Single and Goats

[bstuart29]

I am single and have been considering getting some goats in the future. I was just curious about other who are single (others can comment also) and have goats and is it really worth it when it's just you and add in feed costs to have goats. If I had a family I'd probaly already have some goats but with just me not sure if it's worth but I guess I could feed some of the milk to my 30 plus chickens. So I'd like others opinions from singles or others.

[crazygoatgal]

I am single also and have serious health issues. I firmly believe that my goats are very theraputic for me and can't imagine my life without them. Having said that, I have chosen Nigerians for their small size and very docile personalities. I also have to downsize to make my life easier-winters here are BRUTAL. If you start small and do your research you should be fine. Just make sure to get 2 because they NEED a buddy. Good luck and tell us what you decide.

[mpete]

My hubby is a truck driver(semi-local) so between the farm and the 6 kids, "single" is how I feel sometimes, but, they are worth it!!! If you just keep it small like crazygoatgal says. They communicate with you in their own ways. I feed my hens the left over milk all the time. I usually heat the milk, add vinegar to "curd" it, let it cool down and pour it in a bowl for the chickens. They peck the curd out and then drink the whey. Goats milk is very healthy for chickens.

[Freeholder]

I'm single, but don't live alone -- have my mentally handicapped daughter and my Grandmother in the house, also. Grandma doesn't use the goat milk much as it's too rich for her (she has gall-bladder issues), so it's just me and DD using it. I feed some to my dogs (they do very well on raw old-fashioned oats soaked in raw goat milk, in addition to raw feeding). We only have one (full-sized) doe in milk right now, and she's giving plenty for DD and myself, plus the two large dogs, to drink. I don't have enough for making cheese until my other doe freshens, though.

You should evaluate how much milk you use, and maybe increase that a bit because once you have your own milk coming in you will probably use more than when you have to buy it. Plus you'll want to make yogurt and cheese. Definitely can feed the surplus to the chickens, which is a good way to add protein and calcium to their diets if you want to reduce their feed bill.

Small breed goats might be a good choice for you, but there are some other factors to consider. One is that Nigies can be difficult to milk. You'll need to be careful, if you do go with them, to get does that are not going to be hard to milk (small teats, low to the ground).

What I would strongly recommend is checking around to see what breeds are being raised near you. If you buy a couple of does from a nearby breeder, you will probably be able to breed your does to their buck. If you import a breed that isn't common in your area, you may have to keep a buck for them, and it doesn't sound like you are really ready for that. I think this issue is more important than the size of the goat (none of them are really all that big anyway). Nigies are cute, but you are more likely to find an Alpine, LaMancha, or Nubian doe with a good, easy-milking udder. Personally, I like Oberhasli's -- they seem to be very quiet compared with other breeds, which is nice. The other advantage of buying from someone nearby is that they may be willing to mentor you as you go through the learning process -- this will help keep you from getting frustrated and discouraged, and may keep your does alive. Look for someone who has good-quality animals, and obviously takes good care of them, and they should be able to get you started the right way.

Kathleen

[prairiedog]

I hink it is very beneficial. I feel so much better when I drink goats milk so for that reason alone I would keep them. If you did not want tons of milk you could have one doe and a wether for company.

[mygoat]

With proper ownership, goats are very worthwhile. Affordable fresh raw milk and delicious meat. They provide excellent fertilizer for the garden and clear areas efficiently. However, lots of people start out wrong and run into problems or don't make money off of their poor decisions.

*don't get diseased animals

*get quality animals (good conformation AND AND AND production. They go hand in hand, trust me. You can get a doe with narrow hips, poor udder attachments or teeny, impossible to milk teats but she could produce 12 lbs per day - her kids would be impossible to sell for any decent amount of money. Or, you could get a purebred doe with a nice pedigree, good conformation and good production, nice udder for maybe 100-200.00 more... Breeding her up to a better buck and you could be selling kids for 200+ a piece and be much easier to sell, and she herself would avoid many problems - conformation is NOT just for the show breeders, there is ideology behind it! )

*have a PLAN in mind when getting into goats (milk, meat, both?)

*Learn proper housing, fencing, pasture managment, feeding, general goatkeeping routine (get a few books on farming and ranching as well as goat specific)

[mygoat]

Oh, forgot to add...

I'm 18 and live at home. However, I get NO help in the raising of my goats, chickens, ducks. It can be hard but YES, raising goats CAN be done alone and with a full time job (I went to school and still was able.) It gets hard around kidding season as I am ALWAYS home for all kiddings and also pull all dairy kids and most miniature kids. However, schedules can be stretched or changed at any time to accommodate for your life. However, forget about any vacation time because you can't simply leave your dairy goats for a week and expect them to still be producing or have undamaged udders when you get back.

[MisFitFarm]

Originally Posted by crazygoatgal

I am single also and have serious health issues. I firmly believe that my goats are very theraputic for me and can't imagine my life without them. I also have to downsize to make my life easier-winters here are BRUTAL. If you start small and do your research you should be fine. Just make sure to get 2 because they NEED a buddy. Good luck and tell us what you decide.

I have to agree with this, it's the same with my situation, only I have Nubians and some Boers. Once I downsized it was much better. Good luck!

[bstuart29]

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get back to this thread. Thank you all for your very thoughtful responses, you gave me a lot to consider and think over. For me my concern is more fiancial than the labor because I think I can handle that. With the cost of feed and hay I guess those were one of my main concerns being it's just me here and how economically it would be but as like some of you said there are ways to use up the milk and to relieve some of the costs thru selling of the milk and kids. Maybe I should just work on solving the single part and that would make the decision to get goats a lot easier

[Gailann Schrader]

Single. Goats for 8+ years.

22 is too many for me to deal with on my 25 acres (and too much hassle to feed in the winter...)

6-8 milk goats (three+ milking, one-two bucks, rest are young) is about right for me...

Just right for cheese, drinking, soap, etc.

And meat for the freezer and keeping the woods cleared...

Good Luck!

p.s. I work outside the house 40+ hours per week too... Pick it up slowly and you can do it.

[steff bugielski]

As for the cost I can tell you it cost me about $700 a year to feed one dairy goat. I am a licensed raw dairy so my costs are a bit higher than others , but I have taken into consideration everything from feed, hay, vet, supplies, minerals, bedding and so on. I do sell the milk and baby goats and they do pay for themselves and then some. If you get 1 gallon a day from a goat for 10 months she is paying for herself, and probably a companion.

[jill.costello]

My husband is a truck driver as well, I see him about 4-6 days per month, and I often wonder if it would be a smart choice for me to get my doe back in milk (and have a butcher baby or two).

Running to the store for milk for just myself seems such a waste of time and fuel, so I'm using less milk than I'd like.....same for red meat; It just seems luxurious to cook up a meat dish for just myself when beef from the grocery store is so expensive.

So my plan is to figure out how much milk I'd LIKE to be using (for baking, drinking, cereal, cream for my coffee, and cheese), and to figure out how often I'd like to eat a meat dish/ make stew/ etc.

Come up with a "store-bought" price, and then compare that cost to 1. getting Cayenne pregnant 2. increasing her feed to "pregnant/lactation" amounts 3. cost to have the kid (s) processed 4. the labor involved with milking 2x per day again

As you can tell, obviously, I already HAVE the goats, three funny friends: Cayenne, her wether son Sparky, and a pet doe named Coffee with 'issues'. Just have to decide if it is worthwhile to breed Cayenne again or just leave things the way they are.

[CookingPam777]

I have 7 goats to care for. I love them! I put hours into them everyday but it is so worth it. I have taught my goats to give kisses and shake. One is SO nuts about shaking she WILL NOT leave you alone until you do and while your milking momma she'll sit there and hoof ya till you do it again. 5 minutes later at me again. It's cute and I am very patient with her. I guess it was my fault for teaching that to her hehehe. So anyways they are very smart. I have yet to get my herd together together. Next year I plan to make money by selling littles and milk. I am single and going to college soon to be a teacher. I am almost 19. On top of goats I seriously have 300 other animals to care for. Chicks rabbits ducks geese chickens cats and other.

[CookingPam777]

Originally Posted by mygoat

Oh, forgot to add...

I'm 18 and live at home. However, I get NO help in the raising of my goats, chickens, ducks. It can be hard but YES, raising goats CAN be done alone and with a full time job (I went to school and still was able.) It gets hard around kidding season as I am ALWAYS home for all kiddings and also pull all dairy kids and most miniature kids. However, schedules can be stretched or changed at any time to accommodate for your life. However, forget about any vacation time because you can't simply leave your dairy goats for a week and expect them to still be producing or have undamaged udders when you get back.

You sound so much like me 18 going to college can't leave for a week get no help. Especially when you have 500 chicks now we are down to 200 it sure would be nice if someone would help. Can't ask mom cause she is changing the babies diaper washing dishes vacuuming the floor I don't know always seems to be doing something. My I need to hire a farm helper hehehe. Also my Grandma has spine cancer and now brain cancer I want to see her before something happens to her. So we had to find a way to get my doe milked for 2 weeks so I can help her at home after she comes home from her surgery. Such a complicated mess. However I was able to go and I decided to dry my doe up.

[bstuart29]

Originally Posted by CookingPam777

You sound so much like me 18 going to college can't leave for a week get no help. Especially when you have 500 chicks now we are down to 200 it sure would be nice if someone would help. Can't ask mom cause she is changing the babies diaper washing dishes vacuuming the floor I don't know always seems to be doing something. My I need to hire a farm helper hehehe. Also my Grandma has spine cancer and now brain cancer I want to see her before something happens to her. So we had to find a way to get my doe milked for 2 weeks so I can help her at home after she comes home from her surgery. Such a complicated mess. However I was able to go and I decided to dry my doe up.

Wow you do have a plateful. I'm sorry to hear about your Grandmother, I will keep her and your family in my prayers.

[crazygoatgal]

CookingPam- I never realized you were so young! That really floored me! Will also keep your grandma in prayer.

[billooo2]

I would agree with all that has been said......especially....
1. buy good quality, healthy stock...it costs just as much to feed a poor quality animal, and will cost a LOT more to care for a diseased animal.
2. If possible, buy a breed that has other breeders near you....for stud service....unless you REALLY want to keep one of those smelly creatures for yourself. (Actually, mine just smell bad during the rut.)
3. Being single, it is nice if you have 1 or 2 friends/family that can take care of the animals in case you want to go somewhere for a weekend.
4. Make sure that you enjoy goats!!! They have very distinctive personalities, but they all seem to have an insatiable curiosity.......and I describe them as kids with ADD that are also hyperactive. They have no patience....if they want their grain, they want it NOW!!!....if they are on their way to the milk stand....you had best stand aside, or risk being knocked over....and they are very "social" and seem to thrive on interaction with people and with other goats...........and they have their "buddies" within the herd.
5. Always buy more than one, and ideally, buy 2 "buddies" from a herd.

[CookingPam777]

Originally Posted by crazygoatgal

CookingPam- I never realized you were so young! That really floored me! Will also keep your grandma in prayer.

Hehehe! Yep a lot of people think I'm older. I only had one person guessed me young. I was shocked MyGoat was 18!

[picklespickles]

if you have two, yes, i think it is not a financial hardship. i think that is her question. lol.

the main thing, is putting up hay for winter as early as possible so that you are paying a decent price. if you buy as you go, like each week or two, you'll pay a lot more. also, alfalafa pellets are much more expensive than hay. check craiglist or signs by the side of the road or whatever, and try to buy as much as you can at once. if you buy enough, some will throw in a delivery (and unloading!) charge. or, i also borrow a pickup from someone and you can buy right out of the field. much heavier work, but again you can save money that way.

i use mine as pets and their children as meat. i'm not a milker.

we don't do vets here for the goats. if you have questions, often the people at the feed store can direct you. it's not too hard to learn to do stuff like give penicillin shots and such. the price for that kind of stuff is seriously like ten dollars. maybe two dollars for needles and seven dollars for penicillin. so diy much cheaper than vet.

when i had two, and was really watching my budget, i kept my expenses at about three hundred a year for the both of them together. i have more now and don't watch my expenses as much.

one thing you can do to save money, is invite your neighbors to toss tree limbs or shrub trimmings over the fence into their area, or just make a pile in your front yard. i know that i fed mine for the first eight months treats from a chopped down tree from when i first moved in. they loved it. they will eat the leaves and twigs. let them keep the larger logs or branches, though, and they will chew on them forever. this is also good in case you have other things back there with them that you dont' want them to chew!

besides letting my neighbors throw weeds, branches and such for the goats, i also accept things like when people clean out their pantries or fridges. that can go for chickens too. vegetables and grains are their favorites. well, no, doritos are their FAVORITE.

my goats love most things. the only thing i ever offered them that they turned up their nose at was coffee grounds. they love wet tea bags as a treat. i have gotten in the habit of buying the kind without the staple so i dont' have to worry about pulling it out.

they are very curious so anything you can do to change things up like offer small amounts of new things keep them happy and better behaved.

i have had several people want to hire me (their idea) to have the goats clear the land. when it came down to it though, it never actually happend. so that may be an income source in some areas, but was not realistic here.

people will buy goats as pets, milking, feed and to keep their own yards free of weeds. around here, mostly it would be meat or weed control.

if you have baby boys, get them wethered (snipped) or else it will be harder to sell them unless someone wants a full male goat especially. many avoid them. (they pee on their own faces to attract the girl goats and hey it works so can you blame them. but it DOES give them an odor. lol) my boy also has a coat that i know i could to spin from if i could learn how.

oh. and i got my goats for free. espeically around this time of year, people will be wanting to get rid of various kinds of animals realizing HEY i have to feed littlle miss or mr all winter long.

for me, the farm section on craigslist is golden.

good luck.

i hope you do get your goats and ENJOY them. they are the SMARTEST animals i have. a real joy.

[prairiedog]

Billy just go get a goat from Emily, she has the best, then if you decide its not for you let me know I'll take it off your hands