Pack goats?

[MattB]

I read a long thread on another forum about pack goats and it seems very positive.

Does anyone know or have concerns about spreading disease to other game animals? I believe that goats have a fair amount of parasites/diseases or am I wrong? I understand that domestic sheep can transmit disease to Bighorn sheep.

I came here to expand on your last thought: please, please, please do not take pack goats anywhere that there are wild sheep. Even perfectly healthy goats can be carriers of diseases that can wipe out wild sheep populations. Many of the wild sheep die-offs we hear about in the lower 48 are the result of contact between domestic and wild sheep.

Some day I hope to pack with goats, more personality than anything domestic animal other than a dog IMO.

 

[MattB]

I've always been an advocate of goats and still am. But this weekend I had a lengthy discussion with one of my customers. He and his family use donkeys. Not mules but donkeys. I was intrigued to say the least and asked a ton of questions. Each donkey can carry 150# apiece and only requires about 5# of grain per day. His donkeys are about half the size of a horse. He said they take to packing like a short hair does to pointing birds. Said they are easy to lead and are sure footed to. For the size of the animal and the amount of weight they can carry I would have to say they are my new first choice for a pack animal if I were to get any. Wish I had the pics from the shop to share showing his donkeys packing. They were quite impressive.

A friend of mine donkey packs, and he loves it. They are horse people (cowboys), but as you stated donkeys are lower maintenance in the back country. He has one of those large Mercedes work vans and is trying to figure out how to get the donkeys in it rather than towing a trailer.

 

[elkeaterco]

I came here to expand on your last thought: please, please, please do not take pack goats anywhere that there are wild sheep. Even perfectly healthy goats can be carriers of diseases that can wipe out wild sheep populations. Many of the wild sheep die-offs we hear about in the lower 48 are the result of contact between domestic and wild sheep.

Some day I hope to pack with goats, more personality than anything domestic animal other than a dog IMO.

Please read this study proving pack goats are safe for Bighorn sheep. I would never pack my goats into an area if I thought they would destroy such a limited and valuable resource. Hope you don't take this the wrong way but when people state false facts it hurts us with goats. They are trying to ban goats from the backcountry but it's the domestic sheep that is the problem.

http://www.napga.org/links.asp?pageid=3&menuID=

Thanks

Jake

 

[MattB]

Please read this study proving pack goats are safe for Bighorn sheep. I would never pack my goats into an area if I thought they would destroy such a limited and valuable resource. Hope you don't take this the wrong way but when people state false facts it hurts us with goats. They are trying to ban goats from the backcountry but it's the domestic sheep that is the problem.

http://www.napga.org/links.asp?pageid=3&menuID=

Thanks

Jake

I read the two articles on the site you referenced, and neither prove pack goats are safe for bighorns. In fact, one suggests the opposite and the other is very specific in that its results were inconclussive because the domestic goat test studies did not have the Pasteurella strain that is deadly to wild sheep and that more relevant study is necessary.

From "Goat Health Issues - Pasturella - Pasturella-Searching for the Truth/Hells Canyon Die-Off"

"Limited data exist on the relationship between domestic goats, bighorn sheep and the transfer of potentially lethal Pasteurella spp. known to be pathogenic to bighorn sheep. Thus, interactions between the two species on the range should be considered a potential risk factor that may impact bighorn sheep habitat, both while on the trail and at the campsite. Likewise, we recommend that bighorn sheep which are near domestic goats be hazed or removed from the population."

The other article indicates that more study is necessary because the domestic goats and cattle in question did not have the Pasteurella strain that causes death in wild sheep.

From "Goat Health Issues - Pasturella - Pasturella-Research into Transmission into Big Horn Sheep" (see last sentence)

"As a result of these and previous studies, specific management recommendations can be made. All contact between bighorn sheep and domestic sheep or mouflon sheep must be prevented or it is likely that the bighorn sheep will die from pneumonia after close contact with these species. Based on available data, bighorn sheep contact with elk (Cervus elaphus), deer (Odocoileus virginianus and O. hemionus hemionus), mountain goats, or llamas apparently does not result in respiratory disease in bighorn sheep (Foreyt 1992b, this study). Trials with domestic goats and cattle did not result in respiratory disease in bighorn sheep under the conditions described in this experiment. However, similar trials need to be conducted with domestic goats and cattle that are carriers of Pasteurella haemolytica biotype A to determine the effects of those organisms on the health of bighorn sheep."