I have a herd of nigerian dwarf goats.
I have a lgd but i dont have many predators here.
I keep mine in 4 foot no climb horse fence and cattle panels (with fencing the first few holes for the bucks).
They go out on hikes with me when i have a day off. they love eating brush, trees ect. They will not stay out by themselves. If i start heading back they will race me back to the property. If they ever get out they wont go far. After they learn where home is they dont wonder very far. most likely they will end up on your porch waiting for you. If they are pets. I had a couple purchase two wethers. They had them in a small pen for awhile then they let them wonder with them when they were home, now they hang around the house with the dogs. They dont have brush near there house but if you do that you wont have flowers either.
I dont have predators so i just have a tree house doe shelter, numerous large trees, the bucks have a shed with a few trees. When does are ready to kid they go in the barn for a few weeks then all does and kids go behind the barn until they are old enough to be sold or go back in the doe pasture.
My goats like where they are. I have only had the weaned bucklings get out (they can sqeeze thru anything when young but they always have a buck apron on). and when i was at a different place i had a doe in quarantine jump out of a horse stall but she was by herself. (4 foot with three 2x4s on one side and she was only 50 pounds)The three years that doe with with me she never got out of a pen again even when i had a down fence.,
- I trim feet whenever i go visit my goats on my days off, i just bring a utility knife with me and just grab the closest goat to trim, They are very easy to trim as I have done it since they were a few weeks old or if i bought them then as soon as i get them. I just put the head/neck between my legs facing the rump, bend over and pick up a foot. back feet i let them walk a few steps then my legs are around right before the hip bones, bend over and pick up back feet. Every single new goat i have gotten i had to "train" to not freak out with trimming, I don t have a head gate and probably wouldnt use it if i did. But its easy if you just do a few at a time. And if you r ground is hard or you have rocks you trim less often. I live where its wet alot and clay.
I have to add that i have never even made enough $ off of sales to pay for the hay. I have to feed hay all year since I dont have enough brush/grass to feed them. I have thought about reducing my herd but right now I cant sell any goats due to the hay crisis and how high everything is going up.
I have a lgd but i dont have many predators here.
I keep mine in 4 foot no climb horse fence and cattle panels (with fencing the first few holes for the bucks).
They go out on hikes with me when i have a day off. they love eating brush, trees ect. They will not stay out by themselves. If i start heading back they will race me back to the property. If they ever get out they wont go far. After they learn where home is they dont wonder very far. most likely they will end up on your porch waiting for you. If they are pets. I had a couple purchase two wethers. They had them in a small pen for awhile then they let them wonder with them when they were home, now they hang around the house with the dogs. They dont have brush near there house but if you do that you wont have flowers either.
I dont have predators so i just have a tree house doe shelter, numerous large trees, the bucks have a shed with a few trees. When does are ready to kid they go in the barn for a few weeks then all does and kids go behind the barn until they are old enough to be sold or go back in the doe pasture.
My goats like where they are. I have only had the weaned bucklings get out (they can sqeeze thru anything when young but they always have a buck apron on). and when i was at a different place i had a doe in quarantine jump out of a horse stall but she was by herself. (4 foot with three 2x4s on one side and she was only 50 pounds)The three years that doe with with me she never got out of a pen again even when i had a down fence.,
- I trim feet whenever i go visit my goats on my days off, i just bring a utility knife with me and just grab the closest goat to trim, They are very easy to trim as I have done it since they were a few weeks old or if i bought them then as soon as i get them. I just put the head/neck between my legs facing the rump, bend over and pick up a foot. back feet i let them walk a few steps then my legs are around right before the hip bones, bend over and pick up back feet. Every single new goat i have gotten i had to "train" to not freak out with trimming, I don t have a head gate and probably wouldnt use it if i did. But its easy if you just do a few at a time. And if you r ground is hard or you have rocks you trim less often. I live where its wet alot and clay.
I have to add that i have never even made enough $ off of sales to pay for the hay. I have to feed hay all year since I dont have enough brush/grass to feed them. I have thought about reducing my herd but right now I cant sell any goats due to the hay crisis and how high everything is going up.
