Goats and Minis...good or bad

[Charlie Horse Acres]

I was sure I saw a topic on this before but I could not find it. What do you think of having goats and minis together? I had a pigmy goat for a short time and most of the mini's did not mind him at all. He was a pet and I am quite sure he thought he was a dog so not sure if his behavior around the horses was normal for a goat. Plus I am not as familiar with boer goats. Any information or experiences you can share would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[JourneysEnd]

I keep goats and minis together, but I have the goats dehorned.

 

[Charlie Horse Acres]

I keep goats and minis together, but I have the goats dehorned.

To be cautious or have you had an incedent before?

 

[Reble]

Had pygmy goats, yes dehorned is best, and they can chew tails and manes, and hard to keep in.

They do get along Ok, but have to watch them eating the horse feed, get way too fat...

 

[SaddleTrail]

I have pygmy's and a mini stud. They do find except when the buck trys to steal my minis food! then they may go at it but the buck always loses <grins>

They all have free choice grazing, plus the goats get a sweet grain, about a cup total for all 3 and hay. My mini gets his Equine Sr, plus hay.

They keep each other company. My bucks still has large horns, he is way to old to have them cut off so he could hurt my horse if they fought like that but luckily they dont.

When my doe has her kids they will be dehorned and banded if bucks.

 

[Cricket]

Have had pygmy goats (with horns) and minis together for years and have NEVER had problem with chewing tails, butting or anything else. The goats are able to run up stairs to the hay loft to get away from the minis is need be. Normally not necessary as they have a huge area together.

 

[wendyluvsminis]

I have a large Pygmy de-horned male. He butts my foals and sends them flying. He hasn't hurt them, but scares them big time. He can get in and out of any fence, and eats my rose-bushes and anything else he wants. Other than that, he is a lovely goat! We are trying to find him a new home, before the 2009 babies arrive!

 

[Bunnylady]

I have four goats, a 2-year old, B-sized mini filly and a 33" mini mule. My goats are mixed breeds, and on the larger side. One, Spike, is a wether, the others are does. All but Daisy have horns. Spike had risen to the top of the pecking order before the mule came, about a year and a half ago.

When I moved Betsy (the mule) in with them, the goats at first were petrified. Betsy delighted in chasing them, which didn't help. I had to fish Moon out of the duckpond twice, and goats hate water, as a rule!

Syd (the mini) was only about 8 months old when she came, and while she is sassy, she hasn't quite got the bullheaded self-confidence that Betsy has. She started off herding the goats around, but Spike pretty quickly learned that he could back her off with a show of force. His horns are impressive, I can't say I would want her arguing with him! He keeps trying to bluff Betsy, but she doesn't care, she just wades right in and bites him. So the order of dominance remains Betsy, Spike, Sydney, and then the three goat does. I put the mini and the mule in their stalls when I feed them, the goats may squabble over their food dishes, but at least they each get the right amount. Hay is cause for more bickering, of course, but I put out plenty so everyone gets their share.

 

[Teresa]

I had Nanny and Billy (pygmy goats) in with my minis but Billy starting butting the horses and I was really afraid for the mares. I donated the two of them to a Church Children's home. I loved when they had babies...they always had twins and they were so much fun to watch.

The goats could get ouf of anything and I even had to have my car repainted because one of their favorite places was to climb on top of the car.

 

[_minihorses4ever_]

Our pgymy goats do fine with the minis. I find some horses are more tolerant of their antics than others, but everything has always worked out fine. We have kept them with stallions with no problem as well.

 

[Margaret]

Ive been raising nigerian goats and miniature horses for 9 years now.

The goats will want the mini food and the minis will want the goat food, so for diet control and amount control I keep mine seperated..

Plus for optimum health reasons I feed my goats differently than my minis.. and visa versa.

Weight problems and food aggression can result from keeping them together.

The only time I let them share a large area is when the pasture is good, and everyone is happily grazing durring the summer..

But as soon as the grass becomes sparce, or competive I seperate to keep things simple.

 

[ErikaS.]

I have pygmy goats, a nubian wether, a fainting buck and my two mini geldings all together and they do fine. My old pygmy doe is the boss and the minis stay out of her way when she comes by them. Everyone has horns except my nubian...and of course the minis...well usually they don't

.

 

[Bess Kelly]

I've had minis & Boer, Boer/Nubian cross in same pastures with no issues. BUT, when it was breeding time, they were separated. The goats were often quite similar in size to my minis. When you have two species they tend to group with their own and keep a reasonable distance. Never had issues with horns, etc. But, my goats were handled from birth, attended daily and the bucks were never, ever allowed to create issues when handled -- all could be collared, led, hooves trimmed, came when called, etc. Bucks did not run with horses when doe breeding. I fed separate.

There was a time when I had only 5 large does (125-175lb) and I rotated them through fields for weed control duty. Those girls ate with the horses from troughs. The horses ruled but the does would snuggle in and get everybit they wanted. Other than feed time, the does kept to themselves as did the mares.

 

[HGFarm]

Full sized stallions can break a good sized calf's back- I would hesitate to keep a goat in with a stallion of any type.

Yes, they are notorious for eating hair and chewing tails down to nothing! They are also rough on fencing if you have any kind of woven wire, etc...

I think they would do just fine next to each other, but not in with.

 

[jacks'thunder]

I have had MANY goats! And yes they share pastures with my minis. In my opinion as long as you have enough space and free range hay you should be fine. I have 7 goats right now that run my pastures. My minis are let out every morning to share space with them. Every one gets along fine and they do good sharing the space. If I had my choice I'd do no horns and no billies. Right now 2 of my girls have horns and it just makes me worry. Remember Newbians are a nice mild goat but could do some damage with horns if provoked(any goat can). I feed grain at night so my minis are in stalls, no food compatition(sp?) with anyone and the goats eat in their run in.

You asked good or bad, in my opinion good as long as your fence is tough enough and they all have plenty of room to get away from each other if need be.

Good luck!

Leya

 

[GlacierRidge]

I have 2 horned pygmy goats in with my 2 mini geldings and 3 mini donkeys (one being a 3 month old). There has never been a problem with any of them. Occasionally at feeding time the goats will try to show that they're "boss," when one of my donkeys will run them off and put them back in their place.

Angie

 

[tnovak]

I have 2 minis and 1 pygmy goat-they get along well, but the goat continually gets over the fence, so she's no longer allowed in the pasture or barnyard unless someone is gonna be around to catch her. I've been tying her out on a lounge line, so she can graze, otherwise she'll have to rehomed. When the weather is bad, I let her roam around inside the closed barn, she loves to go up to the loft.

 

[Miniv]

We have a Billie Goat who is half pygmy and half fainting. And the only reason we have him was that someone pulled up here with a trailer and let him out on our property! He's quite the character. And fortunately only has little nubs for horns.

We call him "Isaac" and he pretty much has the run of the property. He doesn't like our dogs, so he stays away from the house, but pops from pasture to pasture. Every morning I am never sure which group of horses he's going to be visiting. He does flirt with the mares and makes silly noises, sticking his tongue out at them and when they have had enough, they pop him one. He's kind of our farm CLOWN.

 

[frekles93]

[SIZE=12pt]I raise Pygmies and don't have any problems out of them with the horses... all but 2 are dehorned. I personally HATE horns and dehorn everything born here. They pretty much stay away from each other. Horse chace them when they are feeling frisky but the goats hit the fence and are out of there. I don't try to keep my goats penned in the spring through fall. I do pen in the winter as I feed grain and too much horse feed will kill a goat. Hog and cattle panels with electirc is about the only thing that keeps them in. I did have a 2 yo stud colt kill one of my 2 day old babies, in turn I have an older mare that falls in LOVE with the babies and if they are in the horse pen she protects them and runs everyone away from them. NEVER had a chewing problem out of my goats.[/SIZE]

April

 

[Bren]

I don't have goats but have a young pot belly pig with my mini mares. They get along great as long as I feed Wilbur the pig first. He is a pig of course and will try to eat everyones food if I let him. The mares back off from him most of the time if he asserts himself. My smallest Mare Gracie wil let him know she is tired of him when she needs to but she is never mean about it. They eat together, sleep together and graze together. It's very sweet. I thnk he thinks they are HIS mares. I don't think I could ever have a stallion in the mix he would be jealous even though he was neutered at 3 months! LOL