[Jaymac76]

Hi All,

I am thinking of getting a couple of goats but not sure if I have enough space the small paddock I have is 60 x27 feet, I had pigs in it this year that are now in the freezer so would put to grass and have two goats for milk but not sure about space.

Cheers

[fiestyredhead331]

doesn't sound all that big for 2 milking nannies IMHO, bearing in mind that they are browsers rather than just grass grazers you would probably need to supplement with other vegetation etc and they do have a tendency to get bored and like to explore so depending on the height of your existing fencing, you might need to up it?

[jaykay]

It's rather small, but.....in that sort of space, you'll need to feed hay, and also have things for them to do - I have a picnic bench in my goat paddock - something for them to climb on, but big logs etc. work as well. Goats need a shelter too, either in the paddock or you bring them in to an outbuilding each night.

As FRH says too, you may well need double height stock fencing.

[Anke]

If you have got access to hedge browsings (with permission of their owners if not your own), you can provide a lot of their summer feed by cutting branches once a day. High fencing is a must for a small field, and I would probably look for smaller nannies, maybe Golden Guernseys - they are fairly docile and although won't give masses of milk two will provide more than enough for the standard household.

You would however have to sell most of the kids though... not much room for developing a herd.

[fiestyredhead331]

Golden Guernseys are great little goats, I have a couple as well as the larger Saanen and BT crosses so worth looking into but you will also need to source a similar billy locally as they don't produce milk forever and will need to go back into kid at some point. A little A frame shelter in the paddock would be good so they can shelter if they need to through the day but mine also find it great fun for climbing on and jumping off
let us know how you get on 

[jinglejoys]

Only if you zero graze and used the space as a playground

[Jaymac76]

Hi All

Thanks for getting back to me I would agree just not enough space, I will do a little more reading on the golden guernsey as I would like to have goats could be a problem to get a billy locally. I will keep you all posted if I decide to get them.

[Lesley Silvester]

I just have a shed and a yard for my two but I do feed them with hay and readigrass all year as well as their concentrates. They also have cut branches and left over veggies from the shop round the corner. They have a small pile of breeze blocks and a bench in their yard. I have seen goats that are in small pens inside all the time but I think that is cruel.