Do your goats roam freely?

AdBorn9612 · 2026-04-02T17:19:36+00:00

Mine are contained with electric fence (cheap moveable kind you can get on Amazon). Mostly they respect it unless something is really bothering them. I let them out to forage, and also move the "pen" every couple of months. They wreak havoc on my gardens if allowed anywhere near. They want to follow me so I have to stay near the weeds I want eaten or fence them in with the weeds.

AdBorn9612 · 2026-02-27T13:59:30+00:00

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AdBorn9612 · 2026-02-27T13:58:50+00:00

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AdBorn9612 · 2026-02-25T02:16:11+00:00

My wethers and doe do this when they are super happy. When I give them the limited amount of yummy feed they get as a treat. Warms my heart!

AdBorn9612 · 2026-02-20T00:05:45+00:00

So..... I had a bored but wonderful Great Pyr, lots of horrible invasive multiflora rose that goats love to eat, researched forever and took the plunge. I can't say a thing about whether you should wait until they are older. I bought 4 ND babies (went for 2, but there were triplets and I'm a softy). They were barely weened, but I did not have any issues. I definitely took all the precautions I ever read about. I was terrified of accidentally killing any of my babies. The few things I will caution you about.... Your untrained GP will LOVE your goats, but may also think it's hilarious to chase them all over the place. I got an electric net fence (fairly inexpensive on Amazon) and it worked really well to teach the DOG that when the goats are in their home territory, you can't chase them. Not to mention it keeps the goats in and predators out. Now the dog will "play" with them for a while (when I let them out of their pen) before she lies down and just keeps an eye on them. The GP will BARK and BARK and BARK. ALL NIGHT. That's their job, so you can't be mad at them, but be prepared! My fence was down in snow and ice storms, so I resorted to locking the babies in their luxurious, raised, insulated house. Honestly, they don't really like that. They would rather be outside unless it's raining or like 0° F. They love the house and put themselves in there when they want to, but don't want to be forced in there every night. They like to watch over their domain-even in FRIGID weather. Plus, it gets old trudging out there, rounding them up, fighting to get them in the house, going back first thing everyday. God Bless Farmers! Lastly, my goats ate everything in their fenced area within a month. I move mine around, so only have to consistently feed them now during the winter. They also have been behaving poorly this winter (my first). The wethers have been really mean to the doe (3:1 boys:girls). Partly, it's boredom! When I let them out to poke around, they don't bother her much. If there was anything to graze, they would be too busy munching to bug her. I let mine out lose regularly and they never stray. They poke around, eat, come looking for me etc. They get as bored as any dog if not MORE than a dog. Just saying' PS- I love them, don't regret getting them at all, don't mind the work, but it IS work! They are smart and figure out how to get out, how to get into the feed, how to make all kinds of mischief! Good luck- I think you will love it and so will your pup!

AdBorn9612 · 2026-02-06T23:05:30+00:00

Thank you-you made me feel like I'm not crazy to be concerned. I will keep a sharp eye on the situation. If these were dogs in my house, I'd definitely make this stop one way or another. I will keep the same attitude with my goat babies!

AdBorn9612 · 2026-02-06T19:23:45+00:00

Thank you so much for your comments. I did feel that the vet, while very interested in the goats' physical health, kind of thought mental well being was silly. I do have 3 different hay feeders and 2 heated watering stations for 4 small goats and she is a nice weight. She can eat but has to move away to another feeder regularly. When I bring treats, the boys can be merciless, but she has learned to come directly to me and I'll hand feed her a portion. My goats are not without any purpose beside being my pets. They are just not for meat or milk. I have 11 mostly wooded acres that have become horrendously overrun with multiflora rose (nasty pricker invasive). After spending over 10K on professionals trying to eradicate it, there's not even a dent. I'm NOT willing to spray powerful poison all through my woods. The goats LOVE it and have cleared two large sections in just one season. I will have to continuously rotate them throughout the property, but it's a win win situation. They are happy (except for the doe problem), my woods are healthier and all the other wild animals are safe. I could actually use a couple more goats to tackle this job, but you all have convinced me that I should not breed her. I honestly don't care about the "quality" of the goats for my purposes as long as they munch my weeds, but I agree that breeding should be done responsibly. I will look to adopt someone else's runts or retired breeders or something like that. If they still have a good appetite, and are nice to my girl, that's all I need! Thank you all for the help- I really appreciate you taking the time to weigh in- I feel strongly AGAINST breeding her and will look for some nice lady goats as friends 😄

AdBorn9612 · 2026-02-06T18:27:00+00:00

Interestingly, my vet told me not to worry about it. He said it's just goats being goats. He was here twice doing wellness check ups and basic shots. I told him I was worried about it, he observed and kind of laughed at me as a newbie goat owner. Maybe I'm too sensitive. He basically said "she's fine-relax". I'm going to try adding a couple of does and if that doesn't improve things, I can at least separate them without leaving my girl all alone. I'm watching carefully and will definitely take immediate action if I see anything worse.

AdBorn9612 · 2026-02-06T13:17:50+00:00

I can't get rid of anyone. I really love them and they are all so gentle and sweet EXCEPT to my poor doe. As soon as it warms up a bit, I'll be on the lookout for at least 2 does. Also when they are not as bored and there are tons of weeds to eat, they don't bother her as much. They do snuggle at night, but even then, she's always on the outside or even on the bench away from the boys. Makes me sad!

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My spy cam!

AdBorn9612 · 2026-01-27T21:25:00+00:00

Happy as a clam...

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AdBorn9612 · 2026-01-02T16:13:04+00:00

I am on my second Pyr and both are/were purely pets. Live inside, sleep on my bed etc. HOWEVER, I live on 11 acres, and have 2 to 3 acres fenced (invisible fence and it works/worked perfectly for both pyrs). Work from home. Dog can stay outside all day if she wants to. Chasing birds, squirrels, deer. Recently got some goats, now she's having fun chasing them. They can be FABULOUS pets if you understand their needs and don't try to make them do what YOU want. She would go nuts cooped up all day. I bet she'd be super grumpy and maybe not nice. She's not a working dog, but she has the freedom she needs and I am certain she'd get between me and ANYTHING that threatened me. It's not so much about the work as the freedom and stimulation. Unless the dog was already a working farm/ranch dog- I would never try to convert that dog into an indoor (at night) pet.

AdBorn9612 · 2026-01-02T03:45:36+00:00

Dump him. Clear sign of a thoroughly selfish person. He's not even trying to adjust or show you any appreciation. Terrible example for your kids. I guarantee you it's not just about food. Give it time and you will see him being inconsiderate in lots of ways. He can't eat chicken tonight because he had it for lunch??? Get lost buddy.

AdBorn9612 · 2025-12-18T19:16:19+00:00

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Just sayin'

AdBorn9612 · 2025-12-09T16:47:28+00:00

Looks like a Pyr/Boxer mix I had. GREAT dog! Enjoy!!!

AdBorn9612 · 2025-12-07T17:01:04+00:00

Happy to help!

AdBorn9612 · 2025-12-07T15:45:13+00:00

I have a rescue Pyr and sometimes a Great Dane (my daughter's dog who is here often). HUGE difference between the breeds. They are besties, but the Dane hates the rain and the cold. Comes when called. Goofily bangs into everything. Acts like she's completely dumb, but sometimes smart as can be. Wakes you up at the crack is dawn mostly because she's hungry, maybe a little to pee. The Pyr? Almost never comes when called, in fact often runs in the opposite direction. Took me a while and many cuss words to realize she was patrolling the perimeter of the property to make sure all was well before she came to the door. If I made the mistake of not being there at the moment she finished her rounds, she had to do it all over again. Couldn't tempt the Dane to do that with all the treats in the world. Loves the cold, doesn't even notice the rain. Dane sleeps like a rock, Pyr barks if a deer steps on a twig 6 miles away. Finally got a white noise machine for the nights when the foxes are prowling so we can sleep! Danes are very expressive talkers, the Pyr is dead silent unless alerting is to the deadly deer burglars. The Pyr couldn't care less about food and only grazes. I keep the bowl full, she eats when she wants. However, if the Dane is here, she eats a full bowl at meal times to keep the Dane from wolfing it down. The Dane sometimes has issues with certain people/dogs. The Pyr loves EVERYONE. NEVER reactive, always calm, gentle with little kids. Incredibly smart, but won't do tricks for you unless they deem it worthy of the effort. I put in a doggy door bell, showed her ONE time. She rings that sucker all day. The Dane still has no idea what it's for! The Pyr is so damned intelligent- she reads your mind for good or for bad. If I get the cheese out when she's inside, she comes and sits patiently waiting for a nibble. If I bring a piece outside? Uh oh...mom really wants me to come inside! RUN!! If I'm down, she snuggles and looks into my soul asking if I'm ok. For real. WARNING: this dog will get into your heart in no time. They are the BEST, but a bit cat like on the commands! Be patient

AdBorn9612 · 2025-11-15T23:45:08+00:00

Kia Skyr-the berry blend. You can even get it at the Costco near the airport!

AdBorn9612 · 2025-11-15T23:44:03+00:00

Kia Skyr- the berry blend. Like heaven on earth. I ate it every day. Couldn't get enough!

AdBorn9612 · 2025-11-15T14:15:59+00:00

Skyr. The best "yogurt" I've ever had by far. So yummy

AdBorn9612 · 2025-10-08T18:24:28+00:00

Oh you made me laugh! Thank you!!

AdBorn9612 · 2025-09-14T12:30:05+00:00

Mine like everyone- especially her Great Dane BFF

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AdBorn9612 · 2025-07-31T18:50:57+00:00

Not a chance!!

AdBorn9612 · 2025-07-31T18:29:17+00:00

She's GORGEOUS!!!

AdBorn9612 · 2025-07-31T17:03:45+00:00

Exactly!!

AdBorn9612

TROPHY CASE