Goat People ...

[Leeana]

I was wondering what breed you raise or was your faverit.

A friend and i were thinking about splitting the cost for a goat or two and taking it to the fair this year together. We just dont know what breed of goat to get into, Janie (my friend) know's a goat farm a couple towns over and they have a couple different breeds.

We know about the pygmys (sp), and i personally wouldnt mind if we got 1 of those. We've had goats from time to time here, my mom use to raise goats but that was years ago. We want something we can show at the fair?

We're splitting cost on feed and buying the goat. Then (if we sell at the fair) were going to split the money.

Any ideas or breed recomendations?

Also, any chicken breed recomendations? If we dont go down the goat path i (personally) would rather take chickens to the fair. I'd still have to talk to Janie about it.

So any recomendations ..?

Leeana

 

[mininik]

I'd go with a pygmy but wouldn't want to share. Partnerships are a great way to break up friendships (especially when you're young) and it's not fair for an animal to be stuck in the middle.

 

[billiethekid40]

I'd say buy two goats, split on the cost of feeds etc. I don't have any reccomendations, but I looove pigmy goats. I would love to have one, but my apartment doesn't even allow dogs. :lol: I would have had one when I lived home, but even with my mom on my side, my step dad said no.

:

What are you going to do with your goat/chickens after the fair?

 

[Leeana]

Well what Janie, i think she said since she was 9, was she took 3 goats to the fair every year normally. She showed them, but the past two years she has just ran barrels ext. Well i've always had an interest in goats and i've been talking to her about it the past couple weeks and she said that since she knows how to show them and has allot of goat history that we could take them to the fair together.

What are you going to do with your goat/chickens after the fair?

What Janie did was she sold her goat at the fair normally if it took champion or placed really well. If not she brought it back the next year and showed it agian and sold it. Well at the fair with goats, normally the goats that are sold are brought back the year after that and shown. Goats are a big thing at the fair, almost bigger then cattle and lambs.

If we took goats and they placed good i would rather keep them and show them year after year but Janie also would have a say in it as well. They dont sell chickens at the fair

.

Leeana

 

[billiethekid40]

OK, I'd say you'd have problems being partners with her then. Go in on it together, sure, but you should each definately have your OWN goats. Last thing you want is an arguement over who wants to sell and who wants to keep and show another year. Besides, goats must be happier housed with other goats right? Who needs a better excuse to get one each? You'd still be able to learn the ropes from her, and you wouldn't have arguements over which goat/type of goat to buy, or when to sell. You could each do as you wished with your own and just partner up with the feeding, housing, training etc of the animals.

 

[Jill]

I'm not really a goat person at all, but my husband and I have four Nigerian Dwarf Goats as pets. Ours are wethers (neutured boys) and we love them. They are playful but from what I understand not as mischeivious as Pygmy goats. I was told the NDG are like the golden retrievers of the goat world, and that Pygmys are like the jack russell terriers of the goat world.

Our NDG are easy to care for. We feed them goat grain 1x a day and hay. They are out in a small grass paddock and don't really eat grass but eat some weeds and leaves. For the hay, it seems the least it looks like something good enough for my horses, the more the goats love it!

We first got goats about 2 years ago and I was really struck at how friendly and how devoted they are. They adore us, almost in a dog like way. The horses like us, maybe a couple of them love us, but these goats adore us.

 

[JO~*]

Well what Janie, i think she said since she was 9, was she took 3 goats to the fair every year normally. She showed them, but the past two years she has just ran barrels ext. Well i've always had an interest in goats and i've been talking to her about it the past couple weeks and she said that since she knows how to show them and has allot of goat history that we could take them to the fair together.

What are you going to do with your goat/chickens after the fair?

What Janie did was she sold her goat at the fair normally if it took champion or placed really well. If not she brought it back the next year and showed it agian and sold it. Well at the fair with goats, normally the goats that are sold are brought back the year after that and shown. Goats are a big thing at the fair, almost bigger then cattle and lambs.

If we took goats and they placed good i would rather keep them and show them year after year but Janie also would have a say in it as well. They dont sell chickens at the fair

.

Leeana

Not sure just how old you are but 4H sells chickens at fair. Pen of 2 or 3.

 

[Leeana]

Oh wow Jill ..those are the most beautiful goats i've ever seen. I think im going to reasearch that breed a bit tonight! :new_shocked:

Did you have to dehorn them yourself or do they naturally not have horns?

Leeana

 

[Jill]

They were "disbudded" before we got them. One of the, the deer colored on (Jasper) had his come back, and he had to have his re-done by the vet, which involved putting him to sleep awhile. He had to wear vet wrap on his head for a period of time but looked so cute, like he was wearing a bonnet!

 

[Jess P]

What a great life. Being sold at the fair after a short time of love and care.

Just my opinion though

 

[mininik]

"What a great life. Being sold at the fair after a short time of love and care."

That's actually what I thought at first, too. Maybe most are sold to pet homes? I do know that goats can get very attached to their people so I just couldn't stand to part with them like that. Why not bring your goat to the fair to show and if it does well breed it? Not that that would be much better as this world is already so overpopulated with unwanted critters. Why not show and keep a goat "just because you love it?"

 

[keeperofthehorses]

Leeana;

I have Alpine/Nubian crosses and I love them. But they are BIG goats. I think those Nigerian Dwarf Goats are nifty.

If you are looking to earn some money with fair animals, I would suggest joining 4H or FFA and raising a market steer, lamb or hog. The local kids around here do VERY well with them, and they always sell at more per pound than the local average. It's a lot of work, but a good way for a youngster to earn some money and learn a lot in the process.

 

[Leeana]

I go to the livestock sales every year at the fair, the goats that are sold about 98% of the time go to show homes and the people who buy them being them back the next year and show them off. Thats why if Janie's dont place high she dont sell them and does the next year.

I see most of the goats at the fair the next year ...they dont sell meat goats, i couldnt live with myself if i did that.

keeperofthehorses Posted Today, 08:24 PM Leeana;

I have Alpine/Nubian crosses and I love them. But they are BIG goats. I think those Nigerian Dwarf Goats are nifty.

If you are looking to earn some money with fair animals, I would suggest joining 4H or FFA and raising a market steer, lamb or hog. The local kids around here do VERY well with them, and they always sell at more per pound than the local average. It's a lot of work, but a good way for a youngster to earn some money and learn a lot in the process.

I'm already in FFA. Hmmm i wouldnt mind raising a hog or steer ..just dont think its for me.

There is a lady in southern ohio who has 3 ND goats for sae $110 a peice. There just babies. Im going to give her a call tommarow.

I'd probaly end up keeping it to show though, knowing me :bgrin.

Leeana