backyard goat questions

[old fashioned]

It's not like we're planning on getting a goat in the near future, but we didn't *plan* on getting chickens either. I just kept thinking about it until one day said 'what the heck, why not'. That might work out okay for chickens, but I'm not so sure about a goat since it would take more care.
Our backyard is roughly 70x100 with the fenced garden area about 30x60. A goat would have to sleep with the chickens atleast for awhile. As for food, we'd probably have to buy 98% of it.

1. What shouldn't a goat eat? We have ivy growing in one back corner, is this poisonous to goats? I would also think raw potatoes would be a no-no, since it seems to be a bad thing for all other animals. Anything else?

2. I think most hay sold around here is either alfalfa or timothy, which one is for goats? Or do you feed hay to goats?

3. I know they have bags of goat 'pellet' feed (or something of the sort ) would we feed this as a daily treat or sole source of feed?

4. Just how much feed/hay is needed for one goat per day?

5. How much is too much of any one thing? I know some animals can bloat if feed is too rich or too much of one thing, like too much straight alfalfa for a cow & why it must be mixed with grass to cut it. But what about a goat?

I'm a total 'greenhorn' when it comes to goats, cause I never thought about having them before. I had always wanted cows, but since we'll probably never have the room for those it's time to think about a plan B....goats.



ETA: bales around here are square bales, if that makes any difference. Also please don't say X lbs since I don't have nor will I weigh out any hay or feed. So would it be say 1/3 bale, 1/2 bale or ??? per day and the bagged feed X cups or 1/2 standard coffee can or ??????


Also....thank you goat experts!!!

 

[nachoqtpie]

I'm glad that you asked this because I have some questions... We aren't allowed to have goats... (or chickens) but we're looking at moving to a farm when hubs gets out of the Marine Corps! I have lots of questions tho... and I don't want to hijack your thread... should I make another?

 

[Wannabefree]

1. goats shouldn't eat, iris, azalea, rhododendron, buttercups, or several others that I can't think of.

It would take a LOT of typing to help you with all these questions, so let me instead direct you to a terrific website where I found most of my information initially, instead. This should answer all your questions about goat care

www.fiascofarm.com LOTS OF INFO here!

 

[old fashioned]

I'm glad that you asked this because I have some questions... We aren't allowed to have goats... (or chickens) but we're looking at moving to a farm when hubs gets out of the Marine Corps! I have lots of questions tho... and I don't want to hijack your thread... should I make another?

I wouldn't consider it a hijack, since I'm sure I didn't ask 'everything' I'd need to know and didn't know to ask!

Wannabefree.....that IS an awesome site with lots of answers, thanks for posting it!!

 

[nachoqtpie]

That really IS an awesome site!! Thanks for that!!


I do have a couple more questions tho...

Say I want to fence in half an acre for goats, splitting it in half for 1/4 acre sections for rotating (daily, weekly, monthly??) (and for easier "catching" at milking time! ) Would I be able to keep milk goats and say... sheep in the same enclosure? If so, how many do you think that we would be able to keep? I'm thinking that I would like 2-3 goats (for milk and cheese, maybe soap making as well..) and a lamb... maybe 2 and the sheep would be for meat.

Also, would a barn like structure with knee to hip high "fence" to make some stalls to be able to enclose them in when needed work? (also with a door to close the barn in) I remember when I was REALLY young we had goats (I couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 years old) and I remember them being in what I think was an old hog barn. I could be mistaken tho.

 

[miss_thenorth]

That really IS an awesome site!! Thanks for that!!


I do have a couple more questions tho...

Say I want to fence in half an acre for goats, splitting it in half for 1/4 acre sections for rotating (daily, weekly, monthly??) (and for easier "catching" at milking time! ) Would I be able to keep milk goats and say... sheep in the same enclosure? If so, how many do you think that we would be able to keep? I'm thinking that I would like 2-3 goats (for milk and cheese, maybe soap making as well..) and a lamb... maybe 2 and the sheep would be for meat.

Also, would a barn like structure with knee to hip high "fence" to make some stalls to be able to enclose them in when needed work? (also with a door to close the barn in) I remember when I was REALLY young we had goats (I couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 years old) and I remember them being in what I think was an old hog barn. I could be mistaken tho.

for 1/2 an acre, I wouldn't worry about cross fencing it, and I also wouldn't worry about cathcing a goat for milking time. Mine comes to the fence half hour before milking time and cries for me to come get her. And then RUNS to the milking stand.

And I have my 2 sheep, goat, cow and two horses living together on my three acres, well they have about 2 and a bit to graze on. Works fine. the onlyissue is minerals. I hand feed loose minerals to all my critters, as the all have different requirements, an while the goat, horses, and cow can have copper, the sheep cannot as it can kill them. They all, for now, eat the same type of hay, but I'm sure that will change once they are all bred--I am looking into that, as all but the horses will be bred this year.

 

[nachoqtpie]

okay... so a half an acre should be good for 2-3 goats and 1-2 lambs without the worry of having to freed hay? Or should I offer it anyways?

I'm also thinking about doing a cow or 2 and a horse or 2. Think 2 acres would be enough for them? The cows would be for meat, not milk.

 

[Javamama]

1. There is a list on Fiasco
2. I feed alfalfa to my goats or an alfalfa mix, but you are going to get differing opinions on this
3. I only feed grain - about 1.5 cups per goat at milking time - to my does in milk, otherwise they are fine on hay - again, for every person you ask, you will probably get a different opinion
4. I don't have mine on pasture right now and 4 mini-manchas eat a bale about every 2 or 3 days. A bale being a small square that weighs 40-50 pounds. They do waste some, which I use for bedding, and to compost into the garden
5. You just have to introduce new foods slowly to most goats and watch and see how they react. I have one that can eat anything, and one who is a little more sensitive.


While they probably could share the chicken area, you must make sure they cannot get to the chicken feed. And chicken feed is like crack to goats, so it's pretty difficult to keep them out of it. Chicken feed is bad, bad, bad news for them.
I have 4 mini-manchas in an area that is maybe 20 x 50. Sometimes I walk them on a leash out to the 1/2 acre pasture area that we plan on fencing some day so they can browse and exercise.
Even with 1/2 acre I think you will need hay. They eat alot!
Also, if you choose well socialized goats, you won't have trouble catching them for milking. They will hound you for love and treats And they get scheduled very well - mine flipped out yesterday when I wanted to milk them 45 minutes early. They were so confused that they couldn't remember how to get to the milk stand But if I was to have been late, then they would be out there pacing and hollering.

If you want to build stalls in a barn, then I recommend partitions be at least 4 feet high. Most goats climb and jump very well.

 

[ksalvagno]

Also, would a barn like structure with knee to hip high "fence" to make some stalls to be able to enclose them in when needed work? (also with a door to close the barn in)

Goats would have no problem jumping over that height. You would want at least 4 foot high fencing or whatever to make stalls.

so a half an acre should be good for 2-3 goats and 1-2 lambs without the worry of having to freed hay? Or should I offer it anyways?

Depending on size of goats and sheep. I would say don't count on it and plan to feed hay. The weather has so much to do with it. Have a drought year or rainy (where they can't be out on pasture) and they won't have enough. Also, they say to have an acre per horse so if you are going to put all the animals on 2 acres, you will definitely not have enough grazing for all those animals.

 

[nachoqtpie]

Well... we haven't bought any land yet... we're just trying to get an idea on how much land we should get. I think we're going to go with 1/4-1/2 acre of garden, 1/2 acre for goats/sheep, 1/2 acre for chickens (1/4 for eggs and 1/4 for meat, good or bad idea? or would 1/4 with a mix of meat and eggs work? Or be too big?), 1/4 acre mixed orchard, 1/4 acre for dogs (we have Greyhounds), and 2-4 acres for horses/cattle.

As far as the "stalls" I was thinking of them more for the sheep than the goats.