Goats?

**nodmicks** · 03-12-2006, 04:50 PM

Does anyone by chance raise pygmy goats?

We have lots of grassy ditches and a big empty barn. Dh would like o get two females. How hard are they to care for? Tips? I sure love them in the petting zoo and I bet my ducks and dogs would love more company!

**nodmicks** · 03-14-2006, 05:19 PM

bump

**Darlene** · 03-14-2006, 07:36 PM

How neat for you! You'll probably get more answers on our sister site www.homesteadgarden.com

**nodmicks** · 03-15-2006, 07:10 AM

Thank you so much Darlene! I will checl it out!

**Hollyhandi** · 03-16-2006, 09:25 AM

Rodmick,
I have one male goat ( not pigmy ) (named Patches )
They are not that difficult to raise. they need good bedding and food, good amount of water, Nice clean place to move around in.
My sister has about 40 goats.
Two females sound good .
We feed our goat 18% pellets, cracked corn and hay. He also loves cheese curls.

**nodmicks** · 03-16-2006, 12:09 PM

Thanks Holly. Doing a bit more research I was thinking maybe a castrated male. I read that females have a heat approximately every 28 days and are very loud.

It does sound like they are pretty easy to take care of from what you have said! Thanks!

**madhen** · 03-16-2006, 12:53 PM

I have a dozen cashmere goats. They do need their hooves trimmed a couple of times per year, and they need annual vaccines. I feed mine a grass hay, they munch on the brush on my property, and I give them a mineral supplement manufactured by Purina. You should also worm them every couple of months, and the biggest loss among herd goats is due to internal parasites. The wormer is very easy to deliver orally and only needs to be done every 3 months or so.

**nodmicks** · 03-16-2006, 05:02 PM

Thank you. I assume we could get the meds at the feed store? Are cashmere goats large?

**madhen** · 03-16-2006, 05:05 PM

I get the wormer from the feed store, but the vaccinations from my vet. You can get the vet to give the vaccines to you and administer them yourself, I believe, but I have the vets do it, since it gives me another set of hands! Cashmeres are not a breed, specifically, so they come in all sizes. Most of mine are standard size, but I have one little girl who looks like a pygmy.

**Sari** · 04-19-2006, 10:25 PM

You all are lucky! I hope to be able to have goats one day. I can drink my weight in goat milk. YUM!

**tulipgraham** · 04-19-2006, 10:44 PM

You know, I have an extreme love of GOATS! Ever since high school, I have ALWAYS wanted goats. It is my dream to one day have a goat farm.

Did I say that I LOVE goats?

P.S. This weekend DH is taking me to a goat-petting farm.

**nodmicks** · 04-20-2006, 07:52 AM

We did get our goats a week ago. We ended up with a 2 year old female and a 3 month old male (who the vet will neuter in june).
The baby is still part bottle fed and so sweet!!!
We are noticing they are picky eatters! We bought the goat sweet mix and good hay. They eat the duck food (hormone free duck and goose pellets mixed with cracked corn)!!!!!!
The adult female frollics all over with the dog. They are always trying to get in the house. Dh fenced off a very large area for all my critters but I told him he needs 1 more piece of fence bocking them from the back door. LOL