Goat Basics 101
Preparing to Bring Your New Kids Home
If you’re a first-time goat owner-to-be, you’re probably excited and want to be sure that you have everything on hand and ready for them when they arrive. I am hoping to provide you with a very solid foundation to begin your journey! My knowledge is not other than experience and opinion - and in no way can replace a Vet’s advice.
The Basics
Goats need a safe, fenced area clear of any debris or toxic plants. Fencing should be about 4’-5’ tall with squares or openings no larger than either 2”x4” or 4”x4” to prevent anyone from jumping out or squeezing through. Right now, your kids may be large enough that they won’t fit through some larger areas – try to think of the future and if you’ll be breeding any of your does – if the answer is yes, then keep in mind that newborn kids can EASILY squeeze through a 4”x4” square in the fence.
They will also need a shelter to keep warm and dry. This can be as basic as a well-built three side, roofed house that is wind and rain proof. The inside footprint should be large enough for them to sleep comfortably as well as hang out in on rainy & snowy days – they’ll be taking their meals inside on these days. Goats melt. You may also want to consider some type of door or gate – either now or that can be added later in the case that you need to lock them in for any reason. There are many options for bedding inside your goats’ shelter – pine shavings, straw, pellet bedding, etc. through my trial and error, I found that pine shavings work best for me. It’s easy to clean, carries no mites/lice. But you may very well like something different! In the summer months, my goats get a dirt floor. They don’t need to stay warm and are usually outside so the inside doesn’t get nearly as wet & dirty – but again, personal preference.
Nutrition
Fresh water is a must for your new goats. The size container you use will depend on how many you have – a standard sized bucket will be just plenty for a few goats, but if you have more – you may want to invest in a small, low profile trough. I’ve learned over the years that bigger is not always better. If you have a trough that holds ten times more water than your goats will consume in a day or two - you’ll be dumping, cleaning and refilling.
Goats are ruminants. Meaning that they have four stomachs – the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum & the abomasum. When a goat eats forage (hay or pasture), food goes into their rumen and later they bring it back up to chew – this is called chewing their cud. Then it is swallowed and moved through their digestive system. Because of this - an adult goat’s diet should be about 80-100% pasture and/or hay and 0-20% grain. As a rule of thumb, my goats only get actual grain/feed if they:
• Are a kid under the age of 8-12 months (case by case)
• Are a pregnant doe in the last 6 weeks of her pregnancy
• Are a lactating doe
Otherwise, they are out on one of three rotational pastures during the warm seasons or have access to high quality hay (Timothy/Orchard grass w/alfalfa). They stay fat. When you’re looking for hay – always ask if the hay is “horse quality”, some will sell hay as “cow/goat quality” that is barely even edible for a goat and contains nearly 0 nutrition. The amount of grain/feed a goat gets is based upon their size, milk production, ease of keeping. Kids can start with about a half cup each and they may not even finish that! Kids are like human kids and would rather go play usually. Does in late pregnancy will get about 1-1 1/2 cups of grain. Once they kid and are lactating, they get about 1 pound of grain for every ½ gallon or 4 pounds of milk they are producing. Since most goats will only stand to be milked while they are eating – if I have a fast eater, I throw in about 1 cup of either hay stretcher pellets or beet pulp pellets, they are very dense and hard pellets and are harder to chew. I also add a handful (literally – ¼ cup) of black oil sunflower seeds, this helps with any dry skin issues and makes for a nice shiny coat. Goats can eat almost any fruit & vegetable scraps from your kitchen as treats! Some people feed store bought boat treats as well. Mine fight over scraps with the chickens!
One especially important and widely overlooked goat nutritional requirement is a quality loose goat mineral. Be sure to use a goat mineral and NOT a goat & sheep mineral. Goats requirement copper and sheep cannot have it – so a multi species blend will not have copper. Mount a small feeder for the loose mineral somewhere in their shelter, low enough for them to reach – and high enough so they cannot poop in it! You’ll know if it’s too low – because if there’s a possibility that they can poop in it – they will. You may need to adjust its location to suit kids to adults.
Unfortunately, grain & mineral blends just don’t contain the level of copper that goats function best with. Copper is also one of the overlooked essential minerals that helps a goat’s bone growth, nervous system function, ability to naturally fend off parasites, absorb & utilize nutrients… I’msure you could find even more with a Goggle search. Copper deficiency can cause loss of hair color and quality, infertility, anemia, weight loss. To supplement goats’ copper, I give a copper bolus every three months. This is no fun but makes such an incredible difference in your goats’ health!
Overall, a goat is healthiest when it is ruminating constantly. Pasture & free choice hay are the best for your goat and the grain will make them a bit fatter and love you more!
Maintenance
Brushing your goats isn’t necessary, but they will enjoy it and their coat will be shiner for it! I use rubber curry brushes with fat, flexible teeth it really gives them a nice massage and loosens any undercoat that is ready to shed. Any pet or livestock brush that you and your goats are comfortable with will do just fine.
The outer side walls of a goat’s hooves grow faster than they are worn down generally. In nature, they are worn down on the various terrain they travel over – as our pets, we must keep them trimmed. To do this you will need a pair of trimmers and a horse hoof pick/brush combo or a stiff brush.
• Clean out any dirt with your hoof pick and brush
• Trim the side walls of the hoof so that they are level and flat with the hoof sole
• Trim slowly – you can always stake off more, but once you take too much you can’t take it back and will have a bleed on your hands which will need blood stop powder or corn starch
• If you find a dirty pocket - or the wall of the hoof separating from the hoof, clean out all the dirt or mud. This may seem like you may hurt the goat, but once the wall separates like this – a new wall has begun to form,and you will not hurt the sole inside. Once you have cleaned out the pocket, use the trimmers to trim away all separated wall – this will look wonky until it grows out, but it must be done to prevent hoof rot.
• Your goal is to create a nice, flat sole for your goat to walk on.
Vaccines
When you pick up your goat kids(s) they should have received their 1st & booster doses of the CD&T vaccine. This covers Clostridium type C&D and tetanus. Moving forward, it is recommended that they receive an annual booster.
Additionally, you can vaccinate for pneumonia each year around the middle of the Winter/Spring transition.
Parasite Management & Treatment
There are many ways to manage parasites in & on goats. I utilize a little of each method! At least once a month, I physically hands on - look each of my goats. At this time, I look at the color of the inside of their eyelids, coat condition, hooves & overall body condition. Inner eyelid color can be an indicator as to the presence of an overload of parasites. A healthy goat’s eyelids will be bright pink, coat will be shiny and smooth, and they should overall look thrifty. If any of these look off, you may want to suspect parasites and have a fecal test done on your goats’ poo samples (This can be done with a local vet $$$, or send samples to one of many labs that perform these $). Staying on top of any suspected parasite issues will make for much easier & healthier resolution. Once a year, I chemically worm all of my herd using three classes of wormer. This may seem harsh, but I have lost animals to parasites & the side effects that they bring. I use Moxidectin, Levamisole & Albendazole. I do everyone right after the does kid and then again 7 days later. Doing this in addition to administering copper bolus every three months has worked wonders for parasite control here. Some people worm on a schedule – every XX number of months. This may well work for some. My only concern with overuse of chemical wormers is that over time parasites can absolutely build a resistance to them – and then one day you’ll have a serious issue and will have nothing that works.
The use of lesser effective chemical wormers can also build stronger parasites, the three listed above are a bit more expensive but are worth their weight in gold.
Medicine Cabinet
Below is a list of some extremely helpful items to keep handy. Most of which, is easily attainable but some that must be ordered from online sources.
• Nutridrench (or generic) – provides a rapid source of energy – vitamins A, D & E, trace minerals, amino acids & glucose. Good for use with a stressed or sick animal – gives a boost at any time its needed
• An over the counter antibiotic – such as LA-200 (dosed at 1cc per 20 lbs.) – particularly good broad spectrum to have in the case of an injury or infection
• Hoof trimmers – these are pruners sold for a few $ more from livestock supply companies
https://amzn.to/3BYG7lE
• Digital rectal thermometer
• Vet wrap
• Blood stop powder or corn starch – this can come in handy if a hoof is trimmed too close, or a scur breaks
• Copper bolus – dosed at 1 gram per 22 lbs. - Amazon sells 2- & 4-gram boluses https://amzn.to/3GezX3C
• Vitamin B Complex – dosed at 1cc per 20 lbs. – good for boosting appetite & general support in a stressed or unhealthy animal
• Coccidia medication – several available – Albon, Sulmet, Di-methox, Toltrazuril – all are effective with a mild case of Coccidiosis. For an advanced case – I recommend Toltrazuril dosed at 1cc per 3 lbs. (sold as Baycox from www.horseprerace.com) as this works with one dose in most cases – but can be given again in 10 days.
• Wormer – I will list several and their doses
o Levamisole (Prohibit) – 2.2cc per 20 lbs.
o Moxidectin (Cydectin) – 1cc per 20 lbs. as a preventative OR 1cc per 10 lbs. as a treatment
https://amzn.to/3WhZ5Mg
o Ivermectin (Ivomec) – 1cc per 34 lbs.
https://amzn.to/3WhZ5Mg
o Fenbendazole (Safeguard horse paste) – 1cc per 20 lbs.
o Albendazole (Valbazen) – 4cc per 50 lbs.
Again, I’ve written this based on my knowledge and experience from over my years of goat keeping in hopes of providing a good foundation to anyone needing advice from one enthusiast to another!
Always, feel free to reach out with any questions and I’m happy to do my best!
If you’re a first-time goat owner-to-be, you’re probably excited and want to be sure that you have everything on hand and ready for them when they arrive. I am hoping to provide you with a very solid foundation to begin your journey! My knowledge is not other than experience and opinion - and in no way can replace a Vet’s advice.
The Basics
Goats need a safe, fenced area clear of any debris or toxic plants. Fencing should be about 4’-5’ tall with squares or openings no larger than either 2”x4” or 4”x4” to prevent anyone from jumping out or squeezing through. Right now, your kids may be large enough that they won’t fit through some larger areas – try to think of the future and if you’ll be breeding any of your does – if the answer is yes, then keep in mind that newborn kids can EASILY squeeze through a 4”x4” square in the fence.
They will also need a shelter to keep warm and dry. This can be as basic as a well-built three side, roofed house that is wind and rain proof. The inside footprint should be large enough for them to sleep comfortably as well as hang out in on rainy & snowy days – they’ll be taking their meals inside on these days. Goats melt. You may also want to consider some type of door or gate – either now or that can be added later in the case that you need to lock them in for any reason. There are many options for bedding inside your goats’ shelter – pine shavings, straw, pellet bedding, etc. through my trial and error, I found that pine shavings work best for me. It’s easy to clean, carries no mites/lice. But you may very well like something different! In the summer months, my goats get a dirt floor. They don’t need to stay warm and are usually outside so the inside doesn’t get nearly as wet & dirty – but again, personal preference.
Nutrition
Fresh water is a must for your new goats. The size container you use will depend on how many you have – a standard sized bucket will be just plenty for a few goats, but if you have more – you may want to invest in a small, low profile trough. I’ve learned over the years that bigger is not always better. If you have a trough that holds ten times more water than your goats will consume in a day or two - you’ll be dumping, cleaning and refilling.
Goats are ruminants. Meaning that they have four stomachs – the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum & the abomasum. When a goat eats forage (hay or pasture), food goes into their rumen and later they bring it back up to chew – this is called chewing their cud. Then it is swallowed and moved through their digestive system. Because of this - an adult goat’s diet should be about 80-100% pasture and/or hay and 0-20% grain. As a rule of thumb, my goats only get actual grain/feed if they:
• Are a kid under the age of 8-12 months (case by case)
• Are a pregnant doe in the last 6 weeks of her pregnancy
• Are a lactating doe
Otherwise, they are out on one of three rotational pastures during the warm seasons or have access to high quality hay (Timothy/Orchard grass w/alfalfa). They stay fat. When you’re looking for hay – always ask if the hay is “horse quality”, some will sell hay as “cow/goat quality” that is barely even edible for a goat and contains nearly 0 nutrition. The amount of grain/feed a goat gets is based upon their size, milk production, ease of keeping. Kids can start with about a half cup each and they may not even finish that! Kids are like human kids and would rather go play usually. Does in late pregnancy will get about 1-1 1/2 cups of grain. Once they kid and are lactating, they get about 1 pound of grain for every ½ gallon or 4 pounds of milk they are producing. Since most goats will only stand to be milked while they are eating – if I have a fast eater, I throw in about 1 cup of either hay stretcher pellets or beet pulp pellets, they are very dense and hard pellets and are harder to chew. I also add a handful (literally – ¼ cup) of black oil sunflower seeds, this helps with any dry skin issues and makes for a nice shiny coat. Goats can eat almost any fruit & vegetable scraps from your kitchen as treats! Some people feed store bought boat treats as well. Mine fight over scraps with the chickens!
One especially important and widely overlooked goat nutritional requirement is a quality loose goat mineral. Be sure to use a goat mineral and NOT a goat & sheep mineral. Goats requirement copper and sheep cannot have it – so a multi species blend will not have copper. Mount a small feeder for the loose mineral somewhere in their shelter, low enough for them to reach – and high enough so they cannot poop in it! You’ll know if it’s too low – because if there’s a possibility that they can poop in it – they will. You may need to adjust its location to suit kids to adults.
Unfortunately, grain & mineral blends just don’t contain the level of copper that goats function best with. Copper is also one of the overlooked essential minerals that helps a goat’s bone growth, nervous system function, ability to naturally fend off parasites, absorb & utilize nutrients… I’msure you could find even more with a Goggle search. Copper deficiency can cause loss of hair color and quality, infertility, anemia, weight loss. To supplement goats’ copper, I give a copper bolus every three months. This is no fun but makes such an incredible difference in your goats’ health!
Overall, a goat is healthiest when it is ruminating constantly. Pasture & free choice hay are the best for your goat and the grain will make them a bit fatter and love you more!
Maintenance
Brushing your goats isn’t necessary, but they will enjoy it and their coat will be shiner for it! I use rubber curry brushes with fat, flexible teeth it really gives them a nice massage and loosens any undercoat that is ready to shed. Any pet or livestock brush that you and your goats are comfortable with will do just fine.
The outer side walls of a goat’s hooves grow faster than they are worn down generally. In nature, they are worn down on the various terrain they travel over – as our pets, we must keep them trimmed. To do this you will need a pair of trimmers and a horse hoof pick/brush combo or a stiff brush.
• Clean out any dirt with your hoof pick and brush
• Trim the side walls of the hoof so that they are level and flat with the hoof sole
• Trim slowly – you can always stake off more, but once you take too much you can’t take it back and will have a bleed on your hands which will need blood stop powder or corn starch
• If you find a dirty pocket - or the wall of the hoof separating from the hoof, clean out all the dirt or mud. This may seem like you may hurt the goat, but once the wall separates like this – a new wall has begun to form,and you will not hurt the sole inside. Once you have cleaned out the pocket, use the trimmers to trim away all separated wall – this will look wonky until it grows out, but it must be done to prevent hoof rot.
• Your goal is to create a nice, flat sole for your goat to walk on.
Vaccines
When you pick up your goat kids(s) they should have received their 1st & booster doses of the CD&T vaccine. This covers Clostridium type C&D and tetanus. Moving forward, it is recommended that they receive an annual booster.
Additionally, you can vaccinate for pneumonia each year around the middle of the Winter/Spring transition.
Parasite Management & Treatment
There are many ways to manage parasites in & on goats. I utilize a little of each method! At least once a month, I physically hands on - look each of my goats. At this time, I look at the color of the inside of their eyelids, coat condition, hooves & overall body condition. Inner eyelid color can be an indicator as to the presence of an overload of parasites. A healthy goat’s eyelids will be bright pink, coat will be shiny and smooth, and they should overall look thrifty. If any of these look off, you may want to suspect parasites and have a fecal test done on your goats’ poo samples (This can be done with a local vet $$$, or send samples to one of many labs that perform these $). Staying on top of any suspected parasite issues will make for much easier & healthier resolution. Once a year, I chemically worm all of my herd using three classes of wormer. This may seem harsh, but I have lost animals to parasites & the side effects that they bring. I use Moxidectin, Levamisole & Albendazole. I do everyone right after the does kid and then again 7 days later. Doing this in addition to administering copper bolus every three months has worked wonders for parasite control here. Some people worm on a schedule – every XX number of months. This may well work for some. My only concern with overuse of chemical wormers is that over time parasites can absolutely build a resistance to them – and then one day you’ll have a serious issue and will have nothing that works.
The use of lesser effective chemical wormers can also build stronger parasites, the three listed above are a bit more expensive but are worth their weight in gold.
Medicine Cabinet
Below is a list of some extremely helpful items to keep handy. Most of which, is easily attainable but some that must be ordered from online sources.
• Nutridrench (or generic) – provides a rapid source of energy – vitamins A, D & E, trace minerals, amino acids & glucose. Good for use with a stressed or sick animal – gives a boost at any time its needed
• An over the counter antibiotic – such as LA-200 (dosed at 1cc per 20 lbs.) – particularly good broad spectrum to have in the case of an injury or infection
• Hoof trimmers – these are pruners sold for a few $ more from livestock supply companies
https://amzn.to/3BYG7lE
• Digital rectal thermometer
• Vet wrap
• Blood stop powder or corn starch – this can come in handy if a hoof is trimmed too close, or a scur breaks
• Copper bolus – dosed at 1 gram per 22 lbs. - Amazon sells 2- & 4-gram boluses https://amzn.to/3GezX3C
• Vitamin B Complex – dosed at 1cc per 20 lbs. – good for boosting appetite & general support in a stressed or unhealthy animal
• Coccidia medication – several available – Albon, Sulmet, Di-methox, Toltrazuril – all are effective with a mild case of Coccidiosis. For an advanced case – I recommend Toltrazuril dosed at 1cc per 3 lbs. (sold as Baycox from www.horseprerace.com) as this works with one dose in most cases – but can be given again in 10 days.
• Wormer – I will list several and their doses
o Levamisole (Prohibit) – 2.2cc per 20 lbs.
o Moxidectin (Cydectin) – 1cc per 20 lbs. as a preventative OR 1cc per 10 lbs. as a treatment
https://amzn.to/3WhZ5Mg
o Ivermectin (Ivomec) – 1cc per 34 lbs.
https://amzn.to/3WhZ5Mg
o Fenbendazole (Safeguard horse paste) – 1cc per 20 lbs.
o Albendazole (Valbazen) – 4cc per 50 lbs.
Again, I’ve written this based on my knowledge and experience from over my years of goat keeping in hopes of providing a good foundation to anyone needing advice from one enthusiast to another!
Always, feel free to reach out with any questions and I’m happy to do my best!