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Forum
-> Hobbies, Crafts, and Collections
-> Pets
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amother
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 Thu, Nov 17 2011, 4:11 pm
So my kids have been begging for a pet forever. There are a couple of reasons we wouldnt get a dog or cat and I don't want smaller animals such as hamsters or such. I saw a listing on my local craigslist for a pet goat who was only raised with humans and needs a house with kids to play with. I know these animals are kept outside but they are social. This certainly takes care of the issue of the pet not being kosher. It would also provide the benefit of being able to obtain fresh goat's milk although that has nothing to do with why I would consider it. We have a nice sized back yard but It's not huge, maybe a bit over a quarter acre. I don't even know if that's big enough.
Does anyone here have a pet goat?
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MrsDash
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Thu, Nov 17 2011, 4:19 pm
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They aren't the easiest animals to care for. You need the proper shelter for them. They can be very stinky. Some towns/cities may require a permit as well. If you are already thinking about getting a goat, why not a dog? They are easier to train, and can be kept in your house.
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sequoia
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Thu, Nov 17 2011, 4:21 pm
Oh, that sounds awesome! I'd love a pet goat.
These days they also have bred a type of miniature cow you can keep in the backyard.
Goat's milk is supposed to be really healthy.
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MrsDash
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Thu, Nov 17 2011, 4:25 pm
Not that I'm against having a goat as a pet. I grew up with a lot of exotic pets, and loved it! 
They are just very time consuming, and a lot more work is needed to care for them.
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Chava Golar
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Thu, Nov 17 2011, 4:36 pm
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my neighbors had a pet goat for a while. They kept it outside and it took up a lot of space. At first the kids loved it. After a while only the neighborhood kids were still into it. Then after about a year and half the goat disappeared. Never asked where it went. It was great fun to watch tho. They jumpt and ate leaves. I wish they had kept it.
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shlomitsmum
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Thu, Nov 17 2011, 5:03 pm
| Chava Golar wrote: | | my neighbors had a pet goat for a while. They kept it outside and it took up a lot of space. At first the kids loved it. After a while only the neighborhood kids were still into it. Then after about a year and half the goat disappeared. Never asked where it went. It was great fun to watch tho. They jumpt and ate leaves. I wish they had kept it. |
If they were sefardi like us, I can tell you it became a siman or shish kebab! 
OP they are cute but eat plants and cloth ...I started singing had gadya ,had gadya 
edited cause of dropped a letter
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mommalah
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Thu, Nov 17 2011, 7:53 pm
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Mmm...fresh, raw goat milk....
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gp2.0
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Thu, Nov 17 2011, 7:59 pm
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If you've never had a pet before I really wouldn't recommend a goat...they're a ton of work, a big expense and the excitement wears off after a few months. Why not start with something smaller like a chicken?
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33055
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Thu, Nov 17 2011, 8:46 pm
My daughter saw a goat in our backyard the other day. Today one of my neighbors from a few blocks away pointed out that a local guy started keeping goats. I guess on got away. This was unheard of here.
I wonder if this is a new trend.
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chavamom
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Thu, Nov 17 2011, 9:10 pm
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Our neighbors on the moshav got a goat as a pet. Yes, it was a moshav and all, but not THAT kind of moshav - and the yards weren't very big. They did build it a pen with a house and they also bred it and had baby goats at one point. Not a super high maintenance animal, but in the US depending on where you live it could be tricky.
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spring13
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Thu, Nov 17 2011, 10:01 pm
I LOVE goats, they're spunky and cute and very lovable.
I worked in a petting zoo for several summers and didn't find the goats to be all that high maintenance. They needed grass, hay and other feed, water, maybe a salt lick.
I'd look for some books or reliable websites about goat rearing first, and find out if there are any laws in your municipality that have to do with keeping farm animals as pets.
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Raisin
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Fri, Nov 18 2011, 2:15 am
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a family I know had one becasue one of the kids had a cows milk allergy and cy goats milk was not avaialble. But they had a huge garden.
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amother
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Fri, Nov 18 2011, 5:08 am
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Goats are more work than dogs, but if you have a good fence, neighbors who are ok with it and know what you are signing up for, I would love a pet goat myself.
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Liba
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Fri, Nov 18 2011, 5:14 am
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FWIW you will only get goats milk from the goat if is female and it has been bread and then reliable milked after it gave birth. My neighbors got a goat thinking they would have easy access to goats milk and it wasn't so easy.
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Rubber Ducky
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Fri, Nov 18 2011, 5:23 am
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A neutered male dwarf goat sounds like it would be a fun pet! But do check local zoning, and make sure your neighbors are OK with it. We have neighbors down the block who are active in 4H. They've had all kinds of interesting animals in their small yard, most recently chickens, but some neighbors were NOT OK with it, and they had to take them back to the farm.
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Kugglegirl
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Fri, Nov 18 2011, 5:38 am
I've always wanted goats too, so I don't think you or your kids are crazy.
Chickens probably are more flexible. I have a friend who started keeping chickens from chicks. The chicks were very cute. She has 2 chickens & now that they are big, she is getting 1 egg a day from one & 1 egg every 2-3 days from the other. Pretty cool.
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gp2.0
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Fri, Nov 18 2011, 5:58 am
Getting a pet because your kids want one is never a good idea. YOU have to really want it and be prepared for how time consuming, expensive and boring some aspects of goat care can be.
1) It will need a large pen/fence where its safe for it to roam around in.
2) It will need a roomy shed that is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. This shed will need a hay bed to keep the goat comfortable which will need to be regularly changed so the goat doesn't get a foot infection from standing in its own refuse.
3) You will have little 'manure' piles everywhere.
4) Hay. Tons and tons of hay. Its nice to think that they'll just crop the grass but in reality they'll need lots of hay. It isn't that cheap either.
5) Vet bills. Unless you live in farm country (do you?) you'll have difficulty finding a vet who knows how to take care of goats. And vet bills are always expensive. They'll need regular vaccinations and deworming.
6) As another poster pointed out, getting milk isn't that simple (and if you do get milk you'll have to be constantly busy with it.)
7) Goat-sitting. When you want to go away for a few days it won't be easy to find someone to care for your goat.
8) Coat, hoof, ear, eye and teeth care. Don't know what is entailed here but I'm sure they require maintenance.
9) Goats are herd animals, so really need the company of another goat or they will get lonely and depressed.
Obviously there are many nice aspects to having a goat. I love animals. But its important to look at the full picture before jumping into something you may not be ready for.
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amother
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Fri, Nov 18 2011, 6:26 am
Yeah......
maybe not
seems like our backyard isnt large enough. We do have farms around here so finding a vet wouldnt be an issue but I guess piles of manure might be lol but what should I expect with a farm animal. Oh well no pet for us for now. Our dream pet is a cat, both my husband and I grew up with cats but now he's allergic 
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gp2.0
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Fri, Nov 18 2011, 7:14 am
There are some 'hypoallergenic' cats. Maybe your DH can spend some time with one and see if his allergies flare up.
Siberians look gorgeous.
My DH would never agree to a cat. He gets stressed enough when our toddler tracks crumbs everywhere. I can imagine how he'd react to hairballs!
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