Packgoat Information

Why a packgoat?

Goats are notorious for climbing on everything. This is a great feature in a pack animal. Goats can safely travel where horses and llamas can not.

Goats are easy on the environment. They prefer to browse for food, so they don't strip any single plant of it's foliage. They poop as they walk, so they don't make plies. And their poop is small like deer poop.

What makes a good packgoat?

Your pack goats need to come to you willingly. Handle your pack goats daily. They need to bond to you, so when you are out on the trail, if they get loose you can easily retrieve them. If you hike in a location where pack animals are not required to be on leads, a good pack goat will follow right along (or sometimes lead) as you hike the trail.

What to watch out for when picking a packgoat

CAE is particularly bad for pack goats, as one of the symptoms is that it can cause arthritis in goats, and needless to say a goat with arthritis is not going to be a happy pack goat! I have learned the hard way that just because someone says they have a "CAE Free" herd does not always mean they are selling CAE Free goats. Nor does it actually mean they test regularly for CAE. So be wary when you pick your breeder. The CAE test should be done after the goats are weaned for a couple of months and is 98% accurate. I test for CAE every fall before breeding. I know the CAE status of my herd, and also practice CAE preventitive practices, which include bottle feeding all of the babies with formula or heat treated milk and colostrums.

CAE does not easily transfer between goats, other than through milk, so if a goat has CAE it most likely got it when it was a baby.

As I have purchased CAE positive goats from "CAE Free" breeders, I have become very picky about the breeders I deal with. I am also very open about it, because I do not ever want to cause someone to unknowingly get a CAE positive goat from me. Here is the information status of my herd, as well as the breeders from whom I bought them. I raise all of my goats with CAE Prevention. I also prefer not to sell any babies out of CAE positive mothers until the babies are at least 6 months old, and have had their first CAE test (I test my entire herd every fall).

CL is a cyst producing disease. The fluid in the cysts is highly contageous to other goats. Once one of your goats have CL it's very difficult to prevent other goats from getting it, and very expensive to treat them for it. And since it's so contageous, other people are not going to want their goats near your goats for fear of getting it. Even if you goats don't have this disease when you get them, you will always want to keep it in mind. Both sheep and goats can get CL from each other. When your goats are around other sheep or goats, you should be careful as you don't want your goats to get it!

Does breed make a difference?

Each breed has it's personality traits. Toggenburgs are often loud. Obershasiles like water, but are a slightly smaller goat. Sannens have light skin and can be more susceptable to sunburn. Alpines are a good large all-around goat, but hate water. Consider personality traits, but don't let that be your only criteria. Just like people, goats have their own personalities and may not fall into the stereotypes for their breed.

Although many breeds make very good packgoats, the breeds Summit Packgoats specializes in are Oberhaslis, Alpines and Ober/Alpine crosses.

Oberhaslies are a great goat for the Pacific Northwest. These are hard working goats, that are more tolerant of water than other breeds. (Most goats prefer only to drink water, not to swim or walk in it.) The Obers here even venture out of the shelter when it's raining.

Alpines are one of the most common pack goat breeds. They are a slighly larger goat than the Obers. I think alpines believe they will melt if they get wet in any way.

Current goats for sale.

Care and feeding

• food - though goats are browsers, you will likely still have to suplement with hay.
• water - goats need a continual fresh supply of water
• shelter - goats need a place where they can get out of the wind and rain.
• safety from preditors - goats are vunerable to coyotes and local domestic dogs. Goats need to have a secure enclosure to keep these animals out. You could also consider a guard animal, dogs, llamas, alpacas, horses, donkeys, mules, and others have been used by some goat ranchers.
• companionship - goats are herd animals. They don't like to be left alone. If you want goats, you should plan on getting 2 or more.
• equipment - just as you want a comfortable backpack, if you expect your goats to carry weight for you, plan on providing them with quality, comfortable equipment. Pack saddles and pads are available for as little as $60 for the set. Actual goat pantiers (the bags that you put your goods in and hook on the saddles) are more expensive. But you can often find functional cheaper substitutes such as kids day-packs, or hip bags at your local Army Surplus store.
• medical care - goats need annual shots, and occasionally other medical care. You should identify a vet in your area that can treat your goats as necessary.

Transportation

Goats can weigh 200 pounds or more, so whatever you choose, don't plan on lifting your goats into it. An adult goat can easily jump in the back of a pick-up. But it will take some training before they will do it when YOU want them to.

Goats are good travelers, and usually lay down soon after the vehicle starts moving. Make sure they have enough insulation under them for a comfortable ride.

At Camp

Keep in mind that they will need some sort of shelter from the elements. At the ranch, we occasionally feed the goats under a tarp shelter, so they are used to being under it and are not afraid of the sounds the tarp makes in the wind or the rain.

Goats in camp also need a supply of food and fresh water. If you are going to have them eat browse, make sure you give them ample time in the morning and the evening to fill up on green leafy plant matter.

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