Keeping a domestic goat. Experiences??!

[gotellitonthemountain]

My DH is very excited by the idea. Apparently it has always been a long term goal of his....
We live in a 3 bed detached house, with a garden about the size of the house footprint. Suburban, higgledy piggledy.
Does anyone have any experience and sensible advice?

[MillyMollyMandy78]

No Direct experiences but i did look into this a while ago. You need paperwork from DEFRA for your goats to be transported as they are classed as farm animals and there are tight guidelines surrounding this to prevent diseases spreading etc.

Also, goats are social animals and will not be happy on their own. Theywill eat pretty much anything and will not differentiate between your grass and the flowers in your garden. They are master escape artists and extremely good climbers so you will need a very high and secure fence

[gotellitonthemountain]

This is sounding like useful anti-goat ammunition. Ta!

[RandomMess]

Vet bills!!! They will be expensive!

[MoreBeta]

I looked after two goats as a child, milked them morning and night.

We lived on a farm and they roamed about the farmyard eating weeds. They eat everything, including trees and destroy or jump over fences.

A suburban back garden is too small. You will get a build up of worms and will become 'goat sick'. I would strongly advise against and I do agree with Milly you need at least two goats.

If you want milk you will need to get a female goat pregnant and deal with the resulting kid. You will need to have a DEFRA licence.

Do not get a billy goat - ever!

Goats really are not back garden pets. I suggest hens. Just as rewarding.

[MoreBeta]

I milked them by hand. Do you know how to milk a goat?

[ancientbuchanan]

Do not under any circs get a billy. Smelly, vicious, sex crazed.

They are curious, intelligent and social and can be affectionate. They need space. They eat anything, not quite as much as pigs, but cigarettes, anything green. They can climb trees of various sorts.

Get him to live in Switzerland and be Peter to your Heidi there, yodelling across the Alps. Not in a suburb..

[HelenF350]

Way too small a garden for goats. Echo what everyone else says, you need two, they are total escape artists, eat everything in sight and they would have to be nanny goats. My mum has kept goats for years but she lives on a farm with plenty of space, even there they are a menace.

[CainInThePunting]

Echo that your garden is way too small.
We had goats when I was growing up, lovely animals but agree you shouldn't have a lone one and garden is definitely too small for two.
Just in case: Rhodedendrons are poisonous to goats.
Also agree re Billys and escape.
Please don't, it would be unkind to keep goats in your garden.

[Booboostoo]

The best combination for pet goats are two NEUTERED males. However, goats smell and your neighbours may complain, they eat everything in sight, they are very good climbers so your existing fence may be inadequate, they need a lot of handling to remain friendly. Many pet goat farms run training days, why not go along and see what you think - you'd need to learn how to trim hooves anyway.