Who Has Goats?

[Old School 3319]

I would make sure the fence openings are small. Many years ago we had a couple of goats for pets. Even though we had ALOT of foraging inside the fence, one goat would constantly stick his head through the fence to forage, and with his tiny curved horns, could never pull his head back out by himself. Got to be tiresome.

Several years ago I rescued a sheep and a goat for a family friend who was going off to collage. they were fun animals. The sheep was locally famous for escaping its farm and going to the bar several miles down the road. by the time i recieved him he was older and at the end of his life. We spoiled him until he passed away they were alot of fun.

 

[mso489]

Posts refer to goat body parts, but I have only been lured by their personalities. Once on lunch break from work, outside a Chinese buffet, a little kid, that is a very young goat, clip-clopped up to me from nowhere (adjoining former farm house probably) and I could not resist picking it up. It was completely friendly and immediately commenced eating my necktie, which was just fine with me. I understand they are also cooperative about eating stands of poison ivy and other scrub brush. Goats are good company, but as mentioned, require some fencing to limit some damage they can do.

 

[anantaandroscoggin]

Now I'm curious how they are with eating bamboo. Perhaps renting a couple of them to exterminate the two over-large bamboo (and ever-expanding) patches that some previous owner of this place allowed to gain a foothold.

 

[trouttimes]

I had a goat business for several years. I would place goats on land to reclaim and do wild fire mitigation. Very profitable, small overhead. One giant problem...had a very hard time finding goat herders. Had to give up business because I couldn't find help. Goats will eat a lot clear fast down to the dirt. They tend to roam so fencing is VIP. Mountain lions love them so expect some loss. Easy to sell when the time comes.

 

[mso489]

My wife did food writing on Long Island and had reason to visit goat farmers from time to time, and was gently asked not to let the goats eat her reporter's notebook because it would spoil the flavor of the goats' milk. I've always been impressed by the sociable friendliness of goats, and also donkeys who always seem to want to "chat" and have their foreheads rubbed.

 

[anotherbob]

I'm in the process of moving to a house with a lot more room for outdoor projects. First on my list is to add a few farm animals to the estate.. Goats ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? will be my first endeavor. Who has goats?

I resemble a goat in many ways. Not sure that helps.

 

[karam]

Fun goat fact, Yugoslavia's Tito banned goats as hazards to nature.

 

[olkofri]

Same thing here.

Ditto here. You actually don't need a licence to hunt them. Farmers pay you to shoot them: I'm looking for said farmers, I can use the cash.

Problem here is that you can't hunt them after nightfall, or from choppers like some do below parallel 49° N.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Now I'm curious how they are with eating bamboo. Perhaps renting a couple of them to exterminate the two over-large bamboo (and ever-expanding) patches that some previous owner of this place allowed to gain a foothold.

Not sure on goats, but bamboo is poisonous to most mammals. They have cyanogenic glycosides- carbohydrate-based molecules that release cyanide when broken down in the digestive system. Animals that eat them typically have evolved to produce special enzymes or other tricks for dealing with it.

 

[olkofri]

I stay away from the Big farms that produce chickens the size of Turkeys.

C'mon, what's wrong with supermutant chickens? ?

 

[Snow Hill]

I can never understand quite how awful bacon is in America. My family there always ask me to smuggle in British bacon when I make a trip over. And America's aversion to lamb is equally baffling. It was once excruciatingly dismissed by an elderly American relative of mine (in less enlightened times) as "[n-word] meat". But American beef — peerless.

The last package of bacon I purchased at the grocery store smelled like ammonia and urine...and that was years ago. No more.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

The last package of bacon I purchased at the grocery store smelled like ammonia and urine...and that was years ago. No more.

For pre-packaged store bought bacon, Wright’s isn’t too bad.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Do you have a cliff to push them to if you get lonely? That's the deal breaker on a property with goats, in my opinion.

? Kind of reminds me of that old Four Tops song, “Ain’t No Woman (Like a One-Eye Goat).” ?

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I resemble a goat in many ways. Not sure that helps.

Somehow I knew that.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

? Kind of reminds me of that old Four Tops song, “Ain’t No Woman (Like a One-Eye Goat).” ?

How long will I be singing this? ?

 

[newbroom]

I've had experience with a small animal farming self provisioning situation.
I did buy a lot of prepared food for them, and learned that the best diet resulted in the most healthy animal.
We had goats, and only for their milk. We kept our 'herd' small by selling off the kids and replacing as needed. Had 'em more than 10 yrs...
They' re friendly if skittish and sensitive creatures and as with most lactating animals, perform best with regularity.
I built a small 'goat barn' with space for hay storage and a milk stand, grain storage and lots of open airflow...I live in FL.
The animals themselves do require a bit of maintenance. Hooves should be trimmed rather than allowed to grow over to the point of hobbling the animal. If they're on rough surfaces, they tend to take care of themselves.
Horn buds. I learned to burn off those things. It was not fun.
My late ex-wife did the milking most of the time..she was the main proponent initially for the goats...my hands allowed me to use about 2 fingers...and of course, if I milked, it was not their routine so I didn't get them to let as much down.
I guess if you don't want the milk, you don't have to feed them as good.
One thing about the smell and taste is that if you don't keep a stinking old billy goat on your premises, you won't get that taste. Also...diet.
We had Nubians...they're not the most productive, but their milk fat content is highest...the milk tasted fantastic.

 

[3rdguy]

Anything with nipples you can milk.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

 

[Perique]

I raised goats for many years. AMA.