[Carl f k]

Holding numbers,ear tags anything else I need to know? Would someone explain a I need to know if I was to keep goats as I always like to research before jumping in with two feet. It's a big ask but if you can guide me in plain English I would be very great full  thanx a million 

[jaykay]

Probably the best thing to do is join a local goat club or find people who keep them locally and offer to help.

A good goat book is David Harwood's 'Goat Health and Welfare' though as you can hear it's mainly about health not management.

[tizaala]

Step 1: holding
Step 2: holding number
Step 3: herd number
Step 4: Fencing , high, strong , secure.
Step 5: meat or milk? what do you want from a goat?
Step 6: Shelter and housing and food supply , find a local keeper willing to teach and show you.
 
Go to your local library and read every goat book, then read them again. the rescue centres are full of people who thought they would like a goat and then couldn't cope with them ,
If in doubt---DON'T.
 

[Dogwalker]

Full of goats or people who couldn't cope??

[tizaala]

Full of goats or people who couldn't cope??

I think I meant goats- but you never know , 

[Carl f k]

Probably the best thing to do is join a local goat club or find people who keep them locally and offer to help.

A good goat book is David Harwood's 'Goat Health and Welfare' though as you can hear it's mainly about health not management.

[Carl f k]

Probably the best thing to do is join a local goat club or find people who keep them locally and offer to help.

A good goat book is David Harwood's 'Goat Health and Welfare' though as you can hear it's mainly about health not management.

Thawt it would be better on the forum as people have the experience and knowledge of the subject

[chickenfeed]

where abouts are you carl ? the reason i ask is on the 14th october the autumn show will be on peterborough showground lots of goats & goat keepers to ask away any questions, smallholder associations to quiz too along with all other livestock and country sports its a great day out and you could go home with a wealth of knowledge, chickens and goodness knows what.

[Anke]

two books that are goood, but probably not in your library:
L Hetherington, Home goat keeping
U Jaudas, The new goat handbook
Both should be available on www.abeboooks.co.uk, if not amazon, secondhand.
I spent three years gettting ready for my goats - joining BGS, GGGS, visiting shows and other goatkeepers, and reading anything I could get my hands on - library and secondhand mainly.
Just one point if you live in town - maybe Anglo Nubians are not the breed to choose...

[Mays]

Goats are much more time consuming and needy compared to sheep, bottom line is you need to read a few of those suggested books to get a feel for goat keeping and wether it is for you or not.
Most build herds around their facilities. Ask yourself how much land, shelter, time do you have on offer for this enterprise and what are your motives, pets? farming? breeding? produce? Milk or meat?
Goats are farm animals and everything you need to consider for a sheep you need to consider for a goat from  health to welfare and the market for the produce.

[Carl f k]

where abouts are you carl ? the reason i ask is on the 14th october the autumn show will be on peterborough showground lots of goats & goat keepers to ask away any questions, smallholder associations to quiz too along with all other livestock and country sports its a great day out and you could go home with a wealth of knowledge, chickens and goodness knows what.

I'm in the midlands

[jinglejoys]

Local Goat club (There's a Worcs Goat Society) and you only need one book Goat Husbandry by David McKenzie.Also depends on what you want the goats for

[chickenfeed]

where abouts are you carl ? the reason i ask is on the 14th october the autumn show will be on peterborough showground lots of goats & goat keepers to ask away any questions, smallholder associations to quiz too along with all other livestock and country sports its a great day out and you could go home with a wealth of knowledge, chickens and goodness knows what.

I'm in the midlands

www.autumnshow.co.uk come and say hello

[goosepimple]

Get 3 so if something happens to 1 they still have company.  Some goats eat everything such as Bagot and I think Anglo Nubians (haven't had them) including Ragwort (poisonous) - check your pasture by the way and know what are the regular common pest plants.  Some are fussy and don't so if you're looking for weed control make sure you get the type that eat everything but watch that pasture! 
 
If they are your first ever goats try and get placid natured ones that aren't climbing the walls.
 
And get a milking stand / goat crush which will help you handle them for foot trimming which needs to be done once a month (their feet need trimmed much more than sheep) and it would be good for you to see this done before you do it yourself.  You can make one yourself - do the search at the top of this website and it will come up with previous entries about this and member's having made them successfully without too much hassle.
 
They need goat mix or dairy nuts (normally fed to cattle but good for goats) normally about as much as cupped hands together amount each goat twice a day, fresh water and a mineral lick which is suitable for goats. 
 
And remember, goats like to browse more than graze so you have to have access to things you can chop for them - ours especially like ash branches and fruit tree branches.  If you don't have access to lots then you could always offer to chop someone's unruly bushes somewhere.
 
Our goats also LOVE dried apricots and prunes and hobnobs and digestives. 
 
Happy goating.    Horses like goats too, they talk the same language.

[goosepimple]

...And I forgot, hay all the time all times of year - put it in something they can 'tug' it from or it will end up everywhere.