goats?

[epicstuff]

I am getting sick of cutting the grass and keeping the weeds away from an empty rai of land I have and was thinking about getting a couple of goats . 1. how easy would it be and how much would it cost to get them in Phuket and

2. how much and how easy would it be to sell them on or sell on the lambs / cubs or what ever they are called? is there any money in goat breeding..?

[cornishcarlos]

You're kidding, right !

[jollyposty]

have a goat farm here In phetchabun 400bt a kilo fresh meat don't know how much to buy one alive

[seabear]

I am playing with the same idea for several years already.

Why pay a lot for some people to cut the grass, if a four legged lawn mower (or two) can do the work?

One of my grandfathers had sheep. They did a really good job, keeping the grass short. (Haven't seen any sheep in Thailand so far)

But I am worried about the welfare of the animals: Of course they would need some water. Would they need a stable? Are there vets for goats around? Would snakes be a problem?

Would be interesting to hear from people who have some experience with goats in Thailand.

Hearing some blabla from people who never had goats would be boring and time-wasting.

[jollyposty]

I am playing with the same idea for several years already.

Why pay a lot for some people to cut the grass, if a four legged lawn mower (or two) can do the work?

One of my grandfathers had sheep. They did a really good job, keeping the grass short. (Haven't seen any sheep in Thailand so far)

But I am worried about the welfare of the animals: Of course they would need some water. Would they need a stable? Are there vets for goats around? Would snakes be a problem?

Would be interesting to hear from people who have some experience with goats in Thailand.

Hearing some blabla from people who never had goats would be boring and time-wasting.

you know we are far apart but if you want me to find out from this goat farm which I have not seen but the guy who said I believe as he said the price

[teletiger]

Hearing some blabla from people who never had goats would be boring and time-wasting.

People who have kept animals feel the same way.

Trust me, buy a lawn-mower.

Regards.

[khaowong1]

sheep would be better than goats for keeping the grass down. goats have a tendancy to wander anywhere they want. but if you got female goats, you could also sell the milk. Have you priced goats milk? very expensive. good for people who have stomach problems, ulcers etc.

[epicstuff]

I've noticed lately that some people in this area have started rearing goats but they tend to let them wonder anywhere they like . not sure how that would work , do they come home by them selves?

400 bt / kg thats better than a beef from a local cow , and easier to keep I should think unless you have a precious flower bed you worry about.

I'm having a problem seeing a down side , I've plenty of space , water shelter etc. From what I know they are hardy animals that dont need much looking after. and if they get too big and unmanageable just sell them on for a profit.

If anyone can expand on why it could be a bad idea please let me know.

[jollyposty]

I've noticed lately that some people in this area have started rearing goats but they tend to let them wonder anywhere they like . not sure how that would work , do they come home by them selves?

400 bt / kg thats better than a beef from a local cow , and easier to keep I should think unless you have a precious flower bed you worry about.

I'm having a problem seeing a down side , I've plenty of space , water shelter etc. From what I know they are hardy animals that dont need much looking after. and if they get too big and unmanageable just sell them on for a profit.

If anyone can expand on why it could be a bad idea please let me know.

checked with the wife this morning she was with me when talking to guy about curry then goat was mentioned I asked is there goats in Thailand he said in lop bury( I )? he orders one with a friend freshly killed and portioned for day you order 5000bt for the whole goat..

[Crossy]

Googleing 'goats lawns' give loads of hits, the beasts seem popular for brush clearance, trimming and fertilizing in one package.

We have geese who keep their part of our property nicely trimmed, they lay eggs too

[jamhar]

If its good enough for airports, its good enough for you

Plus you get the benefit of goat meat ahd goat cheese!

Baa! O`Hare turns to goats to clear airfield brush

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -

Certainly O'Hare can feel like a zoo at times, but now the zoo has come to O'Hare.

In a remote corner of O'Hare International Airport, far from its high-profile modernization mega project, officials are carrying out a noisy but decidedly more low-tech initiative involving a barnyard band.

"The best way for us to manage some of our landscape, which O'Hare sits on over 8,000 acres, is for us to bring in new employees," Chicago Aviation Commissioner Rosemarie Andolino says.But these employees are carrying animal tags, not union cards.14 goats, five sheep, three burros and two llamas have been turned loose on a rocky patch of land at the airport's perimeter.

O'Hare is one of the largest airports in the world and takes its environmental initiatives to serious and sometimes quirky heights. It has acres of green roofs, including one atop an air traffic control facility, to reduce storm water runoff and lower the urban heat island effect of the airport's massive concrete expanse. The airport has even turned over a wooded patch of land to 1 million bees living in 28 beehives that produce honey sold in the terminals and help replenish declining bee populations.

Read more: http://www.myfoxla.com/story/23124696/baa-ohare-turns-to-goats-to-clear-airfield-brush#ixzz2cgpuw5U4

They have done this at SFO and LAX also (San Francisco, and Los Angeles)

Be warned tho,

what you think needs trimming and what the goats/sheep think needs trimming maybe 2 different things!

Good luck if you go this route. Please let me know how it turns out

[F4UCorsair]

Goats don't eat just grass; they eat EVERYTHING, including clothes, newspapers, trees, gardens, etc.

They can be collared and tethered though, or if they have horns, a rope tied around the base of the horns works.

They're as tough as boots, and if your Thai wife puts it on you for money for the sick goat, don't believe her.

[andreandre]

Goats don't eat just grass; they eat EVERYTHING, including clothes, newspapers, trees, gardens, etc.

They can be collared and tethered though, or if they have horns, a rope tied around the base of the horns works.

They're as tough as boots, and if your Thai wife puts it on you for money for the sick goat, don't believe her.

Agreed.. i had a couple in Aus to ''eat the grass''..they ate everything but the bloody grass....

Had them collared and tethered, but they are extremely intelligent and they will get to things that you'd swear was impossible to reach

On an acreage tho' with nothing precious to worry about they are very good land clearers, easy to look after and do make good pets as well..a bit of shade and water and lifes good..as for snakes, i never had problems with any, maybe animals get on better together than humans..

As already mentioned geese also do a great job....but goat crap is a winner over geese crap if you stand in some..

[jaiyen]

Goats are used in Australia to eat Blackberry bushes which are a major pest. They eat the leaves and then the new shoots so the plant cant photosynthesize and then dies. They have cleared thousands of

acres this way. A friend of mine had goats when he was young (I was going to say when he was a kid!)

and he told me that they could jump a 6 ft fence and had destroyed a neighbours rose garden.Yes, they ate rose stems, thorns as well. God help you if they get into a Thai farmers vegetable field for

the night!!

[wackysleet]

Goats don't eat just grass; they eat EVERYTHING, including clothes, newspapers, trees, gardens, etc.

They can be collared and tethered though, or if they have horns, a rope tied around the base of the horns works.

They're as tough as boots, and if your Thai wife puts it on you for money for the sick goat, don't believe her.

Agreed.. i had a couple in Aus to ''eat the grass''..they ate everything but the bloody grass....

Had them collared and tethered, but they are extremely intelligent and they will get to things that you'd swear was impossible to reach

On an acreage tho' with nothing precious to worry about they are very good land clearers, easy to look after and do make good pets as well..a bit of shade and water and lifes good..as for snakes, i never had problems with any, maybe animals get on better together than humans..

As already mentioned geese also do a great job....but goat crap is a winner over geese crap if you stand in some..

I had 4 Anglo Nubians a few years ago and your right, they are not good grass eaters, as you said, everything else is just food.

For milk you need to get a Billy and they can be nasty spiteful stinking beasts if they have a mind to.

There is a sheep farm just outside Lampang on the BKK road not far from Koh Ka called "Hug you sheep" or something very similar.

[cornishcarlos]

Goats are browsers, not grazers...

Get a lawn mower. It will save both you and some goats a lot of suffering....

[bangarang]

Googleing 'goats lawns' give loads of hits, the beasts seem popular for brush clearance, trimming and fertilizing in one package.

We have geese who keep their part of our property nicely trimmed, they lay eggs too

Also googling 'goatse' will yield unexpected results

[Michael Hare]

Hello there you goat farmers and in particulat to epicstuff the OP.

I am at Ubon Ratchathani University in Northeast Thailand and we have a goat unit in our Dept of Agriculture. As many Thai lecturers do, they like do things on the side. Hence, one of the Animal Science lecturers has a goat farm and is making good money selling live stock (live goats). The emand for goat meat is increasing in Thailand and the demand can not keep up with the supply. I am a grass seed man, and this lecture uses my grasses for the goat forage. Reared on good grasses, herbs and legumes goats grow fast.

At the university wee rear both meat goats and milking goats.

To answer the questions raised by the OP. "There is money in them goats". Go for it.

[cheeryble]

There is a sheep farm just outside Lampang on the BKK road not far from Koh Ka called "Hug you sheep" or something very similar.

Is the owner a Kiwi?

Isn't there a law about that?

ps: if you want to keep goats that's fine but they need to be in a well fenced space.

They are very naughty animals regarding food and will climb and eat anything, particularly beautiful gardens.

They can stand high on their back legs too!

[mic59]

Had a goat to clear my rather messy garden in Australia. You have to have a strong pole that they can't pull out of the ground and a long rope but not too long so they can't get at flowers or bushes you want to keep safe. And put water and shade within reach. There may be other things like snakes you would want to find out about. Don't really have that problem in Adelaide.

[morocco]

You better keep them tied up. Goats will eat everything at your place and I MEAN everything. You have been warned

[cheeryble]

You better keep them tied up. Goats will eat everything at your place and I MEAN everything. You have been warned

I once lived on a wooden sailing yacht.

The rats moved in when I was in London and ate the curtains and the inflatable had about twenty holes eaten in it.

[Ulic]

Go for it I would really like to hear the story of your trials and tribulations.

Go for the meat ones, no need to be milking twice a day, storage, pickup.

Too much work.

[BruceSmith]

Let me Guess, you are from a Cold climate, wearing a wifebeater, rubber boots, and now you are horny?

[pigeonjake]

ill put my 2 bob in,

they dont like rain, dont like the rain on them,

they have trouble with there feet, and have to be trimed, feet that is,,

they are, as one of the other posters said not grazers, they are browsers and will want to eat anything,

sheep are better for just keeping grass down and a lot easyer to take care of,

like one of the other posters says, if you want milk ect you will have to keep a billy, take the baby away from mum, so you can milk her, but you also have to feed the baby on milk powder supliment, thats if you want to go down the milk road, for cheeses ect,

there is a member on here just outside pattaya, called goat farmer he sell some beautiful goats,

hope this helps jake

[Nonja]

It is a common misconception that goats eat grass. Per body-weight, they have one of the highest proportions of intestines than any other animal. That means they are vulnerable to worms. They prefer to eat food shoulder height or above, to avoid worms. They need excellent fencing, altho some goats can jump higher than others. The Anglo-Nubian, bred for hot climates, jumps higher than others. Anglo-Nubians have large flat ears, through which they perspire, compared for example with Saanen, who have pricked ears. There are meat breeds and dairy breeds. Their hooves are unsuited to damp, moist ground. They need shelter and water.

[mogoso]

I like fainting goats, scare them and they fall down

[epicstuff]

there a lot of useful info on here; thanks all.. most of it not too discouraging for a change.. I was well aware they eat just about anything but I dont think there is much around here I'm worried about . besides if they get too much to handle, then just sell them on , sounds like they only get bigger and more valuable..

Ok cant anyone recommend which breed is most suitable for meat? ( I doubt I will have the time to milk them everyday) or if any specific breed is more manageable or desirable, although I expect it will be down to availability.

i will find all the breeding info on google but if anyone has some basic info on .breeding that is always good to here.

[overherebc]

Have a look on Google at Jacob's sheep as an alternative. Not aggressive like goats can be.

[jmccarty]

There are goats and sheep kids in Sri Racha Robinsons for sale right now. Not sure how much, if I go there for lunch today I'll ask.

It's mainly a gathering of puppy sellers but there is a pen of goats and sheep also.