Are you thinking about getting a goat? Here are some interesting facts you might not know about our friends who were once known as “the poor man’s cow.”
If there were wisdom in beards, all goats would be prophets.
The myth that goats eat anything, from tin cans to noxious weeds is false. In fact, goats are notoriously persnickety.
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- Worldwide more people drink goat milk than any other variety.
- Goats belong to the genus Capra, an offshoot of the cattle family, and like cows, camels, and giraffes, they are ruminants, which means they are cud chewing and hoofed.
- The Egyptians worshiped goats and the Greeks sacrificed them, making them “scape-goats” that took on the sins of the community.
- During the Middle Ages, Christians feared that goats were Satan’s associates because of their cloven hooves and their lecherous ways when in heat.
- In the traditional zodiac, the sign of Capricorn, represented by the goat, is noted for creativity.
- In Latin, the word for goat, capre gives us capricious for “lighthearted,” or “impulsive.”
- Many have found goats to be charming, whimsical, endearing, and quite possibly the precursor to the dog being “man’s best friend.”
Goats as Pets
- Goats hate to get wet and need protection from the cold. Plan to keep the stalls clean and draft-free.
- Well-fed, content goats with good fencing stay contained. If they’re being poorly fed and poorly fenced they will find a way out.
- Goats need a balanced grain nutrition. They should be fed from two to six times a day for high-yield production.
- Anything spoiled or soiled repels them.
- Trimming hooves, dehorning, castrating, shots, grooming equipment, feed, and fencing are chores and expenses required for keeping goats.
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I have a friend who owns a petting zoo/pony ride business. I sometimes help her with it. She has six goats and one sheep, all kept together. The photo at the top of this article reminds me of them. They all look in the same direction at the same time and move around together like a school of fish. They're fun to be around, very entertaining and quite the conversationalists! They love to nibble on just about anything they can get their mouths on, which I guess is where they got the reputation of eating everything!
Goats have a higher need for certain Vitamins than some farmyard animals; the name is *Vitamin B-Complex(for Goats)*;
LOOKING FOR HELP WITH DISEASE IN GOATS,I HAVE 1 GOAT THAT GOT IT ,WHEN HE TURNED 5 YEARS OLD.VET SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR THIS.CAN ANYONE GIVE ME ADVICE ON THIS.HE IS A GREAT PET.
I would recommend finding a "Country" Vet, a Vet who works with farm animals more than Cats & Dogs. They will be more likely to have experience with Goats & your particular issues. This may mean you have to travel further than you want to get a proper diagnosis & treatment.
Goats have a higher need for certain Vitamins than some farmyard animals; the name is *Vitamin B-Complex (for Goats)*; found in whole grains + rice bran;
I have a neighbor who owned a goat that had CAE very early on and lived to be at least 12 years old with very few symptoms. I hope your goat has an easy go of this, too.
We feel for you and your pet. Goats can be afflicted by many kinds of diseases and the challenge is that many diseases resemble one another. We can really only suggest that you bring your goat under the supervision of a goat health specialist.
Don't think you can have just one goat as a pet.... they are herd animals and need companionship of some sort or they scream all the time!
found this out the hard way... anything else will work... from another goat, chickens, llamas or even a friendly outside dog!
The upside to a solitary goat, unfortunately... is that they are delicious...
I agree but would like to add to the well-fed well-fenced comment. I have several young goats that are very well fed and are in a large fenced pasture with ample structures built for their enjoyment. My children love to watch them play. However, there is one and only one that continues to get out and visit our neighbor and her children. So in spite of being well fed and amused they are very curious also.
Put a collar on that goat then tie a 6ft piece of rope to the collar and the other end to the center of a 2x4. Make the goat drag the 2x4 around for the next 3 or 4 months. It will get tangled up when going under or over the fence and should stop it's attempt's of going AWOL.
Good Luck
Mike
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