How much area necessary for goats?

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by Paul Cereghino, Mar 19, 2007.

  1. Paul Cereghino

    Paul Cereghino Junior Member

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    I am considering a pair of goats for milk. How much yard space would
    you consider minimum:

    1. for psychological health of a pair of goats
    2. to avoid desertification (mud pit)
    3. to avoid severe compaction

    Soil is silt loam and periodically wet in winter (in part why i'd like
    to constrain the winter yard).

    Under the current plan I'd have around 0.2 acres (8,700 sq ft./800sq
    m/0.08 ha) not including area for a modest shed that integrates with
    garden compost and chickens and a double fenced perimeter hedge with
    another 2000 sq ft devoted primarily to 'cut and heave' forage. The
    alternative could include leasing land from a neighbor. I could also reconsider the ratio (or configuration) of forage to goat...

    Thanks for any advice...

    Paul Cereghino
    Olympia, WA
     
  2. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

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    The only friend I know that has goats supplements graze with purchased feed. She tethers her goats out for forage, and corrals them the rest of the time (locked in shelter at night).

    Looking around with Mr. Google, the Texas Agricultural Extension Service suggests that the minimum daily forage for goats is 4% of their body weight, a figure that increases significantly if the animals are pregnant or nursing. And, only 25% of perennial graze can be used without overgrazing. The fact that goats can eat shrubs, trees and blackberry bushes is often an improvement over sheep, which I understand mainly eat grass.

    The Agricultural Extension Service in Olympia could probably be of assistance to you. They're in the Fred Meyer complex at Sleater-Kinney x Pacific Ave, in the back (east side).

    Three writers you might find interesting are Joel Salatin (Polyface Farm), Gail Damerow, and Pat Coleby... look for their writings on goats.

    Sue
     
  3. frosty

    frosty Junior Member

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    Re: How much area necessary for goats?

    Hi Paul

    I have 3 paddocks about 1000 sqm close to the house and sheds with other bigger paddocks futher away ....... I have 4 goats

    based on the fact our goats prefer to hang arround near the shed I would say phychologically the area is big enough ......... in fact years ago a friend of mine kept show goats in yards and hand fed and they were quite happy :D

    but I doubt you can sustain goats on that small an area without buying in most of their feed .......... I buy over half my goat feed and have a total of arround 5acres ! but we do have very sandy infertile soil

    goats are very "easy" on the land they dont churn up the ground as horse do or dig for roots like sheep ........ but goats dont like to eat grass they have walked on recently which will be a big problem !

    I am also not sure about how they will like wet land as goats hate water ! a dry winter yard does seem a good idea ........ I know in UK goats spend most of the winter indoors ..........

    frosty
     
  4. mossbackfarm

    mossbackfarm Junior Member

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    Hi Paul and Sue

    I like this....a NW US thread for once! {edit-sorry frosty...you're post jumped mine. You're still welcome here :) }

    I'd be wary of committing to goats, Paul, unless you have a lot of brush to clear out. A lot of your size will never provide a majority of their feed, so you'll be buying (and storing) lots of hay.

    They're also notorious fence jumpers, especially when bored, and love nothing more than an orchard snack, which can be pretty heartbreaking.

    Ecologically, goats are the browsers (twigs, shrubs) of the ruminants(as Sue said). Basically, the brushhogs of the family. Sheep prefer low growing broadleaf herbs (the finish mowers), while cattle prefer straight long grass (farm mower). That said, they all eat a little of everything...those are just coarse preferences.

    If you do have a good lease option with the neighbor (who's place is hopefully fenced), you'd have more options.

    Cheers

    Rich
     
  5. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

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    "... notorious fence jumpers..."

    AND climbers! I stopped to see my goat-friend today, and mentioned your post. She said (as Rich did) that you don't have enough land to support goats without heavy supplemental feeding (and a place to store it).

    "But if he decides to get some, anyway, be SURE to tell him to GET HOTWIRES FIRST!" :D

    Sue
     
  6. Paul Cereghino

    Paul Cereghino Junior Member

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    I'm starting to goat the picture... I was browsing through an old text on the Cornell website, an English fellow. Half the text was dry descriptions of goat hyjinx from the mid 1800's. I wonder if there are milking guinea pigs? Alas, I'll be stuck with fish and fowl for friends. Any goats would be feeding primarily from my wallet.
    ~Paul
     
  7. frosty

    frosty Junior Member

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    paul dont be put of by the "escape artist" stories about goats :lol: we have only ever had 1 escape in the18 months we have had goats - and thatwas our fault we knew we had to put mesh on our horse gates we just didnt get around to it !

    but you DO need electric fencing ......... it doesnt have to be fancy - generally 3 wires 2 orf them hot will do - for ocasional grazing or dividing a paddock so part can grow our goats stay in with just one orange tape .... as I type this they are mowing the back "lawn" held in by a tape about a foot high

    with regard to feed costs it depends on what it would cost you to purchase the milk and milk products, meat and fertiliser a goat can supply ........ the weed control and the fact goats are great friends and provide enomous entertainment is a bonus ! fish and fowl just arent in the same league :lol: :lol:

    before we got our first goat I was paying $2 a day to buy Organic yogurt plus buying organic milk plus cheese butter etc ........ for $2 a day we feed 4 goats and get enough milk from of them to make our own yogurt, kefir , butter icecream soft cheese plus have enough milk to feed it to the chooks ( and increasing egg production ) ! and as yet have not bred any kids which could become meat !

    I suggest you do some research abour feed costs in your area and do he sums ..........

    alos I suggest if you do decide to get some goats it is worth getting good quality dairy breed milkers .......... all goats produce milk but not all milk has good quality butterfat and cream ............

    frosty
     
  8. han_ysic

    han_ysic Junior Member

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    Re: How much area necessary for goats?

    My suggestion to you would be to consider so Miniature Galloways. They are great milkers, but more the size of a goat than a normal cow, and great company according to my friends who have them. Their smaller size also means less impaction of soil, and they eat more weeds and shrubs than other breeds of cows, but are happy to graze on regular grass. Less worries about the fences too. There is an online magazine published in Berry Australia about them called the good life at https://thegoodlife.pelicangraphics.com.au/ There is an article about miniature galloways in edition 9. The whole magazine is great, all about small farms, not all Permaculture, but they have some great stuff, especially about livestock and equipment.
    Hannah


     
  9. Baisteach

    Baisteach Junior Member

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    Don't want to put anyone off goats, I used to breed coloured goats for pets/lawn mowers and general clean up duties. They are immensly satisfying companions. Currently I look after 5 that are in a local Tourist Railway's compound (they own the goats) and they keep the grass and weeds down.
    We don't have hot wires because the compound has a 7 foot chain wire fence.
    But what I am leading up to is that I once observed a large Billy, on a friends property, that approached a pulse type electric fence and touched the wire with either his chin or his beard and as soon as he felt a shock, crashed through the fence and had his body clear before the next pulse.

    Some Bible authorities maintain that the Lord advised separating the sheep from the goats because the goats are well able to look after themselves :lol:
     
  10. frosty

    frosty Junior Member

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    ah yes baisteach :evil: Billy goats are a whole different thing !

    frosty
     
  11. Baisteach

    Baisteach Junior Member

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    Aren't they ever :D
    But if you want milk it pays to have one around; also useful for running with sheep, keeps the ewes contented and there aren't likely to be any offspring (if there are they have a fair 'novelty' price.
     
  12. Muddy

    Muddy Junior Member

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    First of all don't let anyone put you off keeping goats for milk. There is no other type of milk available that will come anywhere near fresh goat's milk. If you are only going to keep two animals then you should obtain them young enough to train to be tethered. Goats are very smart and easily trained. I have about 15 Boer goats that I let out to hunt weeds in the nieghbouring farm. I only have to clap my hands once and they all run back into their paddock. I have a group of permie friends and they almost beg me to lend them a goat to clean up weeds. If I ever run low on feed they can all be tethered (I leave soft dog collars on them) and sent out on weeding duty. The Boer breed are great eating and also produce more than enough milk for our family.
     

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