Lynx Defense

Raising goats

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  • skfullgun

    Dances With Snakes
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    In the woods...
    I've got several dozen acres in East Texas and I'm thinking about getting a couple of goats to help clean up the place and provide milk.
    I have a fenced area about one acre in size. It is a four foot wire mesh fence. There is a shelter already inside.
    What breed of goats do you suggest? I'm thinking I want two females and will "borrow" a male as needed for breeding and keeping them lactating.
    I do have several small pastures on the property but they are not fenced. Can you tether a goat for grazing and then return it to the enclosure?
    Any resources or suggestions are appreciated. The property is SE of Lufkin.
     

    Vaquero

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    Dixie Land
    Boer/Nubian cross. Much more docile than the Spanish goats.
    Not quite as hard on fences either.
    I never tethered a goat. No help there.
    You'll need to patrol perimeter pretty regular. Always one getting their head/horns stuck in the fence wire.
    Kids are hilarious.
     

    skfullgun

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    In the woods...
    Thanks for the quick reply.

    The neighbors several miles up the road have several mini-nubians. I see those goats out in the yard all the time - no fence. I think it's time to stop by for a conversation about goats!
     

    GoPappy

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    Don’t tether goats unless you are going to stay there with them and watch them the entire time. You’re making them an easy target for any predator. They WILL get attacked and killed.
     

    LaVbRef

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    FFA (Future Farmers of America) has a good book on the raising and care of goats and the advantages/disadvantages of different breeds. Might check with the local high school, if they have a chapter, and ask them to order one for you. I ran across one at a used bookstore and gave it to a friend who had raised goats for several years. He was very appreciative and told me he had learned a lot from reading it.
     

    Texasgordo

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    What about predators?
    I don't think they are real
    Predator-1.jpg
     

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    Oldbluered

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    Nubian or Alpine's are good full size goats for milk. Spanish are less overall maintenance, in my opinion. The miniatures can be hard on your back to milk and their kids are more likely to walk through a fence. Goats can get stuck in fences, even without horns. I keep a Great Pyrenees with mine and lock them in a pen at night. Donkeys work well but can kill pet dogs, if they get in the area. They live by the phrase, "the grass is always greener". It'll take many goats to clear up a dozen acres and rotational grazing keeps parasites down.
    https://tennesseemeatgoats.com/ has a lot of good info
     

    ZX9RCAM

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    Nubian or Alpine's are good full size goats for milk. Spanish are less overall maintenance, in my opinion. The miniatures can be hard on your back to milk and their kids are more likely to walk through a fence. Goats can get stuck in fences, even without horns. I keep a Great Pyrenees with mine and lock them in a pen at night. Donkeys work well but can kill pet dogs, if they get in the area. They live by the phrase, "the grass is always greener". It'll take many goats to clear up a dozen acres and rotational grazing keeps parasites down.
    https://tennesseemeatgoats.com/ has a lot of good info

    Welcome to the Forum!
     

    GoPappy

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    Also, goats are not lawnmowers. Their preferred diet is not grass. They eat woody plants, brush and weeds. That includes trees. They will strip the bark off of trees and kill them. If you have trees you want to protect, you’ll need to fence around them or wrap them with chicken wire or rabbit wire up to a height the goats can’t reach.
     

    GoPappy

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    Finally, goats are herd animals, not solitary creatures. They HATE being alone. If you have one goat, it will be a very unhappy goat.

    And you can’t buy goats, turn them out on the pasture and then never pay attention to them. You have to check them for parasites and general health, trim their hooves, make sure they are getting the minerals they need, etc.

    They must have FRESH water and supplemental feed when the grazing is sparse.
     

    motorcarman

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    For the last 25 years I keep 15 to 30 Pygmy Goats on 8 acres. I also keep 2 Jennies with them but they have separate barns. The goats HATE RAIN! They will come SCREAMING in from the pasture when the drizzle starts.

    I chose Pygmys because my fences will last a little longer with the small stature.
    I need a certain number of livestock for the AG Exemption. My Granny used to raise Spanish goats but I wanted smaller ones.

    I don't use the milk but I sell them as meat goats.

    Plenty of locals want cabrito.
     
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