Raising Goats: 11 Most Important Things You Need to Know

getting started May 11, 2020

 

So you’ve decided to become a crazy goat person like me – you know, the kind of person who wears T-shirts with slogans like “Relax, I’ve Goat This” and posts countless Instagram shots of their goats doing AWESOME goat things.

Ok, well maybe that’s just me... but when it comes to farm animals, goats truly are the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time). They’re relatively small, easy to handle, and full of personality.

Then again, they are also inquisitive and independent – so there will be some inevitable goat shenanigans.

But don’t worry, this startup guide will equip you with some basic knowledge to confidently raise happy, healthy goats.  

 

Here are the 11 most important things you need to know if you're getting started raising goats.  

 

1. Choosing a Goat Breed

First, let’s figure out your goals in raising goats. Are you primarily looking for milk, meat, or fiber?

Are you in search of a friendly,...

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How to Pick Your First Goats: Quick-Start Guide

getting started Oct 29, 2019

Introduction - Quick-Start Guide: How to Pick Your First Goats

 

Buying goats for the first time is exciting. Don't let big mistakes turn your excitement into a nightmare.

We made a lot of mistakes when we bought our first goats. Hopefully, this guide will save you from doing the same.

This Quick Start Guide is a summarized checklist of the critical actions you need to take to make sure you select the "right" goats at the start.

Not all goats are the same, and picking the "wrong" goats, depending on your purpose for them, can lead to lots of wasted time, money and headaches later.  

In this guide we will cover the following 8 "Quick Start" steps to help you pick the "right" goats:

  1. Make sure you are legally allowed to keep goats where you live;
  2. Decide what your goals will be for your new goat "herd";
  3. Choose the right breed and type of goats, based on your goals (dairy; showing; meat; other)
  4. Do some goat comparison shopping before buying your goats;
  5. Set an appropriate price...
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What's Needed to Raise Goats: 10 Critical Things to Know

Guest Contributor: Lilli Valdez

Inroduction - What's Needed to Raise Goats

So you’ve decided to become a crazy goat person like me – you know, the kind of person who wears T-shirts with slogans like “Relax, I’ve Goat This” and posts countless Instagram shots of their goats doing AWESOME goat things. Ok, well maybe that’s just me... but when it comes to farm animals, goats truly are the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time for those scratching their heads). They’re relatively small, easy to handle, and full of personality. Then again, they are also inquisitive and independent – so there will be some inevitable goat shenanigans! But don’t worry, this startup guide will equip you with some basic knowledge to confidently raise happy, healthy goats.

Choosing a Breed

First, let’s figure out your goals in raising goats. Are you primarily looking for milk, meat, or fiber? Are you in search of a friendly, loveable pet? Or are you looking...

Continue Reading...

9-Step Essential Beginners Guide to Raising Goats

getting started Feb 20, 2019

Do you love the idea of getting some goats, but have no idea how to move forward? This Beginners Guide to Raising Goats will help. I know how you feel. I was in that same place years ago, just before we got our first goats. We stumbled through and gradually figured things out along the way. Because of that, I can save you a lot of wasted time, energy and money by sharing with you this 9-Step Essential Beginners Guide to Raising Goats. This is stuff we learned by experience , and from other people who helped us over the years, and I wish someone had shared this with us back when we first got started with goats.

Benefits of Raising Goats

Before we start the 9-Step Essential Beginners Guide to Raising Goats (below) it's important to take a moment here and focus on the benefits of raising goats. This is the stuff that motivates us goat farmers to do the things we do. There’s a reason why people have been farming goats for centuries: they are incredibly versatile and have many...

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5 Easy Steps for Raising Backyard Goats Successfully

getting started Jan 11, 2019

"My backyard is tiny! There's no way I can raise goats." Don't be in such a hurry to rule out backyard goats, even if your place is small. Even if you don’t have a big farm or a lot of acreage, you can still start raising goats in your backyard. In fact, our family got started raising goats years ago with our first two goats which we kept in the backyard behind our house. Later we expanded from there to our current farm, and now we have more acreage and a sizable herd of goats. 

 

Our First Two Goats in Our Backyard

 

We had no idea what we were doing at first. So if we can start a successful farm from a small backyard operation, you can easily do it too. These are the first two goats we ever purchased. We found them on Craigslist and picked them up as we were driving back home from a vacation road trip. You can see our old backyard in the background where we kept them, until we moved to our current farm. Our dog, Turner, here is making sure the new goats pass...

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Goat Kidding: Pro Tips for Pregnancy, Labor and Birth

 

In goat kidding, it can be scary when a little goat's life depends on your momentary decision. That's why it's important to prepare for goat kidding in advance.

Know what to expect. Prepare to help your goat through pregnancy, labor and birth.

Train yourself to recognize the signs of problems and to know exactly what to do about them. When you're confident and prepared to help your goat give birth, you can relax and enjoy these moments.

Even if you're experiencing goat kidding for the first time, you can learn how to be that confident, prepared person.

Let me show you goat kidding tips the "pros" teach so you can successfully help your own goats through pregnancy, labor, birth and beyond.

 

Prenatal Care

If your mama doe has kidded before, plan to give her about a two-month break before kidding again. This will dry up the doe's milk from any previous kidding by two weeks before any new kids arrive.

A little over a month before kidding give the doe a Selenium/Vitamin E...

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