[goathiker]

Hi there, what do you want out of your pack goat? That will influence your choice. Are you a Fast and light hiker or a slow and heavy hiker? How bonded do you want and how much do you plan to carry? Do you want to do day trips or overnighters for several days?
Give me some more info

 

[goathiker]

Nubian/Boer won't do fast and light. Nubian have a reputation as the noisiest lazy goats on the trail, I would never recommend them to a beginner. Boer are very stubborn and go through a very frustrating "you can't tell me what to do" stage at about 2 years old. You also won't find a saddle that will fit a Boer or a wide Boer cross. They are very slow as well. I spent a frustrating summer trying to pack on Boer/Nubians. I spent most of that summer trying to get my goats to stand back up.

You don't need muscle the way you're thinking. Any well put together goat is going to build all the muscle he needs just from working. What you are wanting is strength not muscle.
If you think about different sports and the people who do them a weight lifter, a wrestler, a football player. These people all have large muscles built up by repetitive slow movements with heavy weight. These people sacrifice agility for bulk though.
Now, if you think about mountain climbers, marathon runners, cross country skiers. These people have flat wirey muscles that are agile and powerful. That's what you want from your pack goat.

IMO, for fast and light, there is nothing better then an Alpine. Now if you want a separate team for hunting, I would choose Saanens for that. They are slower then Alpines but can carry more. I actually like to have mine drag the meat out on Travois. They can take a much bigger load that way.

 

[goathiker]

I figure $40 per month for feed, wormers, etc. Your saddle and panniers will run you about $200.00. You can get a saddle kit from Northwest Pack Goat Supply for $65.00. A dairy wether is about $75.00. One from a pack goat breeder can be as much as $250.00. Mine are purebred Alpines and LaMancha/Alpine experimentals, but, have proven pack goats in their lines. Price is negotiable with me and I'm willing to do some trade.

Training is just a matter of get out and doing it. From the very beginning I start feeding their bottle in one part of the pen and then walk away and feed them more somewhere else. Just like a mother goat. I start taking mine to the beach and out on trails at 3 weeks old when I start their first cocci prevention. We don't go fast or far but, it gets them used to you being their safety and comfort. At that age your bottle baby will pretty much follow you anywhere. I start introducing them to peanuts at that time too. They are the treat of choice here and are easy to carry in a pocket. They also come in handy for giving pills. I partially crack one, dump the seed out and stick the pill in. They never even notice it's there. No stress.
As they grow just start crossing water, bridges, anything you can think of. Bicycles, they are scary, introduce them to bicycles we always see a lot of mountain bikers on the multi-use trails. They warn you they're coming, I've never met a rude mountain biker. Another thing, something about a goat wearing a saddle and panniers will panic some horses. I always just give them the trail and hold my goats. Some will stop to chat and some will huff on by. Some horse riders are very, hmm, interesting.
Alright, I got some stuff to do tonight be back in a couple hours...

 

[goathiker]

Any help you need, let me know. I have some videos up loaded to the site as well showing some water training.