What to expect from your goats

A lot of times I see people jumping into the goat world without fully knowing what they're really getting into.  Goats are one of the most misunderstood and terribly understudy creatures, so most often your first impression of goats isn't a true one.  The point of this post is to help you understand what you can expect from your goats and how much your goats will need from you, care wise.

Very basically put -

Goats are heard animals, and highly social with each other, so it is always better to have 2 or more goats together.   Dogs, people, other animals hardly ever cut it - in order to have one goat, you need another goat.  :)  Goats together are hardier and healthy, a goat by itself can die of loneliness.

Staking a goat out - I know many just want to stake a goat out in the yard / pasture / weed patch and let them go to town and mown your lawn.  While goats can be excellent lawn mowers with proper care - they do not tie out well.  Goats are mischievous and rambunctious and quickly find them selves in knots and tangles and even strangled by their ties.   Do not stake your goat out unless you can be there to watch their every move.

A common misconception about goats is that they are smelly dirty animals and will eat anything,  while goats are actually very clean and terribly picky about what they will eat.   Goats do like to explore through taste - much like a two year old who wants to put everything in their mouth.

Don't just buy any goat - be picky and know what you're getting into.  Bucks will be smelly during rutt and breeding season, and have some revolting habits you might not want to be around if you're just looking for pets.  If you run your buck with your does they may be pregnant as often as once every 5 months, which can be very hard on the does.  Does should only be bred as often as every 8-12 months.   Buck kids are capable of breeding as young as 4-6 weeks of age, though few may take a little longer 8-12 weeks.   Many will pull their bucks out from the herd and pen them separate - a good idea to control breeding.  Even if you don't need a second buck or ever use him  - still - the best pal for a buck is another buck.

Wethers are the best option for pets and weed eaters.  No buck mess, and not as needy diet wist as a doe.  They also have the longest life expectancy of about 12-15 years.  In comparison buck usually live out 8-10 years, wear as does live a bit longer averaging 10-12 years.

Many start with does, the idea being have them as pets or weed eater and then if you decided to down the line you can breed them and have kids, either for fun or milk.

Whatever you decide know that an adult animal already grown out is the best way to start.  Kids can be difficult to grow out having high demands on their nutrition, and will be much more costly their first year.


What to expect care wise?
No, you can't just turn your goats out to pasture and expect them to live off the land without any care - even if you just want weed eaters and not milking does.   Very minimal basic care for your goats should include -

Fresh, clean water - daily

Free choice hay - choose a hay based on your goat's diet needs - I will discus the different types of hays and which will suit your goats best in the post titled 'Choosing the right hay'.

Hoof trimmings - about once every 6 weeks hooves need to be trimmed to keep their feet flat and prevent leg problems down the line.

Free choice loose minerals - not a mineral block - goats are too picky and take too long to chew off what they need from a block.  Pick a loose mineral to leave out for them.  Goat have a very high nutritional requirement for minerals - which I will discuss in post titled 'Minerals"

Free choice baking soda - goats can be prone to bloat, usually brought on by diet changes or over eating.  Leaving out a pan of baking soda will help to keep things moving and help to prevent bloat - from basic cases to server that may even cause death.

Worming - most goats will need to be wormed at least once or twice a year.  Make sure the wormer you pick works against the parasites that are a problem in your area.

Grain - I see a lot of people feeding grain to their goats when they don't need it, and often time the wrong type of grain.  Don't be quick to feed your goats grain - even if they seem hungry 'all the time'.  Goats are munchers and will nearly constantly be eating.  Sweet feed is probably the worst type of grain you can give your goats, so steer clear.

Don't for get a shelter!  Goats need a way to get out of the wind, rain, snow and weather.  To stay warm or cool as needed.