AIBU to post an AIBU in the so-called ^rural living^ pages? Goats, anyone?

[Goatcurious]

I know IABU , but was ushered over hear by GinDaddy under false pretences, I feel.

(GinDaddy I know I'm doing this all wrong again, posting an original AIBU with no question, and now posting an AIBU in rural living but needs must.)

I was expecting a vibrant virtual community of people wearing smocks, living in rural communities across the UK/world, chatting about goats milk and organic veg patches, and jam making, not an endless stream of posts from people wanting to move from urban, to rural areas.

Do any of you keep goats/want to chat about goats?

As a last resort, do any of the townies/city dwellers hoping to move to rural areas plan to keep goats.

I'm a little of both, moved from a town in Kent down to a farm in Devon last year! Loving it. We've got a lot to do round the farm and house so don't have animals yet but I do want some.

Goats! I am not decided abouts them yet, do you have some?

I have looked after my 'neighbours' pygmy goats a few times and they are very cute and time killers but I feel like I should get a more useful animal like pigs or sheep...

I have goats! And chickens, ducks, a veg patch and an orchard.
I’m always windblown/muddy and ‘rustic’ looking. But very happy.
It’s more of a lifestyle choice than a hobby really.

No goats yet :( we have chicken, rabbits and guinea pigs and everyone comments its like a petting zoo but I NEED goats as well, and preferably some alpacas.

Very nearly bought some land behind us but got beaten to it by people buying the house AND land from same chap, I was gutted as I really do need an acre or two

Trying to convince my husband ducks are no hassle and poo less than the chickens....anyone who can give me facts* would be appreciated
*Facts can be made up to get me the answer I want and based on no prior knowledge

We are rural and have chickens, ducks and lots of dogs. We (actually I) have been tempted by goats in the past but my countryside-born-and-bred Husband assures me they’re a total pain in the neck, determined to escape and destroy neighbours vegetable patches etc. Discussions with goat owning friends seem to confirm his view so we are goat-less and likely to remain so 🙁

I had goats as a child, but none currently. My dad had Saanen and British Saanen goats (and I had a little wether Pygmy) which we showed and obviously milked too. Surplus milk fed lambs/calves/pigs for meat, but we also had chickens and grew veg/fruit and exchanged things with other goat keepers towards self sufficiency. My mum was rubbish at jam and yogurt, but did make good butter (in the food processor) and we had a tempermental milk separator

I have very happy memories of goat club and the community that brought, and dad was devastated when he could no longer continue with his girls.

Our goat pen is deer fenced otherwise they would jump out yes.

I find ducks easier than chickens. They are messy and need water, which immediately gets messy, but they’re happy in all weathers and only need simple housing.
Ours are kept in a large run with wood chipping and a small pond, then when it’s dry they’re let out into the garden where we also have stream they play in. They keep the slugs down!

The chickens however, can’t come out into the main garden as they destroy everything. They’re also fussy about weather, housing etc and don’t like the dog (the ducks ignore him)
I’d like sone geese, but know nothing about them. Wondering if they’re similar to ducks to keep? Or if I could put them in with the ducks?

Geese are arseholes! I remember being black and blue from them biting me when I raised them for christmas one year

My chickens bully the dogs

Every time I try I get pregnant and we have to postpone the big Goat Plan.

But I'm going to lurk in the hope that when I'm not knocked up I can get some good tips:)

Omg I've just discovered this thread, what a dream! We've just moved to 32 acres in semi rural Scotland. Looking at which animals are best to keep our some steep slipping grass short, also want chickens but would need to keep them safe from the pinemartins. Husband wants sheep but I think labour of shearing is beyond us, looking into 'hair sheep'. He also wants goats but I've been told their pee is smelly?

That was meant to read 'to keep some of our steep slooping grass short'

Billy goat pee is smelly.
We have 3 castrated boys and 6 girls. I don’t find ours smelly, but when we took 2 of our girls to be mated at a nearby farm, the billy goat there definitely had a pong.

Interesting the geese attack you. I thought they only went for strangers? Better forget the goose idea then, the kids would never forgive me. They get cross enough when our drake chases them

What about alpacas? Would they also protect the chickens?
Not that I know anything about alpacas or pine martens! I’m a southern softy.

Male goats make a really stinky musk from glands on their head which the girls love when in season - this is virtually impossible to shift once on you so everyone we knew who had males had a boiler suit and coat which was kept solely for handling them and which never came in the house. Our stud male was gorgeous and would do anything for me, so I was in charge of showing him when he was in the process of getting his breed championship.

Certainly our geese, if they didn't know you, then you really got attacked. This was more of a 'get on and feed us' biting rather than the full beating with their wings. The gander went to live with my dad's cousin to guard his christmas tree fields as he was super scary.

Alpacas can be tricky. Dad used to go and do foot trimming for a lady who had some (he had an arrangement with the vets to deal with townies who didn't know what they were doing), and they are good herd guardians but can be aggressive to strangers and must be in pairs or more.

Missoa, I think in Scotland you'd be best with some nice traditional breed sheep who are good and hardy but don't overgrow their fleece. You'll still need to learn to trim feet and do dagging though.