It all depends Richard!

First of all how big is the Garden?
Are you on an estate where you would be allowed to keep a Goat?

I for instance have an actual back garden of just over 5 acres and
we kept 6 goats on it but even they struggled to keep all the grass
down. We've even had some 80+ chickens out on it but they tended to
soil the grass for grazing as they were free ranging!

We got rid of the goats in the end and put out Geese, now that was
an experience in itself! They ruined the place in no time Free
ranging!

Space is the question, Goats need to eat a lot of grass and herbs if
you intend milking, BUT they also eat anything they can get to grips
with, Tins, rubbish and the washing on the line if you don't keep
them under control. Forget Flowerbeds if they are not enclosed in a
compound for instance! Anchors? Some of the goats we had you would
have needed the anchors off the QEII to keep them in!...Lol

If they escaped you could be in serious trouble with your neighbours!

They really need to be in a controlled environment also consider who
would look after them if you wanted to go away for instance?

The way things are going nowadays, you could end up needing to get a
license to keep rabbits in your garden!

There are Laws now for keeping animals and I would check these out
with DEFRA before I'd do anything, unless someone here can give an
alternative opinion?



Cheers
John



--- In smallholding@..., Richard Cook
<richardscook@...> wrote:
>
> Just curious... how practical is it to keep a goat in a back
garden?
> We're getting four long-awaited chickens for Christmas, and we've
built
> a movable house and run so that we can minimise the damage to the
> grass. But if we got a goat as well in the future, would that be
too
> much for the grass to bear??
>
>
> welliless wrote:
> >
> > -Hi Karen, well Hubby is right, especially when they get in the
veg
> > garden. But then, think of the milk and meat and skins. And the
fun
> > when you take them for walks. When my children were small, they
used
> > to squat beside our goats as I was milking, all with mouths wide
open
> > for me to aim jets of milk there. Then would hold out their cups
for
> > filling as soon as I had filtered it. You can't get fresher than
> > that. They could all milk by the time they were about 4.
> > Happy days!
> > -- In smallholding@...
> > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>, "Karen" <karence@>
wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Thank you, I was thinking of bantams at first, but small eggs,
and
> > > relatively shorter lives so I have read. Looking forward to our
> > own eggs.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Don't get me started on goats, I love them, my husband says
they
> > are devil
> > > creatures!!!
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Regards
> > >
> > > Karen
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > From: smallholding@...
> > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > [mailto:smallholding@...
> > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>]
> > > On Behalf Of welliless
> > > Sent: 19 December 2007 23:08
> > > To: smallholding@...
> > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > Subject: [SmallHolding] Re: Chicken houses
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Hi Karen
> > > Yes we use some rabbit housing for hens to nest and roost in.
> > > Obviously they need to be out during the day and need to be
able to
> > > stand up straight, so no big breeds, also rabbit cages make
great
> > > broody coops too.
> > > Good luck with your plans, nothing like a warm fresh egg for
> > > breakfast. Beaten only by milk, warm and fresh from the goat.
> > >
> > > --- In smallholding@...
> > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk> , "Karen" <karence@>
> > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Okay, next year I'm getting chickens which I am very excited
> > about.
> > > > However, I don't have a chicken coop as of yet, I do have two
> > > fairly newish
> > > > rabbit hutches, one is already raised off the ground and I'm
> > hoping
> > > to do
> > > > the same with the other one and then with some carpentry
skills
> > > (borrowed
> > > > from goodness knows where;-)) we hoping to amalgamate the two
> > > hutches so
> > > > that one becomes the nesting area - are we mad? Has anybody
used
> > > hutches
> > > > before with any success? Would you recommend just getting a
coop
> > > > straightaway and if I did, which type to go for? The choice
is
> > > huge.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I did quite like the idea of the Vplas hutches, but they
seem to
> > > have gone
> > > > now a long time ago and you can't seem to get the hutches, so
> > maybe
> > > they
> > > > weren't great anyway.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Look forward to your comments.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Karen
> > > >
> > > > x
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
> >
>