Summer conditioning the goats

[GoatPackr]

These last few weeks have been great. My middle kid and I have been putting on some miles with the goats. Doing a little water training and just hanging out.

 

[justinspicher]

That looks like a good ass time!

 

[GoatPackr]

Anytime with the kids and goats is a great time

Kris

 

[MHWASH]

Do you worry about predators attacking your goats?

 

[GoatPackr]

Do you worry about predators attacking your goats?

No more than any other stock animal or kid. They are much calmer and don't blow up and run back to the truck if something does scare them. We are their safety and they know it.
Kris

 

[MHWASH]

Very cool! Good luck this season.

 

[DenimChicken]

Apparently I've been living under a rock. I've seen horses, mules and llamas, but never seen pack goats. Pretty awesome. How much can they carry?

 

[GoatPackr]

Apparently I've been living under a rock. I've seen horses, mules and llamas, but never seen pack goats. Pretty awesome. How much can they carry?

The text book answer is 25% of body weight. With good genetics and well conditioned goats some people pack 30-35% or more if going a short distance such as a load of meat back to camp.
It's like anything else. If you overload them and abuse them they won't last as long.
Ideal size for a good goat is 200 lb + or - 20 lbs
They also gotta be 4 years old before packing full weight. So by the time you get them to that you have a lot of time invested in them.

My big guy Arti the black and white Alpine is 3 and was 210 lbs in July. He's the alfalfa pasture leader.

Storm the white kiko/Alpine is 2 and 200 lbs. He's probably going to mature near 250 lbs

Jet the black Lamancha is 2 and should mature in the 180 lb range

Cosmo the brown Alpine/Lamancha is 2 and will be about 180 lbs. He's got the biggest drive and desire to lead and has become the string leader. He never gets tired just keeps on going.

We bottle feed them so they are well bonded to humans. My goats show no aggression towards humans. The kids use them for 4h and they are a big hit at the fairs with their big horns.
They can follow me about anyplace I can go as long as their packs will fit.

Kris

 

[DenimChicken]

Do they graze or do you need to pack feed?

 

[DenimChicken]

Do they graze or do you need to pack feed

 

[Jeremyc_1999]

Looks great. I just got my 2 three year olds out for a two nighter and just got back.

Do they graze or do you need to pack feed

No, they are browsers and eat weeds. Also, I find that mine need very little water while eating fresh green feed.

 

[GoatPackr]

Do they graze or do you need to pack feed?

They eat natural vegetation. No need for packing any feed.
And like was mentioned it will freak people out because they won't be drink.
The trips in the pics we packed in Friday evening and out Sunday afternoon. When I put them back in their pasture they walked past their water right out to the feeder. No drinking the entire time we were gone. 1 goat a 1 year old with no pack had a small drink at the lake.
Goats are very efficient with their feed and can get a lot of water from their feed. They were really going after the low Bush huckleberry and eating mouth fulls of leaves and berries. Their taste for certain plants changes throughout the day and time of year. They will run past the most lush looking huckleberry shoots to fight over 1 dried up brown fir limb. Like fat kids fighting over the last twinky.

Kris

 

[BKehoe05]

I’ve got (3) 2.5 yr old alpine wethers that I am hoping to pick up in a month. They have been doing light pack training in MT for the past 2 yrs and the woman has them trained to pull a cart for hauling firewood off the mountain. Additionally I’ve got (3) kids coming in the spring as well.

 

[GoatPackr]

I’ve got (3) 2.5 yr old alpine wethers that I am hoping to pick up in a month. They have been doing light pack training in MT for the past 2 yrs and the woman has them trained to pull a cart for hauling firewood off the mountain. Additionally I’ve got (3) kids coming in the spring as well.

Where are you located?

Kris

 

[BKehoe05]

We are located in central Texas. We are just getting into goat packing. We’ve been doing the horse packing for a bit but I wanted something I could use in Idaho where I can’t get the horses into.

 

[BKehoe05]

Where are you located?

Kris

Stephenville, TX. How about you?

Brian

 

[GoatPackr]

Stephenville, TX. How about you?

Brian

Western Washington for now.
On a 2 year or shorter plan to move to MT.

Kris

 

[BKehoe05]

Western Washington for now.
On a 2 year or shorter plan to move to MT.

Kris

Lol you sound like me. The breeder I’m getting the kids from in the spring is trying to sell me her place. We’ve been trying to decide between northwest Wyoming, MT or now eastern ID. Kind of fell in love with North Fork, ID

 

[GoatPackr]

Where's the breeder?

Kris

 

[BKehoe05]

The breeder is in Whitehall and the other 3 older ones are in Helena. Lol you don’t feel like coming to Texas to visit with detour through SLC do ya?