Goats and horses?

[TwyfordM]

Anyone else keep them together? Very recent addition to our yard is a very large but lovely goat who has fitted in from the word go and its like he's always been around after a few days!
Even my grumpy little mare who doesn't like things smaller than herself has accepted him pretty quickly

Mysti is 12.1 so you can see he's a big lad!

 

[PorkChop]

Awww, lovely

I soooo want some Pygmy goats, however I keep getting told they are little nightmares!

 

[TwyfordM]

Awww, lovely

I soooo want some Pygmy goats, however I keep getting told they are little nightmares!

I think that's part of their charm! He's broken out of his "stable" (old Wendy house) and I mean broken out, twice so far, he doesn't take any nonsense from the dogs and its bizarre to see a goat running around full pelt with 2 boxers! He's bitten me on the bum while I was picking out Mystis feet too but you just can't help but love the cheekiness

 

[PorkChop]

Too funny - sounds like a right character

 

[tamsinkb]

There were goats on one of the former yards I was on....my horses used to chew on their horns for some reason.....and the goats seemed to like it!

 

[paddi22]

DON'T GET PYGMY GOATS!! they are absolute B*llixs.. my two are satan.
They recently ate a pair of carl hester elastic reins _ They pull the license plate off our car regularly for a laugh. they headbutt bricks from our wall. they jumped on our roof and ate through our satelite dish wires. we got electric poultry netting to keep them in and they just ate through it as they seem to enjoy being shocked. They get jammed upside down in any fencing the can find. They headbutt our chickens around. One of them jumped off the roof and broke her knee and now needs bl*ody cortaflex supplements. They are obsessed with pulling down haynets and running round with them on their heads. The girl used to get seasons so badly she would just scream non stop for 24 hours a day for three days until we had to get her spayed. They headbutt the horses and any small children they see. Our dogs live in constant terror of them. They roll in the horses vitamin blocks and it takes me days to chip the gunk off them. They ate our neighbours rose bush that she planted with her dead husbands ashes.

They are absolute maniacs. The only useful thing they ever do is eat the christmas tree each year. Never get pygmy goats. Ever. Satan looks like a goat for a reason.

 

[Enfys]

Horses and goats generally get on very well together, and yes, what is it with horses chewing on horns? My horses used to do that too

But ...

A horse can, and will, kill a goat if it wants to Always make sure that goats have an escape route, even if it is only a shed in a square of post and rail, something it can duck under away from the horses.

Horned goats - if they play with the horses, stand up and butt, they are quite capable of disembowelling a horse, taking an eye out or stabbing them, I have seen it, it is not nice.

They are escape artists, they will go under, over and through anything that you are trying to keep them inside. Electric wire at 1' and 18-20" works well I have found as does heavy gauge netting, as long as it is high, because they can climb I have hundreds of goats, I have had a LOT of experience at keeping the blighters contained Oh, and never position their sheds anywhere that they can be used as a launch pad to freedom I have done these things so that you don't have to

Feed - lock it away, in metal bins, with triple padlocks and combinations, surrounded by a crocodile filled moat on a booby trapped mountain - never ever leave paper sacks where a goat can get to them - just saying.

 

[Enfys]

Paddi, goats and shocking themselves

One of mine used to test the electric fence, he would stick his top lip out, and brace himself to touch it, get shocked, and scream like a girl. Then, he'd do it again, and again, always three times - funny old boy he was

 

[flirtygerty]

sound very entertaining to have around, but having two escape artist equines, I'll give them a miss

 

[PorkChop]

DON'T GET PYGMY GOATS!! they are absolute B*llixs.. my two are satan.
They recently ate a pair of carl hester elastic reins _ They pull the license plate off our car regularly for a laugh. they headbutt bricks from our wall. they jumped on our roof and ate through our satelite dish wires. we got electric poultry netting to keep them in and they just ate through it as they seem to enjoy being shocked. They get jammed upside down in any fencing the can find. They headbutt our chickens around. One of them jumped off the roof and broke her knee and now needs bl*ody cortaflex supplements. They are obsessed with pulling down haynets and running round with them on their heads. The girl used to get seasons so badly she would just scream non stop for 24 hours a day for three days until we had to get her spayed. They headbutt the horses and any small children they see. Our dogs live in constant terror of them. They roll in the horses vitamin blocks and it takes me days to chip the gunk off them. They ate our neighbours rose bush that she planted with her dead husbands ashes.

They are absolute maniacs. The only useful thing they ever do is eat the christmas tree each year. Never get pygmy goats. Ever. Satan looks like a goat for a reason.

Oh my goodness - I want some!!!!!!!!

 

[Littlemissmerlin]

This post puts a smile on my face! We have a quirky billy goat on our farm, he is a little monkey. He has such a big character. I really believe that my two would be lost with out him. He is a real escape artist, loves eating anything and everything! Such a cheeky thing!! The other day I went out for a ride, got a mile down the road....just happened to look behind and he was right behind us!!! He snuck out and creeped up behind!

 

[AmieeT]

What a cute pic OP

As for Pygmy goats, YOs are fine- well, apart from the hidden pregnancies when taking them on! They're as good as gold to look after when he's away. Taught my dog very quickly not to mess with them though (Luckily there was a gate between them!). Guess we got lucky

 

[paddi22]

we have though two layers of fencing might stop them.

I bought this specially off the internet and they ate that one, and left all the cheapy haynets alone

they spent three hours headbutting this brick out, and they just lay down and looked at it for hours. you can also see the wires of what used to be our satelitte dish.

 

[TwyfordM]

Horses and goats generally get on very well together, and yes, what is it with horses chewing on horns? My horses used to do that too

But ...

A horse can, and will, kill a goat if it wants to Always make sure that goats have an escape route, even if it is only a shed in a square of post and rail, something it can duck under away from the horses.

Horned goats - if they play with the horses, stand up and butt, they are quite capable of disembowelling a horse, taking an eye out or stabbing them, I have seen it, it is not nice.

They are escape artists, they will go under, over and through anything that you are trying to keep them inside. Electric wire at 1' and 18-20" works well I have found as does heavy gauge netting, as long as it is high, because they can climb I have hundreds of goats, I have had a LOT of experience at keeping the blighters contained Oh, and never position their sheds anywhere that they can be used as a launch pad to freedom I have done these things so that you don't have to

Feed - lock it away, in metal bins, with triple padlocks and combinations, surrounded by a crocodile filled moat on a booby trapped mountain - never ever leave paper sacks where a goat can get to them - just saying.

He's got free range of the land, pretty pointless trying to keep him contained! Horses are in post and rail fields which he can easily duck under should he need to, but he's more interested in the banks around the place than going in the fields anyway.
Feed thing made me laugh, he's loving having free access to the feed room, caught him stood up on the metal container earlier trying to figure out how to get in. Thanks enfys

 

[TwyfordM]

we have though two layers of fencing might stop them.

I bought this specially off the internet and they ate that one, and left all the cheapy haynets alone

they spent three hours headbutting this brick out, and they just lay down and looked at it for hours. you can also see the wires of what used to be our satelitte dish.

they so look like trouble!

 

[TwyfordM]

Another picture purely because he's cute!

 

[chillipup]

DON'T GET PYGMY GOATS!! they are absolute B*llixs.. my two are satan.
They recently ate a pair of carl hester elastic reins _ They pull the license plate off our car regularly for a laugh. they headbutt bricks from our wall. they jumped on our roof and ate through our satelite dish wires. we got electric poultry netting to keep theh in and they just ate through it as they seem to enjoy being shocked. They get jammed upside down in any fencing the can find. They headbutt our chickens around. One of them jumped off the roof and broke her knee and now needs bl*ody cortaflex supplements. They are obsessed with pulling down haynets and running round with them on their heads. The girl used to get seasons so badly she would just scream non stop for 24 hours a day for three days until we had to get her spayed. They headbutt the horses and any small children they see. Our dogs live in constant terror of them. They roll in the horses vitamin blocks and it takes me days to chip the gunk off them. They ate our neighbours rose bush that she planted with her dead husbands ashes.

They are absolute maniacs. The only useful thing they ever do is eat the christmas tree each year. Never get pygmy goats. Ever. Satan looks like a goat for a reason.

What a brilliant post paddi22, I have been laughing my socks off..(because I don't actually own any of the little devils.!!) I guess it's not so funny when you do! They do look very cute though!

 

[WelshD]

My goats are a bloody nightmare, Dave (the male) is unbelievably bare faced and brazen in his misbehaviour.

I recently wrote this 'catching loose pigs in 50 easy steps' which features Dave quite a bit...


1) arrive at field and smile at ponies flat out sunbathing
2) wave at the ponies and shout 'hello ponies'
3) wave at the sunbathing pigs next to the ponies and shout 'hello pigs'
4) make your way to the feedstore
5) stop
6) retrace your steps
7) ask yourself how the pigs got from their pig pen, through two fences, under an electric fence and get in to the pony paddock 100+ metres away
8) wonder what the hell to do now
9) get bucket of pig nuts
10) get mugged by ponies and Dave the goat, nuts go everywhere
11) catch ponies and put in to alternative paddock
12) tempt pigs to gateway
13) pigs wont go through gateway because of electric fence
14) get mugged by Dave the goat again
15) Lock Dave in stable
16) get pigs as far as next gateway
17) Dave appears and scatters pigs in different directions
18) Lock Dave in stable
19) get one pig through gateway while the other legs it
20) decide to concentrate on one pig, get it to pig pen
21) Dave appears and wrecks everything
22) Lock Dave in stable, put mesh over top door
23) other pig has been gone an hour, go in search. find Dave not pig
24) Lock Dave in stable, put mesh over door and window
25) clear up spilled pig nuts
26) see pig by fence
27) run over, same pig as before, not the AWOL one
28) cry a bit as you realise more than two hours have passed
20) go for more pig nuts
21) rattle scoop despondently whilst weeping in to the scoop
22) hear snorting
23) turn to see AWOL pig back in pig pen!!
24) decide between climbing pig pen fence and wading through two feet of mud by gate
25) heave twenty odd stone self over wood and wire fence
26) remove broken tree branch from broken fence where pigs escaped
27) realise you have nothing to fix fence with
28) heave yourself back over fence in to nettles
29) swear. a lot.
30) go and check on Dave, is he dead? its been quiet
31) find Dave in feedstore up to his eyebrows in pig nuts
32) lock Dave in feedstore
33) heave pallet, fence stakes, hammer and self back over fence
34) mend fence
35) Climb back out in to nettles, reflect on decision to wear a skirt today
36) find loose pig, rattle scoop
37) Dave takes the latch off the feedstore and appears at side
38) realise over three hours have passed
39) open pig pen gate and plead with pig to go in
40) Dave goes in
41) lock Dave in pig pen
42) find pig in the nettles
43) rattle scoop
44) Dave comes over fence of pig pen like Red Rum
45) find pig in the nettles
46) rattle scoop
47) open pig pen gate and plead with pig to go in
48) pig jumps in sweet as you like
49) weep with relief
50) try not to kill husband when he asks where his tea is

 

[chillipup]

Paddi, goats and shocking themselves

One of mine used to test the electric fence, he would stick his top lip out, and brace himself to touch it, get shocked, and scream like a girl. Then, he'd do it again, and again, always three times - funny old boy he was

OMG what is wrong with them???? lol

 

[Lammy]

Omg Welsh D!! I'm so glad getting our pigs back where they were was less hassle! Then again, we didn't have ninja Dave! I laughed so hard at that and at Paddi's posts

Getting our pigs back in was easy!

1) Find uprooted part of wire
2) Pull open a little wider
3) Stand at top of hill and shake feed bucket with pig nuts in
4) Watch 9 piglets quickly appear from the bottom of the valley, ears flapping in the wind squealing like crazy
5) Guide back through wire
6) Job done!

It was more of a panic getting my then 8 month old foal OUT of the pig pen the morning after the sow had furrowed. If she had caught him she would have killed him for sure.
Couldn't imagine having a goat around, would be ten times worse! However it is fun to laugh at everybody else's misfortune

 

[Gloi]

Goats have been in my bad books since one ate my favourite dress off the washing line when I was on holiday as a child.
Had two on the yard, Toggenburg female and a big Saanen castrated male. Male was trouble. He'd get out and eat things he shouldn't, like neighbours best plants. I'd have to go and retrieve him and as soon as I put his halter on he'd throw himself on the floor then scream blue murder all the way home.

 

[chillipup]

Two layers of fencing eh? That photo is amazing and yet again, so so very funny! thank you.

 

[chillipup]

Another picture purely because he's cute!

Blimey TwyfordM, going on what enfys has said, perhaps you'd better put some corks on the end of the goats horns?

 

[WelshD]

Joking aside I do try to keep goats and ponies apart at feed time as the goats won't think twice about shoving their heads in to a bucket from which a pony is eating and those horns can do a lot of damage

It's tricky as the goats think it's their god given right to go where they want when they want and eating with the sheep, chickens, pigs and ponies to get their quota of meals per day up to nine is apparently essential

I'd cheerfully abandon them in the wild but my husband would be distraught

 

[Enfys]

I thought that this photo might amuse you

... and saanan/alpine versus pygmy

and just because he was the best Goat ever and I miss him

 

[TwyfordM]

Blimey TwyfordM, going on what enfys has said, perhaps you'd better put some corks on the end of the goats horns?

That's actually not a bad idea! There's usually plenty of wine around the yard too so shouldn't be too hard to track down a couple of corks

I thought that this photo might amuse you

... and saanan/alpine versus pygmy

and just because he was the best Goat ever and I miss him

First thing I thought of when I saw him was your mini and goat together talking of breeds, any idea what he is? Haven't got a clue!

 

[willowblack]

We have Pygmy goats and horses.... We started off with 4, then had 3 kids which didn't end up being sold (much to my husbands annoyance &#128518 3 of them even though fully grown can climb through a 5 bar gate! They generally then run about doing as they please. They tip all the feed bins over or will happily climb on top and jump up and down til the lids come off. They are the most amusing animals to watch. My boy even used to share a bucket with one of them, he would never let another pony do that! We are planning to have more kids in the spring but they need to be sold this time 😜

 

[Enfys]

That's actually not a bad idea! There's usually plenty of wine around the yard too so shouldn't be too hard to track down a couple of corks



First thing I thought of when I saw him was your mini and goat together talking of breeds, any idea what he is? Haven't got a clue!

Vetwrap works best for binding up horns Do not, as we once did, try to tip them. The blood supply is very close to the end, blood EVERYWHERE Lesson learned.

I was looking at the photos, he has a vaguely Nubian-ish type roman nose, but not the ears. What is he, about 25" ? I don't think there is any Alpine breeds showing, maybe mixed with pygmy. Kiku colouring and twisty horns, Boer shaped face, a bit. I am only really familiar with the common meat and dairy breeds.

Goats are like ponies, they come in a wonderful array of shapes and sizes, I love goats. I don't have ANY right now, we are downsizing, I hate it

 

[fatpiggy]

My horse shared a paddock with a goat and a sheep both of whom had been hand-reared after being saved from a dubious fate at market. To be fair, all 3 of them were knocking on by then but they all got on really well. If something frightened the sheep and the goat they would run and hide behind my mare's legs! They would all curl up together in the field shelter. Now that goat was very well behaved, but one of my school teachers bred goats and hers were devils. Goats climb trees like monkeys and hers would use the tree to get over the hedge and then do one across country. Luckily all the neighbouring properties knew who they belonged to and would phone her to fetch them home. Those goats lived the life of Riley and had as much scrub as they wanted, but no, it had to be someone's flower bed. Goats are highly intelligent. I can well imagine that the absolute worst combination in the entire universe would be a goat and a Welsh cob. If I had that, I'm quite sure I would just go and kill myself.

 

[mirage]

DON'T GET PYGMY GOATS!! they are absolute B*llixs.. my two are satan.
They recently ate a pair of carl hester elastic reins _ They pull the license plate off our car regularly for a laugh. they headbutt bricks from our wall. they jumped on our roof and ate through our satelite dish wires. we got electric poultry netting to keep them in and they just ate through it as they seem to enjoy being shocked. They get jammed upside down in any fencing the can find. They headbutt our chickens around. One of them jumped off the roof and broke her knee and now needs bl*ody cortaflex supplements. They are obsessed with pulling down haynets and running round with them on their heads. The girl used to get seasons so badly she would just scream non stop for 24 hours a day for three days until we had to get her spayed. They headbutt the horses and any small children they see. Our dogs live in constant terror of them. They roll in the horses vitamin blocks and it takes me days to chip the gunk off them. They ate our neighbours rose bush that she planted with her dead husbands ashes.

They are absolute maniacs. The only useful thing they ever do is eat the christmas tree each year. Never get pygmy goats. Ever. Satan looks like a goat for a reason.

I just love this!