for some reason, i've always wanted a goat as a pet. i always assumed that without living on a farm, it would be a pain for me as well as cruel to the goat to keep one. however, some recent browsing around has possibly proven otherwise.

i'm not really concerned about cost unless it's just astronomical. i already have a dog and cat that stay in my wallet anyway. a few of my main questions and concerns:

1. i have a large backyard that's about 1/2 grass and 1/2 natural areas. probably 1/2 acre total. it has a 4ft. chain link fence enclosing it. is this a big enough area? can they jump out?

2. i do have some nice landscaping and somewhat expensive plants/bushes around my patio, are they going to get eaten? also, i don't care about nice grass since it's the back yard but my lot slopes enough that something needs to stay on the ground to combat erosion. is this going to be a problem?

3. do they require daily attention like a dog, or would they be okay to leave for say a weekend as long as adequate food, water, shelter, etc. was provided?

4. are they trainable at all? i don't want it to sit, lay down, and rollover but it'd be nice if it would come when called or quit doing something wrong if i told it to.

5. what would be the best breed? it looks like pygmy or dwarf goats might be. i would really love a myotonic one, but purely for the entertainment of them falling over.

6. are they allowed in the city limits?

7. how noisy are they in terms of bother neighbors at night, etc.?

8. since i have a garage on the back of the property, i have the need to have the gate open to bring a car, trailer, or something through sometimes. will they stay in their place, or would i need to have a seperate holding pen so they're not darting out at every chance?

8. do they keep their living area/bedding clean, or am i going to be wading through crap and piss changing it every other day?

that's all i can think of off the top of my head. basically, i'd love to have another pet that is fairly independent and doesn't have to come in the house. if this is a bad idea, i'll probably just adopt an outdoor cat or two instead.

2/28/2008 10:59:53 AM

ok, MacGyver

[Edited on February 28, 2008 at 11:03 AM. Reason : e]

2/28/2008 11:02:06 AM

Gotta name him Bill E. Goat

2/28/2008 11:06:34 AM

i'm no goat expert, but i think they could jump a 4ft fence if they really wanted to

2/28/2008 11:11:16 AM

hahaha odd i've always wanted a goat too.

2/28/2008 11:13:53 AM

They can also co-host sportcenter



[Edited on February 28, 2008 at 11:15 AM. Reason : . ]

2/28/2008 11:14:41 AM

Quote :

"1. i have a large backyard that's about 1/2 grass and 1/2 natural areas. probably 1/2 acre total. it has a 4ft. chain link fence enclosing it. is this a big enough area? can they jump out?"

so youre saying you have a half acre of land for them to roam? that is plenty. we have 2 in a wooden/wire mesh fence enclosed in only part of our backyard. they can jump and do some crazy tricks. just dont put any sort of housing or rocks near the edge of the fence and you should be fine.

but do provide them with a rock or two to stand on. they love it. we built them a big oversized dog house and they jump up on the roof and like to stand and sleep there too.

Quote :

"2. i do have some nice landscaping and somewhat expensive plants/bushes around my patio, are they going to get eaten? also, i don't care about nice grass since it's the back yard but my lot slopes enough that something needs to stay on the ground to combat erosion. is this going to be a problem?"

if the yard is big enough they probably wont create much of a problem. just make sure that their housing/bedding areas are in a spot where you might not be worried about the grass getting a bit torn up with constant beating down from their hooves.

ill tell you from experience about bushes/plants tho, they love to eat shrubbery

Quote :

"3. do they require daily attention like a dog, or would they be okay to leave for say a weekend as long as adequate food, water, shelter, etc. was provided?"

Theyre not too bad considering they stay outside and will just go the bathroom wherever they please in their area. So usually sufficient food is good enough for a weekend. If my parents are gone for more than a weekend they have a neighbor check on their food and water like once a day.

Quote :

"4. are they trainable at all? i don't want it to sit, lay down, and rollover but it'd be nice if it would come when called or quit doing something wrong if i told it to."

ummm hard to remember. not so much from what i recall though from my parents' goats.

Quote :

"5. what would be the best breed? it looks like pygmy or dwarf goats might be. i would really love a myotonic one, but purely for the entertainment of them falling over."

my parents have one of each pygmy and dwarf i think. i recommend females. the guys like to pee on themselves or other goats lol.

Quote :

"6. are they allowed in the city limits?"

not sure. my parents are just outside of the charlotte city limits so i cant help you there.

Quote :

"7. how noisy are they in terms of bother neighbors at night, etc.?"

no worse than an outdoor dog if not better. if something is bothering them they will make noise. otherwise they sleep at night.

Quote :

"8. since i have a garage on the back of the property, i have the need to have the gate open to bring a car, trailer, or something through sometimes. will they stay in their place, or would i need to have a seperate holding pen so they're not darting out at every chance?"

my parents have 2 leashes tied up to trees and our goats have collars. they just leash them up quick when they need to. they also like to go for walks and the collars come in handy for that haha.

Quote :

"8. do they keep their living area/bedding clean, or am i going to be wading through crap and piss changing it every other day? "

they will pee and crap wherever they want, so you wont really be 'changing' anything like you would with cat litter or anything.

[Edited on February 28, 2008 at 11:29 AM. Reason : ]

2/28/2008 11:15:42 AM

i kinda want one too.


im adding this yo "my topics"

2/28/2008 11:15:59 AM

^^awesome, thanks.

[Edited on February 28, 2008 at 11:27 AM. Reason : .]

2/28/2008 11:26:17 AM

i know several people who raise goats. let me know if you decide you want one and i can probably get you a deal. i think one guy has dealt in the fainting ones before.

2/28/2008 11:26:56 AM

i know they are not allowed within rocky mount city limits (nor any other farm animal), but i'm not sure about raleigh

2/28/2008 1:40:23 PM

I used to have a pygmy goat a long time ago, so i will try to answer these the best i know how. You should also ask pwrstrkdf250 as i know that he has goats.

Goats are my favorite livestock as they can be fairly intelligent and like interaction. As with anything though, please PLEASE do thorough research before you go and buy a goat and then end up having to get rid of it for something that could have been prevented.

1. i have a large backyard that's about 1/2 grass and 1/2 natural areas. probably 1/2 acre total. it has a 4ft. chain link fence enclosing it. is this a big enough area? can they jump out?

I'd say you have a big enough space, the goat would definately need to have some sort of shelter/pen. I would say that you would be okay with the fence, but i have a feeling it would be able to get out of that somehow. Definately don't have anything near the fence that the goat could climb and jump over it. Also, don't forget you want to make sure nothing else can get IN! Dogs and other predators can do a number on goats. A dog could jump over a 4 ft. fence :-/


2. i do have some nice landscaping and somewhat expensive plants/bushes around my patio, are they going to get eaten? also, i don't care about nice grass since it's the back yard but my lot slopes enough that something needs to stay on the ground to combat erosion. is this going to be a problem?

Haha, I would try and block off any precious shrubbery if i were you - make sure also that nothing is toxic to the animal as well.

3. do they require daily attention like a dog, or would they be okay to leave for say a weekend as long as adequate food, water, shelter, etc. was provided?

Ideally yes, but if they have adequate food and water supply around (and no, not just a bucket that can get tipped over and spill all at once) they should be okay for a couple of days. Any longer and i would have someone come in and check on them.

4. are they trainable at all? i don't want it to sit, lay down, and rollover but it'd be nice if it would come when called or quit doing something wrong if i told it to.

My pygmy would come when called and liked to play and run and such. They are also halter trainable. Other then that . . you kinda have to remember they are livestock and not dogs

5. what would be the best breed? it looks like pygmy or dwarf goats might be. i would really love a myotonic one, but purely for the entertainment of them falling over.

pygmys are a good first goat in my opinion, but do your research and see what is available. Go to the goat show when they have it at the fair grounds!! That's some fun right there I would love a dwarf goat myself.

6. are they allowed in the city limits?

I do not know the answer to this one, as i'm from VA


7. how noisy are they in terms of bother neighbors at night, etc.?

I think they are less annoying than dogs barking, it also depends on how close you are to your neighbors too, might want to ask them their opinion.

8. since i have a garage on the back of the property, i have the need to have the gate open to bring a car, trailer, or something through sometimes. will they stay in their place, or would i need to have a seperate holding pen so they're not darting out at every chance?

I would reccomend a seperate holding pen. They like a place that they will feel safe, and you can put them in the pen at night, let them out in the morning. Also if you need to give it medication or any other routine care, it's a good idea to have a pen so you're not chasing it all over the yard.

8. do they keep their living area/bedding clean, or am i going to be wading through crap and piss changing it every other day?

Heh, i dont' remember that they pee/poop in one place in particular, although we did have a female goat. Be prepared to do cleaning though, they will wear down grass in their pen area, so have plenty of hay to spread around so they're not hanging out in the mud all the time. You don't want to have to deal with any sort of disease or hoof rot man, yuck.

Some additional things to think about (not trying to deter or frustrate you, but they need to be considered) :
- Is there a vet close to you that would treat a goat?
- Can you afford to treat it if something happened? Routine parasite/worming?
- Do you have ready access to goat feed and hay?
- What kind of housing do you want to make for your goat? They need to stay dry at all times, have shade from the heat and have warmth from the cold. They also like to have things to climb on too.
- How many goats do you want? just one or two?
- If you get two, think about what sexes you want. Like someone already mentioned, male goats tend to mark themselves with their own piss which doesn't exactly smell great. If you get just one goat, remember that goats are herd animals, they like company. One goat is possible but it will need extra attention and would call out more, making more noise.
- Animals attract other animals. Rats and mice like to eat feed so make sure to keep your feed in some sort of rodent proof bin.
- If you are going to keep hay on the premises, make sure to keep it off the ground and dry - moldy damp hay = bad!
- They will head butt you and your other pets

These are just a few things to get you started on the thinking process, in the meantime check out websites and books.
http://www.npga-pygmy.com/ is a good place to start (pygmy goats)

Good luck! and if you get one you better post some pictures . . there is nothing cuter than a baby goat

2/28/2008 6:43:50 PM

i had a feeling bbr made this thread before i even looked

[Edited on February 28, 2008 at 6:52 PM. Reason : jk]

2/28/2008 6:52:43 PM

2/28/2008 7:16:21 PM

we have 6 semi- pet goats that wander loose in the winter when there are no crops for them to eat. we keep them in a 4' high cattle panel fence in the summer. I thought about putting them with my cows, but there is a big difference between a cattle fence and a goat fence. When I was a child, we had a dairy goat that my mother milked for us and she was housetrained. she was as much a pet as any dog. I've had them that would follow you and want to be petted, and others that wouldn't let you touch them, even when I raised them from birth. Billy goats can be ornery and stink pretty bad but wethers and females are good pets.

2/28/2008 7:23:30 PM

We had a pet goat when I was in middle/high school. Make sure you do your research, and I would definitely recommend a miniature female. I lived on a farm with plenty of space, but our male goat was BIG and mean. (I am unsure of the specific breed, but he was a 'meat' goat.)

He had giant horns that he constantly wanted to "fight" everything with - ramming his horns into trees, posts, and even people when they would come near. There are rings around trees where he would strip the bark. He ate every bush and shrub around, and he constantly smelled because he would pee in his beard and mark every square inch. We eventually sold him to another farm where he could be bred, but it's been 5 years and my mom still swears you can go in the back yard and get a wiff of goat-smell.

He started out all cute and small and cuddly ... then he grew to at least >150 pounds. Livestock don't really make the greatest 'pets.'

2/28/2008 9:22:03 PM

Quote :

"he constantly smelled because he would pee in his beard"

I think some of the bums on Hillsboro St. use this technique.

2/28/2008 10:35:46 PM

i've always thought it was 1 head per acre in raleigh unless it has changed. so, if this still stands true, no you cannot legally own one if you have a half acre. now, you might can get away with it if your neighbors don't mind and no passer by's report it. i have been friends for years with a fam in the five points area and they sometime bring their animals home from the farm esp. if they were preggo or something. as far as i know, nobody ever complained. i always enjoyed it. also, from my experience, i'd be a little concerned about a 4 ft fence. i love goats! they can get frisky and get into trouble. something to think about.

2/29/2008 2:57:10 AM

3/26/2008 1:44:48 PM

THUG LIFE

3/28/2008 7:01:45 PM

3/30/2008 4:14:45 PM

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/grd/601888441.html

4/7/2008 7:35:51 PM

ttt

6/12/2008 3:45:07 PM

^^^ I want a goat now.

6/12/2008 3:58:51 PM

We've had goats for years, and I've always liked them a lot. When I was a child, we had a registered toggenburg that my mother bought when I was 3 months old because I never liked cow's milk and goat's milk is healthier. We had fresh goat milk every day. She was an excellent pet and was even housebroken. She lived over 12 years. Now we have 6 females that are basically pets. We let them roam around and browse during the fall and winter and shut them up when we start planting crops. I also have sheep and cows, but I'm still partial to goats. Their mannerisms are like no other animal and nothing is cuter than a baby goat. I've got 3 lambs under a month old right now, but they don't have anything on a baby goat.

6/12/2008 10:21:42 PM

9/1/2008 11:17:31 AM

my dad's sister has had pet goats. that lived indoors. weird shit.

9/1/2008 11:28:20 AM

they will eat everything you own. get a sheep.

9/1/2008 11:32:11 AM

and

are still two of the most adorable things I have ever seen.

9/1/2008 11:44:12 AM

i dont think i will be able to eat goat anymore after watching that video

[Edited on September 1, 2008 at 11:48 AM. Reason : !]

9/1/2008 11:47:31 AM

i want a goat

9/1/2008 2:55:00 PM

i've got half an acre i need cleared of english ivy and scrub

think one goat can take care of that? seems all i'd need it some fencing to keep it in (i think county law says i can only have one)

9/1/2008 4:06:50 PM

I have heard of people 'renting' out their goats to clear brush.

9/1/2008 4:09:47 PM

depending on the price, i'd do that (the cost of the fencing would matter, as well)

but i'm perfectly content to get the goat, let it eat up everything, and then butcher it

9/1/2008 4:14:46 PM

My friend randomly acquired a goat. It's pretty funny because when we go shooting in his back yard you can hear that shit nom nom noming on the grass out there.

9/1/2008 6:00:05 PM

BCSAWYER forgot to mention that those goats are fat as hell, they look like melted marshmallows on the lawn when they are just hanging around. When they were young and lean they would clear a 4' fence no sweat, didnt even need a running start.

9/1/2008 8:45:11 PM