I Never Wanted Goats (Why I'm Getting Goats) 

myotonic goats not so much escape artists as they stiffen up when getting excited. so they just don't try much

OMG...yes they are. We have one we call Houdini.

14:45 "who are renounced escape artists" i think he knows

@@lisam5744 do you have only myotonic goats or different breeds? There will always be a special 1 lol but of the different breeds they have reputation for least likely to even try to escape. I knew a full grown cow (only 1 ) that loved to jump the pasture fence and would always stay with the group but on the outside of the fencing lol. Special personalities of animals make long lasting memories.

45% of named goats are named Houdini. Source: Trust me bro

Just here to say brilliant goat knowledge and spot-on for getting the best of both worlds from and for Toby dog!

I fully agree with you on the goat choices! Mixed breed wethers with horns. I have a small herd of Nigerian dwarves made up of a dam, sire (now wethered), and their 3 yearling kids - 1 doe and 2 wethers. They don't touch the milkweed in my yard and they're trained to come to the sound of me shaking an old peanut butter jar with alfalfa pellets in it. Their pen is tee posts with 2x4 no climb at 4 feet tall. I've never had one escape over the fence but goats will result crawl under if they find a loose spot. My goats forage successfully with the chickens all the time but especially if you have some larger goats you can rotate them through with your cattle as well. For the orchard, if you train them to the treats like many do then you can take them into the orchard for SUPERVISED browsing. I will regularly take mine to certain areas where they need watched more carefully and as soon as they start acting up I shake the treat bucket and walk away to the next spot and they follow.

Goats sound like a lot of work, but there are few things cuter or more personable than baby goats.

@@CassieDavis613baby MINI goats?

@@Indigoturtle4581 is there such a thing? sometimes mini this and that is advertised so you will buy it..........not mini.

Oh...and goats require shelter. It's a must. They hate rain and need somewhere to get out of it. Even on a hot day, they can get hypothermic in the rain. Not sure about snow (I'm in Florida so that's not an issue), but they have to have shelter.

@@CassieDavis613 Baby goats are like puppies...a trap.

Hippity-hop-hippity-hop-hop-hop!🤩

Lambs have entered the chat

Except for kittens😸

@@mollyragdollfan1917 I have cats. I love cats. Baby goats still win.

@@rewalos5077 also very cute.

Did the dogs eat Ben or did the pigs?

@@Farmerboy5 no, he fought them off and died of his injuries the next day

​@@LoriMorris-s7mwhat a brave guy. Goats are honestly such smart and brave creatures.

Rest in peace, Ben.

If you get a donkey you need one already familiar with dogs or they might kill your dog or get a weanling or yearling. That wasn't a praying mantis you saw on the milkweed it was a Katydids that you don't want as they much on your plants.

It might be a better idea to get a third and fourth dog, rather than a donkey due to the animosity between donkeys and dogs.

I just made a similar comment about looking into getting a donkey before I read yours. GMTA and all that. :)

I'd be interested in seeing llamas. Though they also have a thing against dogs.

​@passaflora09 Would a mini donkey be any safer? Or just a young one to grow up around the pups?

I came here to say this 😂

Oh, no! Katy did…n’t.

What did Katy do this time🤔

Why are you sorry?

I was coming to the comments to say the same thing. You beat me to it.

Yes - was also going to tell him that.

Only problem is it spreads like crazy.

It may not be beneficial for /his/ bees. Bees forage up to a couple miles and they collect nectar and pollen on the way back to the hive so they often don't collect anything from flowers near the hive. That being said, his goldenrod WOULD be good for other bees so it's still good to keep around.

And, it and giant ragweed are the plants my goats go for first! They love it!

The song occasionally gets stuck in my head out of nowhere

Alfred has crazy skillz -- a dying breed for sure.

@@cindyn7512 maybe mr farmer should get a herd of alfreds ~

I could use a 'My hubby Alfred' haha

Where is his pod cast?

so well said

and also his established flock to protect

😂😂

I agree with you. While I absolutely love Abby, she still can't be trusted alone which defeats the purpose of her being a LGD. My heart sank when he said he was thinking of moving him to the cattle, he loves his birds. But your right, he's the only one that can be trusted to do his job. I do think he should get another dog, perhaps a female that already has some training so he knows it would work this time around. But he can't bring another dog in without risking Abby potentially teaching them bad habits. So she would have to be relocated, preferably at the home. Abby makes for a wonderful companion dog. Morgan really is in a tough spot with that.

@@LadyAvallyn I don't envy Morgan on this, but I suspect you're right. Her instincts just aren't suited to the task she was intended for and after a certain point, it becomes a matter of trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Ultimately not good for anyone involved. She does seem to make a genuinely great companion however.

Are you people right in the head? He's already struggling training Abby and you want him to get another dog in the mix? That seems to me like a comment made out of the want to see cute dogs on screen and not to actually give advice to a struggling LGD owner.

@@ballinboxer3676 he has a split property. There's a reason he got a second dog, and unfortunately despite his best efforts it's been a struggle. If you read my comment I don't recommend a puppy at all. I don't think that would help in any way. It truly comes down to logistics. Taking all the emotion out of it, he wants a LGD with his cattle and another with his birds. Abby, despite the great effort on Morgan's part and as much as we've all been rooting for her, just doesn't seem to be able to truly be an independent LGD. She has proven to be a great house companion. Suggesting an already trained or partially trained female LGD would bypass a lot of issues imo. But that's what it is, my opinion. It's not fact, and I'm sure there are tons of other things at play that we are not privy too. It's just something to think about. I immensely enjoy this channel and have followed it for years. Morgan personally has inspired my family to try and build things, even though we are scared to and have no experience. I wish nothing but the best for his farm, family, and his town in Vermont. Sending love to you and all the followers ❤️

She's done the job before tho. Like literally she's been up with the cows, and even got hurt defending the farm before. As for her teaching bad habits... You could honestly just not include her in training sessions, but seeing how Toby has taught her, but she has not taught Toby, I'm not sure it's warranted worry. Tho I will say it seems like a not great idea to have to be training a dog, and cram that in before getting goats, or having to do it while learning goats.

Make soap too.

goat cheese with honey on toast...

Makes great soap too

Depends on the breed

goats milk ice cream makes regular ice cream taste like sherbet its so rich ~

What about Lamancha goat?

@@Sewtiredlamancha are another milk goat breed, but they tend to make even more milk, they are a high production breed. Only get if you want milk.

I care for LaManchas once a week. They're lots friendlier than the nubians at the same farm. Good milk altogether- sweet and not goat-y.

@@ArtsyFarmhe can use the milk for soap.

@@kristinjacobsen3417 the goaty flavor comes from not getting the milk cold quickly, nothing to do with breed. Friendliness is also dependent of the individual, no breed is friendlier than the next. My Nubians are love bugs.

I was thinking the same thing. Abby would like the goats. They have a lot of personality. Abby would be excellent at watching/playing with them.

Alfred IS a dozen friends! 😂

I wish I had one friend like Alfred.

A dozen Alfreds, what you trying to do, start an army?

@@scriptguru4669 😂😂

@@scriptguru4669 engineer corp

Just get a llama! Forget the goats.

I have seen goats clear out sections of woody brush. I would be concerned too. Sheep don’t get on their hind legs to like goats do. But sheep eat the same things the goats do.

@@ks_hunter7327 because of that i said he need to fear for the small trees but not mature ones. they eat a lot of the young branches they can get too, but if the tree is old an tall enough they eat everything around it wich helps the trees . some of his trees are already big enough to not interest goats but the others are still to small.

Indeed, it would just stress out Toby

@@defeqel6537 he didn't seem very stressed.

Agreed! Let Sherrif Toby go up to the pasture to mark his territory, but let him stay with his birds!

@@mikemanning5019 the way he was waiting there at the gate, panting heavily suggests stress to me

@@defeqel6537 Well you don't know dogs.

Burros and llamas (or alpacas) are excellent foils for predators. Burros don't necessarily require a buddy on patrol, though it's just a nice thing to do for them. Llamas and alpacas, however, do need a partner. P.S. I'm a bigger fan of llamas simply based on personal experience, though I do like alpacas. P.P.S. you can also try sheep for your cleanup crew. Go with Dorpers or other breeds that dont require shearing. They're really lovely animals.

He has that high meadow beyond the fence (you see it on his trail cam - there have been deer, yotes, a bear, and I think even a bobcat once) - so while it might seem like he's potentially clearing a lot, there's a ton elsewhere on his farm that's safe and will be unmolested.

Can't wait to see if Abby chases them 😆

Honestly, the idea of him getting goats is stressing me out. 😅The comments aren’t helping, either. I’m very invested in his orchard and concerned about what will happen to it. But it’s his farm, and I get that he’s honoring his word. I guess I hope he goes for the plan of putting them between his and his neighbor’s farm. But I wish him luck, and I will try to just enjoy the cute and the chaos. 😂

@@IbelongtoJesus. I didn’t even think of Abby and goats! BFFs!

And yes they will steal your heart. I would like to also second that you should start with the small ones. Nigerian Dwarf goats are easier to deal with. I have extras if you are interested, I also have a network of breeders I deal with who I can recommend. The goats would like those apples too.

and soap…

Morgan lives in Post10 (YT) territory, if it’s going to take out a road, Post10 is there to get those culverts cleared out!

My sheep were WAY worse than my goats. My goats were more like excellent dogs....

@@jenniferr2057 Wow...my sheep were so mellow and my goat are such idiots. LOL

@@lisam5744 marshmallows. seriously, I gave them marshmallows and they'd come to me or follow me anywhere. Lol.

yes I don’t keep sheep, but my aunt brings them down into our fields- and they break all the numberplates of the machines - eat the hedges too😂

He will definitely have to build a permanent goat fence. They won’t stay in if it’s only a few electric cables.