[harry]

i was looking for a goat to keep my nettles and docks down in my duck field  been offered various adult billys that need castrating.... to expensive...... what about me getting a couple of nannies that are past there sell by date...... sort of in retirement......... what would they cost me on average

[jameslindsay]

Why not speak with a breeder and ask them to keep you a couple of wethers. Most breeders do not want to keep males and so having an order in for them would perhaps these wee chaps lives and would not be an expensive purchase.

[Anke]

Your best bet would be castrated males - goat wethers. No smell, only maintenance feed and two together will be best mates for life. And if your circumstances change and you are not averse to the possibility, they can be eaten too and make a fine curry.

You should be able to get some for about 50 quid, possibly cheaper if you look for crosses. If they have been bottle fed they will be very tame. Just make sure they have been properly disbudded, as growing scurs can be an ongoing nuisance and vets really don't like to deal with them.

But you may be a little late in the year, as most people don't rear their males and/or send them off to the abattoir when they are weaned.

[tizaala]

Don't forget :they will need shelter and feeding in the winter, the hooves need regular trimming. your fences will need to be in very good order, they can open gates. they don't like rain, they are brousers not grazers, you will need a flock number from animal health, they don't like wet boggy ground. If you cant be bothered to look after a few docks - will you look after a couple of goats?
 Buy a strimmer instead.

[bazzais]

I agree with tizaala - I'd exchange the work of looking after goats for a strimmer anytime.

My goats are so beautiful, but a royal pain in the arse - a six foot fence and they still find a way out under, over, between, through, un-tie gates, chew right through bailer twine - they have even learned to pull the wires off the battery on the electric fence if its within mouths reach - or course they always chew the earth wire first rather than the electrified ones.

My goats are the worst and best things I have ever looked after, devious, clever, giving, loving, always tame - they dont eat what I wanted them too instead everything else when they escape.

They always look proud when they have got out - like nothing is wrong (except I have no roses, raspberries, and anything else in the garden with new shoots!!) - they sit on the doorstep proud as punch waiting for a tickle.

bastards

Baz

[Skirza]

I agree with tizaala - I'd exchange the work of looking after goats for a strimmer anytime.

My goats are so beautiful, but a royal pain in the arse - a six foot fence and they still find a way out under, over, between, through, un-tie gates, chew right through bailer twine - they have even learned to pull the wires off the battery on the electric fence if its within mouths reach - or course they always chew the earth wire first rather than the electrified ones.

My goats are the worst and best things I have ever looked after, devious, clever, giving, loving, always tame - they dont eat what I wanted them too instead everything else when they escape.

They always look proud when they have got out - like nothing is wrong (except I have no roses, raspberries, and anything else in the garden with new shoots!!) - they sit on the doorstep proud as punch waiting for a tickle.

bastards

Baz

 

[harry]

its not a time issue, its i dont like spraying often as my ducks etc are there all the time, last time i sprayed carefully there was a dead goose there a week later, they dont eat this weed, dont know if it was the spray or not, i have stacks of the nettles and docks, .... maybe i will get my strimmer out

[Beewyched]

You could always get a couple of Kunes for fattening - mine love nettles & docks, they also get on well with my Campbells too 

[cuckoo]

Hi,

If you are serious about giving some goats a good home then why not contact Buttercup Goat Sanctuary, the RSPCA, Blue Cross etc.  My goats are doing a good job at keeping my paddock short and the grazing is very rough - dock, tistles, nettles.  Not all goats are escape artists but you will need adequate fencing - I keep my Boers, Boer X's and GG's in with standard stock fencing with an electric top strand. 
Goats are great - they needn't be much work as long as you enter into them eyes open and make sure you are prepared to provide what they need.

[bazzais]

The mistake I made with my goats was to keep them as pets on the doorstep, they just roamed around and had their way wherever they wanted.  A year down the line they think they own the farm (well one of them) - Constance is good as f*** she stays in the pen - but Caroline (the other one) always want to impress.  Always thinks its cool to s**t on the doorstep then try and follow you into the house and piss on the carpet and wants a stroke (you have to give her one really before you kick her out!)

Goats - you got love them to keep them - mine piss me off on a daily basis, if I was insane I'd probably just kick them off a cliff - but they are far too nice

Baz

[Old Shep]

None of my goats have ever eaten nettles. (I've had pygmies and now pygmy x and angoras), they quite like docks but wont touch the nettles even when strimmed and dying (which apparently they are supposed to like).  They prefer to strip the bark off all the trees instead

[princesspiggy]

our 1st 2 nannies were free in paper, and they were no trouble at all. worth looking if ur not fussy with pedigree etc.

[NormandyMary]

None of my goats have ever eaten nettles. (I've had pygmies and now pygmy x and angoras), they quite like docks but wont touch the nettles even when strimmed and dying (which apparently they are supposed to like).  They prefer to strip the bark off all the trees instead

My boys dont eat much off the ground either, but have just started stripping bark off the small branches we give them with their greenery.
I dont know at what age they start getting up to mischief, and try to escape, but my boys are 6 months old now and have been very well behaved. Everyday I expect one of them to have leapt to freedom, but they are so close to each other (being brothers) I dont think they want to risk it..YET.
I still think that getting my little men is the best thing Ive done, I just love them so much and when I put them to bed at night and they jump up at the stable door to give "mummy" her good night kiss, I know that they love me too!

[harry]

all done got some kune kunes.