BASIC INFO:
Goats have been used for centuries, to carry loads, starting in places like Iran and
Tibet. Goats like to travel in herds and will quickly let you become part of
their specific "herd."
Goats also cost less and are less costly to maintain in the non-camping months. Two goats will live on a 1/4 acre. Two is the minimum recommended number of goats as they need companionship, although they will attach themselves to other species, including you, if they
have no other goats around.
A healthy, pack goat quality, imprinted kid starts at $150. You can maintain two for about $30 per month. They require shelter, but it doesn't have to be fancy, just dry and windproof. They do well in cattle panel fencing, or field fence with hot wire top and bottom.
If you've heard old wives' tales about goats, including the one that all goats smell bad, well, that's only the bucks and they're not usually used for packing. And as far as goats having nasty dispositions, not the ones that are properly raised. Goats are similar to a good dog in temperament , if raised correctly. Goats are ecologically sound, easy to train, and love the contact with humans associated with packing. They are really useful and fun animals to work with.
The goats first three years are used to grow and develop. These are the bonding years that make or break a good pack goat. They should be learning manners rather than "how to" pack. How to behave on a leash, in camp, on the trail, when to eat, then not eat, when to rest, how to follow, how to cross water. It is more important they learn these manners, the "packing" will come naturally if they have the behavior basics.
Why Pack Goats?
Loyal, Easy to Handle: Goats are ideal companions for seniors who can
no longer carry a backpack and for families with small children. Goats are
personable, properly trained they prefer being with people. Goats are easily
led by children and are easy to pack for ALL ages, as you need not lift the
load very high. Goats, like dogs, bond with humans at a young age and will
follow anywhere. In areas not requiring tying, your goats will willingly follow
along the trail, browse for his own food and sleep next to your tent or
rainfly.
Go Anywhere: Goats can utilize areas that are inaccessible
to horses, relieving congestion on crowded trails. They can travel over a wide
variety of terrain, including packed snow, downed logs and rock. Anything short
of a cliff, if you can get there, so can your goats. Probably with a silly face
watching you catch up.
No Trace Camping, Environmentally Friendly: A
goat's impact on the land is minimal. Goats eat like deer. They forage and
browse for wide variety of food, so there is no need to pack food for them.
Goats do not dig holes, or even leave much a a print at all. And there droppings
are not smelly. In fact, to the untrained a goats droppings and hoof prints
would appear to be those of a deer. Goats require very little extra food to be
transported for them, unlike llamas and horses. Goats are also less likely to
leave behind reminders of their presence in the wilderness. No large manure
piles, broken limbs, and pawed out areas. Goats fit the "leave no trace camping"
ethic very well.
GOAT Advantages vs Disadvantages *
Advantages
• Carry all sorts of gear, greatly reducing the amount of gear you have to
carry. Goats can easily carry 20% - 30% of their body weight in saddles and
gear (a 200 lbs. goat can readily carry 50 lbs. all day)
• Goats handle rougher terrain than other pack animals
• Goats have minimal impact on the environment
• Goats don't need large quantities of feed, they can browse on the trail
• Goats do not have to have water every day, if forage is good. (three days
is not uncommon)
• Goats are relatively easy to train and easily handled by people of all
ages and abilities
• Goats will haul in a small trailer or a pickup with or without a canopy
• Goats are pleasant animals who will stay with the herd and not stray from the group
• Goats do not need to be tied up at night if properly bonded to humans
• Goats do not need to be lead, they follow naturally
• Goats are well suited to No Trace Camping practices
• Less expensive to own and operate than other pack animals
Disadvantages
• Goats travel less distance per day than other pack animals (smell the flowers)
• Goats carry less weight than other pack animals (get more)
• As with any animal, a certain amount of daily care and attention is required to keep goats (get disciplined)
• Initial start-up expenses may be quite high (but not as high as with other pack animals)
• Zoning regulations may limit your ability to keep goats in your backyard
Do I want Horns on my goats?
This is a hot issue and ultimately comes downs to personal preference.
Here is a quote from some pack goat breeder/seller “We chose to have horns on our
goats. We like the look of horned goats. We live in semi-arid conditions where
the horns DO help disperse heat. And we are rural enough the roaming domestic
dogs are a problem. Most have learned to respect our boys ability to defend
their turf. On the converse side, we have had bruised ribs, torn shirts
and one split lip from dealing with horned packers (totally accidental on the
goat's part). And we still want horns. But all of our family and their friends
that visit know that grabbing the horn is a total no no as this single action
encourages them to butt people.”
Horns vs No Horns
Horns on a pack goat function as a cooling system - they each have a large blood
vessel running through them. This allows the animal to cool itself as the blood
circulates through the horn. The heat dissipates to the surface of the horn.
Horns are also good for protection against dogs and predators. If a goat is
bottle raised (and no one played with its horns), it should not drop its horns
to people. For people that have shown dairy goats, the 4H and the American Dairy
Goat Association rules are "no horned animals". This is for safety simply
because many people do not hand raise their goats, and some breeds of goats tend
to be more aggressive than others. If one chooses not to keep the horns, the
best time to disbud (destroy the horn buds) is when the goat kid is ten days to
two weeks of age. It is not recommended to mix horned and no horns in the same
herd. It can work but the horned have an advantage over the unhorned.
So how do you get pack goats to the trailhead?
Goats are also easier to transport than larger pack animals. Three will fit
nicely into a small pickup with a canopy. In a homemade animal box two
will even fit in a SUV or Mini Van. Full sided pickups with simple wood sides
can hold several.
What is the Cost of a Pack Goat?
From a pack goat breeder, you can expect to pay $100 to $175 for a
beginning pack goat less than six months of age. A fully trained pack goat can
cost $350 to $800 depending on training, size and age, plus equipment.
IF YOU KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR, good quality animals can be purchased from the local livestock auction. Expect to pay from $30.00 to $40.00 for young goats and about $125.00 for older goats. This is a much more risky way of getting your goat so you'd best know what you
are doing! I would not recommend using this method unless you are experienced in
raising goats. Take the time to scout out some reputable breeders and do some
research. Cheap is not always the best way to go. Spend the time to learn about
goats. You'll be glad you did.
What type of standard equipment do I need?
There are a variety of things to consider when you think about owning
packgoats. As with any animal, goats have special needs. They need a fenced
area which has shelter, food and water available daily. You will need to
purchase feed, medicines, and various supplies on an ongoing basis in order to
properly care for your goats.
You will need to figure out how to transport your animals to and from your destination. Goats have been transported in all manner of vehicles - pickups, vans, suv's, and trailers of all types. Home built, brand spanking new trailers, whatever works and is available to you. Be careful of open trailers. You don't want your hiking buddy to jump out while
you're traveling. Some breeders do not recommend Chain link fencing; we have found that 4" X 4" welded wire 5' X 16' panels work the best. Whatever you decide on a hot wire ran at chest level on the goat is the best “fence saver”.
What Packing Equipment Do I Need? *
Since pack goats are working animals, you will need to purchase pack
equipment for each animal. Halters, collars, leads, pack saddles, panniers, are
but a few of the items necessary for proper outfitting.
Two types of packs are commonly used. The most common type of pack is a cross buck, and is
used to carry full loads of 25% to 30% of the goat's body weight. The cross buck
consists of the saddle (wood or metal), saddle pad, and panniers (carrying
bags). This pack type can cost $150 or more. The other is a bucket and
strap system, most useful for hunting. Cost is an empty square 4 gallon laundry
bucket and pre made strapping that runs about $20. You also need a collar, lead
and ID tag for the goat. We use the "dog packs" on the kids that are just
learning to pack so that they can get the “feel” of something on their back and
around them, although these soft packs are not recommended for actual
packing. See the Statistics below.
What Do I Need to Consider if I Decide to Purchase a Goat?*
Land – 100 sq. ft. per goat.
Fencing – 5-ft. high field/horse fencing.
(With horned goats 4" squares recommend)
Shelter – Covered, with at least three sides, dry and blocks main wind flow.
Food - hay: alfalfa/grass mix and vitamins. Mineral salt lick. And protein treats
Water – fresh daily.
Health Care – yearly checkups, worming, yearly vaccinations, hooves trimmed
every 6 to 12 weeks. (dependent on need)
Companionship – consider at least 2 goats to keep each other company. Goats are herd animals and tend to act out or cry a lot if solo. They do make good horse companions.
Care Cost – about $15 to $20 per month per goat.
Exercise – a hike a week or walks during the week. An exercised goat is a healthy goat.
Training Time – plan to spend several minutes each day with the goat to work on commands as well as for bonding.
Statistics*
How much can one carry? Goats can easily carry 1/4 of their total
body weight. Fully conditioned packers can reach up to 1/3. A large fully grown
wether can easily carry 40 to 60 pounds of gear. That's a lot of stuff, and if
you need more you can just add another goat!
Basics of bottle feeding goat kids03.30.2017 by thriftyhomesteader // 8 Comments
Even though I strongly believe that goat kids should be raised by mom, there are times when that simply is not possible. A doe may have more kids than she can feed. A kid may be born too small or weak to be able to nurse. And on rare occasion, a doe may reject one or more kids. So, if you find yourself with a bottle baby, what do you do?
What do you feed?Goat milk is best, and I prefer raw milk because it has all of the antibodies intact. However, if the milk comes from a doe that has CAE, Johnes, or another infectious disease, then the milk needs to be pasteurized so that the kid does not get infected.
Beyond that, you’ll hear people argue all day long about what to feed. We’ve used milk replacer, and we’ve used whole milk from the store, and we had equally OK results with both. Without mom’s antibodies in fresh goat milk, the kids will be more likely to have problems with worms and coccidia, which is why some people use medicated milk replacer, which helps prevent coccidiosis.
How much?All kids should get 5% of their body weight in the first six hours and 10% of their body weight in the first 24 hours in COLOSTRUM. Without colostrum, kids will die. When calculating, remember to convert pounds to ounces. If you have a 3-pound Nigerian dwarf kid, that’s 3 X 16 = 48 ounces, which would be 4.8 ounces of milk in the first 24 hours. It would need to have half that amount in the first six hours, which would be 2.4 ounces. If the kid wants more, that’s fine. This is just the minimum. If I can get 10% of body weight in colostrum into a kid within the first six hours, I sleep much better. I gradually increase the amount of milk in the bottles, up to 32 ounces per day for Nigerians. For years I maxed out at 24 ounces, but I discovered that the kids are much healthier and grow faster with 32 ounces a day.
How often?Most people feed 4-5 times in 24 hours, and you can usually go 7-8 hours overnight between bottles, so it’s about every 3-4 hours during the day. Some people try to get kids down to only two bottles as soon as possible, but in my experience, kids are more likely to get diarrhea when given too much milk at a single feeding. We don’t usually get kids down to less than three bottles ever.
How long?Kids need milk for a minimum of two months. In the early years, we used to bottle feed for three to four months. But since we’ve learned that mama’s milk makes them healthier, and they grow faster, we now bottle feed for five or six months.
Where should bottle babies live?Of course, it is tempting to keep bottle babies in the house with you. They are so adorable and cuddly! And it’s easier than going out to the barn to give a bottle at night. But having a kid in the house creates so many problems! Sure, it’s cute and fun until the kid is running around and eating your mail and chewing up your extension cords and dancing on top of your CD player. (Yep, really happened.) The worst part, though, is that they don’t know they’re a goat, and eventually you will have to put them outside, and it will be a very sad day as you listen to that kid screaming for hours. So, if they are a normal, healthy kid, I now make them stay with the other goats. If they are weak or having trouble maintaining their body temperature, we will keep them in the house initially, but we move them to the barn with other goats as soon as it’s safe for them.
If we have more than one bottle baby, we will have a bottle baby pen in the kidding barn, so they can all stay together. But if there’s only one, we try to keep it with its mother and siblings, if possible. Because goats are herd animals, they should not be alone, and it’s best for them to realize that other goats are their herd, rather than humans.
*some Information courtesy of a google web search.
Goats have been used for centuries, to carry loads, starting in places like Iran and
Tibet. Goats like to travel in herds and will quickly let you become part of
their specific "herd."
Goats also cost less and are less costly to maintain in the non-camping months. Two goats will live on a 1/4 acre. Two is the minimum recommended number of goats as they need companionship, although they will attach themselves to other species, including you, if they
have no other goats around.
A healthy, pack goat quality, imprinted kid starts at $150. You can maintain two for about $30 per month. They require shelter, but it doesn't have to be fancy, just dry and windproof. They do well in cattle panel fencing, or field fence with hot wire top and bottom.
If you've heard old wives' tales about goats, including the one that all goats smell bad, well, that's only the bucks and they're not usually used for packing. And as far as goats having nasty dispositions, not the ones that are properly raised. Goats are similar to a good dog in temperament , if raised correctly. Goats are ecologically sound, easy to train, and love the contact with humans associated with packing. They are really useful and fun animals to work with.
The goats first three years are used to grow and develop. These are the bonding years that make or break a good pack goat. They should be learning manners rather than "how to" pack. How to behave on a leash, in camp, on the trail, when to eat, then not eat, when to rest, how to follow, how to cross water. It is more important they learn these manners, the "packing" will come naturally if they have the behavior basics.
Why Pack Goats?
Loyal, Easy to Handle: Goats are ideal companions for seniors who can
no longer carry a backpack and for families with small children. Goats are
personable, properly trained they prefer being with people. Goats are easily
led by children and are easy to pack for ALL ages, as you need not lift the
load very high. Goats, like dogs, bond with humans at a young age and will
follow anywhere. In areas not requiring tying, your goats will willingly follow
along the trail, browse for his own food and sleep next to your tent or
rainfly.
Go Anywhere: Goats can utilize areas that are inaccessible
to horses, relieving congestion on crowded trails. They can travel over a wide
variety of terrain, including packed snow, downed logs and rock. Anything short
of a cliff, if you can get there, so can your goats. Probably with a silly face
watching you catch up.
No Trace Camping, Environmentally Friendly: A
goat's impact on the land is minimal. Goats eat like deer. They forage and
browse for wide variety of food, so there is no need to pack food for them.
Goats do not dig holes, or even leave much a a print at all. And there droppings
are not smelly. In fact, to the untrained a goats droppings and hoof prints
would appear to be those of a deer. Goats require very little extra food to be
transported for them, unlike llamas and horses. Goats are also less likely to
leave behind reminders of their presence in the wilderness. No large manure
piles, broken limbs, and pawed out areas. Goats fit the "leave no trace camping"
ethic very well.
GOAT Advantages vs Disadvantages *
Advantages
• Carry all sorts of gear, greatly reducing the amount of gear you have to
carry. Goats can easily carry 20% - 30% of their body weight in saddles and
gear (a 200 lbs. goat can readily carry 50 lbs. all day)
• Goats handle rougher terrain than other pack animals
• Goats have minimal impact on the environment
• Goats don't need large quantities of feed, they can browse on the trail
• Goats do not have to have water every day, if forage is good. (three days
is not uncommon)
• Goats are relatively easy to train and easily handled by people of all
ages and abilities
• Goats will haul in a small trailer or a pickup with or without a canopy
• Goats are pleasant animals who will stay with the herd and not stray from the group
• Goats do not need to be tied up at night if properly bonded to humans
• Goats do not need to be lead, they follow naturally
• Goats are well suited to No Trace Camping practices
• Less expensive to own and operate than other pack animals
Disadvantages
• Goats travel less distance per day than other pack animals (smell the flowers)
• Goats carry less weight than other pack animals (get more)
• As with any animal, a certain amount of daily care and attention is required to keep goats (get disciplined)
• Initial start-up expenses may be quite high (but not as high as with other pack animals)
• Zoning regulations may limit your ability to keep goats in your backyard
Do I want Horns on my goats?
This is a hot issue and ultimately comes downs to personal preference.
Here is a quote from some pack goat breeder/seller “We chose to have horns on our
goats. We like the look of horned goats. We live in semi-arid conditions where
the horns DO help disperse heat. And we are rural enough the roaming domestic
dogs are a problem. Most have learned to respect our boys ability to defend
their turf. On the converse side, we have had bruised ribs, torn shirts
and one split lip from dealing with horned packers (totally accidental on the
goat's part). And we still want horns. But all of our family and their friends
that visit know that grabbing the horn is a total no no as this single action
encourages them to butt people.”
Horns vs No Horns
Horns on a pack goat function as a cooling system - they each have a large blood
vessel running through them. This allows the animal to cool itself as the blood
circulates through the horn. The heat dissipates to the surface of the horn.
Horns are also good for protection against dogs and predators. If a goat is
bottle raised (and no one played with its horns), it should not drop its horns
to people. For people that have shown dairy goats, the 4H and the American Dairy
Goat Association rules are "no horned animals". This is for safety simply
because many people do not hand raise their goats, and some breeds of goats tend
to be more aggressive than others. If one chooses not to keep the horns, the
best time to disbud (destroy the horn buds) is when the goat kid is ten days to
two weeks of age. It is not recommended to mix horned and no horns in the same
herd. It can work but the horned have an advantage over the unhorned.
So how do you get pack goats to the trailhead?
Goats are also easier to transport than larger pack animals. Three will fit
nicely into a small pickup with a canopy. In a homemade animal box two
will even fit in a SUV or Mini Van. Full sided pickups with simple wood sides
can hold several.
What is the Cost of a Pack Goat?
From a pack goat breeder, you can expect to pay $100 to $175 for a
beginning pack goat less than six months of age. A fully trained pack goat can
cost $350 to $800 depending on training, size and age, plus equipment.
IF YOU KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR, good quality animals can be purchased from the local livestock auction. Expect to pay from $30.00 to $40.00 for young goats and about $125.00 for older goats. This is a much more risky way of getting your goat so you'd best know what you
are doing! I would not recommend using this method unless you are experienced in
raising goats. Take the time to scout out some reputable breeders and do some
research. Cheap is not always the best way to go. Spend the time to learn about
goats. You'll be glad you did.
What type of standard equipment do I need?
There are a variety of things to consider when you think about owning
packgoats. As with any animal, goats have special needs. They need a fenced
area which has shelter, food and water available daily. You will need to
purchase feed, medicines, and various supplies on an ongoing basis in order to
properly care for your goats.
You will need to figure out how to transport your animals to and from your destination. Goats have been transported in all manner of vehicles - pickups, vans, suv's, and trailers of all types. Home built, brand spanking new trailers, whatever works and is available to you. Be careful of open trailers. You don't want your hiking buddy to jump out while
you're traveling. Some breeders do not recommend Chain link fencing; we have found that 4" X 4" welded wire 5' X 16' panels work the best. Whatever you decide on a hot wire ran at chest level on the goat is the best “fence saver”.
What Packing Equipment Do I Need? *
Since pack goats are working animals, you will need to purchase pack
equipment for each animal. Halters, collars, leads, pack saddles, panniers, are
but a few of the items necessary for proper outfitting.
Two types of packs are commonly used. The most common type of pack is a cross buck, and is
used to carry full loads of 25% to 30% of the goat's body weight. The cross buck
consists of the saddle (wood or metal), saddle pad, and panniers (carrying
bags). This pack type can cost $150 or more. The other is a bucket and
strap system, most useful for hunting. Cost is an empty square 4 gallon laundry
bucket and pre made strapping that runs about $20. You also need a collar, lead
and ID tag for the goat. We use the "dog packs" on the kids that are just
learning to pack so that they can get the “feel” of something on their back and
around them, although these soft packs are not recommended for actual
packing. See the Statistics below.
What Do I Need to Consider if I Decide to Purchase a Goat?*
Land – 100 sq. ft. per goat.
Fencing – 5-ft. high field/horse fencing.
(With horned goats 4" squares recommend)
Shelter – Covered, with at least three sides, dry and blocks main wind flow.
Food - hay: alfalfa/grass mix and vitamins. Mineral salt lick. And protein treats
Water – fresh daily.
Health Care – yearly checkups, worming, yearly vaccinations, hooves trimmed
every 6 to 12 weeks. (dependent on need)
Companionship – consider at least 2 goats to keep each other company. Goats are herd animals and tend to act out or cry a lot if solo. They do make good horse companions.
Care Cost – about $15 to $20 per month per goat.
Exercise – a hike a week or walks during the week. An exercised goat is a healthy goat.
Training Time – plan to spend several minutes each day with the goat to work on commands as well as for bonding.
Statistics*
How much can one carry? Goats can easily carry 1/4 of their total
body weight. Fully conditioned packers can reach up to 1/3. A large fully grown
wether can easily carry 40 to 60 pounds of gear. That's a lot of stuff, and if
you need more you can just add another goat!
Basics of bottle feeding goat kids03.30.2017 by thriftyhomesteader // 8 Comments
Even though I strongly believe that goat kids should be raised by mom, there are times when that simply is not possible. A doe may have more kids than she can feed. A kid may be born too small or weak to be able to nurse. And on rare occasion, a doe may reject one or more kids. So, if you find yourself with a bottle baby, what do you do?
What do you feed?Goat milk is best, and I prefer raw milk because it has all of the antibodies intact. However, if the milk comes from a doe that has CAE, Johnes, or another infectious disease, then the milk needs to be pasteurized so that the kid does not get infected.
Beyond that, you’ll hear people argue all day long about what to feed. We’ve used milk replacer, and we’ve used whole milk from the store, and we had equally OK results with both. Without mom’s antibodies in fresh goat milk, the kids will be more likely to have problems with worms and coccidia, which is why some people use medicated milk replacer, which helps prevent coccidiosis.
How much?All kids should get 5% of their body weight in the first six hours and 10% of their body weight in the first 24 hours in COLOSTRUM. Without colostrum, kids will die. When calculating, remember to convert pounds to ounces. If you have a 3-pound Nigerian dwarf kid, that’s 3 X 16 = 48 ounces, which would be 4.8 ounces of milk in the first 24 hours. It would need to have half that amount in the first six hours, which would be 2.4 ounces. If the kid wants more, that’s fine. This is just the minimum. If I can get 10% of body weight in colostrum into a kid within the first six hours, I sleep much better. I gradually increase the amount of milk in the bottles, up to 32 ounces per day for Nigerians. For years I maxed out at 24 ounces, but I discovered that the kids are much healthier and grow faster with 32 ounces a day.
How often?Most people feed 4-5 times in 24 hours, and you can usually go 7-8 hours overnight between bottles, so it’s about every 3-4 hours during the day. Some people try to get kids down to only two bottles as soon as possible, but in my experience, kids are more likely to get diarrhea when given too much milk at a single feeding. We don’t usually get kids down to less than three bottles ever.
How long?Kids need milk for a minimum of two months. In the early years, we used to bottle feed for three to four months. But since we’ve learned that mama’s milk makes them healthier, and they grow faster, we now bottle feed for five or six months.
Where should bottle babies live?Of course, it is tempting to keep bottle babies in the house with you. They are so adorable and cuddly! And it’s easier than going out to the barn to give a bottle at night. But having a kid in the house creates so many problems! Sure, it’s cute and fun until the kid is running around and eating your mail and chewing up your extension cords and dancing on top of your CD player. (Yep, really happened.) The worst part, though, is that they don’t know they’re a goat, and eventually you will have to put them outside, and it will be a very sad day as you listen to that kid screaming for hours. So, if they are a normal, healthy kid, I now make them stay with the other goats. If they are weak or having trouble maintaining their body temperature, we will keep them in the house initially, but we move them to the barn with other goats as soon as it’s safe for them.
If we have more than one bottle baby, we will have a bottle baby pen in the kidding barn, so they can all stay together. But if there’s only one, we try to keep it with its mother and siblings, if possible. Because goats are herd animals, they should not be alone, and it’s best for them to realize that other goats are their herd, rather than humans.
*some Information courtesy of a google web search.