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samssimonsays

Milo & Me Hoppy Tail Acres
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If you would have asked me even a month ago if I would be ACTUALLY getting goats ever, I would have laughed at you quite honestly! My husband was a nay sayer on the idea of goats, he still is because in his mind goats eat cars, tractors, houses and rock. Then he finds pictures of mountain goats and says they would scale out house like the mountains... Sit in our pine trees and so on. BUT for the grace of God he has agreed to go into this new adventure of goat milking, kidding and so much more with me. I have always had animals, rabbits, dogs, fowl and more but never a goat. We are hard workers and working towards a more self sustained way of living. Goats are a big jump in that direction. Now for some questions....

We live in Northern Minnesota on just under 6 acres of land, I plan to fence off 1/2 to 1 acre of it and have a small shelter in it, away from the fencing so as they can not leap over the fence if they should ever find themselves on its roof, and a building with stalls and such will be added near my rabbit barn to put them in at night and in winter as winters are BRUTAL here. Then I plan to fence off another 1/2 to 1 full acre with it's own small shelter in it, same as the other not near the fence so as they can not leap over the fence, and rotate them between these two areas to let each one grow up again. How many Goats would I be able to fit on this if say I had a mix of Alpines and Nigerians, MAYBE a Nubian... We are starting off small, TWO goats either both Alpine or one Alpine and one Alpine/boer cross to get in the rhythm of all things goats. They will be this years babies so I will have over an entire year with them before breeding and I can get to know them, bond etc. Then we will have our first freshening come the following spring. Which I am totally ok with. I want to be getting and using the milk but I also want to settle into things and not be overwhelmed, that never is a fun thing! But I also hope to add a nigerian doe, or two, next spring putting it to 4 goats on the little area.... I hope to add an LGD next spring or sometime as well... I have owned a Great pyr in the past and loved him but not his wanderlust :( eventually causing his death, we have a female collie and a male great pyr/saint bernard mix now <---- he is NOT going to be the LGD... he is too much of a pansy and just has no reflex or really any sense... The collie also cannot be as she is high anxiety and lives with us inside and her saint pyrenees brother. Both are great with the rabbits, children, the cat and have been around horses. Both were born on farms as farm pups turned spoiled pets with us. BUT, our boys siblings have been great LGD's... they also are about 12 pounds smaller and got most of the pyrenees where our boy is ALL bernard temperament, personality and level of ambition, we may get another from their next litter.... MAYBE.

Anyways, this is hopefully my plan, as I am sure everyone knows plans change! Thank you for any advice you can give! I am WIIIDE Open!
 
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samssimonsays

Milo & Me Hoppy Tail Acres
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I have been looking into something similar to this for a building for them in winter and to milk them in, store feed and hay in as well. It would be completed with siding of some sort...
2850340_orig.jpg
images.jpg
This for the smaller shelters in the fenced areas or this
P1010007-1024x717.jpg

goats_eating_hay_new_barn.jpg
And possibly something like this for stalls... a lot smaller stalls as I want them single stalls with a bigger area they can also be together.
Screenshot_2015-03-05-09-09-50.png
And would a fence like this work at all for goats? Just curious ;)
 

HoneyDreameMomma

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Based on my personal experience, not so much - maybe for smaller goats if the space between the pieces of wood on the pallet weren't too big. It might depend on the type/size of pallet, but when I used pallets as temporary fencing, it was short lived, because I had a couple of young boer bucks that could jump over the pallets no sweat. Might just be a buck thing too...
Lol - my does are always easier to fence than the bucks. :)
 

samssimonsays

Milo & Me Hoppy Tail Acres
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Based on my personal experience, not so much - maybe for smaller goats if the space between the pieces of wood on the pallet weren't too big. It might depend on the type/size of pallet, but when I used pallets as temporary fencing, it was short lived, because I had a couple of young boer bucks that could jump over the pallets no sweat.


OHHH Good to know! I planned on hog wire rolls and T posts but found this so I am glad I asked!
 

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