What is the most affectionate farm animal?

Filed under: Goats |

Question by fairys wear boots.: What is the most affectionate farm animal?
Besides horses & pigs.

I’m looking for a farm animal that i can keep in my field, it’s 2 acres. I’ve been looking into pygmy goats, miniature donkeys, and miniature cows… What are some others that are cute & mini?
And which are the most affectionate?
I want one that I’d be able to pet, hug, and hang out with it lol.

Feel free to answer in the comment section below

Have something to add? Please consider leaving a comment, or if you want to stay updated you can subscribe to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

4 Responses to What is the most affectionate farm animal?

  1. my friend had a a few chickens that would run up to her everytime she went out by the barn, they would follow her around the property and she could pick them up and snuggle them… she did raise them from chicks.

    "I dance in the mud"
    January 15, 2014 at 4:45 am
    Reply

  2. Some of my most affectionate animals have been my LaMancha goats and my lamb Finnick. Although It all depends on their upbringing and genetics! But farm animals are A LOT of work, and please don’t get them just because they are “cute” and you have land. 2 acres is too small for a horse, the area isn’t right for a hog, DO NOT get a cow, they are a LOT of work, and most of the time wild. She will eat down your grass in about a month or two, goats and sheep need a buddy too. Also they are NOT cheap! You need proper fencing, a barn/ runin shed, water troughs (we like to have a big one and little one) feed and hay in the winter, heat lamps, if they give birth, a fan in the summer, straw/wood chips, dewormers, clippers, hoof trimmers, a shearer to come out once a year (if you get sheep) and anywhere from $ 1,000-$ 10,000 sitting around for vet visits per year. Sheep are a lot hardier than goats are (meaning they don’t get sick as often, they don’t need their feet done all the time, ect.) but sheep have VERY strong instincts! They are usually very wild, so you have to bring them up, and train them correctly. Some of my sheep are crazy and I can’t touch them, as my Lamb Finnick will run from the bottom of the pasture to the top just if I call his name a few times, reason being is because I trained him, spent 1+ hours a day with him, and I was able to give him more love than the other sheep. Join 4-H before you make the decision of getting a farm animal. Maybe even start off with Chickens first. But remember ALL ANIMALS NEED A BUDDY! And I only reccomend you getting a goat, sheep, or chickens. Everything else you don’t have the space or facilities for. Maybe even have a bet come out to your house to tell you what animal would work best for you.

    I hope this helps! 🙂

    Natalia
    January 15, 2014 at 5:34 am
    Reply

  3. I’d say it probably has to do with the individual animal itself. How it was raised and trained, etc.

    That being said, I have miniature goats (Nigerian Dwarf goats to be exact, which are different than Pygmy goats). I love them so much, and what you said basically describes my herd (You want animals you can pet, hug, and hang out with). They are such sweet goats who love attention.

    I have a five year old doe named Anna who still sits on my lap like she did as a baby (she only weighs about 50 pounds so she’s not that heavy). Three of my does like to get their feet rubbed; they’ll walk up to me and stick out their legs so I can pet and rub them – they’re not spoiled at all ;). They all like to get petted and scratched. If I sit down next to one, they sometimes fall asleep with their head in my lap. It’s easy to loose track of time when you’re in the goat pen.

    So, I’d say Nigerian Dwarf goats are the most affectionate, but I’m probably biased 😉

    L
    January 15, 2014 at 6:23 am
    Reply

  4. Definitely goats. I raise LaManchas and Nubians, and although I’ve never raised Pygmys, and don’t know much about them, I do know that Nigerian Dwarfs are REALLY sweet, especially if you find the right one and spend a lot of time with it, kind of like any other animal.

    Joan
    January 15, 2014 at 6:28 am
    Reply

Leave a Reply to L Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *