# How many goats in one acre?



## Kittikity (Oct 21, 2004)

We have 1.7 acres.. I can put an acre toward space for goats.. I want to have oberhasli and nigerian dwarves.. How many can I have on one acre? They will have grazing and alphalfa pellets.. Build a small shed for their shelter since I don't have the space for a barn.. Loose minerals..

If anybody has any other suggestions, feel free..


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

That depends largely on how good your land is and what you grow on it. . If you get the pasture in good shape before you get the goats, and section them off so you can rotate, Id say about 5-6 should be OK. I kept 7 Dorper sheep on a little less 2 acres for almost a year.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

To make the best of that one acre, make two pastures of it. When they graze one down, switch to the other. The best way to do this is to build the shed on the 'divider' fenceline between the two pastures. Then have two doors, one for the 'left' pen and one for the 'right' pen. Then you just open the corresponding door and close the opposite door and they are confined to whichever pasture you desire. 
Also, since Nigerians are a miniature breed, you can have more of them per acre. I had always heard 10 standard goats per good acre of BROWSE, and 15 miniature goats per good acre of browse.


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## Kittikity (Oct 21, 2004)

Right now most of the "backyard", where most of our property is, is tall grass and weeds..


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Here's an article on rotational grazing...

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/rotategr.html


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

I would have said two goats, but I have larger goats. :shrug: Less is better than too many on a field.
mary


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## chrisl (Jan 20, 2006)

Your other option is if the grass gets to short in both padocks make a smaller lot around the shelter and start haying the goats.


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## Kittikity (Oct 21, 2004)

Haying them?

Also, can their be more per acre if I give them something else to eat? What could I give them? I've heard oats and alphalfa and goat chow but I get confused with all the different names since I'm sure some of the phrases are talking about the same item.. Could anybody put it in a list format for me?


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Buying and feeding them hay as a supplement. I would buy weedy hay if available. It has more food variety and should cost a lot less...Tennessee John

My vote is for four goats and that would be pushing it....you have to supplement, especially in winter because even florida's grass stop growing in the cool months.


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

topside1 said:


> I would buy weedy hay if available.



But not if you're going to eventually put the manure on your garden.  I bought some really cheap Johnson grass hay last year and have paid for it this year with lots and lots of Johnson grass in my garden.


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## Milking Mom (Oct 2, 2004)

A little different answer, but (I've been told) according to Montgomery County Appraisal District, in order to receive the AG exemption on your land when raising goats, you need to have 50 GOATS PER ACRE!! Isn't that crazy :grump: Can you imagine how much manure and flies and mess and sick goats you would have with that. I think it is just their way of trying to get out of giving people ag exemptions for goats because it is certainly not feasible. I would try to have no more than 5 per acre. And again, like was mentioned above, it depends on what your acre consists of. If it consists of lots of browse and brush and trees and things the goats can munch on or if it is just a clean pasture with nothing but grass. Goats don't graze like a cow and the grass will do nothing but grow. Mine wander around in the pasture and eat the tops off the grass and snag a weed every now and then, but as far as browse, I basically have none in my pasture for the goats.


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## Kittikity (Oct 21, 2004)

Oh, trust me.. The weeds definitely outways the grass.. I don't even think you can actually call it grass.. It's really tall thick stuff that's currently 5 feet tall.. I can take a picture to show.. I even have an overhead arial of about 2 or 3 years ago..


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## brierpatch1974 (Sep 28, 2005)

that would be a cool pic kitty. the aerial veiw. With grass that high you may want to put a bell on the goats to find them lol j/k. 


BP


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## Kittikity (Oct 21, 2004)

Oh, we'll mow it all down and let them eat the grass clippings at least.. = ) We'd have to start them in a small area first anyway since we can't fence in the whole yard yet.. But I think a small area is doable.. Maybe just one nigerian at first, or two..

But yeah, I can just imagine them in the really tall grass.. "Patches, Buffy, come on out.. Hey, don't play hide and seek with me.. I can hear you in there!"


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Unless you plan to plant different things for different seasons you can count on having to feed them some hay and grain at times. Goats dont need top quality hay to survive and do well. And I wouldnt do any mowing. Let the goats eat all they can of the standing weeds and save that fuel


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## waygr00vy (Aug 7, 2005)

I have about 12 goats (Nigerians and Pygmies) and 2 Jerseys on about 2 acres. Its usually fine but I have pens that I keep them in with hay if we have a drought and the pasture isn't doing so hot...or when I put the rye out for the winter. They usually stay out all day and come in at night to give the pasture a rest (plus they seem to like the routine)...but when we're getting alot of rain I keep them out all the time. I am getting ready to divide the pasture, but for the last 2 years I have been alright. Definitely nice to be able to rotate though...I also supplement with round bales and extra alfalfa pellets in the winter to keep them occupied...they will eat the coastal, but be sure it is good quality and not "cow" quality.


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## Sondra Peterson (Dec 5, 2002)

Well I have 35 goats on abt one acre but these goats are fed alfalfa pellets and grass hay pretty much free choice. Goats are not really grazers anyway so just grass isn't going to work too good. They will eat brush and weeds but unless they are pretty much starved are not going to eat down grass. Nothing like a cow or horse or sheep.


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