A Goat?

My friend has a two month old goat which he was supposed to be selling to someone but hey have backed out on the deal.

I've looked after it while they have house inspection and have grown rather fond of it with it's silliness yet obediant

Does a good job with the lawn too.

I'm currently living in a suburban area so it's kind of difficult to look after.

The goat (still a kid) is fine to take for walks at the moment but when she gets older.

This one is pretty much like a little dog at the moment in the way it behaves although it's had it's head stuck between the car tire and the wheel arch once.

Just wondering what issues would I come into with having a goat as a pet.

I would first find out if there are laws regarding the keeping of "exotic pets" in your suburban neighbourhood. A goat might be considered an exotic pet because it is not your standard, cat, dog, guinea pig, gerbil, rabbit. So make sure that legally you are on solid ground. I don't know the nature of goats so I don't know what mischief they can cause but you might want to look into that to make sure you don't get the neighbours angry.

And now I am reminded of a song we sing on Passover: Chad Gadya (One Little Goat)!

Thanks never thought of a goat as an exotic pet.

At the moment the goat seems like a good pet.

Akthough it does is follows only when the owner or myself is over the other side of the fence but it doesn't leave my side if I take it for a walk.

It's totally capable of jumping the fance but has no intention of doing it as long as we are on the side it's on.

I suppose if it does get a bit hard to handle I could give leave it at my Fathers farm.

I just don't want to see it go without a home.

Thanks for the advice.

I would really do some research on pet goats before you decide to keep it permanently.

As crazy about dogs pointed out, they may be considered an "exotic pet" or even an "agricultural species" Just like keeping a horse in a your backyard, their are zoning laws and it may be against the law, or against your neighborhood's home association. First, make sure it's legal.

Then, do lots and lots and lots of research. Goats are herd animals and it's not fair to keep only one goat. They are very social. Then you have to consider if you can afford to keep a second goat. I'm not an expert on goats so I'm not sure if they do better in same-sex groups or in bonded pairs. If it's bonded pairs you may have to get one or both altered.

Then you need to look into veterinary care. If you live in a suburban area you may be hard-pressed to find a vet who is A.) Willing to see the goat and B.) Actually knows anything about goats. They need vaccinations just like a dog or a cat. They also need preventative care, for example, their hooves need to be be taken care of. You'll need to either learn how to care for their hooves yourself or find a farrier that can do it for you. Farrier and vet expenses can add up very quickly, especially with multiple animals.

And although the goat is a kid now, you'll need to look into the behavior of adult goats. They are very mischievous animals and are famous for "head-butting". You'll have to be careful around small children. They are also chewers, and this may be a huge problem when they chew something of value.

If it can jump the fence you may need to modify it in the future, especially after he gets loose and wonders the neighborhood one day. You don't mention if you keep the goat inside your house or not, but you may need to look into building a small shed or barn for the goat to stay. There are reasons why horses and cows are not kept inside one's home, and I've actually heard of laws preventing farm animals from living inside the house.

It's certainly a lot to consider. But if it's legal to keep a goat, you have the funds for vet care, and the time for research and training, I think you have the opportunity for a unique and rewarding pet. Good luck!

I wonder if goats can hang around with a dog and consider it part of the pack.

My horse on my dad's farm used to have a steer which would follow her around as if it was part of the pack.

It doesn't chew often as my friend and I stop the goat by making short sharp hisses at it.

Works, since then the goat has stopped eating on eof the tennants bike seats or anything material.

Not even the washing.

Yeah vet care may be an issue...

I'm currently doing a BA of science which has animal behaviour as one of the majors.

Something to think about if I ever want to go for a double major...

I can maintain my old horse's hooves so I should be able to get the hang of taking care of the goat's hooves.

Th goat does have some horns which are still growing but she doesn't head butt often.

Usually just gets me behind the knee when I'm not looking if anything.

As for mischief...it's one of the things which I found adorable.

E.g like miraculously getting it's head stuck in between the tire and wheel arch of the car.

She doesn't do that anymore so she does learn quick.

Somemore factors I did not think of.

Thanks *Sunny*

a goat is a prey animal. as to where a horse and cow are both prey species, you are suggesting you put a predatory animal with a baby prey animal.

if you want to risk disaster you can.. but there is always the possibility the dog will kill your goat if its capable.

anyway not saying it isnt possible that they will get along, but its something to stay aware of.

Yes I'm aware of that.

There is that possiblilty.

But then Cats and dogs are predatory animals and the same thing can possibly happen.

I mean when I first went flatting, I had a cat and a chicken and they were fine.

yes, thats what i mean. it is possible. all sorts of things are possible. preferrably you are talking about an animal who has been well socialized, and is well in control before you try the dog/goat pairing though.

Yes yes anything is possible.

TBH the chicken had more dominance over the cat in the first flat.

I was thinking of getting a puppy.

I kid is used to cats but hasn't had a dog about.

I have no pets at the moment but feel the need to have a pet or two.

If worst comes to worst and the goat has to be put down.

I will do whatever I can to make sure it will not be.

If I can not keep it where i am living I am going to tak it to my Fathers farm.

I know I could not just get a random grown dog from the pound which is not used to other breeds of animal.

Certainly the baby goats wellbeing will be at risk.

Goats can grow up to be quite mean also. The small ones are nice but the adults bite and buck. This has always been my experience with my boyfriend's family's goats. The little ones are as nice and as friendly as can be while the adults bray loudly and know how to use their horns.

Bite and buck....

Sound like the goats are worse to humans than dogs when they are adults.

If thats the case I may as well give up on the thought.

Hopefully the little goat will get a home.

Or else it's looking down the end of a gun barrel.

hell.. i'd eat him.

they are cute but their meat is lean and healthy. which is mostly why goats became 'popular' a few years back

eatingthe baby goat would be hard as eating that little pony in you avatar.

I just couldn't do it.

they both appear tender and delicious. . . but i see your point.

Aww please don't eat the goat....if you decide not to keep it try to find it a home.

I just wanna add that this thread made me laugh and that I also find it very cute the goat as a pet, the pony in the avatar..

I'm going over to my friends for a visit.

I'll take a photo of the little goat.

You just can't eat the goat

All little and silly with it's studded collar.

NOM NOM?

]

uh oh

Maybe you should keep the goat.

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uh oh

 

Maybe you should keep the goat.

 

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OMG! lmao

I know a few people who have had goats as pets. Aside from the fact that they'll eat just about anything -- and they tend to eat a lot -- the people I know who have had them have said they were good pets.

In theory, a goat COULD turn *violent* but I would say that's the exception, not the rule. Particularly since it's still a kid, if it gets the proper socialization at a young age, I'd say it would be less likely to attack -- whether it be a person or an animal -- than an adult goat who suddenly became a pet.

There was a story a number of years back about a guy who was really mean to his animals, including a goat. Apparently, he beat the goat on a regular basis, and well...let's just say the goat got his revenge: He ended up killing the guy! I would say this is definitely the exception, not the rule, particularly since it was an extreme circumstance. I remember reading the story about it online, and if I remember correctly, people who knew the guy said he was a total jerk, and they weren't sorry to see him go. I tried to find a link to the story online, but alas, no luck so far!

In terms of eating goats...ugh. I admit, I had goat once, in another country. It didn't taste good, and the thought of what I was eating really bothered me.

OMG! lmao

You thought that the post of the goat on a meat rack was funny, why?

Dude goats make awesome pets-in the right setting. My family runs a small goat dairy & I showed meat goats when I was younger. What type/breed do you have?

My advice would be to take it to your father's farm. A goat left alone & unattended in a suburan backyard with an easliy jumped fence is just looking for trouble. One of ours used to escape Jurassic Park-like fences from time to time-given enough time & boredom, a goat will escape. Once they're free, mischief is next on the agenda. Our one Houdini would immediately ransack the grain bin, destroy the garden, jump on the car hood, etc... & then run back to the barn & look completely innocent when we came home. This behavior is bad enough when it's your garden, your car, etc... but try explaining to your neighbors why their car has tiny hoof prints on it.

As for being alone, another of our goats would freak out if she was left alone & being screaming bloody murder (it took several phone calls to assure our neighbors we were not horrible goat abusing people). And being left alone was relative for this goat (ie. she looks up & sees no one, even if the rest of the herd is just behind her, she is alone & commences screaming-her only redeeming feature was the high butterfat content in her milk). Presumably you can't chaperone this goat 24/7, so left alone she'll either get into trouble or make a fuss or come up with some new, inventive way to reak havoc.

Also, like someone else said, the laws on keeping livestock within city limits are pretty strict & someone will ALWAYS complain & turn you in-you can count on that. Especially if they have goat "berries" on their car & a bare spot where their garden used to be. On your father's farm she'll have room to get in trouble & maybe you can get her another goat for a friend (just not a buck!). The dog thing is possible (works for Great Pyrenees), but I think just picking up another doe or a castrated male of the same age will be easier.

As for the general care-most of it you can easily do yourself. There's a book called Storey's Guide to Raising Goats that is FANTASTIC-get it. Find a reputable goat farm near you & ask tons of questions. If you're doing horse's hooves then you'll find goat hooves much easier to trim (you may need to build a stanchion though to hold the goat while you work-they don't stand still as nicely as horses do). Most of the vaccines & dewormers can be bought over the counter (in the US anyway) & you can ask a vet to show you how to administer them (seriously ask the vet to show you though-you don't want to cause the animal uneccessary pain). I believe NZ is a big sheep area, so finding a good vet should not be a problem (sheep & goats are fairly similar). In a pinch a cattle vet would do as well.

As for the horns, those should have been removed when the goat was younger, but they shouldn't be a problem since you have a doe. As someone else said, if you tease/mistreat the goat, that's another story. It sounds like you're doing a good job discipling the goat, so as long as she sees you as "boss" in the herd, she won't challenge you. If she's headbutting now (probably just as a game) I would put a stop to that with the hissing noise you used earlier or maybe a squirt bottle (goats hate water). Also don't handle the goat by the horns-it gives them ideas (I have no idea how else to describe this). The only time I've ever had problems with any goat being aggressive or headbutting me was bucks during breeding season (which was kinda "duh" on my part-I wasn't paying attention).

Yeah-so sorry for the long post, but goats are awesome. To summerize, take the goat to the farm-she'll be happier there, buy Storey's Guide to Raising Goats, & find a local breeder/dairy to help you (chances are they can reccommend a vet). You can eat the goat if you want, but if she's a dairy breed the carcass yield won't be worth the slaughtering fee (you could do it yourself, but yeah...I doubt your neighbors will be keen on that).

Also, post pics!

The goat is doing fine at the moment...a little tubbier and the horns are a bit longer since I first started this thread.

She's prunes the rose bushes till only one rose is left at the top, done an awesome job on keeping the front lawns mowed and does fine by herself aslong as she is on a runner.

Yeah the head butting is a game.

What she does is starts jumping about in front of you then rushes for your foot with her head down, inches away and waits for you to put your foot against her head and push back.

As for the jumping on the car...yeah she's done that but rarely goes near the car after getting her head jammed in between the front tire and wheel arch.

To be honest I don't know what breed she is...

I know she can be fidgity when you pick her up.

She is getting to the point where she is getting a bit big to carry though.

Mainly because of the weight she has gained.

Quite Rotund.

Yes NZ is very agricultural based....there will always be Cows, Sheep, Emus or alpacas on a paddock where ever you go...

Just that I never took much notice to the agricultural side despite my Father owning a farm.

I'll most probably take her to the farm.

Better that than being shot in the head and by the way she is behaving she shouldn't be a handful when she gets older.

Will post some pics tomorrow

Just a white goat to me...

Aww I'd love to see some pictures!