Need goat raising info for newbies

[cybercat]

Hello all,

As of friday we will own 4 acres of land that has never been farmed. Hubby was raised on a big farm with no goats. This land has alot and I mean alot of blackberry brambles and other shrubs. I want to go organic as possible with this property. So since we will not have a farm equpiment to start to clear it I thought of goats do it for us. Now I have been reading back posts here but I need more. So any good web sites on care, breeds and health is much needed.

When we lived in Pa I had a friend there that had boer crosses. I helped some with his fencing in one area. Since my hubby works nights and sleeps all day, he works 10 hours shifts, I would be the one caring for them. I have alot of animal experiance behind me but now I am 42 and way out of shape. We have been living in a townhouse for the past three years and I am not working any more. With that said I do not want to get into the bigger goat breeds. These goats would only be for land clearing but I have a gf that would like 1 milk goat so that will be need also. Her hubby will not allow any animals on there place so she will be hanging out with us alot. LOL She has a daughter that she homeschools also. I do not think we would be butchering the goats for meat either. Hubby is more into pigs and cows for that as that was what he had on grandfathers farm.

Ok, with all that said I am trying to get a few choices of breeds to pick from so I can start planning everything. I like dwarfs and minis but with all the overgrowth on this property I am wondering if they could handle it. I know a dwarf would produce enough milk for my gf projects like soap and lotions. Most of the shrubs and brambels are 5 feet tall. What are some breed/crosses for me to research that would be good choices? What type of easy fencing would be good in this case also? Property is a V vally that we are clearing with the drive up high and house and barn in valley. My thought is to buy kids and raise them up and after property is cleared sell them off and then keep a few for maintance. Any and all help is great thank you in advance.

[Alice In TX/MO]

The best website that I know for info.

http://fiascofarm.com/

[DoxieMom]

Fiasco Farms site is a great site. Here are a couple of more that I like:

http://www.goatworld.com and http://www.goatweb.com

[Sherri C]

Hi there
I'm a newbie too so you can take my info with a big dash of salt. Our land is heavily overgrown with multiflora roses. Like you, I like the mini breeds but I was worried about them getting lost in our "jungle". What I decided to do was to start out with full-size goats and then breed my way down to minis. I'm purchasing 3 LaMancha does now and then in the future will breed them to either a Nigerian Dwarf buck or F1 Mini LaMancha buck.

If you're just interested in getting the land cleared, why not get a couple of wethers in whatever breed is locally available?

[jen74145]

Pretty new myself, but some thoughts...
Might be a good idea to check out the auctions in your area and see which goats sell for what; if you're just planning to raise them up from kids then sell them once they mature, not breeding, then size really wouldn't matter since you wouldn't be in close contact with a bunch of meat wethers headed off the the sale barn, KWIM?
But too, dairy wethers can be had very cheaply, and I'm sure if you wanted to buy a quantity of them from someone, you could get a really good deal.
You could always have a mixed herd of the larger ones to get the job done quicker/be easier to sell for meat, and a few minis for milk... you would have to make sure any large breed males were wethered, though, to avoid disastrous pregnancies.

One thing to consider is your fencing... won't do you a bit of good to buy a herd only to have them slip out and become coyote fodder. Electric fencing over woven wire is your friend.
Also, since you're just moving in, I'd ask around to see what kind of problems other people in your area (that have animals) have with predators, and take appropriate steps to protect your herd. Are there alot of dogs running loose in the area?

I have two Nigie doelings, and just love them. Such sweet girls, and pretty too... and just the right size for me. Those big ol' gals weren't the way I wanted to start.

Well, anywho, congratulations on your new property; hope it goes well!

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

Get yourself 2 books. They are both for sheep, but they apply almost universally to goats also. Both are from Laura Lawson. One is "Managing Your Ewe ", and the other is "Lamb Problems". 90% of all the sick ewe, lamb, nanny, kid problems asked here could be prevented with the knowledge in these two books.

"What type of easy fencing would be good in this case also?"

Goat fencing is never EASY. They are magicians at getting out of almost every fence. I have seen them climb a tree, walk out a branch and jump off to the outside of the fence. BUILD GOOD TIGHT FENCES.

Be aware that just like sheep, goats are "dinner" to a lot of predators. THink about how they will be protected. Inside a corral with a livestock gaurd dog in residence is the best - short of letting them sleep in your bedroom.

[cybercat]

Thanks all for all the good info. I have a friend here local that has small acreage also. She has minis so it looks like I will be going that way. Depending on cost I might be breeding up my herd to make it big enough to clear the land.

I am looking into the kinder goats since I know I can get hold of the 2 breeds here local. Anyone here have expericance with these goats and brush?