# Do goats stay pretty close to home?



## Lada (Jun 7, 2008)

We are not fenced except for a privacy fence between the front hill and the yard. I let the goats out when we're outside so I can keep an eye on them and normally they just roam the hillside behind the house. Sometimes they get so far up that I can't see them anymore, but they come back and "check in" periodically. Then sometimes they go behind their pen and AROUND the privacy fence and end up on the front hillside....lots of elm trees there, and the LOVE elm trees, plus it's covered with large stones so I think it's fun for them. I always watch them since it's so close to the road, but they never even attempt to cross the road and if they get close, will bound up the hill when they hear a car coming.

I grew up with horses that were always testing the fence, getting out, and roaming the entire county. It was such a pain. I know if I had a horse, it would be across this road in a minute. Do goats not roam in general as much? Are they more content to stay close to where they know the feed is?

Just found this interesting.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

I don't know. I wouldn't want mine to roam unless it was a few thousand acres and no chance of anything happening to them.

Here they would for surely end up in the farmers corn field next door. That wouldnt be good. :nono:


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Mine stay close...too close. I wish they would wander more into the grove and clear it out. Their favorite spots are the driveway and the deck where they have chairs and a table for their resting convenience


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## bumpus (Jul 30, 2003)

.
No ... Goat turned loose will increase their roaming as time goes by and if they get on someone else's property and cause damage your in trouble. They could even be shot and killed.

If they cross the road, ( and they will one day ) and hear a car coming and head for your property out of fear they will be in front of a car and get killed. If they hurt the Car or cause a wreck you will be sued for damages because it will be your fault.

The old farmers statement is: 

*" Good fences make for Good neighbors " *

That means keep them at home on your property 
if you want to get along with them.

Even with a good fence they sometimes still get out ! ! !


bumpus
.


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## BethW (May 3, 2007)

Minelson said:


> Their favorite spots are the driveway and the deck where they have chairs and a table for their resting convenience


I have to laugh The mental image (and the pictures you've posted in the past) are just too cute. All the goaties need are drinks with umbrellas to complete the picture of them lounging on your deck :hobbyhors


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## Lada (Jun 7, 2008)

I just want to make it clear that I DON'T let them just roam. We go on walks together, but there are only two of them and they are never near the road without me. The only place they go unaccompanied is behind the house and there's nothing for them to get into back there. I just found it interesting that they don't really seem to WANT to go anywhere.



> Mine stay close...too close. I wish they would wander more into the grove and clear it out. Their favorite spots are the driveway and the deck where they have chairs and a table for their resting convenience


That's too funny! Mine love the deck also. There are lots of pretty flowers there for them to eat.  and they really like to hang out on TOP of the hot tub.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Wow! a hot tub! Don't tell my goats...I'll never hear the end of it. I can just see hubby's face when I say "honey, the goats need a hot tub now too" HA!


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

Mine know where they live. No after more time passes they do not go further and further. We are far from the road but my goats are scared of cars since I have made sure they were. One honk of the horn now sends them running to the barn. 
I do not have the money to fence in all of my property so they roam during the day and are locked into a pen with attached barn at night. 
My neighbor actually encourages them to go on his property. He throws hay near the fence line for them. He wants them to mow his pasture so he won't have to. 
Goats also learn routine. My two bottle babies know that they go into a stall each night. They do not like it but they go right in, keeps them from getting hit until they are older and can hit back with some force. The other goats know when I say " Barn" it is time for bed and go in as well. They are smart and trainable. Plus they know where their food and water comes from.


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## gerald77 (Aug 2, 2007)

mine stay in the yard mostly. i always check on them and max, lgd, stays with whoever wanders. he will sit right next to them and then when he sees me come out he runs them back into the yard. we live on a private drive so it isn't a big deal if they wander a little. usually though they lay around on our porch steps with the dogs. it's pretty cute having two goats on each step with a dog right next to them. one day i'll take a picture.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Depends on how much space you have and what the neighbors' have in their yard/field that is more enticing than the familiar food at home...sooner or later, they WILL discover the neighbor's new rose bushes. <sigh>


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## goatsareus (Jun 23, 2007)

we did this for several years with no problems. Our situation was we had 10 acres in the midst of a forest owned by a paper company. We completed Timber Stand Improvement on our 10 acres so it was evident to us humans were our boundaries were. We had a narrow strip of a steep hillside with the goat barn at the top corner of the property. The garden was fenced and that was all. The homestead was new so we had no landscaping to worry about. Maybe we raise wimps, but our goats are not brave, they did not wander off our 10 acres much. They rarely went over the property line to munch of the paper companies trees, a great fear of mine. They did not wander farther out as the years went by. They were nosy and wanted to keep tabs on us.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Mine are too chicken to leave home, or the general viscinity of either a human, cow or horse. They like to stay with someone. Maybe it's because we only have 8 (only ha!- was going to just have 2 ).


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## DixyDoodle (Nov 15, 2005)

I would be more concerned that there are only two of them and they are disappearing over a hill......what if a coyote or neighbourhood dog took to going after them?


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## mtn.mama (Apr 20, 2007)

Mine don't go anywhere. They're totally free range and after 13 years- none have gone more than 250 feet from the cabin.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

Mine would go who knows how far if they weren't fenced. DS left the gate open one day and when I got home I found them 1/2 mile down the road.  It's a wonder none of them had been hit by a truck. They were just browsing along the ditch on both sides of the road. Now they know that browse is out there and they make a run for it if they get half a chance.  I told DS that if they get out again HE is the one that will go get them and make sure they are securely inside the fence with the gate closed tight.


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## DixyDoodle (Nov 15, 2005)

> Mine don't go anywhere. They're totally free range and after 13 years- none have gone more than 250 feet from the cabin.


But we once had a coyote within 50 feet of our front window of the house. I don't suppose our neighbour's dogs would care how close to the house they are, either. You have been very lucky, I'd say.


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## mtn.mama (Apr 20, 2007)

I don't think its luck... my goats have been raised in this scenario and around alot of sled dogs. Predators so rarely come right in the yard... they have miles of open country to go around us. And the goats are super smart about predators. My husbands family has been keeping free range goats in the bush since 1960 and hasn't lost any to predators either. TBH, our biggest trouble has been with dogs that I was baby-sitting.


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## Lada (Jun 7, 2008)

I've never even seen a coyote here, so I don't worry too much about that. I let my kids roam the hillside too, so if there was any danger, I obviously wouldn't do that. Usually, I can still hear them, I just can't see them because of the brush. Plus we have a really good variety of stuff for them...nothing at the neighbors that we don't have!


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## billooo2 (Nov 23, 2004)

I let a couple goats roam one year. At first they stayed close to home...afraid of the cars, etc. The longer they roamed, the further they went, and they lost their fear of cars. After starting a daily habit of roaming 2 farms away.......and after getting nearly hit by a car......and still not being afraid of them, their days of roaming ended.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

We let our goats out to roam during the day as long as I can keep somewhat of an eye on them since I don't want them in the yard getting in my flowers & bushes. We have 40 acres, some is wooded & some alfafa feilds besides the yard & surrounding area. Our goats never wander too far & like some others have said here they always seem to know where to go. Usually they will be out awile then I look & they are all laying in their pen for a rest. I might be alittle worried about them going in the road if I was you but we are far from the road.
I would never leave them out all night or when not at home though.


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## Cheribelle (Jul 23, 2007)

Well.... I used to have a LaMancha wether. When he was youger he actually seemd to think he was a dog. He hung out with them, and sat on the deck with me, just like them. Then he got a little bigger, and started going on their morning look around the neighborhood (farm country) run. Well, they lost him. So I posted a note at the nearest small town gas station, and the lady that delivers papers in this area called and told me where he was. 
This was probably 5 years ago, but small towns and country neighbors.... 
Last week a neighbor called me, he had a goat in his yard, was it mine? No, but he practically insisted I come and get it, he lives on the hiway. I went over, couldn't catch it, he said he'd call me if he got ahold of it. 
Well, then Another neighbor called me, worried about this stray goat being on the hiway with all the rock truck traffic. So I took my easiest goat with me, and she helped me get the stray in the trailer. Again, I posted a note in town, only this time that I found one. 2 days later someone called, claimed it, asked where I live. Said she'd call before coming over. Didn't leave her name. Guess what? I STILL have it.


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## Starsmom (Nov 7, 2004)

We let ours out to graze, but had to finally pen them up as everyday they got farther and farther away. It was ok when they went in one direction (we are surrounded by cattle grazing land in 3 directions). Then one day they decided to check out the other direction. It took about 16 hours of constant searching. We found them 10 miles away and they traveled via the highway. Luckily we are friends with all the Deputies and one of them seen them and rounded them up for us and had dispatch call. We had already alerted them to the missing herd. So, we started letting them out again, but they tried it again after about 2 weeks. So, back to the pen they went. So, in answer to your question...YES THEY WILL ROAM!


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