5 replies to this topic

[Eza]

What is the deal about a goat? Why do people keep a goat? And why do people breed goats? A goat doesn't seem to offer any function. It is not very handy to make a walk with a goat like somebody walks with a dog. A goat doesn't seem to be happy when the owner gets home. The goat doesn't warn the owner of the house for burglars. The goat doesn't catch mice. A cat catches mice. A goat doesn't deliver eggs. A chicken delivers an egg each day. It is healthy to eat an egg. This means a chicken is helpful. A cow gives milk. And milk is healthy too. It is possible to ride on a horse. That gives exercise. And doing a sport like horse riding and jumping and other activities with a horse can be fun. And doing a sport is healthy too. And when a sport and being active is done in a nice way it is attractive. There are lots of animals that offer good functionalities. A goat might cost money. Because a goat has to eat. What does a goat eat?

A goat stands on a high place. And that is about it.

Edited by velma, 26 July 2011 - 07:21 AM.

[sheepdog]

Oh wow, where can I start????

Goats are great! They provide food and fiber for much of the worlds population. Goats can live where cows would starve to death. Not only live, but thrive and provide a great protien source, in their meat and milk. Many people would not be alive today if it was not for the superiour quality of goat milk. Many infants will not survive on cow's milk or soy substitutes. Goat milk is highly digestable and well tolerated by many people who have milk allergies.

Small homesteads can keep a goat where they could never have room for a cow. Even those with very limited land space can make room for a goat. They can be kept on stake out just like a dog, move them to a fresh spot each day and no yard to mow! Goats are far and away more easy to deal with than cows. They do not require heavy duty equipment to handle. No head catches and squeeze shoots needed. You can grab a goat and dose it with wormer by hand, try that with a cow and you can pretty much figure you'll end up in the emergency room with broken bones. Ever been cow kicked?

Goats are very affectionate and intelligent animals. They can become very attatched to their owners and show affection just like a dog. They are easy to train, they can learn to come when called, jump up on a milk stand, walk on a lead, and pretty much anything else you care to take the time to teach them. Well, ok, you can't teach them to bark at strangers. But hey, if your going to have goats, you need a Komondor dog, and that will take care of the barking at strangers. Actually, that will take care of strangers too!

[anwiii]

that's a lot of positive talk about a goat. all i know about them is that when i was at a petting zoo once when i was little and feeding the other animals, a goat was feeding on my shirt and destroyed it.

never had goat milk, but willing to try it. eat a goat? no thanks, but if the opportunity arose, i guess i would have to try it once.

congrats to eza for posting that wasn't spam like except the video. we are talking about domesticated goats. not wild goats. i think goats are ornery whether domesticated or wild. they are more independent than a cat

[sheepdog]

Quote

i think goats are ornery whether domesticated or wild. they are more independent than a cat

Oh No, not at all independant like a cat! Not even close. A goat that is hand raised can be a very affectionate animal. They will follow you around like a dog, nuzzel and lick you and be very clingy. If they don't see you they will bleat for your attention.

I still remember my very first registered show goat. Her name was Farm Lilly. I bought her at the local goat show during our county fair. It was years ago, when I was living on that rental place I was just posting on the life's experience forum, about where I had the old man neighbor. Her original owner kind of got to me on her purchase, they priced her at one price until she went threw her class at the show and then raised it $25 after she ended up wining the class, it ticked me off but I really liked the goat and so I bought her anyway.

The old house I was living in wasn't much of a house, and it was painted a dark color, so there were times in the summer months that it was just so hot I couldn't stand to stay in it, so there were nights when I would just grab a blanket and pillow and throw it down on the ground outside and sleep outside. There was no real fencing on the place, just a perimiter fence, so the yard was also the goat pasture. One night, after having only had Lilly for a few weeks, I had to go sleep in the yard, and she came and layed down beside me, and all night long she watched over me to make sure I was safe. If anything came near she would bleat and warn it away, or wake me to the possibility of danger nearby. I thought it was really pretty cool how quickly she became attatched to me.

[anwiii]

be more quick to purchase your animals then if they are in a competition. ofcourse the goat would be worth more if people didn't want to buy it beforehand. i woulda raised the price to. that's business.

but you didn't just compare a goat to a dog did you? that's worse than me comparing a goat to a cat. what i said was a figure of speech. i used to train animals so i know you can pretty much get an animal "trained" to do anything even if it's not in their nature. i've never handled a goat, but i have seen DOMESTICATED goats before and they don't give off the impression that they are anything like a dog.

i had a pet raccoon once who would sleep with me and follow me everywhere....even to the mailbox wich was an 1/8 of a mile walk. even play hide and seek. so obviously their are exceptions to what i said when you want to pinpoint the actions of an animal when you raise it from birth and it thinks you're it's mother(which basically you would be). i was talking about something different. nothing that was specially trained or instilled in an animal from birth.

i used a very good example with the petting zoo where they are supposed to be domesticated when allowing your children inside the pen with them.

[sheepdog]

Actually, I had already agreed to purchase her, but they had already paid her entrance fee to the class and were going to show her anyway, so it wasn't me hesitating on the purchase.

And yes, I do think goats are more like dogs certainly than cats. They come when called, they follow you around just like a dog, and they will sound an alarm when there is a percieved danger they want to alert you to. Nearly all of them have an "itchy spot" that they love to have you scratch, just like petting a dog.(ok, cats might do this one) Of course, there are some things that no amount of training will fix. Goats love to taste things. Everything. It's just part of their make up and thre isn't much you can do to stop it.