Thanks both. The mowing is around a hour - 1.5 hours a week, so my hope was that jus feeding some goats and the odd hoof trim wouldn't be as much time in terms of a 'chore' more time for fun things like handling and stroking them, which i know is work and time, but we dont mind that, way more fun than mowing a lawn! As for them being THE escape artists, maybe not then haha! I would get it all goat proof fencing, I just thought as I already have the post and rail 3/4 way around it wouldn't be much more work to make it goat proof? Just another strip of post and rail and then (non barbed) wire.
Have thought about renting but dont want to put all the fencing in for someone else to benefit, and have random people at our place all the time, as miserable as that sounds! Also sheep, i am not sure i am tough enough to turn them around in winter for meat, we would be down there all the time with the kids and get too attached haha! Thought about hay but it makes a mess of our lawn as no access but over our garden!
Thank you though for the suggestions.,