Keeping goats

[luckyeight]

If you weren't a farmer and simply wanted to keep a goat in a garden as a domestic pet, what would it require to make it happy? How much space would it need to exercise, and would it require another goat for company?

[noxlumos]

Goats.Well I've had several goats as "pets" at one time or another and they are endearing lovely things but you HAVE to have a prison camp of a garden or they will get out and wreak utter havoc, munching neighbours gardens, stopping traffic etc etc etc, so it needs to be really well fenced, and you need a sensibly sized enclosure and goat hut in which your goat can live.You can keep them solitarily as they friend up with humans and dogs and cats very easily, but it's nicer since they are a herd animal to keep two and you'd probably want nannies as even wether males can pong a bit on occasion.Some goats grow huge, so if you've little space choose your breed carefully as there is a drastic difference between a little pygmy and a bloody great thing you can pull a cart with. There are lots of goat keeping sites, but generally it's common sense, make sure they have adequate food a water, somewhere comfortable, safe and warm to sleep, company of some sort for at least a fair part of each day and make sure that there are no goat poisonous plants within reach of them because they'll eat anything and everything. Horns may be an issue to address as well as you may not want a horned goat in which case you can either disbud a horned breed when babies or choose an anglo nubian which have cute floppy ears and are super nice and fucnky as pets.
Hope this helps and happy goat shopping:)

[luckyeight]

Thanks so much for you answer! Really appreciate it. Don't stand a chance of keeping a goat as do not have the right environment for it - somewhat urban - but who knows, when I retire to the country! They are lovely animals. :)

[bubbly girly]

Well, it depends on where you live. If you live in a small area than it is cruel for you to have one but if you live in a big area with lots of property than I would say what the heck, go ahead. Get a baby goat! They are the cutest!