um... I've got goats

Feeling theatened that I may no longer be the biggest hillbilly in the cellar, I have purchased goats. This will also soften the upcoming fall of civilization. Pictures to come!

Tinker

Daisy

Molly

They are each about ten weeks old, cute as the dickens, bred by my Dr., and of mixed heritage.

I like!

10 weeks and they're already horny. :eek6:

I gotta say that's fantastic. Are you lookin to milk them eventually? (Will you make cheese?)

Griff, you'll always be my 2nd favorite hillbilly.

(No one tops Slang, of course.)

I just love that WTF face Tinker is giving you in the first picture :lol:

At this point we'll probably breed one for milk and cheese making. My property is badly overgrown with multiflora rose, Russian olive, and autumn olive. Goats love that stuff! I'm going to build a lot of fence and use the temporary electric to move them around. They are crossbred dairy/meat so we can expect decent meat production so maybe in a couple generations we'll locate some ethnic types who have a freezer. They really are sweet though so I may just end up with a population problem. The kid's (human) old jungle gym is inside their fence, you should have seen the kids (capra) trying to run up the slide. :lol:

Griff wrote:

and of mixed heritage.

Just what exactly do you mean by that? :eyebrow:

Tonchi wrote:

I just love that WTF face Tinker is giving you in the first picture :lol:

She is definitely the brain of the organization and she's willing to assert her [cartman]authority[/cartman] despite her diminutive size. She's the herd boss and takes care of all interspecies communication.

Brianna wrote:

Just what exactly do you mean by that? :eyebrow:

They are from Saanen, Boer, Nubian, etc.. stock. My MD has been breeding these animals for a while as part of his hard core country living reaction to having a real career.

Didn't one of our Aussie Dwellars have some demon goats or something like that?

Sun_Sparkx has the Goat-from-Hell, I believe.

Goats are more fun to watch than a weiner-dog on a waxed floor. Going up the down slide on a play set is very typical, they are very creative and persistant about finding the highest vantage point. Your pickup or car, shed roof, the woodpile or the house roof, they are all fair game. I have also heard they can turn doorknobs and get into places you never expect to find them, it's harder to goat-proof your property than you will imagine. You're going to catch them doing some pretty amazing stuff, so keep the camera handy!

Have a pigmy goat near us. Has struck up an endearing friendship with a donkey that is in the same field. They are inseparable and spend all their time together. Will try for a photo at the weekend if possible (i.e they are out and about).

Griff wrote:

They are from Saanen, Boer, Nubian, etc.. stock. My MD has been breeding these animals for a while as part of his hard core country living reaction to having a real career.

Oh, they're American goats. :lol:

Hey Griff we got some goats, some horses and some cattle..............think the goats r my fav tho........urs are way too cute....... :joint: :D

Griff, yesterday I went to the Fresno County Fair, one of the things which is really cool about living here. I spent a lot of time watching the FFA guys showing their goats, it was the same procedures as showing Australian Shepherds, they even move the feet so the goat is standing in an elegant position and looking noble, or as much as a goat CAN look elegant and noble. There were also some newborn kids, very tiny like cats because their mom is a dwarf breed. All the Nubians stood up on their hind legs with their front hooves on the top of the fence and tried to nibble our hair. Goats also try to talk to people who come to their pens, unlike the cattle at the Fair who just lie there and poop.

If I didn't live in a condo, I'd probably have gone home with a few goats of my own :blush:

That afternoon, the Honorable Governator Ahnold visited the Fresno Fair and was photographed holding a baby goat! I missed seeing that, but I did get within 10 feet of him in the Agriculture Exposition building, where he squeezed peaches (gotcha, Bruce!), patted babies, and made a speech about how Fresno County was the foodbasket of the world. Yeah, it really WAS, once, when I first visited here in 1970, but now the local officials have become whores of the developers and have allowed most of that finest agricultural land in the world to be paved and covered with sprawling, hideous subdivisions for which there are no trees, parks, water, or public transportation. I don't wanna get started on that, though, because the Fair is one POSITIVE experience we have every year and I always look forward to it. Anyway, Ahnold is much shorter than 6 feet tall, his hair is dyed and sprayed like a Texan's, and he was wearing makeup. He also stood there patiently with a grin frozen on his face while a 90-year-old Republican fan shouted the chorus of "God Bless America" in his face (that was painful even from 10 feet away.

All in all, the goats were a lot more fun than the Governor :D

My Goats name is fran.. theres a thread here somewhere. When i got her i was.. TERRIFIED. trust me.. DO NOT spoil your baby goats.. if they think for one second that they have it over you.. god help you! and make sure as they grow you maintain their enclosure to suit their size. they can jump.. and they can climb.. and they can head butt, and they can squish through VERY small holes and they can kenive and they can try outsmart you and they can be mean and they can fly through the air and they can brainwash you into spending copius amounts of money on them!!!

But i LOVE my franny. she is my favourite animal of all.. just get a few goat books on training and health and youll be ok. (watch out for their under hooves.. VERY sensitive to things like wet grass, too much sandy dirt, too much concrete etc.)

Tonchi wrote:

I missed seeing that, but I did get within 10 feet of him in the Agriculture Exposition building, where he squeezed peaches (gotcha, Bruce!), patted babies, and made a speech about how Fresno County was the foodbasket of the world.

Aww..you got my goat. :smack:

They really are wonderful animals. They were born in a pasture with electric page fencing and we put up the same kind so they rarely test it. They wiped out the first block of brush we fenced in and they're working on the second. We put them in an old garden plot between and they left that fence alone. We're going to get more electric fencing and a permanent fence for around their shed.

Poor Ahnoldt. ;)

Cool for you! the cheese potential is particularly interesting.
Raising goats for mohair is big in Texas, I attended some shearing contests back in the day. It was a wild scene. Best of luck.

Curry

You're talking about what you use to brush those lovely mohair coats on those goats, right, a curry comb. He named them, you see. You can't e - a - t anything you've named. You should know that.

pictures pictures PICTURES!

Bring on the crazy animal pictures. I live for them! I wish we were home more so that I could get a pet...I live vicariously through all of you :)

goats huh... cool! But their poops really stink!

BigV wrote:

You're talking about what you use to brush those lovely mohair coats on those goats, right, a curry comb. He named them, you see. You can't e - a - t anything you've named. You should know that.

Wanna bet? That's what Rise, Shine, Up, Attem, Day and Night might have thought, but they were delicious. Mmmmm...bacon. :biggrin:

Birria! Nothing is too tough if you boil it for two days :yum:

Griff reminded me when he told how they mowed through the brush around his house. Southern California is now experimenting with placing herds of goats in the hills above those very burnable subdivisions. They clear out all the dry brush and weeds miraculously, and you don't have to pay them minimum wage. Sounds like that has potential for creating new jobs: seasonal migrant workers with their trailer loaded with goats, hiring out to protect the most affluent residential areas in the state :)

LabRat wrote:

Bring on the crazy animal pictures. I live for them! I wish we were home more so that I could get a pet...I live vicariously through all of you :)

Nothing crazy here we missed the goat in the bush pic... maybe next time.



and a nice fall shot

They are so cute! Now I want me some goats...

They're adorable! :love: I'm so glad you haven't cut the horns off them, but don't turn your back because goats think it's really funny to rush up behind you and butt.

Daisy accidentally nailed me in the chest Saturday. It's like they're always cocked. Considering the marks I have at the end of the work week, de nada. I keep missing great pics. Molly bounced almost staight up in the air and landed solid atop the metal garbage can we put their grain in. These are some serious circus folk.

If I had a goat I would name it Sylvia

Toad, we need a GOAT icon here :)

Wait until Santarum reads that one. :lol: He just may have time to catch up on his reading soon.

Your chest?! Isn't that uncomfortably close to your face? I can't imagine having one of these things going off in my nose/teeth/eyes/forehead. I'd be flat out on my back with little cartoon goats prancing in a circle around my mashed brain.

How did they catch you in the chest?

I was leaning over her removing her leash. She may look bigger in the pics than she really is. They're only about 2' at the shoulder right now.

So Griff, I am also charmed by them. Could one be a city pet? I reckon I don't have any chance to keep more than one. Are they ok alone? Will I run out of grass?

I know a couple of friends who keep chickens in their backyards and potbelly pigs were chic a while back. But your goats are off the scale adorable. What do you think?

They need company but human company will do. They really love bushes not grass so if you have any shrubs, they're gone day one. The minatures (pygmies) stay pretty tiny, mine are going to get pretty big. I really don't know how they handle confined lots, maybe search some breeder info on the net?

http://www.theminiaturegoatclub.com/home.html

I've heard that goats can be litterbox trained, but I don't have any proof of that. Their poopies are similar to rabbits, easy enough to clean up, but urine can be a problem. They also have very strong scent glands on some males, so that can be a consideration. Considering how innovative these guys are about climbing or jumping over things, it would be hard to keep them in your urban yard without escapes. Most cities also have laws against having anything listed as a farm animal within the city limits, as I discovered in Phoenix when I bought some chickens for our Border Collie to herd.

local shelter goats

I searched high and low and found no objections to goats in Seattle's online resources. I know some barnyard animals are ok, cause I know families with chickens just blocks away. I will call the shelter in the morning and talk to someone.

Maybe a pair of miniature angora goats. Hehe. I crack myself up. I haven't even talked to SWMBO yet. I might have to book a room at that shelter myself. We'll see.

Thanks a ton Griff!

Just because she's okay with Slizzie, don't assume that SWMBO will be as enthralled with something that needs regular grooming and that you have to run after with a shovel.

I find the idea of being able to spin yarn and then knit a sweater somewhat attractive.

Not a shovel, Wolf, actually a dust pan is what those 4H'ers at the Fair used.

But goats DO eat snakes, V, (they eat just about anything except the tin cans that the cartoons show, or at least stomp on it pretty well). The minis I saw at the Fair were no larger than a Maine Coon cat, maybe they were still rather young, but I don't know what kind of temperament they have. The ones I saw just looked afraid of being stepped on :worried:

BigV wrote:

local shelter goats

They've got 35 goats at the shelter? :shock:

Hmmmm... that could be a strike against. Any shot of getting the goat aquisition through parliment?

Here's a goat for ya Griff. Sorry to tread on your thread here but just thought I'd throw this little Nigerian goat at ya. :)

He's probably going off to eat some wood.

sycamore wrote:

(No one tops Slang, of course.)

Thanks Syc but I've morphed into another life*. Not even in the running now.


* - will always carry LARGE bore handguns though.

slang wrote:

* - will always carry LARGE bore handguns though.

I've always been a rifleman. I bow to your superior short arm status.

Thanks for the Nigerian goat from the source. I am one sore puppy tonight from building fence for our three little gals.

If you didn't put a mesh cover over the top, it was probably wasted effort :D

thanks!

*napkin and pencil* 660/4 =165'x165'=27225sqft that's a fair sized lid

Maybe just an overhanging rim, on the inside so the fence is L shaped in cross section. Well an inverted L would be more like it but this keyboard doesn't have that key, so we'll all just have to use our imaginations.

Have they anything to climb on on the fence? Is it all verticals? Like planks versus grid-like wire?

It's 4"x4" page wire pretty good stuff actually but the terrain makes for a couple touchy spots not to mention that we came up about 15 feet short and had to cob two sections that will eventually be gates. The goats are quite pleased with their new space.

So when you getting the little fellers?

Still dreamin'. I **loved** your remark about shrubs being gone day one. I laughed out loud (that's lol to you internet whippersnappers out there). SWMBO loves her rose bushes, and I think that the 10 or 12 we have in the back yard wouldn't tide the little nippers over for too long. I'm still thinking of how to swing the deal. Still thinking. And the potty training/litterbox thang is appealing. I wonder how a baby/pygmy/mini would do in the house. Ok, I thought about it for a minute and that's probably not a good idea. I already have to chase one kid off the back of the couch as it is. I wouldn't want to have the little goat corrupted, so, outside.

You mentioned leashes. Do you walk them? Would they cooperate/enjoy it?

Like I said, I'm still thinking.

BigV wrote:

You mentioned leashes. Do you walk them? Would they cooperate/enjoy it?

We only used a leash to lead them from the shed to an overgrown fenced in garden. I think they'd get the hang of it right away,though. The rose bush situation could be a deal breaker unless you could do some fencing that isn't an eyesore.

BigV wrote:

Maybe just an overhanging rim, on the inside so the fence is L shaped in cross section. Well and inverted L would be more like it but this keyboard doesn't have that key, so we'll all just have to use our imaginations.

Have they anything to climb on on the fence? Is it all verticals? Like planks versus grid-like wire?

LOL I had this image flash through my mind of a concentration camp with the top of the fence bent inwards and coils of barbed wire strung around it :D

Griff, maybe you can tie a bowling ball to a rope strung from their collars. Well, it works on Australian Shepherds.... :eek6:

I eeeeaaaaased into this topic, I said to SWMBO, "Hey, can I show you a cute picture?"

"What?"

"Look at these adorable little goats."

"...and?"

"Aren't are they cute?"

"I used to have a goat."

"As a pet or as a farm animal?"

"A pet, a pygmy goat."

"Cool, I was just thinking they'd make cute pets."

"I don't want any more pets that have fur or poop."

*silence*







I have decided to make a tactical retreat. Maybe when DaughterofV moves out, we can trade in the cats for goats. Still thinking.....

If Mama's not happy.....ain't nobody happy. ;)

Amen.

HoF. Natural Law. The Way Things Are.

Those are very cute goats that you have there.

Do they faint?

SWMBO was amused at fainting goats, they were really cute. Conversation was reopened, she described the little goat she used to have. A pygmy the size of a big sewing machine. We talked about are they loud, poopy, what? She said they, no, she was quiet and cute. I said I'd like to have one, or two. We talked about in addition to our dog, a big white shepherd. With large stinky poo. Hey, goats make pellets, right? Anyway, the conversation closed with her agreeing that I could do some (more) research about the ones at the shelter. But **only** a pygmy, a tiny one.

I'm stoked.

Sweet!

Those goats are sooooooo cute! :)

But **only** a pygmy, a tiny one.

Good thing goats are sure-footed 'cause you're on a slippery slope. ;)

BigV, better remember that the goats won't fetch a stick for you, they will eat your slippers or newspaper instead of fetching that, ride in the car with you at your own risk, and it's unlikely they will curl up in front of the fire with you. But they WILL shake hands, at least :)

It's not an exact trade-off for a dog. You will be getting a different set of charactistics, and most people would classify having a goat follow you around as more of a pest than a pet. Griff has the idea, They have their space and his family has theirs but they can interreact.

Goats doing what goats do

This is edited down from a longer video. You can see what they would do to a rose bush. We'll have to try again to catch them romping. cute cute cute.

I was speaking with another nutwrangler about one of her clients. She was working from home and was engaged in attempting to keep her dog from chasing the chickens.

She was not very successful.

Anyway, in the course of the conversation I got two good pieces of information about goats.

1. They really like having a jungle gym like thingy to climb around on. Be careful regarding placement of such a device, as it may aid and abet their escape. They spend a lot of time planning their escape.

2. Do not feed goats any member of the nightshade family. Make sure there is no wild nightshade in their reach. Potatoes and tomatoes are both members of the nightshade family. She learned that this is a bad thing after she had a goat die-off after using her goats to dispose of some leftover cooked potatoes.

I was surprised to learn that goats cannot actually eat everything. I mean, who hasn't seen the whole goat with a tin can image?

me!!

Linkie anyone?

"Trained to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke"
- First Blood

Progress!

Goat Enthusiasts Take Their Case to City Hall

Deborah Wang

If you live in the city of Seattle, and you want to own a cow or a horse or a sheep, chances are you will be breaking the law. Like most major cities, Seattle restricts the ownership of farm animals. But now, goat enthusiasts are coming out of the shadows, and are asking the city to legalize the status of their four legged pets.

--snip --

DESPITE THEIR BENEFITS, BROWNIE AND SNOWFLAKE ARE, AT LEAST IN THIS CITY, OUTLAWS.

--snip--

CITY ZONING CODE RESTRICTS THE OWNERSHIP OF MOST FARM ANIMALS. THERE ARE EXCEPTION FOR POULTRY AND POT BELLIED PIGS. WHEN SNOWFLAKE AND BROWNIE FELL AFOUL OF THE CITY, GRANT BEGAN A CAMPAIGN TO LEGALIZE MINIATURE GOATS.

--snip--

CONLIN'S BILL WILL BE UP FOR A VOTE IN THE COUNCIL LATER THIS WEEK. IF IT PASSES, MINIATURE GOATS WILL BE LEGAL. THEY WILL HAVE TO BE LICENSED JUST LIKE DOGS AND CATS.

There was a man
Now please take note
There was a man
Who had a goat

He loved that goat
Indeed he did
He loved that goat
Just like a kid

One day that goat
Felt frisk and fine
Ate three red shirts
Right off the line

The man, he grabbed
Him by the back
And tied him to
A railroad track

Now, when that train
Hove into sight
That goat grew pale
And green with fright

He heaved a sigh
As if in pain
Coughed up those shirts
And flagged the train!

Interesting, Bruce. I know that song from when I was a kid, but we learned it with pretty significantly different lyrics:

Bill Grogan's goat
Was feeling fine
Ate three red shirts
Right off the line
Bill gave that goat
An awful whack
And tied him to
The railroad tracks
The whistle blew
The train grew nigh
Bill Grogan's goat
Was sure to die
But he gave a groan
Of awful pain
Coughed up those shirts
And flagged that train!