Everything you need to know about owning goats

Goats are a great addition to any hobby farm everything you need to know about owning goats is in this article!

Owning goats is a fun and rewarding experience, they give a lot more than they demand and make great pets.

You can raise them for milk or meat, many people use goat milk to make cheese and soaps.

They are easy to care for and don’t require much space, making them a great animal for beginner hobby farmers.

This article is all about everything you need to know about owning goats.

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Cons of owning goats:

Goats are good at getting out of their pen even if there is only a small hole in the fence they will try to squeeze through.

The bucks have glands behind their horn that have a strong musky smell, especially in fall during breeding season.

these can be surgically removed. the does and wethers do not have this smell.

Pros of owning goats:

You will have fresh goat milk for cheese and soap-making.

Goats are good at trimming along fences and keeping the weeds down.

Goats make great pets.

They are easy to care for.

Goat Breeds

There is a variety of different goat breeds some breeds are better for milk than others and some are better for meat. Some goats are bred for showing.

Here is a list of some popular breeds:

Breeds that are good for dairy:

these are good for their milk production

• Alpine
• Nubian
• Sable
• Nigerian Dwarf (they are often used for showing, milk, or as pets)

Breeds that are good for meat:

• Spanish
• Boer
• Kiko
• Myotonic (Fainting goats). These goats have a gene that causes their muscles to stiffen when startled when this happens they appear to faint, this does not harm them although it can make it easier for predators to attack them this can also make it easier for farmers.
• Savannah

Housing + feeding

housing you need a small shelter or barn with a gate that you can pen them in if you need to and also for harsh weather,

and so that they can get out of the sun if they get too hot,

A strong fence is necessary for goats, an electric fence is a great choice, or you can use a woven wire fence to keep them in.

You can also teach them to be tied up with a collar and chain for grazing do not use a rope to tie them up for a long period of time

ropes can wrap around their legs and tighten and they cause rope burns

if you choose to do this it is a good idea to give them a break from being tied up.

Feeding

Most goats will be fine with only grass but if you intend to milk them you can feed them some pellets or grain,

most places like Tractor Supply have pellets specially made for goats

And you can also feed them oats. you will also need hay in the winter when there is not enough grass available.

Like any animal, they also need fresh water daily.

Milking

If you want to milk your doe (female) you will need to breed her,

You can either buy a buck of your own alternatively you can borrow a buck from someone else if you know of someone who has one.

when the time comes you can then either bottle feed the kids (baby goats) so you can get the milk from your goat

alternatively you can let the kids drink from their mom

and then separate them for half a day and milk the doe then return her to the babies

this is a lot easier because you won’t need to bottle feed the kids, you will get a little bit less milk.

You will want to tie your goat to a fence or something for milking.

you also can make a milking stand this will make your life a whole lot easier.

feeding them while milking will help them stay still for longer, and then it will be easier for you to milk them.

If you are concerned that goat milk tastes bad, don’t worry it tastes pretty much the same as cow milk.

if you handle the milk correctly and your goat is well-fed and healthy.

Hoof Trimming

Goats in the wild wear down their hoofs from climbing on rocks and such,

farm goats don’t wear down their hooves as fast as they grow, so their hooves must be trimmed occasionally when they get too long.

Their hooves have an outer shell and a frog which is a soft part inside the shell.

if a hoof is left untrimmed for too long the shell can outgrow the frog and begin to close up.

Untrimmed hooves can cause problems like hoof rot, and bone deformity and cause the goat to no longer want to walk therefore it won’t get the exercise it needs.

If you have a milking stand you can put your goat on there and give it a little bit of food to make feet trimming a lot easier.

To trim their hooves, You will need a pair of hoof trimmers and a hoof knife, you will want to wear gloves when trimming hooves I learned this the hard way.

This hoof-trimming kit has everything you need for a good price!

To trim their feet you will want to trim the shell and frog as level as possible,

Dirt can get trapped between the shell and the frog so you will need to use your hoof knife to cut it out,

Therefore, you will need to trim the frog down till it starts to get pink to ensure that you get all the dirt.

If you happen to cut too deep and it starts to bleed a little it is nothing to worry about.

In conclusion,

goats are relatively easy to care for, and they give a lot in return.