Would our family be a good candidate for a pet goat(s)?

Question

We live in a small country town, in city limits, but live stock is allowed. We are home OWNERS(not renters) and we own two lots of land and have a HUGE backyard which is surrounded in 4 ft chain link fencing. We have One Great Pyrenees( who was raised with goats till he was 10 weeks old) and one half Pyr. Half golden retriever that we rescued from living a life tied to a tree on a 3 ft rope with very limited shade, food, and water. (we just asked the owners if they wanted to give him a better home and he said yes thank goodness!) They are both very sweet and submissive dogs. the full pyr was very socialized. I cant say the same for the mix. We have done out best and today I took him 1/2 a mile down the road to where about 50 goats live and they all ran to the fence to greet him. He layed down and started l*****g as many as he could very gently. I have to walk my daughter (who is two) down the road every day to see these same goats and though it might be nice to have one or two as pets (preferably pygmy's) I have a new wooden shed that I was planning on converting into a large dog house, which im sure would be great for the goat(s) seeing how my dogs never use it and I also have a high place for them to sleep. Any tips?

would i need to have two goats? Or would the company of the pyr.s be good enough?

Answer 1

Sounds like you have a good setup for a goat.  

A couple of things I would like to add... first off, goats can kid by themselves without any trouble.  Occasionally you will have a problem but by and large, they have been kidding for years without our intervention.

Two... Depending on what the siding is on your house, they might eat it.  They don't eat tin cans but you would be surprised what they will nibble on.

Three... yes, goats prefer another goat as a companion.  It is easy to find wethers (neutered male goats) as pets.  They don't smell like a buck and make great pets.

Male intact goats are called bucks.  They are the ones that smell, particularly during the fall rut (breeding season).

Female goats are called does.

Neutered males are called wethers.

Whatever you do, do not get a goat with horns.  They should be either naturally hornless (called polled) or disbudded.  Horns can cause injuries to other animals and can get stuck in fences, brush and make it impossible for the goat to break free.  

Your goats will need regular hoof trimmings and annual vaccinations to keep them in the best of health.

Good Luck

Answer 2

Goats are wonderful !!  They are funny, social and except for eating just about anything including  the hat off of baby's head (kidding)  they are great around children (supervised, of course! )

The dogs would be enough company.  Of course, being a living creature, it will have it's own personality.  Get to know a little about whichever one you decide to bring into the family.

My only word of advice is....... beware; !!!  There is nothing that I know of on this planet that can smell as bad as an old billy goat !  HaHa ! Personally, I'd get a nanny goat. And two nannies would be fine.  But if you do get a billy, make sure his house is downwind of yours !

I have had Nubian goats, and Pygmy goats.  They are wonderful pets.

Answer 3

One thing to consider is how close the goats would be to your home and your neighbors' homes.  We also live in a small town where limited numbers of lievstock are allowed - but some of our neighbors raised goats for a time - and they can be noisy and they can stink.  So make sure the goats won't be bothering anyone.  Even if they are allowed, some places will take action against you if the goats are a declared a nuisance (typically more than one neighbor filing a complaint).  

It's fine to have one goat but they are herd animals and do prefer the company of another of their own kind.

Answer 4

I think your home would be good for goats, just to let you know they are escape artists to make sure they are well fenced it. Also make sure there is nothing bad around that they can eat because they will eat anything. Yup I think getting two would be for the best. Just make sure you don't get a male and female because when the female gives birth they can't do it on their own and need help. Google some sites first too before you get them so you know what to expect and how to care for them.