Just so you know, you definitely need to have more than one goat. You could get two does and alternate breeding them, or a doe and a wether (castrated male) to keep the doe company. Most people don't keep a buck around full time because they are aggressive and stink! (Apparently they pee on their beards to spread their phermones!)

I don't have goats (yet) but I've done a fair amount of research. You might want to check out http://www.backyardherds.com for more info. I would also go visit goat farmers in your area to see what you think. It seems like a fair amount of work to me, between breeding and milking, let alone slaughtering, but it could be worth it!

I definitely don't think you're crazy, but I think you should do reading and try to get some hands-on experience before you commit!

As a city born person I was nervous when we first got chickens but it was just like having a dog or other pet. Make sure they are watered and fed and safe.

I then progressed to other animals like cattle and sheep, cattle being my favourite. I ended up raising bottle fed calves and milking a cow. We raised our own meat for a few years until moving away from the acreage.

Don't be afraid to start, there are usually helpful people around to get hints from. It can be very enjoyable.

There are tons of magazines out there that can help as well. I also have dreams of owning my own farm someday and even though I'm stuck in an urban environment, I have subscriptions to Mother Earth News, Grit and Backyard Poultry and devour every word in every issue.

Goat farmer here, and let me tell you, it's as easy or as hard as you want to make it. But there are some things to be aware of:

• Dairy farming is labor intensive. You're milking twice daily every 12 hours for most of the year. Year-round if you want year-round dairy! I stopped taking vacations when I was 13 years old because I had to stay on the farm to milk the animals. You are tied down with dairy animals. It might be ok now, or 2 years from now, but it catches up to you and you start having to pass over things because of your farm responsibilities.
• It's expensive. You're not saving money producing your own product. Winter hay can add up quickly depending on what the going rate in your area is. There's a barn, there's incidentals, there's medication and vet fees, etc... It adds up quickly!

Don't get me wrong, raising critters is great. I'm looking forward to the day when I can get back into farming. I won't go the dairy route though, probably stick to meat production. Less labor, less commitment.

Chickens, they are fairly easy and will take good care of you. There are many new books on the subject and subjects of 'going country". When I get home, I will check my Library and post some of the books. But go with chickens.

Back to basics.  Abigail Gehring The Backyard Homestead  edited by Carleen Madigan

We've been considering getting pigs. My husband wants to get six - he's a "Go big or go home" type. Someone told him "You should start smaller! That's a lot of work!" His response was that, if it's too much work, we'll just have a barbecue.

We've had goats for about a year now, with no previous farming experience. That was a similar situation. We got 7 goats and 25 chicks within a two week period. It hasn't been particularly difficult. If you're reading websites about goats, it makes it sound like they'll dissolve into piles of bloody poop the minute you bring them home unless you buy a vet's office and monitor them 24/7, but we've had no problems. I've seen a few other people get started with a similar lack of issues. They're adorable, especially as babies, and very friendly if you work at socializing them. Personally, I find them much more fun than chickens, though I suppose chickens are more cost-effective.

They do eat a lot of hay, especially if they're pregnant or nursing (obviously necessary for dairy) which is a major consideration unless you live somewhere with adequate pasture year-round.

If you want meat, you have to be willing to kill (or have someone else kill) an animal you've raised. If you have someone else do the butchering, that adds to the cost of the meat. If you decide you don't have the heart for that and just want dairy, you need a plan to deal with the babies that are a necessary part of that process.

Vacations are certainly something that has to be planned for, but the same is true of any pet (our big dogs are at least as much an issue as the goats in that regard), and it isn't an insurmountable hurdle. We have a housemate, so we can alternate vacation times. My friend with goats boards hers with the person she bought them from. Friendly neighbors or responsible teenagers wanting to earn some extra money are a possibility also, especially if you're just talking 1 or 2 goats.

So anyways, yes, look at the downsides. But always keep in mind that this is something people DO, and the hurdles aren't insurmountable.