Goat Power

[Ruth]

I am interested in any information on using goats as draft animals. I would be especially interested in anyone who has used a yoke rather than harness to drive.

[bivol]

driving goats with yoke can be tricky because of their size. if you want to use yoke it is very welcome to use a small wagon instead of cart. have seen goats in head yoke. you can use females ,or males, however, castrated males are strongest.

[sanhestar]

Hello,

goats draw well with a harness or a custom fit collar. I’ve never heard a yoke recommended and would find it quite difficult to fit one to a goat as the shape of the neck is very different to that from oxen.

For details on harnessed goats check

http://www.harnessgoats.co.uk
http://www.packgoatforum.com

or do a search on yahoogroups for the two harness goat mailing lists.

Sabine

[CipHyday]

You would have to get more than one. They are herd animals, so they need at least one goat companion.

[grey]

Just wanted to mention that our goats are satisfied with our dog, a horse, or a person for company. They don’t necessarily require another goat. Just a companion that makes them feel safe.

Easier to feed when the animals have similar nutritional and fencing needs, though. Couldn’t free-feed the dog her kibble when she was housed with the goat. Had to have separate mealtimes. While the horses just need a strand or two of hotwire, the goat could easily duck into the nearby garden and do a number on the strawberries, so long as the horses were nearby for company.

[Author]

Posts