Author Topic: Goats for training & scrub clearing  (Read 5754 times)

tobytoby

  • Joined May 2011
  • north ayrshire
Goats for training & scrub clearing
« on: May 26, 2011, 01:50:10 pm »
Advice please on what age/sex/type of goat (x2) would be best for my animal daft daughter to train, eventualyy to pull a cart? Could they share ground with pigs or better kept separate?

Roxy

  • Joined May 2009
  • Peak District
    • festivalcarriages.co.uk
Re: Goats for training & scrub clearing
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2011, 02:24:36 pm »
If you only want the goats as pets/pulling a cart, then castrated males are the most suitable, and you will be able to pick those up cheaply.  The larger dairy breed boys, such as British Alpine, British Togg, Anglo Nubian are a good size when castrated.   I can vouch for their size as we have 3 very tall (almost as big as our small pony!) BT castrated males.

Have to say, although we have carriage ponies.,  I have never had the desire to put the goats in a cart!

As to the scrub clearing - a word of caution.  Yes, goats do eat brambles, nettles etc., although they prefer tree branches.  Do check there is nothing that will poison them there, and also I never let my goats eat anything prickly, as they can get scratches (female goats can hurt their udders) and I have even known goats get eye injuries through grazing such land, and one got a huge abscess with an even  bigger vet bill through gettingh a thorn from a bramble bush in its face

Our goats are out with the pigs (well the pigs are fenced in,) but goats never bother going near the pigs.  I do not think I would put them actually together, mainly because the pigs would dig all the grass up!!

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: Goats for training & scrub clearing
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2011, 02:32:37 pm »
There is a harness goat society (I don't have the website or contact details but I am sure its goggle-able) they might have some link, info and leads for you too.
I think Jinglejoys may have had harness goats? could be wrong though.
What age is your daughter? we have a toggenburg castrate and he is the soppiest, cuddliest goat you could imagine, my girls adore him (they are 4, 6, 8 and 9) and he loves them back!
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

jinglejoys

  • Joined Jul 2009
Re: Goats for training & scrub clearing
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2011, 06:07:10 pm »
http://www.harnessgoats.co.uk/
Deffinately go for the  British  although I'd steer clear of A.N.s and try to get one that hadn't been bottle fed too much as harness goats are supposed to lead not be led ;)

Roxy

  • Joined May 2009
  • Peak District
    • festivalcarriages.co.uk
Re: Goats for training & scrub clearing
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2011, 06:55:15 am »
As I said, we are into horse carriage driving - not goats, so I am curious to know why AN's are not considered suitable?   I have not come across many goats in harness, but an AN was one of them, which prompted my OH to suggest using our two big boys in a cart  (we didn't!),

jinglejoys

  • Joined Jul 2009
Re: Goats for training & scrub clearing
« Reply #5 on: May 29, 2011, 08:48:22 pm »
AN's tend to be too clingy,O.k if you are just going to lead them around but not if you want to drive ;D

 

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