Pack Goat Central

Hello CH
I have bred some Morabs and also my old stallion was a"'Foundation" Reg. Arab Stallion to cross on QH blood lines.
Both of those crosses made excellent horses as well as my own Percheron X Arabian breeding program.
RE: Clydesdale X Morgan should prove interesting. I would hope that the X gets their feet from the Morgan side of the family.
Happy Trails
hihobaron

Hello ALL
Today's project for Pete and Sam
Both Got Bags and cinches on them.
No weight.
I was putting more wood chip bedding down in the Red Neck Goat Shed.
Both the boys HAD to come help. Sniff and eat some bedding(pine).
I am standing there with a plastic bag split in half ( Like Saddle Bags)
They were more interested in the fresh bedding on the floor, rooting around ,pawing at it ,etc.
So I grabbed Pete by the collar and rubbed the cut open back on him some and then put across his back (Pack Saddle style.
Like you would "Blanket out a young horse" He turned his head and neck around sniffed at it tried to bite it. I kept it on him.
He went back to poking at fresh bedding.
HMMM, good start, let's take the next step, Had a Bungee cord handy that would reach all the way around him and not be to tight.
So I put it on around Pete's girth area.
Needless to day he arched his back feeling the cord snug around him.
Looked back again and "pranced" a bit.
I snapped a lead on and walked him down the drive way.
He did "Squiggle" around a bit but did not try to break loose.
1/4 mile walk and he was walking on lead like he normally dose, with a big crinkly split plastic bag pack on him.
Of  Course Sam was close to hand as a "Escort" all the time.
I would have liked to know what was going on between Sam's ears.
Like "What" are you doing to my buddy type thought's??
Sam stayed close to us but did keep more than normal distance away because of the "Scary" thing on Pete.
Anyway we walked back to BC1 and "Unsaddled"
I also have found out the as many of you here have said "Salted in the Shell Peanuts" make good goat treats.
I got some that to me tasted a "little old" put them in my cold weather jacket pouch pocket,
(Normally were I carry my 357 Mag pistol) But not around BC1. I dumped about 1/4 of the bag in that pocket (No Gun)
and offered some to both Pete and Sam. Note to Self:  They almost got my fingers after one sniff and eating one peanut.
Moving on:
Well with good test on Pete getting "Bagged" and Sam being a "Big" pest, I decided to "Introduce" Sam to the Plastic Saddle bags.
I tossed a few peanuts in the "saddlebags" and both stuck their heads in to dig after them.
Well Sam's Turn in the barrel.
I grabbed his collar (no problem) and put the bags over his back, he jumped a little then looked for more peanuts in what he could reach of the bags.
Ok time to Girth him up.
That proved ok.
So I figured "About" the same as Pete.  Pete is 4 years old, Sam is just about a year old and had his nuts until Sept 2015.
We walked out from the shed and he did good, so I unhooked the lead.....  Needless to say you want to talk about a rocket powered goat, Call it SAM. Up, Down, over all the equipment and through the brush knocking bags into trees etc.
But running in a circle around me. Everything stayed on him with no problems. After a couple minutes he came back to me and Pete, who had been standing next to me just watching the "Antic's" of his buddy. a expression of "So what" I did it you can too"
Needless to say with both boys close in and Sam as much as "hugging my leg" they both got some peanuts. Scratches words of praise. We all went on another walk up the drive way. Sam stuck close but did not fuss at the "Pack" or run off.
So at the upper barn I swapped the "Saddle Bags" back onto Pete.  Treated both of the boy's with peanuts.
Turned both loose and they decided they were comfortable enough being around the saddle bags to attack a pine tree and eat.


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Happy Trails
hihobaron Pete and Sam

My experience is that most goats are born pre-trained for packing. My only problem is getting Bacchus to stand still while being saddled. I now have a nice halter so I can keep him from poking my eyes out with his horns as he squirms. Once he's saddled though, its like no big deal. The other goats had no problems whatsoever. Even the yak took to panniers no problem. I think I'll start doing some treat-training with Bacchus once this mud goes away. Its warming up at last and getting really sloppy out there. Perhaps I'll trim their overdue hooves too. LOL nah.

Bacchus is just a big, spoiled baby and he's "too cool" to wear a saddle--it messes up his hair.

Hello All
Well Today's stuff and a Sunday Project.
With 2 days of ice storm/freezing rain/sleet predicted I decided it was time to get my back up power generator out and started up.
Test Run. Also Pre-positioned at BC1 ready to patch power into camp. If Main power line goes down.
Normal Maintenance, change oil,filters, hook up to a 20 pound propane tank (Yes, Propane) Generator runs on both Gasoline or propane but I like propane for "Mechanical" reasons. Ask me about the advantages of propane if you want to know more.
I have more propane around BC1 than gasoline anyway as most things here life supporting run on propane. or can.
Back to Goats:
Pete and Sam had to check out the generator while I hooking it up. Then when I fired it up they jumped went 5 feet and came back to "Sniff" the exhaust. Sneezed a couple times, and walked off to browse.
==================
I re-stacked a couple 2 X 4 X 8 foot pieces of 1/2 inch plywood. guess what they made a bridge out of it, and it had "Flex" in the middle they had fun walking over it and fighting over who had right of way a couple times. I also have another 1/2 " piece of plywood Ramp they already like to play on to get to the top of their Goat hill.
So I don't think I will have trouble when they have to walk over a solid wood bridge at a creek crossing when we trail. ?
Comments appreciated.
Anyone here ever taken goats over " Small Suspension Bridge like for hikers" ????
The weather here is going to be cold and damp the next couple days, with wind.
BC1 is down out of most wind with a good wood lot around it to break up most direct wind. so it stays calm wind wise here.

Happy Trails
hihobaron and the troops

Goats have no trouble whatever with bridges. At least, not any goats that I've ever heard of. They're not at all like horses in this respect. The only type bridge that can sometimes give trouble are the kinds that are expanded metal or similar where they can see through. They are suspicious because it doesn't look solid, but once they take few steps they don't worry about it any more. The other "problem bridges" are single log crossings. Sometimes a goat will slip off one of these and fall in the river (terrifying if they are loaded with a heavy pack as they can fall upside down and drown). If possible I prefer to have the goats cross through the river if I'm nervous about a bridge accident. Cuzco prefers to cross water than to cross single log bridges. He's old and wise.

Story time: "The Uninvited Guest"

A couple of weeks ago, Finn discovered he could jump over the gate that blocks off our front porch steps. He did it twice and was immediately reprimanded and made to get back down, and that seemed to be the end of it. But last Friday he rediscovered his talent. Phil and I were working up in the office when I heard a loud crash on the porch. We thought the goats were fighting and had clashed their horns against the rails. But after a few minutes we started noticing a regular "ka-dunk, ka-dunk, ka-dunk". It sounded like a goat was wandering around on the deck!

I went downstairs to investigate and sure enough, there was Finn staring at me through the window. I promptly escorted him off the porch with a few firm words and then I went back to work. About two minutes later there came another crash--the sound of hooves from a 150 lb. goat landing solidly on the hollow porch stairs from an almost 4-foot leap. I went down again, scolded Finn firmly, and once more put him off the porch.

Well, Finn was not to be gainsaid. I watched clandestinely through a side window while he waited for me to disappear. He walked up to the gate then carefully paced backward to a calculated distance. He took on a crouching stance while he eyeballed the height of the gate carefully up and down. Finally, with a quick run-up and a flying leap he was over the gate and on the stairs, oh-so-proud of himself! That time I was not in a genial mood. I threw the door open with a shout, Finn whirled around in alarm, and I took a few whacks at his hastily retreating butt. That time I did not politely open the gate for him to leave--I made him jump back over.

I took the "surprise attack" approach twice more before Finn finally walked away from the porch gate deflated. He wandered dejectedly off with the herd and I thought we'd seen the last of him that morning. I trooped upstairs to get back to work and to laugh with Phil about Finn's antics.

But Finn apparently was not as frightened or discouraged by "raging monster Nan" as I thought. About ten minutes later I heard another crash on the porch.

"That's it! He's getting the water treatment!" I shouted as a flew down the stairs.

I ran to the basement and retrieved our emergency disciplinary Super-Soaker squirt gun and filled it with nice, cold water. By then, Finn had wandered along our wraparound deck and was peering curiously in through the back-porch glass door. He saw me coming and looked at me eagerly as though he expected a reward for his cleverness. Imagine the shock when instead of a cookie he got a face-full of water! Finn whirled around, hooves scrambling on the slippery hardwood boards. I gave him a barefooted boot in the backside as he disappeared around the corner, then I chased him all the way round to the front porch stairs. I had the clear advantage--hooves do not get good traction on a wooden porch floor and for once in his life Finn could not outrun me and my terrifying water pistol of death. He was a pretty wet goat by the time he reached the front porch gate and leaped over to safety.

That was the last time Finn let himself onto the deck, but the loaded water pistol is still sitting by the front door in case he decides to chance it one more time.

The End.

Hello Nanno
Good Story.
No super soakers here, just one little toy squirt gun.
When I got Pete and Sam back in September (GEE Has it been THAT Long already)
After they got to the point were I could free range them around BC1 they figured out that they could come up to the screen door by my desk, and open it and try to come in when I was work on computer.
First couple times the squirt gun in the nose worked. Then they just licked their lips as if to say that tasted good give me another shot.
Ok. I resorted to heavy artillery, My SS camp cup full of cold water.
I don't mind if they come up to look in but NO MESSING with the screen door.
A full cup of water through the screen into their whole face made them decide they can come look in but Don't mess with the door. Seams they have learned. I know they would be more than happy to come in a snoop around.
We All survived the Ice storm over the last 2 days. Did not have to fire up the generator, Oh well, it is out and ready to go for anything else now.
BTY: 12 AM last night we had a short thunder storm with a couple claps of thunder and lighting. Not serious.
Then today we are looking at 55-60 degrees.
Thanks for the story.
Happy Trails
hihobaron , and the all the critters here in SC.

Hello Nanno
I saw some discussion a while ago here on using a weight tape to "Estimate" a goats weight?
Was there a chart posted Inches around at the wither versus weight?
Trying to figure out if my boy's are fat as well as just rough idea of how much they weigh.
as well as height to weight proportion.
Pete the brown one is 4 going 5 so he should be done growing ???
Sam will be a yearling soon.
Also thinking will Sam catch up with Pete in height over time? You have seen their pictures.
Pete is about 33 inches tall at the wither and 35 inches around at the girth.
Sam is 28 inches tall and 31 inches around at the girth.
What do you think?
Or anybody else is welcome to bleat in too.
Thanks to All
Happy Trails
hihobaron Pete and Sam

The weight tape has a conversion table on it. Though they only go upto like 195 lbs. They are actually made for does so am not totally sure if it will read right for a wether. Yes at 4 he will have reached his "maximum" growth. This isnt to say you wont see a difference from now to when he is say 6 or 7. But the growth is fractional. As for fat or not, think of a goat in the same general body style as a deer. Dont look towards the gut of a goat as that has nothing to do with their weight and everything to do with what they just ate  Most of your questions are the typical questions but cant be answered with a set answer as there really isnt a typical goat. Growth is based on genetics and feed. But even that isnt a sure fire method. You are just increasing your odds. So I will give you some general ideas on what you should expect.

For a pack goat you want a goat that is at least 160 lbs. This gives you the option of a 40 lbs max load if conditioned like an athlete and the terrain is relatively level. Personally, I dont like the 25% max. I would suggest 20% as a max with the option of 25% for say packing out a kill when the extra weight is necessary. I know lots of people want big power house goats that can pack a garage full of camping gear and food. But if you stop and think for a second about people or any animal. The big power examples of any species is also the slowest. Most easy to tire. Require larger food intake. The same can be said for goats. But again, there is no typical goat. You may end up with a 250+ lbs goat that is a go all day never tires packer.

Whats the ideal size for a pack goat? 200 lbs is a great goal. About halfway between being on the small size and the 250 lbs monsters that some people have. If of a dairy breed, then with that weight will automatically come height. This is a very realistically goal, that just about any good genetic pack goat can reach. Height at the shoulder, or girth means very little on the trail. Condition and training are the true secrets to a good pack goat.