fence and goats is not a combo. That said, you can make do with what you have by stretching three or four *really* hot strands of electric between the barbed wire strands and introducing the goats to it before just letting them go. Be sure they *know* it bites! This is what I have done with several of my pastures because the barbed wire was already here and I cannot afford to fence in 100 acres with field fencing. This works very well, no escapes at all. But you need a good *hot* charger or it *won't* work.

[PygmyLover]

Fainting goats don't need as high fencing because of their tendency to stiffen so often that they can't jump because of the state of their muscles (or something like that - my friend told me)

Anyway as to other breeds who don't jump fences - hmmm from what I hear all breeds will have their fence jumpers or just plain houdinis. So just research the many types of goats (and especially the ones found in your area - don't want to get your heart set on a breed that is just none exsistant where you live) and see which ones you fall in love with. Some love the smaller size (like me) others love the temperment of the Lamanchas, some love the ears on the Nubians etc.

Fencing that is at least 4-5 feet tall though is recomended (but I have 3 1/2 foot fencing and have done well with Oberhaslies and pygmies).

[Carrie C]

Vonna Hale, I, personally, would never put even a pot bellied pig in with my goats nor bison. Way too many unknown factors: pigs with diseases and bison with not being domesticated for long. With 11 acres, could you divide the pasture up with electrical wire?
"Fainting goats" or wooden leg goats or Myotonic goats are all the same breed with the trait of having a genetic condition which causes their muscules to stiffen, especially when frightened. Should a coyote or some other predator appear in their pasture, the goat will not be able to defend itself as it will be frightened and its muscules immobile. A person who raises fainters around here has, virtually, a fortress around them.
I agree with ozark jewels, 1) barbed wire is not an option and 2) for your purpose (brush eating) get big, cheap, healthy goats. I raise some nigerian dwarf goats, along with my nubians, and those dwarves never keep the grass down in their little yard. The breeder I got them from reports the same thing: they just aren't into foraging.
IMO
Carrie C.

[computerchick]

I think with any goat, without a fortress, you need to work on predator security in a heavily coyote pop area. I've had a friend lose a calf from a coyote attack.

We use a combination of electric and livestock guardian dogs....

that and keeping motion lights around, closer to the house at night, things like that...

Good luck ;-)

Andrea

[patarini]

DONT DO IT!!!!!
Started with 2 now 3 they take over!!!!!

[Cloverbud]

"patarini: DONT DO IT!!!!!
Started with 2 now 3 they take over!!!!! "

And this is bad how?

[ozark_jewels]

Started with one Nubian doe named Brandy......now I have 150 goats of assorted shapes and breeds.......definiately addictive.