What kind of goats to get??

[barnyardfun]

Okay.....let's start with this.....My DH does not like goats. I am going to try to talk him into some because I would really like to have them but I need your help.

I need a goat that will be quite (I know it will make some noise but is there one breed not as vocal as others?) The less noise possible the better!

I don't really want to milk them and I really don't want to eat one. (By the way what does goat taste like??) If I had to choose I guess I really wouldn't mind milking one because I have plenty of other animals to feed and already do the milking thing with my cow.

I want to have maybe a male and female and just sale the babies for a profit.

Does any of this sound possible or am I completly off my rocker?? Thanks for any help.

[GoatsRus]

Well, if you don't want to milk, then you need a meat goat - boer. They are not noisey and so far, mine have never jumped a fence. You need at least two goats, never just get one animal as they are pack animals. If you get one male and one female, you really need to keep them together for the reason noted above, but then you'll have the female pregnant all the time. I usually only do one kidding a year so that the mother keeps good tone and you raise healthy babies. Baby Boer goats sell pretty good and depending on the lineage and if they are registered,can go from $50 to $150 for a weanling. Boer bucks can get up to 300+ lbs and the females around 150 - 200lbs. I've sold my 12 wk old doelings for $75 each and the bucklings for $65 - none are registered. Hope this helps. I'm sure once your DH gets involved with them, he'll just love them. Goats have wonderful personalities and you get very attached to them. My goats were my idea and my DH just went along with it. Now, he's so attached to them that he's told me that my original 5 will never leave the farm - basically no matter what, they will die on our farm. Good luck. There's an abundance of information out on the web for any of the different breeds.

[Dee]

Boers are really quiet. I don't know when they are in heat unless their tails are wagging. You would sell the kids for meat.

Something really cute and functional would be a Nigerian Dwarf. Some have blue eyes but they are hard to come by but are sooo cute. The Nigerians come in all colors, are small, can be milked or eaten.

Get two or more does, no buck. It would be a waste of money. Better to rent a buck or buy, use, then sell.

You are not off your rocker. It took me FIVE years before I finally decided on the Boers. I love them.

[Croenan]

I have pygmies and kiko-pygmy mixes, and I don't know if either are traditionally noisy goats, but mine sure are! :haha: I am posting because I think mine are particularly noisy because they are my babies and I dote on them. They know that if they make enough racket, I'll come out to see what's going on. Keep that in mind that if you respond to their bleeting, they will learn that and make more noise and if you bleet to them, they will probably answer back. (we talk to each other all day long)

My Kiko mix sounds like he has lost his voice, I don't know why, but even though you can barely hear him, he still bleets all the time. Oddly enough, I have 2 black pygmies and 2 white pygmies and the black ones rerely chat with me, but the white ones never shut up!

[dbarjacres]

Don't forget about Myotonics! Fainters / Fainting Goats are the common term. They are exceptionally well mannered, no jumping/climbing, and quite quiet, even more so than my boers. They are a nice size with does usually averaging 90 lbs if you have the smaller variety, but the big ones the meat breeders breed can get quite a bit larger.

My boers are sweet, and I've looked to find smaller does, so they don't beat the tar out of the fainters. My does are all 120-130 lbs. Well tempered and only one so far has been a jumper, and she was very vocal also.

Have 2 nubian/boer doelings, and sure can tell there is nubian in there! talk, talk, talk, all day long.

I agree, get 2 does, you can find a buck to breed to.

[windyhollowfarm]

http://www.fiascofarm.com/goats/buck-wether-info.htm


Please read the above info on bucks. I do not think people realize that a buck is not a pet. I do not recommend bucks for newbies.


If you dont want a noisy goat or one to milk I would stay away from dairy breeds.

I wouldnt get Pygmies as they have a tendancy to be noisy.


Honestly, I wouldnt expect to be making a huge profit off of goats. How is the market in your area for goats? It is not easy to sell them a lot of the time.

Do a lot of research first on goats. They need annual vaccinations and deworming. There is a lot of $ that goes into goat raising that doesnt necessarily all come back to you.

Dont get me wrong goats are wonderful, but not for everyone.

[billooo2]

I have Alpines, and the only time they are noisy is when they see me heading to the barn, and they know it is time to be milked and fed.

No one has mentioned what would be the biggest issue, at least for me, with a buck.....the "aroma" when they are in rut.

My recommendation.....if you want milk, buy 2 does in the spring or summer. Take them to a buck for breeding. The 2 will be company, and you won't have the smell of the buck.

......if you just want them to have babies, and not milk, then one of the meat breeds would be good.

......if you just want them for pets, then a couple wethers would be a good option.

Good Luck!!!!!

[Shahbazin]

You could consider one of the fiber breeds too - I have heard that Angora crossed with Boer makes a good meat animal (maybe keep some pure Angora does & cross w/a Boer buck).