[goat granny]

Hi Gator: Goat herder here: Goats will eat most anything, but not all things...Our goats wouldn't touch wild mustard, they would chomp down a pasture and certain plants would still be standing..Depends on what is growing on your property..(ouchy on meat goats) I loved my Angora's but we did send some neutered males off to the butcher.

If your not familiar with goat meat you might not like the taste...We didn't like it as chops etc. but made great sausage and salami,

Your best bet is contacting someone is your agriculture dept for advice on what they eat in your area.. There are a few plants that can poison them.

If you know the breed you are going to get, google that breed on the internet, you will find breeders and their web sites will usually have information on what to feed or what to not feed. They can be a source of lots of information that could help you out...If your not sure of the breed you will be getting, the information will still be valid...

If you get female milking goats, they have to be milked...Something to consider is getting neutered males..If neutered as kids, they have about the same temperament as females...Are larger, eat a little more and no problem with having to milk them. (unless you like goat milk) It is sweeter than cows milk...

[AnAmericanMother]

Thanks! I knew you'd know.

All I knew is that they love kudzu, but need to be fed a micronutrient supplement if that's all they're eating.

[AnAmericanMother]

Goat's milk has a higher carb content than cow's milk -- but it also has a somewhat unusual taste that takes some getting used to . . .

My daughter as a young girl read Heidi and insisted that I buy her some goat's milk so she could try it. She made a face . . . we used the rest in cooking.

[Gator113]

Thank you very much.

[Gator113]

Are they fence busters and will a weed-burner fencer keep them off of the fence?

I think I am going to give it a try as soon as I build a winter shelter for them. I have raised as many as 8 head of cattle here before, but I am not sure that I can any longer handle bringing in all of the hay those gals can eat. LOL

My German Shepherd dog (Falco) should help me keep the goats in check... nothing backs my boy down, nothing. ;>)

A few months ago I wanted to try raising around 3 hens for brown eggs. Before I was done, I had built a Chicken Mansion, as my wife calls it, and I now have 26 girls. Some of them started laying a couple of weeks ago and in the last couple of days, I have collect a dozen a day. I suspect that on my mountain, I will soon be known as the “egg guy”. Of course, I will be calling them “Gator eggs”.

Oh, I know this sounds crazy, but my dog has learned to herd the chickens into the henhouse.... it is quite a sight to watch. When I put him in a down, the chickens will climb all over him... then when I tell him to “round ‘em up”, he gets up and with a calm work ethic, he gently drives them into the hen house.

I don’t know goats, but I suspect that Falco will try to herd them for me.

Can goats be herded by a dog?

Again, thanks for your input.

[blackbart.223]

"If neutered as kids, they have about the same temperament as females."

Just so everyone knows, adult males(bucks)tend to be very nasty and aggressive.