I'm planning on getting some goats, and need to know how to take care of them?

Question

wanted for weed control and later as meat. what breeds would be best for this? how do i keep them in good health? how much room do they need?

Answer 1

Some random thoughts on goats...they are picky eaters. They will eat all of the good stuff first, such as tree leaves and any desirable plants. They will debark any trees they can reach causing the trees to die. We've had up to 15 goats on 10 acres and they keep it pretty clear of the things they  like to eat. Like I said, they have debarked all of the red buds and most of the red oak trees causing them to die. I have Tennessee Fainters and they are my pets, so I can't tell you about the meat part. We offer a mineral block at all times, feed the mamas some goat chow when they have babies, and do worm blocks 3 times a year. Rattlesnakes and coyotes have been our only health related issues. Hope this helps, HeidiLou

Answer 2

goats are known to have really bad eyes site....so if you get them some glasses first and then make the food look really appetizing then theyll eat almost anything thats healthy

This study was proven by opticians who grew up in hearding families in the golan hights in Israel

If you want to look up the study type in "goats eye site  and optical awareness" under pub med

Answer 3

sarcastic?

Answer 4

The South African Boer Goat, introduced to the United States in 1993 after a quarantine stop in New Zealand, is considered to be the only true meat-type goat, bred and selected specifically for superior body conformation, high growth rate, and fertility. Boer goats are large framed with short, white hair on their bodies and black or brown markings on their heads and necks.

Goats will do well on improved pastures, as well as brushy, woody areas. They are natural browsers and if given the opportunity will choose brush and weeds over grass. Check this site for all the information on breeds, space and housing as well as fences you will need.  As well as complete care and raising of the goats.  Meat goats are good income producing business at the present time.

http://www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/mea...

Answer 5

I currently have 15 goats, after starting off with two for "weed control". In my experience, they are selective browsers at best. They do not graze like sheep and cattle, where they will concentrate on one area until most (if not all) of the food is gone. Goats will take a nibble here, a bite there, etc. They will eat ALL of what they like and none of what they don't. They are like a kid with ADD in a candy store. As for my goats, they will take the hay lot next door anytime over the weeds in my yard, so they don't live up to the idea that goats prefer weeds over grass. The only weed I would recommend them for is poison ivy, mine have done a good job controlling it in my yard. As for debarking trees, my goats haven't killed any trees yet but they have done a number on them and stripped most of the bark off the cherry and apple trees as high as they can reach. My donkey does a better job at eating weeds and brush. I haven't actually sent any of them to slaughter; they are mostly pets. I can't tell you anything about what they taste like. In my opinion, you can eat anything if you do it right. If they are not necessarily a meat breed you can send them to slaughter a little younger than normal and they might be a little tender. Remember though, what they eat will reflect on how they taste and the quality of the meat. You can't expect something that ate nothing but weeds and scrub to be good quality.

Answer 6

They are better on a rotisserie over a hot fire. Seriously, goats eat vegitation all wth way down to the root.  So pretty soon you will not have weeds.......or grass.  Thats why cattle ranchers hate them so much.  If you get them, they need lots of room and an extremely high fence.  Goats can jump very high.  Saw one leap over the hood of a pickup truck without touching it.