I am pretty sure goats are the most popular animals on the internet right now. Baby goats full of energy hoping around like little bunnies are irresistibly cute. And of course we forget baby goat in sweaters or goat yoga. It seems like everyone wants to buy a goat these days but before you jump on the goat train, there are a few things you should know. Goats, just like any animal, require specific care. After being a goat owner for a few years now, I’ve learned a thing or two and there are definitely a few things that I wish I knew before I got goats.
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They Will Get Out
I am convinced that Houdini himself could have learned a few things from these animal escape artists. These little guys can jump, climb and squeeze through almost anything. You could build a 10 foot wall with barb wire and an armed look out tower and they will STILL GET OUT. The day before we were going to bring our first goat babies home we walked the entire enclosure where we planned to keep them. We knew that goats had a tenancy of getting out so we made sure there were no holes in the fence. In my mind our fence we impenetrable.
The day we brought our babies home we spent hours with them as they hopped around exploring their new home. I went to bed feeling good that our new babies would be protected. The next morning my husband was drinking his coffee on the front porch and saw our two escape artist run towards the street. He yelled for me saying the “The goats got out!”. I ran outside barefoot and in my bathrobe to help him try to catch them. They were only about 15 feet from the road when a truck drove by and scared them. They ran all the way back to the enclosure. We quickly closed the gate and just stared at each other. I didn’t even want to imagine what could have happened if they didn’t run away from that truck. Day 1 as goat owners and we already failed, miserably.
The moral of the story here is, if there is a space even 1/4 their size, they will fit through it and they WILL get out.
They Don’t Eat Everything
Get a goat and your yard will turn to dust. Either this is an old wive’s tale or I have a whole lot of defective goats. Goats forage for most of the day and they do eat leaves and grass but what most people don’t know is that they are also very picky eaters. Some are worse than others and it can vary depending on the breed. For example, our goats LOVE hay. They will jump up, scream and holler when they see me bringing fresh hay their way. But it can’t be any old hay. If I bring them anything other than T&A (timothy alfalfa) hay, they will turn their noses up to it and look at me with the “how could you” look in their eyes. My goats will nibble on my shirt hem and chew a piece of my hair any chance they get but heaven forbid I drop their animal cracker treat on the ground.
At the end of the day every goat is different but in my experience, they are quite picky eaters. They like to stick to a few different things and don’t normally venture off of their normal eating habits. So If you are getting a goat in hopes you don’t have to mow the lawn anymore, I am afraid you are going to be highly disappointed.
They Are Extremely Sociable
Did you know that goats are herd animals? They do not do well alone and often times feel depressed if they are left alone for an extended period of time. It is always good to have at least 2 goats so they can play together and keep each other company. They also LOVE getting attention from their human friends too! My goats love it when we jump into their enclosure and run around with them. They could have fun with us for hours. It is actually great exercise for them (and us!). We spend time with our goats daily. As soon as they hear us coming they start hollering and jumping around as if they are so excited to see us.
In addition to being extremely social, each one of my goats have a different personality. My first two girls we got, Lilly and Lucy, are sisters. Both of them have the same father and mother but yet their personalities couldn’t be more different. Lily is extremely sociable and very chatty. She is our herd screamer! Lucy on the other hand is our most timid goat. She doesn’t like a whole lot of cuddling unless you come with treats. Goats are much like dogs in the sense that they all have different personalities. It is really fun to watch their personalities develop as they grow.
They Are Messy
These little cuties do not have a a tidy bone in their bodies. Goats are not like cats. You cannot train them to go in one spot all of the time. Goats will happily pop-a-squat whenever and wherever nature calls. Even if that is in pail that you just filled with fresh water just minutes ago. You will also find their food and hay everywhere. It can be a lot of work keeping up with their mess but well worth it to see these happy bundles of joy running around.
Boys and Girls Need to be Separated
If you plan on having both boy and girl goats, you will need to have two separate enclosures for them. The average estrous cycle for female goats is around 21 days. This can vary depending on breed or environment/stress level. My male goats are normally the sweetest goats I own. That being said, male goats tend to get very agitated when there is a female goat too close that is in heat. I have seen them ram into the fence post trying to do almost anything to get to the girl. They get so laser focused on getting to the female that they can hurt any other goat, baby goats or humans that are in his path. It is just best to keep them separate so no one gets hurt.
They Are Irresistible
Once you get your first goat it will be next to impossible for you to stop at just one. Goats are one of the most playful animals we have at our farm and each one of them have become a special part of our family. Their cute little personalities are infectious and you will fall in love at first sight.
If you have goats and have experienced any of the above, please comment below on your experiences!
Until next time!
Eva
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What a well written article! You are definitely meant for this! Can’t wait for your next article!
Thank you so much Michele! That means a lot! 🙂
Oh so very true! The little buggers are so cute and we love them so much. I think you hit the spot on every point that new goat owners need to know. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Mary! 🙂
I want Goya’s so badly! This is all good to know should I ever talk my husband into it.
I hope you can convince him because they are so much fun! 🙂
I love goats. I wish I had the room for them. But, your article is very eye opening. I had no idea how mucheck work they required.
Hi Pamela! They definitely require work but they are so fun so it makes the work rewarding! 🙂
Thank you for the information! We have considered getting a couple of goats off and on for the past few years. Still not sure. We shall see!
They are so fun! I couldn’t imagine the farm without them. 🙂
Great read! We had goats growing up and they were like part of our family! They loved jumping on the tramp and going down slides with us.
Thank you! They are so fun!
I love goats!! We live in the city so we can’t have them and I don’t know if I’d want to raise them, but I’ve always love them, I even had a stuffed goat instead of a teddy bear as a child. These tips are great too!! I look forward to hearing about your goat journey!
Thank you Katie! 🙂
Great article Eva. I think working with goats is probably better than working with people right. 😳😆
Most definitely! 🙂 Thank you!
What a great post!!! I do not life on a farm or have goats, but I would dearly love to do both!! I laughed right out loud at your comment on having defective goats!! I totally understand! Keep writing with a sense of humor!! I can’t wait to read more and enjoy your farm with you!!!
Haha…They are fun! Thank you so much! Appreciate your kind words! 🙂
Very interesting to read. I will never have animals where I live so I guess I can just enjoy yours.
I love your goat adventure! I’m sure you’ll continue to have some crazy stories to tell. I’d love to have goats, but I’ll probably start with ducks and chickens. What kind of goats do you have and are you planning on breeding them or using them for goat milk?
Thank you! All of my goats are Nigerian Dwarf goats. Yes we plan on breeding this year for the first time. Once our girls have their first kids we will finally be able to add fresh milk to our homestead. So yes, many more crazy stories to come! 🙂
Great post. Having done 4H Goat Club growing up, I know how amazing and complicated goats can be. I’m hoping to one day have some land and have goats, maybe some chickens as well.
Thank you! They are a blast!
How fun! I’ve been thinking about goats as I want to start a homestead but maybe I’m not quite ready for them. Thanks for the article!
I jumped in head first with goats and learned on the fly but I just love them so I am so glad I did!
This is awesome! We’ve always wanted goats and would love to get some some day. I love the tone of the post, it cracked me up!
Thank you! We try to keep it goofy on the homestead… it keeps us going! I hope you do get some one day! They are amazing animals to raise!
What great information!! I think my yard is too small for goats (what size yard do you recommend?) but you’ve got me interested now!! My first goal is chickens and we will see where that leads… pinned for future reference
Thanks Michelle! Chickens are always the gateway for goats! Haha! Let me know if you are interested, I will be happy to offer any advise I can. The bare minimum per goat would be about 200 square feet but I wouldn’t go smaller than that.
Love this! We desperately want goats but we live in a city and it’s likely not going to happen for a decade or so. This is such a great read… going to hang on to this hoping we get them soon!
Thanks Jenn!
Eva- I just love this. We moved out to an acre and a half about 3 years ago. I come from the being raised in the city and knowing nothing. I hear goats are great animals. This is a great and I am so glad you posted it. I might stick to my bulldog for now and revisit goats later.
Thank you! Let me know if you do! They are amazing! 🙂
I love this! ♥ I would love to have goats someday and it is so rare to see someone post about it! Great job!
Pop a squat anywhere, how correct you are, lol. One of my goats that I just recently got is terribly frightened of me now. I caught her yesterday (she is not human socialized) and gave her a good brushing because she was obviously itching to beat the band. Now she runs from me as fast as possible. That brushing, that her daughter just loves (she was human socialized) must have been the worst thing ever. Wait til I trim those hooves. She just may sprout wings and fly away.
Love this post! I would love to have a goat or two 🙂 My husband says no though, LOL
Thank you! I love them so don’t give up on trying to convince him! Haha
Next year my husband and I are taking the plunge and buying ourselves a property of our own and I’d love to have goats. I worked with them growing up, after school I went to help with my neighbors farm and his little goats were hilarious and a lot of work. Cant wait to get this type of lifestyle back. As soon as the military is done with us I’m going to be out there jumping around too! Your post inspired me, and gave me more of the push I needed to get everything done so i can realize that dream. Thank you!
Yes great reminder. I have been considering goats and am well reminded now. Lol
I’ve always thought goats were adorable! It was great to read your article and learn some new things about them that I didn’t know. Thank you!
So fun! When we were growing up my grandma had goats (and a million other animals but the goats were my favorite!) and I would really love to have some sometime.
Great information and I really love your style – you made me laugh and taught me something while keeping it light and fun! I have been considering goats and will definitely keep these things in mind for sure!
Thanks so much Jodi! Goats are so fun! 💛
We have thought of getting goats for the last 14 years and have never made the commitment. Love the baby pics and could certainly see me running around the countryside if we should ever get them, LOL. Thanks for sharing!
Haha… yes you will definitely be running around if you have baby goats! They are adorable though! Thank you!!
I want to have milk goats here at our homestead but at this time, we don’t have the infrastructure to contain them! We are worried they would get out and eat all the produce from the gardens! So I can only virtually dream! Great advice!
Ahh! I didn’t realize goats were so picky about what they ate! I’ve half-jokingly talked about getting one or two for our yard but I may stop that now 🙂 they are cute though.
It’s so funny I saw this because I was just talking to my husband about getting a goat! I had no idea about how messy they were, so definitely something for me to keep in mind!
Well written – I do really want to add goats …. are they noisy? Do they sleep at night? PS – adore the devotions this week and your photos are sooo gorgeous !
Thank you so much Kathryn! So glad you like them! 💛 My goats aren’t really noisy. They might hollar some of you don’t get outside to greet them for a day. Mine sleep all night with no issues! When we first brought my first two home they were a bit noisy for 2 days until they got use to their new home. But my boy didn’t skip a beat and made himself right at home day one! But you should have a problem with noise. 🙂
Great post. Goats are absolutely adorable! Just a couple things I’d like to add. First, be careful feeding a lot of T&A hay, especially to your males. Goat are prone to forming bladder stones if fed alfalfa or too much grain. Male goats have a narrow little extension at the end of their penis called a pizzle. Bladder stones can easily get lodged there and keep them from being able to urinate. This can kill them if not noticed early. Second, if you aren’t breeding, you can get your males neutered (or some of them if there are a few you do want to breed). Then they can stay with the females and you get rid of some of the unwanted behavior. And an added benefit; they smell better! A lot of large animal vets can help you with that if you’re interested.. Enjoy your goats! They do make awesome pets!
This was such a cute post to read! Goats really are adorable and have so much personality! This was so interesting to read and I love your pictures of your cute goats!
These are so great to know, thank you! We’ve had chickens for almost 10 years but plan to expand our livestock (goats and pigs) in the near future.
Thank you for sharing! My three year old LOVES watching goat videos and keeps asking daddy to buy her some to play with. Not sure I’m ready for such a commitment though!
I’m so glad I read this! Our goat pen is fenced and ready for goats, just need to find some to bring home! I had no idea they are messy. I laughed out loud reading about you chasing them in your bathrobe lol. That’s farm life for ya!
I just had to click on and hear about your goats! Love that your blog about gardening has evolved into deep personal issues. Your voice is needed. … And, I live in the city of Chicago. One of my side-gigs is a pet care business. There is a house I go to (in the city) to take care of doggies and kitties and nearby is a house that has goats (and chickens) in a side yard by the ally! Whenever I go to check on those pets, I always stop and see the goats. So cute and so much personality! Connecting with animals is the best! 🙂
Great information and well written.