Goats & Llamas - HELP!

[I_3Sleepy]

Hi everyone - trying to do some research for the BO’s who think we need 25+ goats in the pastures WITH our horses (all boarders) and also want to put the not-so-tame llama in with them as well. Currently they are not near the arenas or in pastures with horses, but BO’s want them rotated through ALL pastures which surround our 2 arenas and our barn.

Pros and cons of goats as grazing animals (I know they are browsers, I’ve been doing a ton of research anyway) but they don’t seem to want to listen to just me. More concerned with going into winter with no pastures to rotate into as well as safety issues with that many goats traveling in a herd right next to the arenas and also the llama (which has scared every horse who has seen it, even at a distance).

Thanks in advance!

[Graymaresrule]

I have goats with my horses. They eat stuff the horses won’t.

Llamas will defend goats against predators.

The horses will adjust

[2miniB]

Goats are parasite factories, according to one of the vets I know. Goats, llamas and horses all can get strongyles.

Goats can carrier caseous lymphadenitis and Johne’s disease…and can be a carrier even if they test negative. Both diseases are fatal to llamas. Not sure if horses can get them.

Goats can be extremely destructive, too. More of an issue if they don’t have enough pasture.

Llama’s can be difficult and unpleasant creatures. Their spit is extremely foul and unpleasant. Though it depends on the llama.

[ryansgirl]

I boarded at a barn 12+ years ago that had four llamas. They had free range of the pastures (two about 8-9 acres each). They could also go into the stalls of each horse - each stall had an attached outside area so they wouldn’t be completely locked in a stall at night - they went in the huge pastures during the day. Well the BO was supposed to fence the stalls/runs off so the llamas couldn’t go into the stalls - he kept pushing it off until the day I found them in my mares stall eating her hay that I paid for. I lost it and the BO finally fenced them off. I HATED those damn llamas. They were rude, mean at times, pushy, no respect for humans. My mare finally started chasing them away from her - smart girl! In the end all were put down (by the BO who shot them). Apparently they get done type of brain disease from something if not wormed and taken care of properly. Sad ending but most of us were glad they were gone.

[SLW]

Having goats and llamas around is good proofing for your horse. However, what kind of goat is the BO thinking of getting, dairy, meat or pygmy? As a boarder I would INSIST on the goats being dehorned if they are to share pasture space with my horses. Horns on goats in a man made world equal damage to goat, property and other livestock.

We had 3 dairy goats who were turned out with our 3 horses and they got along fine. As someone else mentioned, you must be meticulous with deworming the goats to prevent parasite overload on the pasture.

I have nothing nice to say about Llamas other than, it’s good proofing for your horse.

[Pinkypony]

I have my horses turned out with goats and have the following problems: fencing- goats are always looking for a way out and will create one if need be, which if you don’t notice right away can cause your yearling horse to cut his leg on the fence. Feeding- goats are like pirrhanas when there is grain around and will steal it from the horses, climb on you, etc. If they will be breeding the goats, you have to be a bit careful of the kids not being stepped on by horses although I have never had an issue even with our old draft. They do eat things in the pasture that horses don’t, although honestly cattle do a better job. The parasites do not go from goat to horse but can quickly become very deadly to the goats. They are fun to herd from horseback and are fun to watch do their crazy goat things. 25 is a lot of animals though. The brain disease llamas get goats can too, it actually comes from deer and snails. Llamas sometimes protect goats and sometimes don’t. But if they already have the goats and llama and know about all those issues, then the horses will adjust fine once they are turned out together. My new horses typically stop caring in just a few hours.

[Field_of_Dreams_Mini]

[QUOTE=ryansgirl;8385705]
In the end all were put down (by the BO who shot them). Apparently they get done type of brain disease from something if not wormed and taken care of properly. Sad ending but most of us were glad they were gone.[/QUOTE]

Meningeal Worm. Our llamas got that back in PA. When we bought them we were told deworm once a year. Came to find out it was once a MONTH. It’s awful. Shooting them was a mercy.

Llamas are cool. If they are raised right they won’t spit on you, unless you are doing something to them they don’t like. We had a young female that saved our foals one year when a pack of dogs got in their field. She protected them until my friend ran them off.

Goats: we had two for a short while. George was cool and sweet. Earless, not so much. They went to a petting zoo when we moved.

[shetroncts]

not sure about llamas but we keep 2 goats and calves in with our horses. they all get along fine. not to mention our next door neighbor has zebra, elk, buffalo, reindeer, gazelle, and the rest of noah’s ark on the other side of our fence and we have no trouble.

[BeeHoney]

It seems to me it makes sense to rotate the goats and llamas through all the pastures. Goats and llamas do not share parasites with horses. They also will graze on different areas of the pastures, for example they will graze the “roughs” that the horses won’t touch.

Goats are 1/10th the size of a horse. Another horse is much more likely to hurt a horse than a goat (horns or not) is. The horses are much more of a danger to the goats than vice versa.

There is an incredible lack of knowledge about llamas in the general public. They also get along fine with horses. I can’t imagine a llama spitting unless it was either an incredibly miserable specimen or severely provoked.

Safety wise, I think it is much safer for the horses to get used to the presence of the llamas and goats up close than to worry about them from a distance. Usually horses adapt very quickly to living near other types of livestock. Obviously some judgement should be applied when introducing the animals.

I see no reasonable, educated reason that the goats and llamas should not be rotated through the pastures as you describe.

[happilyretired]

One summer I boarded at a barn that had llamas. My Friesian quickly got used to them. My Hanoverian not so much. He was convinced the llamas were monsters and NEVER got used to them.

[Graymaresrule]

I have about 30 goats and 11 horses. The goats share the pasture with 3 of the horses and they get along fine. They occasionally escape into the other pasture, again with no issues. The goats have horns and they have never been a problem either. The goats use them as back scratchers and they also dissipate heat.

BUT I NEVER take grain into the pasture with the goats. Goats don’t necessarily need grain anyway. That particular pasture fence is lined with 2 inch mesh and the goats patrol it for gaps. It has fewer weeds than the other pasture, by a long shot. Goats also like to climb on stuff, like round bales.

Goats will get worms and worms can kill them, either by the meningeal worm mentioned above or just plain old anemia. I use Dectomax injectible SC though there are other choices.

Neighbors had llamas, also with horses. No big deal though they are not my favorite animal. Another neighbor has alpacas with her horses. I have also had sheep.