I was sitting at home enjoying some peace and quiet yesterday when the silence was broken by the sound of bleating. Really, really loud bleating. The bleating has been constant throughout the daylight hours, goes quiet when it goes dark and started again this morning and it ran on and on all day. My dog is really unnerved by this and you can hear it in the house, even through the double glazing!!!

Looking out of my back bedroom window I've spotted that my neighbour has set up a compound in the bottom of their garden and stuck two goats in it!!! Loud, bleating, noisy goats!

I like my neighbours and don't wanna fall out with them, but this is annoying. They have small children who have obviously fallen in love with them and I don't wanna a) take a child's pet away by complaining or b)have a row with them or complain to them directly as it'll disrupt the good neighbour relations we have.....but at the same time, I don't want the noise.

Then there's the foot and mouth issue. Do you need a licence to keep goats??

What should I do?

Oh and I don't have access to their garden, nor do I want to kill them particularly. They are cute, but loud.

no you don't need a licence to keep goats, it only if you move them I know as my friend has goats

My Ex - SIL has Toggenburgs and they are noisy little devils so you have my sympathy. You may not want to disrupt your relationship with your neighbour, but she must surely have known they would make a noise and should have warned or discussed this with you out of courtesy if nothing else before she got them.

What does foot and mouth have to do with it? It's not like you can catch it!

I know that, but I've had other people tell me that keeping livestock can mean the disease could be carried. I'm going on third hand info.

Any suggestions as to the way forward?

hmm... Lottie rethinks plan to keep goats in the future...

I know that, but I've had other people tell me that keeping livestock can mean the disease could be carried. I'm going on third hand info.

Any suggestions as to the way forward?

maybe you should buy a cockerel and a couple of cows??:D

I know that, but I've had other people tell me that keeping livestock can mean the disease could be carried. I'm going on third hand info.

Any suggestions as to the way forward?

Muzzle the goats?

Sorry really don't have a clue... I plan to keep goats to train them (don't ask) so hopefully they won't have much time or energy to bleat!

I wonder if you can get boredom buster toys for goats?

I think I'm going to have to ask this question somewhere else in the Forum to get a wider viewpoint.

I was sitting at home enjoying some peace and quiet yesterday when the silence was broken by the sound of bleating. Really, really loud bleating. The bleating has been constant throughout the daylight hours, goes quiet when it goes dark and started again this morning and it ran on and on all day. My dog is really unnerved by this and you can hear it in the house, even through the double glazing!!!

Looking out of my back bedroom window I've spotted that my neighbour has set up a compound in the bottom of their garden and stuck two goats in it!!! Loud, bleating, noisy goats!

I like my neighbours and don't wanna fall out with them, but this is annoying. They have small children who have obviously fallen in love with them and I don't wanna a) take a child's pet away by complaining or b)have a row with them or complain to them directly as it'll disrupt the good neighbour relations we have.....but at the same time, I don't want the noise.

What should I do?

Oh and I don't have access to their garden, nor do I want to kill them particularly. They are cute, but loud.

Give the environmental health department a call as they will do the inspections if it is classed as a smallholding. You do your own movement licences these days, but the EH department Animal Welfare section used to issue them and may have some general info and advice they could give.

I've left you a suggestion in Pet Owners section

Are they a minority religion?

If so don't worry they'll be slaughtering them soon & dancing nekkid round a fire & singing & daubing themselves with blood.


Problem sorted :thumbsup:

Will the goats fit in a wheelie bin ?;):D

I had a google for you and found a few things, where you live There could be a covenant preventing livestock being kept in that area. I know when i signed for my house in Sheffield it was freehold but i could not keep certain animals such as livestock or pidgeons! worth looking into either your lease or deeds :)
edit to add:
Q. Are there any restrictions or licences required for keeping goats?

A. Yes. You will need to be registered with DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) as a goat keeper. You will be allocated a Holding Number and a Herd Number. You will need to keep medical and movement records required by law. For details contact your local DEFRA office.

sing Old McDonald had a Farm at the top of your voice, or buy a CD of childrens' nursery rhymes - it will probably be on there, and put it on repeat for the day

put them up for sale on Ebay - buyer collect

Will the goats fit in a wheelie bin ?;):D


Probably but I can't get access to their garden to put them in it, plus they still wouldn't stop bleating so the neighbours would find out where they were before bin day and we'd fall out....and the RSPCA would be cross with me.

If you get on well with your neighbour have a quick word, they will probably be happy to do anything they can to help minimize the racket. Maybe you could find a way of screening the sound out or something, or moving them further away.

They might settle down when they get used to their new home. Otherwise Goat Curry is really nice. ;)

It's probably their way of paying you back for persistantly playing your Status Quo tapes :hihi:

Just send this guy their address .....

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/02/07/chef_has_sex_with_goat/

Who ya gonna call Goat Busters :hihi:

I'm sure the neighbour will have had to do all this stuff before he could take the goats home!

His house is privately owned so I can't really complain to the Council, or can I?

Environmental Health is an excellent idea, but I'm worried the neighbour will realise I'm the one to have reported him. The way our gardens are laid out, it wouldnt take him long to put two and two together.

Just send this guy their address .....

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/02/07/chef_has_sex_with_goat/

Who ya gonna call Goat Busters :hihi:

Strangely in this one he reminds me of Keith McDonald (he of multiple children fame) ...
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article145635.ece
The wretch :D

There isn't really anywhere else to move them to. The garden's not that big as it is!

I just don't want to cause any tension and I think by speaking to him it'll cause trouble - the kids evidently adore the goats and the only solution to stop the noise would be to rehome them to a field I think, but they seem to be set up to live there all the time.

If you get on well with your neighbour have a quick word, they will probably be happy to do anything they can to help minimize the racket. Maybe you could find a way of screening the sound out or something, or moving them further away.

They might settle down when they get used to their new home. Otherwise Goat Curry is really nice. ;)

I'm sure the neighbour will have had to do all this stuff before he could take the goats home!

His house is privately owned so I can't really complain to the Council, or can I?

Environmental Health is an excellent idea, but I'm worried the neighbour will realise I'm the one to have reported him. The way our gardens are laid out, it wouldnt take him long to put two and two together.

you can, if its loud its anti social behaviour!! There has been a case up here recently when a guys cockrel was waking neighbours up and they complained to council. It ended up in court and problem now solved!

Just send this guy their address .....

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/02/07/chef_has_sex_with_goat/

Who ya gonna call Goat Busters :hihi:

They are only babies! That would be wrong!

I just don't want to create an atmosphere between us and next door. It's quite friendly at the moment, I just don't know how long I can stand permanent bleating! They didn't even consult us out of courtesy!

Goat curry :hihi:

Buy an alligator, starve it for a week and shove it over the fence.

Buy an alligator, starve it for a week and shove it over the fence.

1. No idea where to buy an alligator in the UK
2. I'm sure alligators are very expensive and there are laws about keeping them
3. I have a dog and would like to see it unharmed
4. Picking up an alligator may be difficult. I think they are heavy.
5. .....and it might eat me instead.
6. I'd get done by the RSPCA.

1. No idea where to buy an alligator in the UK
2. I'm sure alligators are very expensive and there are laws about keeping them
3. I have a dog and would like to see it unharmed
4. Picking up an alligator may be difficult. I think they are heavy.
5. .....and it might eat me instead.
6. I'd get done by the RSPCA.

chuck your dog over instead then... sheeeeesh!

Goats eat shedloads, if thy only have a small garden they better get lot of food!

chuck your dog over instead then... sheeeeesh!


That's already in the wheelie bin ;):D

Alot of houses have in the deeds that you can only keep a certain type of animal on the property and many state only domestic animals not livestock.
I know we had one of these on our family home in the deeds as a neighbour had a cockerel and people complained and they got them that way as they weren't legally allowed to keep it. We all owned the houses by the way though i think it does depend on the age of the house as to what is in the deeds etc.

hmm... Lottie rethinks plan to keep goats in the future...

As does Adz who is rather fond of pygmy goats :love: in climbing frames :love:

So is there a handy online way of finding out what's in their deeds? I imagine not :(

It sounds a good move to make, even though the house is private and if it's like mine then it's freehold.

Is this something environmental health would take an interest in, the deeds I mean?

I'm never gonna hear the last of the dog in the wheelie bin, am I? lol

So is there a handy online way of finding out what's in their deeds? I imagine not :(

It sounds a good move to make, even though the house is private and if it's like mine then it's freehold.

Is this something environmental health would take an interest in, the deeds I mean?

Try the land registry website, it was about £2 for house deeds last time I looked.

I'm never gonna hear the last of the dog in the wheelie bin, am I? lol


Well you started it ..............;)

If they are registered with Defra then the EH department are obliged to inspect them on a regular basis to make sure any movement records are up to date etc, so they are probably aware of what areas have deeds prohibiting the keeping of livestock.
Initially you dont have to report them to the EH, just call up and make some enquiries.

Is there room for your neighbour to maybe erect a small stable/barn for them? so at least at certain times of the day/night they could be in there and it wouldn't be as noisy - they should have somewhere to shelter anyway under the Animal Welfare Act.

There is a small Austrian looking dog kennel which they go in. It doesnt stop them bleating though!

threads merged

Do you live in a rural area, or the city? If you live in the city, you would probably be withing your rights to complain to enviromerntal health. It seems a shame though. I would love some goats near me ...

So is there a handy online way of finding out what's in their deeds? I imagine not :(

It sounds a good move to make, even though the house is private and if it's like mine then it's freehold.

Is this something environmental health would take an interest in, the deeds I mean?

I imagine it would be a solicitor or council thing in that they may be breaking the rules of the deeds

Deary me, when will people learn, keeping goats in a back garden!!. :loopy:

Firstly you need to get onto Defra and then environmental health as someone suggested and then you can expect some rats / mice which wont be long in coming to add to the bleating problem. The rats will arrive to eat the goat feed. (not wanting to worry you at all):hihi:

I have kept Goats and as wonderful as they are, they should not be kept in a back garden, they hate the rain and cold and a dog kennel sounds less than ideal. They are wonderful escape artists, very entertaining but need stimulation or they will be bored and bleat all day. They will eat anything and everything including washing, paper and even glass. I would be suprised if they last with the neighbours tbh, when they have wrecked the garden totally, no doubt they will get rid.