But what exactly is free ranging?
The dictionary definition of free ranging is (livestock, especially poultry) kept in natural conditions, with freedom of movement.Typically when we think of free ranging we think that the animal has complete freedom. But that is not always the case if you go by the definition. With some animals you can let them have complete freedom and they will stick around. But like I mentioned above Goats will get pretty far away. And they are pretty destructive. But “free ranging” has so many benefits…Lets take a second to look at a few of them.
Free ranging benefits
1.Affordability
A goats diet consist of mostly hay, grass, pasture etc. So if your goat is not free ranged you will end up spending a lot of money to keep enough food on hand. And if you are a homesteader that is trying to save money like most of us You won’t want to spend unnecessary money on feed.
2.Weed Eating
I personally only like to have animals on my homestead that do something for me or produce food. If your goat free ranges if can be your mower/weed eater. Use one of my methods below to move your goat around to clean up your land. (keep reading for all the things a goat will eat up for you)
3.Health
If you are using your goat for meat or milk you want a healthy goat. So if you are letting your goat free range you will get the healthiest goat possible. Now You are probably confused because I just got done telling you that you can’t free range your goat. But I said you can’t free range your goat in the typical complete freedom way. BUT do not worry there are ways your goat can still get all of the benefits of free ranging but not have total freedom…
Non traditional “Free Range” methods
As I mentioned above you can still let your goat “free range”. Here are a few ways.
1.The first way to let your goat “free range” is to tie your goat up.
There are a number of ways you can do this. One way is to tie your goat to a stake and then move the stake around the area you want the goat to be. You can also tie your goat to a cinder block and once the goat gets an area eaten down move him to the next area. Or if you live in a wooded area just tie him to a tree. With any of these methods just make sure your rope is long enough for the goat to get a decent amount of area. I would say to cut your rope at least 20 feet. You want it long enough for the goat to get to the grass but not to long that he gets tangled up in it.
2. The second way would be to get temporary fencing.
This way you can have your goat in an area for a few days. ( Or more depending how big the area is) And once he “mows” down that area you can move the fence and give him fresh grass, Bugs Etc.
3. The third way would be the closest to actual free range, which would be using dogs.
If you happen to have herding dogs you can let your goats free range and the dogs should keep them close. The dogs that do the best with this would be blue heelers. I know its a long shot that you would have a herding dog but I figured I would throw the option out there. With this option I would experiment before you just assume it will work. Make sure you are around and watch how the dogs do with the goats.
Generally Your goats should be fairly safe during the day when you are free ranging them with one of the ways I mentioned above. Most people have a safety issue at night. That is when the predators like to strike.
Can goats be with other animals?
As I said you almost have to have at least 2 goats because they will get very lonely in their own. Goats are very social. And they can be in the same area as a lot of other animals. Chickens, sheep, cows, even cats and dogs.
Goats do have a tendency to headbutt. It is generally playful and not out of anger. But depending on the animal and how they take it you might have to be watchful of that. The other animal might not appreciate the goats “playfulness”.
Let’s take a second to look at some of the animal combinations.
Goat and Sheep
There are 2 potential problems here. One is that the minerals these 2 animals need are different. There is copper in goats mineral feed and sheep can not have that. Now if you are like me and laid back and just let your goats eat off the land and just do a little grain this will not be an issue. Secondly if your goat has horns and your sheep does not this can be an issue. You can try them together but just be careful. The goat might get a little to playful.
Goat and Donkey, Horses, llamas,pigs Etc.
There are usually no issues with these mixes. Every once in awhile you might have a territorial issue. But as long as you have enough space for them to roam they should be okay. Another positive thing about putting other larger animals with goats if that they can add another layer of protection for your goat.
Goats and dogs
I mentioned above about goats and dogs. In general dogs can hurt goats. But if you have a family dog that is used to the dog it can serve as protection. I would suggest the dog stay outside of the goats cage. My dog has free reign of our yard but is not inside a fence with any animals. This way he can serve as protection but I don’t have to worry about him getting one of the animals. If you choose to put your dog inside a gate or have the two together just make sure you keep an eye on them. And I would test it during the day before you leave them alone at night.