Goats

ok here is the situation ...

I have five acres 2 or 3 of them behind the house are completely OVER GROWN i want to put a goat or 2 in there to eat every thing ...
What kind is the best bruch and briar eating ????
And what is the best way to secure them in ????
And what is the best way to "stake one out "????meaning put them on a stake in the ground...

 

Up here it would be bait for a lion...

 

I have five acres 2 or 3 of them behind the house are completely OVER GROWN i want to put a goat or 2 in there to eat every thing ...
What kind is the best bruch and briar eating ???? Spanish or Pygmy
And what is the best way to secure them in ???? Research maximum security prison fencing
And what is the best way to "stake one out "????meaning put them on a stake in the ground... If you stake one out he will trample everything in reach, poop and pee on it, then lean on the end of his tie and scream for someone to come let him loose. At least until the coyotes come and eat him anyway.

 

I have Boer goats primarily, and one Nubian. Either would be great for what you want done, as well as the Spanish or Pygmy that ditch witch mentioned. Either the Spanish or Pygmy would probably require less water than the Boers, but the Boers will have a higher reach to get higher up on the bushes. They are all annoying and stubborn. My goats absolutely love briers, poison ivy, and privy hedge. They'll also clean up small pine trees, and just about anything else within their reach.

I echo ditch witch's comments. Tying goats out requires quite a bit of interaction on your part - moving them regularly, getting them untangled constantly, and dealing with their loud complaints if they're not happy. Mine are in a fence - just standard 4 foot ranch wire. So far, I've had no problems keeping them up. That doesn't mean that you won't run into a Houdini who makes it his mission in life to escape all enclosures. If you decide to fence the area, the wire must be a mesh, with holes no larger than six inches or so. It must touch the ground everywhere. If the wire crosses a shallow ditch, which allows them to get their head under the fence, they'll be out of there. The wire must be tight; any slack that allows them to force their head under the wire will be their ticket to freedom. If the holes in the wire mesh are too small, like with equine fencing or chain link, they'll climb the fence and get out. I wouldn't even consider electric wire, or electric perimeter fencing. They'll just run through it. They aren't the smartest critters on the planet, but are perhaps the most stubborn.

If you have predators in the area, you might want to think about how to protect the goats. I put some livestock dogs in with them, and they have proven to be fabulous at keeping predators away. I haven't lost any more chickens, and my goats have never been bothered; though for the cost of feeding an Anatolian and a Pyrenees, you could probably pay for having the area bush hogged.

 

I had a bottle baby once that I made the mistake of taking to town with me in my old Suburban. She was pretty tiny so I just popped her in the front seat and took off. Went to McDonalds, let her have a couple of fries. For years after that, whenever I'd start that Suburban up, she'd do everything in her power to escape the pasture and chase after me... all the way to town if she had to. Imagine driving down a dirt road, one eye on the speedometer and the other on the side view as you watch a heavy bred Boer doe chase you, ears and udder flapping and tongue sticking out as she screams and runs, desperate for McDonalds fries.

They give stubborn a whole new meaning.

 

Had a Nubian and an Alpine with electronic collars on them. They were smart enough to go close enough to the wire to have the collars beep at them without shocking and waited for the batteries to go dead, then ate the plants around the house.

 

we had 10 Spanish goats that we kept in a fenced in area several years back... seems we spent a lot of time getting the Billy goat untangled from the fence.... we had issues with folks wanting to steal them for food... ended up selling the lot...

 

I had the same problem with this 55 acre ranch. I raise South African Bore goats. Four or five will strip that area in the southwest area. We don't get alot of rain fall here. Four foot field fencing with electic wire at 12" from the ground. Staking them out never tried it.

 

Let 'em strip it clean, then eat 'em. Saves having to put up with 'em escaping. Screaming, and being ornery. When you need more, get more, then eat them. life's to short to invent new problems.

 

Or you could go to the nearest sale barn that runs goats through, buy up a load of skinny nannies, let 'em fatten up on your pasture, then haul them back to the sale and get your money back.

 

If someone had large areage to clean like in Malibu beac Cal. where the hillsides are rocky and lawn mowing equipment wouldn't work. It's a get idea. Turn out 150 of these in one area, and the fire hazards are removed in a short period of time. Iv'e seen some utility companies use this idea before.

 

That is what happens in my area. There are a couple goats that get farmed out to people in need. Those goats lead a fat & happy life.

I see Kellory mentioned eating them, but no one said how good goats milk is. Makes the most incredible fudge!

 

I like Lamancha goats as long as your not letting them strip the area to the ground they're not to hard to keep in. They have more cream in their milk and are tougher than most dairy breads. If you get a fence jumper eat it quickly, it will teach the others to jump.

 

I'm having a good year with the bore goats, tweny four adults and 20 new kids. Maybe a couple of more on the way. What I've noticed is the does with the largest udders make the worse does. If the udders are too close to the ground it makes it harder for the kids to nurse. Next time I sell off the herd I'll cull every one I dislike.

 

The last goat I had was placed in another's pasture on my way to work. One goat is one too many. I wonder what those folks thought about the spanish goat in their herd of Boers?