I have two pygmy goats in a 80ft by 80ft enclosure,getting ready for starting a brush goat herd next spring and my grandchildren and my enjoyment.They jump onto the roof of their shed and walk around on a tractor tire.What other things can I put in there to keep them occupied?I know sometimes bowling balls are put in pig pens. Keith

-- Keith Etheridge (grandpa@chipsnet.com), December 17, 2001

Answers

Wooden cable reels set on end (not rolling) - the sort they use for electricity cable. Talk to your electricity supply company. Take as many as they'll give you - it will all burn if you can't do anything else, but big ones can make outdoor tables, and small ones stools, as well.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), December 18, 2001.

I saw a gal once that I visited...had pygmy goats...hang stuffed animals just out of reach in the doorway of their little barn. They tryed to jump and butt them and hit them with their front feet..but they were out of reach to get tangled in...looked like fun. My own goats get the cable spools...and I had a little pallet "house" for awhile that had a plywood platform. I built it as a temporary shade area until I got the sheep shed built and separated my sheep and goats. The goats loved to climb up the ramp and play king of the mountain. I built it out of 4 pallets wired 3 walls and a roof, and then stablilized with the plywood roof. It lasted a year, but looked so dang ugly I just couldn't take it any more.

-- Jenny (auntjenny6@aol.com), December 18, 2001.

Hey Don, do you mean to say that they'll GIVE them to you? Don't they reuse them?

-- gita (gita@directcon.net), December 18, 2001.

We have wooden cable spools in the pasture too. Make sure that they are totally wooden and don't have a cardboard center because the goats will peel it apart. Make sure to nail a piece of plywood on the top too, so a leg doesn't get caught in the center hole. I also have a plastic 55 gallon drum with both ends cut out. Kids love playing hide & seek with that. There is also our old cement porch steps in the pasture. This occupies them for hours.

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), December 18, 2001.

I have one of those plastic horse apples hanging in my goat pen. They love to rear up and hang onto it with their front legs! Also, I'll throw an empty cider vinegar jug in the pasture. They'll butt that around for a few days and really work it over.

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), December 18, 2001.

My goats love to climb and jump on the wooden dog houses in the yard and an old wooden picnic table that I put out there for them.

-- Anita in NC (anitaholton@mindspring.com), December 18, 2001.

Our goats love empty plastic containers that have handles (milk jug types). They carry these around. They also have boards to walk and play on. We formed a square with the boards on day and my daughter and I laughted so much watching all the goats just walk around and around the boards all in a singe line. Teeter totter, tire, 55 gallon barrel that rolls, kids old plastic climbing toy with slide and we have a pile of rough cement pieces about 4 feet high for their mountain. We are looking for an old kids plastic play house for the girls this year.

-- miller (smillers@snowcrest.net), December 18, 2001.

Hi, Keith. My Angoras are not really into climbing like Pygmies or dairy goats, but when they were babies they liked the cable spools a lot and the yearlings still use them. I made some platforms out of pallets set up on blocks.. mainly just a dry, elevated place they can get on & off. I also have a couple of milk/shearing stands that I leave in the pens that they like to lounge around on, which makes them very used to them when it comes time to trim feet or give shots. I saw a Pygmy farm that had those plastic toddler jungle-gyms in for their goats... I guess Playskool makes them. Maybe you could find one at a garage sale or the thrift store. Good luck, having goat kids around is a total blast. Many good hours of goat-watching to you! debra in nm

-- debra in nm (onegoatgirl@yahoo.com), December 18, 2001.