Topic: goatkeeping

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There seems very little of this going on here - does anyone know of an active forum for goatkeepers? Hope I'm allowed to ask about rival forums......

[Paulines7]

I have a video on goat keeping which we bought when we were thinking about rearing them, so there is probably an updated CD out there somewhere on the subject.

I found this book:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Practical-Goat-Keeping-Alan-Mowlem/dp/1861263899

There is also the British Goat Society website with lots of information.  See:  http://www.allgoats.com/

Good luck.

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Thanks, Pauline, I know the Alan Mowlem by heart... ;)
The BGS site needs membership to access forums.... :(
I suspect from the lack of response, and my own fairly exhaustive googling, that there isn't actually a lot going on out there. I kept goats for some years and was wondering what's happening now. Maybe it'll come back into fashion, like allotments have?

[goodlife]

I think there is plenty of people wanting to keep goats out there, but unfortunately all the rules and regulations, paperwork for this and that has put many off...I can name one already ::)
And not only that there is so few allotments nowadays that allow any four legged ones for keeping in their sites.
Around midlands I haven't heard any..one time near us there was some goats kept on fields and farm yards...I remember fondly how their allowed passing public to pat their animals..if they dared ;D..not all billy's were so friendly ;D ;D
Ohhh...keeping couple of goats been my dream for years..I was offered plot on friends garden for it..but once is started to read what's involved for keeping and  inconvenience having to travel to them daily bases..I thought that is one 'hobby' that I would be better off, it would take too much time from the already busy life style.
If I were able to keep in allotment, just on my doorstep..then maybe I would reconsider it again..

[Robert_Brenchley]

When I was working at Nuneaton I used to pass an allotment site on the train which had goats, but that's the only one I've ever come across. My sister had them in Cornwall, but she rented a field.

[mat]

Have you looked on here? http://www.rivercottage.net/forum/ask/other-livestock/
 It's usually a friendly and helpful forum

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Mat, thanks for the link - that's exactly the sort of place I was looking for.  Now to find out if the posts bring back enough happy memories, or remind me why we stopped.....I should have made clear, we have land and buildings at home, I don't think goats are suitable for allotments - on every imaginable ground! Though the vandals we've been reading about on here might get what they deserve if they inadvertently broke into a male goat's shed........

[elhuerto]

There seem to be a lot of people here with smallholdings and plenty of movement in the threads http://www.practicalpoultry.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?board=others