Anyone know about goats and boarding?
The reason I ask is that one my best friends has a birthday coming up and she has always wanted one. She goes on the weekends to farms just so she can see them (which I think is wacky, but what the heck!) and she mentioned how much that she'd love to have one her own to go visit and feed it and stuff. How much does a little goat eat? Are they expensive? Do different goats have different health issues? Somebody school me! |
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| Jill,
I don't know much about goats to be certain. But try contacting some of the local hobby farms in your area. they may be able to give you more info. As an idea, my sister pays $300 a month to board her horse here in MN. Goats are so much smaller, and eat less, I've gotta imagine it would be less then that! |
| My experience is obviously with horses, but I can't imagine there is a barn that boards goats. Karen is on the right track--perhaps a private farm is the way to go, or someone with their horses at home. Sometimes horses need companions and goats make good friends (for horses). It couldn't cost much to board to a goat. But there are various breeds of goats and each breed has their own set of needs. For example, angora goats would be more delicate than regular old goats. There are also pygmy goats.
Why can't your friend be happy just visiting a goat? I bet there are goat rescues, or goats on Petfinder. How close are you to a rural area? Cuz I bet a feed store would know about available goats. A whole world of goat knowledge awaits you. BAAAAAAAA. |
| The folks across the street from me have 5 or 6 cows that they show and breed. They also have a couple of goats in the field with them. I agree that that is the type of place that probably would board a goat or two. They already have the set-up and the feeding needs in place.
Maybe just drive around the countryside, spot a place iwth a couple of goats and ask them. Of cource you would avoid the places with signs advertising "fresh goat meat"...  |
| Can you "adopt" a goat at a local petting zoo?
Although, I love the idea of showing up at her door with a goat in a birthday party hat. That would be priceless. Maybe you can just rent a goat for the evening... |
Hi My parents still have a goat. The best thing to do is contact a local 4-H group where the kids handle goats. A lot of time they have to sell their goat at the fair. We used to get them after the fair was over. My dad would save the goat from beeing "sold" and made the little girl or boy who had to sell it happy. You might want to get a boy goat. Make sure you get it de-horned. They are really a cool pet to have they follow you around and love attention. I hope this all helps. Too bad your friend couldn't keep the goat in her back yard.  |
I think Max would love a goat-friend... 
Hello, Mom? |
| I'm not sure I follow the part about your dad saving the goat from being sold -- are you saying that goats that are sold after the fair aren't normally kept as pets?
About being de-horned... I seem to recall that goats headbut even without horns. I imagine that they can get angry? Do they ever do any damage, like repeatedly butting or anything? I have never thought about goat issues before. |
| Maybe she meant saved from being sold to slaughter? I know many of the 4-h animals at our state fair are sold at auction to the food industry at the end of the fair. Beef especially...
Ok, now that I've thoroughly depressed everyone... good luck with your goat search Jill! |
I didn't want to say that... 
Is there a market for goat meat? |
| Yes, there is a large market for goat meat, particularly in the Mexican population. |
| I don't know... all I can think of is goat milk and goat cheese.
There you go Jill, Your friend could start up her own mini goat dairy  |
Paula O. wrote: Why can't your friend be happy just visiting a goat? I bet there are goat rescues, or goats on Petfinder. How close are you to a rural area? Cuz I bet a feed store would know about available goats. A whole world of goat knowledge awaits you. BAAAAAAAA. Oh, I think she would be happy to just visit. She just likes them and loves spending time with them. Anything else she'd get to do is an added bonus. I like the idea of a goat rescue a lot and the 4-H idea is a great one, too. Ideally, what would be great is to find a nice farm where they would keep it but it would essentially be "hers" if she'd like to visit it. Kind an "adopt-a-goat" thing. I'd pay for all the costs of taking care of it, but she'd be able to visit "her" goat whenever she wanted. I think we have 4-H Fair this month about 50 miles away. I remember going as a kid... |
| This whole thread cracked me up. I love that you want to get your friend a goat for her birthday... |
ButtersStotch wrote: I remember going as a kid...
I'm surprised Ron didn't say this!  |
Maggie McGee IV wrote: ButtersStotch wrote: I remember going as a kid... I'm surprised Ron didn't say this! I realized what I said as soon as I hit send but didn't change it just for ewe guys. Quote: This whole thread cracked me up. I love that you want to get your friend a goat for her birthday...
I know, I'm laughing the whole time about it myself. I laugh at her every time she talks about her love of goats and the goats that she visits. If you met her, it would even funnier. She definitely doesn't look like someone that would love goats if, ere, a look as such exists! |
Maggie McGee IV wrote: ButtersStotch wrote: I remember going as a kid... I'm surprised Ron didn't say this!  |
| My cousin and I had a petting farm in Utah and had many different kinds of goats. Pygmy (the ones you are talking about), LaMancha (no ears!), curly goats (which look like sheep with ringlets), a couple of fainting goats (when they are startled they fall on the ground stiff legged...doesn't hurt them but is hilarious), Nubians (large goats). The children learned how to milk with a very nice momma goat as teacher. In fact, we'd have children (notice I'm not saying kids!) line up for the priviledge!
With all respect to the PP...Don't get a boy!! They smell....really really bad! lol The de-horning is done when they are a few days old....just like some OES are born without tails you can get goats that are naturally "pulled" or hornless...but they are somewhat rare. I understand your friend's great interest in goats. They are natural comics! The gymnastics that the babies can do will blow your mind! Being a prey animal they are born ready to "rock and roll"...and believe me they do. Unless the market has changed....you can expect to pay $25-50 for a goat depending on what breed you get. Boarding a goat....mmm...that's not a clue. I know we did have some people come up our long drive and tell us they wanted to buy a goat for their barbeq...uuu...back yard. But we never had anyone want to board their goat so I can't help you there. I like the adopt a goat plan. Perhaps the place she visits now would go for that....just know that it really doesn't cost much to keep one goat.
So as the goaties would say "Yay Yay" |
| $25 to $50? I can see why they'd be so tast...er... fun to have.
Same for a fainting goat? Will they keep my grass down? Will a chainlink fence be sufficient, and will they get along with my dog? |
| "Adopting" a zoo goat is a great idea! I checked our local zoo's web site, and their rate to adopt a domestic goat is $35.
Donna |
| Thanks, Michele. That's excellent info. I never knew goats were so cheap. I believe the Pygmy is definitely the one I was thinking of but I know she loves all of them.
I'm thinking I'm going to go on the hunt for a nearby petting farm (well, as near as possible-- we don't hit farms for awhile) and see if they'd be interested in playing a part in my adopt a goat program. |
| Hi Ron, I meant for slaughter but I didn't want to say that. A goat w/ horns hurts way more than a goat w/out. They always test you to see what they can get away with. We used to let them run in our back yard with our dogs. One fell in my parents pool and didn't swim so I jumped in after it. He was ok |
ButtersStotch wrote: I'm thinking I'm going to go on the hunt for a nearby petting farm (well, as near as possible-- we don't hit farms for awhile) and see if they'd be interested in playing a part in my adopt a goat program.
And of course, we'll need to see goat pictures during your search |
| We had goats when I was growing up, they were housed between our chicken houses to keep the weeds down, so Dad didn't have to trim constantly. They were the friendliest bunch. We went from having five one day to thirteen the next. The females had twins and triplets! Lots of itty bitty babies to play with. I could be found buried under goats many afternoons. And yes, the males stink! Peter and Paul would also get to headbutting and you'd swear they would have to have killer headaches at the end. One would stand on the top of a small cliff and literally throw himself at the other....even thinking about it is giving me a headache..... |
| We had goats too. Definitely get a nanny - the billies REEK! Or get a neutered male. No odor and a nicer personality with the nannies or fixed ones.
I would talk to 4-H, FFA or similar groups (I was a member of both of these groups!). Also could check at feed stores - the staff would know the clients who raise goats. There is a huge meat market for goats around here to - with the different ethnic populations. They eat goat like we eat beef. |
| hehe....all i could think of too was fresh goat cheese...mmmmm...id be a lot cheaper than buying it at the grocery store...also, youd know that it was made with love......
i wanna see a goat in a birthday hat for her party......that would be hysterical!! |
ps.....i should have gotten you a better wedding gift....sounds like you treat your special friends REEEAAALLL nice  |
I never really thought much of goats and recalled the small ones at the petting zoos too. Then, one day at Fozzie's dog training, we opened up the door to leave the barn and there was a BIG goat. He's the size of a pony and his name is Rudy. He really is cute and likes to eyeball the dogs and pretend to head butt I find myself looking forward to hoping Rudy is outside each week |
Jill, go to the state fair, should be plenty of goats there  . Besides, didn't you have some jelly you wanted to enter in the blue ribbon contest?
bdx4 |
yes, i just found a great farm called boulder creek goat farm. it's located in the santa cruz mountains south of san jose in cali. it's $5 per day to board a goat there. i want to rescue some from shelters and may board there...still looking. have a horse in penn valley, ca...so would like them to be close in proximity!!   |
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