[Griff]

You should have a pair, anyway. They really want to hang out with somebody. Our's lay down at night as close to the dogs as they can get. They will go find friends if there aren't any around.

They'll break down larger bushes to get at the green and will nibble bark as well. We put chicken wire around an 8" dia. maple that was being stripped of bark between rubbing and gnawing. The lilacs are probably in trouble. A fruit cherry is probably in trouble. The holly may be toxic? We got our's for their destructive potential because of the Game Commision's poorly considered invasive species introductions. They will knock down and strip fully grown multiflora rose, autumn olive, and Russian olive. We move them around in the electric fence so they have fresh greens in season.

Our permanent enclosure is a page wire that is designed for goats. As long as it is tight they can't climb it. The cedar fence should be sufficient. I think the chain link will be okay as long as they can't get on top of it.

Our two goats used about 40 bales this winter, but the feeder was loose so they wasted a lot of hay until I put a piece of fence inside it. The manure is like deer or sheep, dry pellets not messy and very good for gardens. You'll be very popular with the local garden folk. If you connect with them waste disposal should be a snap. We also feed a 18% dairy goat mix to them since Tinker (the goat) is milking about a quart and a half a day. She isn't a pure dairy breed so some goats will produce more. You'll also want a mineral block for them.

If you don't breed them you won't have to deal with milk. Tinker makes some noise when she's in heat, so you might have to listen to that occasionally. Housing is minimal. I built a shed for them but with your climate you'll probably only need a little lean to or something to get them out of the rain/mud. The last maintenance thing is their hooves. They need to be trimmed regularly, but it isn't difficult. If they are not taken care of it can be a real health issue for them.