Oh, Goat!

Perhaps one of the most comical, frisky, feisty, troublesome, but loveable farm animals, has to be a goat!

They will drive you nuts, eat what they are not supposed to, try to escape through the smallest spaces, ruin your neighbors garden, or maybe jump on your car.

But, above all, they will definitely make you laugh and enrich your homestead life! I just adore them!

We currently have three goats on the farm, Santiago, Ruby, and Dahlia. Ruby and Dahlia are pygmy goats and we got them in February of 2020. Santiago is a mix of pygmy and nigerian dwarf, and we got him a year later.

Although many keep goats for their milk, meat, or for breeding, our babies are just for fun. With their adventurous, curious, and sociable personalities, they ensure for endless laughs and love. Their "pet me" behavior and doglike attitudes make them ideal pets!

20 CARING-FOR-GOATS-TIPS

Goats are cute, I know! But, there are still some basic care principles to ensure healthy goats and fewer problems in the future.

Goat care isn't difficult to learn, but being prepared and knowing what to expect will make it much more enjoyable and manageable. Your reason for keeping goats may affect how you would care for them, but here are a few basics to get you started.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

1: Goats are prone to parasites, especially worms in the stomach which can cause anemia when it is not treated soon enough. Deworm regularly, at least every six months, and ask your local vet for advice and dewormer suggestions. Chemical dewormers can become resistant over time, so you might want to try herbal dewormers and methods. HERE is an article on natural deworming.

Remember to treat external parasites such as lice and mites as well. You can treat it with topicals, injectable medication, or natural remedies like my DIY mite spray. Download it HERE.

2: Vaccinations- All goats need to get vaccinated against the 5 clostridial diseases. These include Enterotoxaemia (Pulpy Kidney), Tetanus, Blackleg, Malignant Oedema (Gas Gangrene), and black disease.

Also consider vaccinating your goats against coccidia, which is a parasite almost all goats have. When goats stress or are exposed to sudden weather changes, coccidia levels can rise to dangerous levels.

Talk to your vet and get advice as to what is best

3: It is essential to trim your goat's hooves as they are just like human nails that continually grow. Trim their hooves, preferably every 2-3 months, to ensure they have healthy hooves. You can do it yourself by following THIS guideline or get your local vet to help.

4: Goats are herd animals and need other companions as they depend on each other for safety. They are pretty unhappy and lonely by themselves and get depressed when alone.

It is recommended to keep female and castrated male goats together and not intact males. They are often more aggressive and can cause trouble in the herd.

5: Wethers (goats that have been castrated) are prone to kidney stones because their urinary tract stops forming. This is caused mainly by feeding too much grain to bucks and wethers.

It's also commonly found in show wethers, being given large amounts of a high-concentrate feed and low doses of roughage or hay. You can prevent kidney stones by giving them loads of clean water and quality hay.

6: Consider adding some probiotics in your goats' water during stressful situations, weather changes, or when they are on antibiotics.

7: A goat's average temperature should be 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Whenever they show signs of illness, look unwell, or display abnormal behavior, check their temperatures.

8: Goats are also susceptible to grass tetany, which is caused by a deficiency in magnesium. This can happen when they graze too much on very lush pastures. Offer a mineral supplement with higher levels of magnesium to prevent this.

9: Doing a monthly routine checkup could help you maintain your goats' health and always be on top of it. This includes checking their coat for external parasites or dandruff and their feet for overgrowth or problems. Also, check the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth for any apparent issues.

FEED AND NUTRITION

10: Goats are primarily browsers which means they pick and choose between various weeds, woody plants, and bushes. Their multi-chambered stomach allows them to digest all kinds of forage. When roughage and pasture quality is poor, you should supplement goats' feed with quality hay and supplements explicitly formulated for goats.

11: They need about 2-4 pounds of hay per day, with an average protein requirement of 8%. This can increase to 11% for a pregnant or lactating doe.

12: Nutritional requirements also vary depending on age, activity level, pregnancy, lactation, and breed. It's easy to overfeed a goat which can lead to obesity and other health problems. That's why it's essential to do some research and consult your local vet for advice.

13: Only feed grass hay, minerals, and necessary supplements to wethers. They do not need alfalfa or grain as they don't tolerate it very well and can lead to kidney stones, as mentioned earlier. Does, female goats, however, can enjoy some alfalfa and grain.

14: Minerals are essential for primary body function and optimum production. A lack of minerals can lead to serious health issues such as arthritis and joint problems, anemia, weakness, stiff joints, low interest in breeding, skin problems, excessive salivating, and deformed hooves.

Copper deficiency (especially in goats) affects the coat and can cause abortions, stillbirths, low milk supply, and weight loss. Ask your local vet which minerals are needed for your area. Always give minerals developed for goats specifically.

15: Goats enjoy the occasional baking soda. It helps to keep their rumen's pH balance in check and aids in digestion and bloating. Just leave it out for them to decide whether and when they want to eat it or not.

16: Goats drink a lot of water! I always ensure they have fresh water available and clean their troughs daily. During winter, consider warming up their water as goats are not too fond of cold water.

SHELTER AND SPACE

17: They too need shelter. Although they are pretty hardy, they still need shelter to protect them from the weather elements. They can become sick with pneumonia when they are exposed to wet weather conditions.

A three-sided shelter is often better than an enclosed structure because goats need proper ventilation for healthy lungs and prevent the build-up of dangerous gasses. Twenty square feet of indoor space per goat should be sufficient.

In the winter, goats grow their own wool undercoats to keep them warm. You only need to provide some extra grass hay for added warmth and ensure their shelter is sturdy against the elements.

18: Unlike alpacas, goats tend to go to the bathroom any place, even where they sleep. That’s why it is so important to regularly clean their sleeping quarters in order to avoid the building up of gasses and diseases. So much more cleaning up to do, urgh! But it’s part of the game ;-)

19: Goats are quite the escape artists! They can fit through tiny holes, jump onto and over the unlikeliest of things, and are hard on fencing. So make sure you construct a solid and high enough fence to keep the goats in. Even though our fencing is relatively high and sturdy, our goats still managed to escape our fencing! They are sneaky and clever!

20: Goats are adventurous and curious and like to be entertained. Give them plenty of space to move around, things to eat, and structures to play on. Think stairs, tires, tunnels, platforms, and rocks! This will keep them occupied and from using your car as a playground!

They will also enjoy the occasional treat such as bananas, carrots, lettuce, pumpkin, and grapes. And of course, a good old backscratch from their human caretaker!

SOME FUN GOAT FACTS

Goats giving birth are called "kidding", we're not kidding…
Goats are curious and smart; they learn quickly.
Hence the fact that they will come when you call them by their name.
Goats communicate with each other by bleating.
Goats are very picky eaters, don't think for a second that they will eat old hay.
Goats sneeze to warn others of any danger nearby.
Goats don't have teeth on their upper jaw, only a strong dental pad.
Goat's milk is the most drank milk worldwide.
Cashmere is made of the downy winter undercoat produced by certain goats.
Goats prefer happy people who are smiling and are more willing to approach them.
Goats are not huge fans of rain, water puddles, and mud. So they will rather starve than having to walk dirty grounds to get to their feed.

I hope you have learned a few new things today and are now well equipped to care for your goats! Friends, please remember that these are beginner guidelines and that it is always best to consult your local vet and do some more research on specific requirements.

If you would like to learn more about caring for donkeys, you can read my blog on them HERE. And caring for alpacas, check out this blog HERE!

AND BONUS! Here is a free quick referencing guide on donkeys, goats, and alpacas. Download HERE

With love, Annette xx

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