[Ramblin Wreck]

God willing, my brother and I hope to complete the first section of a new pasture in a few weeks. We wanted to put a couple of goats on it at the start, primarily for brush/undergrowth control in a wooded section. Also, there's been no rain to allow for starting grass.

I would appreciate any recommendations on breeds that do well foraging and that are least likely to test the patience of our family/neighbors by being prone to escape. We were thinking of using two neutered males as we are not ready to start a goat herd just yet.

Thanks for any advice/guidance you can give.

 

[Jim S.]

A neutered male is called a wether. The primary purpose of a wether is for meat. You could do just as well with two does, and not have to worry about poroblems like urinary calculi that bucks have.

People will weigh in with other opinions, but for brush clearing and minimum maintenance, I would get what are called "brush goats" here. They are a typically Spanish/dairy/meat breed mix very nearly a feral goat, and they used to be plentiful but are getting harder to find now that everyone is going to a breed. You can buy them for $40-$60 each around here. Tough, tough goats, and good starter or land-clearing animals with minimum maintenance.

Depending on where you live, you may have to get a guardian dog to be with them. Goats can be easy picking for predators, and the fewer they are, the more vulnerable they are.

All goats will take advantage of poor fence that is not taut or has holes in it to a greater or lesser degree. Make sure you have good, well-stretched and fastened fence that contacts the ground with the bottom wire, and you will have no problems. Also be sure your gate hooks, etc., are not simple devices. Goats will easily figure out a chain hooked on a nail, for example.

You will need to provide a loose mineral for your goats, like Sweetlix or other brand, made JUST for goats. You will need to provide shelter against rain and cold wind. Those are minimums.

All of the above are the reasons people who just want to keep a couple goats and not do much with them usually fail or get bigger soon. Usually, a small herd of 4-6 is the best way to start being a non-pet goat owner. You will do well to select the brush goat, or a Spanish or Kiko or other low-maintenance non-dairy breed goat. In my opinion and experience, dairy breeds generally do not do as well in the little to no maintenance setting you plan.

 

[Caprice Acres]

It depends on where you want to go with your future herd. If you're in it for the meat, get boers. If you think you might be interested in dairy, get some dairy goats. Not sure? get dairy does and a boer buck. Just make sure you get CLEAN animals. Most people are extremely worried about CL and CAE. if you get dairy goats, make sure they are from a tested CAE herd, and abcess free or tested free CL herd. With boer goats, Look for a tested or Abcess free herd. It only takes one goat to infect your property for years to come with CL. Not to mention, people and other animals can get CL. So there is quite the need to worry.

 

[Feral Nature]

Ideally, you would want "clean" Spanish-type goats. Often, those don't go hand in hand. I would rather have "CL-free" goats of the wrong sex and breed, than the right breed and sex of goat contaminated with CL (and thus contaminating my farm for a decade or so).

I would get does instead of wethers, but don't get high production dairy type stock does if you can't look after their udders, get "mutts" that don't produce much. (Yes, I know some "mutts" or crossbreeds do, not my point). I would NOT get a Boer buck or any buck at this point.

Get a few mediocre CLEAN does and learn/go from there.

 

[chris30523]

Will you be there? Or is this property that you will live on eventually? I have some boer crosses that might be what you are looking for.The boers get too heavy to jump too high but can find any hole you leave in the fence. Mine also have horns for cooling and protection and do occassionally stick their head where they shouldn't. I agree with the does . PM me if you are intrested in a trip to NE GA.

 

[Feral Nature]

Oh, and I agree on the LGD also. (Livestock Guardian Dog)

There are certain breeds that live with, bond with and protect goats from harm, such as Great Gyrenees. These are NOT herding breeds such as Border collies or Aussies. Worth every penny. Many of us here have had massive goat losses (or even just a goat or two killed) and THEN gor our LGDs.

Best investment ever and saves heartbreak and you can sleep at night.

http://www.lgd.org/lgdfaqs.html

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Thanks for all the advice and recommendations.

Chris: I sent you a PM.

Some further info in response to the advice/counsel: Our fence is (will be) 8 strands of barbed wire, spaced about six inches apart, with the lowest strand no more than 4 inches off the ground. We're closing in on a final decision about either putting in a couple of strands of electric or weaving in reinforcement to connect the the eight strands between posts. The fence is very taut now, and we'd like to keep it that way.

We do have coyotes, so predators are a problem. I've been looking for a burro as opposed to a dog. It could do double duty by pulling my little nephew around in a cart.

The primary use of the pasture will be to raise beef cattle, some for consumption and some for sale. The goats are more or less something I've wanted to try, and I've enjoyed being around my neighbors small herd. Basically, they're starting out as "brush/bush clearers", but there is a good market for goats in our area, especially with the Hispanic community.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Jim S.]

If you plan to market kids as meat to the general public, "clean" (which is in quotes for a reason, cuz no one really knows...see the CL thread herein) does not mean a thing. Your crop will be dead before it gets too much older than 6 months.

Good boer-cross meat goats about 5-6 months here go for $50-$65 a pop off the farm.

I do note though, that your goals seem to be changing now from your initial post. If your initial post still rules, I'd get me some brush goats and let them clear. You can still get the $50 for the kids for meat off the farm. That is exactly how I started 17 years ago, back when a cheap Boer was $5,000.

Some of my first mixed-up herd...the black and white at top right is a wether still with me now...those goats were some of the toughest I have owned...

 

[Jim S.]

Oh yeah, you'd better add some electric to that fence. Nothing has kept mine in except field fence.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Thanks Jim.

 

[Feral Nature]

Yes, field fencing for sure. Just for conversation, the toughest goat I have is a 10 year old Spanish/Alpine wether. He was one of triplets and has survived everything and has lived to tell about it. He rarely, rarely needs any more than hay or browse, he has been wormed only several times in his life and rarely has his hooves trimmed. No shots, no nothing really. He serves as a buck buddy. I did have him tested for CL and CAE at an advanced age prior to putting an expensive buck with him and he was a-okay.

He will outlive everything unless we BBQ him. He's huge, people think he's a bred doe.....sorry for the thread drift.

 

[DixyDoodle]

Just curious if some breeds are NOT considered to be good "bush hogs".

When I was having my goat fencing put up, I thought, "Oh heck, I'm not going to cut down the 4ft high bush in there, the goats will clear it out." Yeah, right! They would hardly even step into it, let alone eat it. They chose one little corner of it to play in and that was it. I have mostly dwarf/pygmy goats----not really the greatest for clearing bush anyhow, as they eat way little than a standard-size goat.

If breed is not an issue, are some considered better at eating scrub? Perhaps meat goat breeds?