GOAT CARE BASICS
You can speak to 50 goat breeders and come away with 50 different perspectives on how to raise these wonderful animals. Below we will give you some general basic principles. Before we proceed, however, we wanted to give a little insight into their personality and behavior.
Goats are affectionate, social creatures. From time to time I hear someone say they want to buy one solitary goat as a pet. Please don't ever do this. Goats thrive on each other’s company. You have only to remove one from the herd to hear the bleating of the others in concern. If, indeed, a goat is desired as a pet, it needs the company of at least one other goat.
Another theory about goats is the old wives tale that they will eat anything and everything. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Goats are very clean animals. They will smell anything first before attempting to eat it. Aside from parasite control, this is another reason that these animals have to be rotated in the pasture. They will not eat any grazing matter that contains any type of feces or that has been urinated on. However, a word of caution regarding poisonous plant material. A goat will eat whatever is taste appealing -- it cannot distinguish poisonous from non-poisonous plant material. It is our obligation as goat owners and caretakers to ensure that they do not have access to any poisonous plants. Two such plants that come to mind are the Azaela and Rhododendron. Another very toxic killer is Andromeda. It is strongly recommended that thorough research and compiling of a list of poisonous plants be made and then a thorough inspection of their prospective browsing area be done prior to allowing your goats to "feast". It is best to play it safe---rather than suffer any tragic losses which could have been avoided.
A note should be made here that some breeders do use different types of vaccinations on their goats. We have not had the need to do so here at Boercrossing---however this is a subject matter that should be carefully researched by a newcomer to goat raising. Some breeders will vaccinate their pregnant does and/or the kids for CDT. Again, this has not been our practice; but that is our personal preference. We are not veterinarians, nor is any information on this website intended to replace the advice of your veterinarin. Its sole intent and purpose is to provide basic information on goat rearing. We disclaim all liability with the use of any information contained on this site.
An excellent source of information on raising goats is "Natural Goat Care" by Pat Coleby. It contains info on the different breeds, minerals, feeding, disbudding, etc. It is my belief that natural is better....and this is an excellent reference source for anyone venturing into the breeding of goats.
Below are some basic principles we follow in our goat care:
Worming -- This tops the list of healthcare concerns for every goat breeder. All goats have worms. The concern is that they be kept to a level that the goat can handle. Although goat breeders do have discrepancies in the manner and frequency for worming their animals, they all agree that it must be done in order to keep these animals in good health and peak condition. The best and surest way of control would be to take a fecal count along with weekly checks of their gums and eyelids which should be pink. Pale or white gums is a warning sign of worms and should be heeded immediately. A fecal count can be done by your veterinarian; or, it can be done by the breeder with the use of a microscope. After a parasite determination is made, an intelligent decision can be made on the type of wormer that has to be used. Additionally, it is an excellent practice to worm each doe the day after she kids. After kidding, any dormant parasites in the doe will become active. Therefore, worming at this time is imperative. Please note that chemical wormers can become ineffective after a period of time as the worms develop resistance to them, and therefore the wormer must be changed. Worms will deplete your goats' B vitamins. This is why goats can become anaemic. It is a good practice to give them B12 when worming also. In addition to using chemical wormers, we have found that garlic added to their feed (powdered or dry minced) with a pinch of ginger goes a great way in expelling internal parasites. We also feed fresh raw garlic cloves.
Feeding -- Goats are browsers by nature. They will graze, but prefer to browse on trees and brush. The nutrition derived from eating browse is important, but it is not enough to keep them in peak condition. Goats should be feed grain on a daily basis. The standard ration is one lb. Per goat. This is of a grain mixture made for goats and there are several brands on the market. During lactation, does should be fed the one lb. Ration plus another lb. for milk production. The first lb. is used by the doe...and the other to facilitate milk production. It is very important never to make an abrupt grain change in feeding your animals. Always do this very gradually....or it can create problems with their digestion. This is the procedure we use here at Boercrossing for our does. If you are raising fullbred dairy does, some research should be done to determine if a higher quanitity is required to support the higher milk production. We also add a small amount of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds to our Rations. It is important to not overdue the grain ration, however. The bulk of the goat's diet should be hay, browse and plant matter. Out goats have free access to hay daily. Minerals should also be fed and access to salt blocks made available. Just a note on minerals: It is very important that goats receive the appropriate amount of copper either from browse or added supplements. The best course of action would be to have a soil test performed to determine the mineral content. Many areas are deficient in copper, selenium...and other required minerals. Additionally, soil that has been farmed may have some mineral depletion. The soil may be amended to upgrade the deficiency....or the inclusion of a higher potency mineral or kelp may be required. As important as it is to ensure that your animals are receiving the correct amount of copper to maintain good health....care must be taken not to overdue as copper poisioning can result. Additionally...never feed minerals that are specifically manufactured for goats to sheep. The high copper content can be lethal to sheep. Fresh, clean water should be made available on a daily basis.
Breeding - Does should be housed separately from bucks. It is our belief that a doe should only be bred once per year for health reasons. Breeding season for dairy goats is August-January. Boer goats can breed all year round. A doe will come into heat every 21 days. At this point, she should be introduced to the buck for breeding. After breeding takes place, the doe and buck are again separated. Once a doe is bred, the gestation period is 150 days. By keeping records of breeding dates, the breeder can then have an accurate anticipated kidding date. Knowledge of this date will aid in administering required vaccinations and give you a heads up on when the new arrival is expected Many breeders give their does vitamin E supplement shots. We prefer to add one Vitamin E capsule (1,000 mg.) to their daily ration of feed one month prior to the anticipated delivery date.
Kidding and the following lactation period take a lot out of a doe’s system, she needs time to recuperate. It only makes sense, therefore, to allow her body to regain its strength in order to keep her in top condition. A healthy doe produces healthy offspring. Our does are not bred until they are 12-18 months of age. This is our policy and, of course, every breeder has their own opinion on this. We feel, however, that waiting until this time gives the doeling a chance to develop more fully. Additionally, as we only keep our bucks for two years and then bring in a new one for breeding to the young doelings, this time period falls in perfectly with our needs.
Kidding -- Approximately two weeks prior to kidding, the doe will usually secrete a discharge. She will soon start making a nest in the bedding. Many does, but not all, will “speak” to their babies. Their udders will begin to fill---some may not fill until the last minute. It is always a good practice to be present at all kiddings. Not only is this important in case any assistance is required by the doe, but the kids’ navels must be dipped in a strong iodine solution within half an hour of birth to prevent navel ill. Additionally, the kids should have a drink of their mother’s colustrum as soon as possible after birth and no later than one hour after birth. Although, many breeders practice CAE prevention by taking the kids from the mothers and feeding a commercial milk replacer---there is no equal to the antibodies contained in natural mother’s milk. These antibodies provide immunity protection to the newborn that cannot be duplicated. This is, unfortunately, a controversial subject, and many breeders will disagree with our practice. We offer all our does a drink of warm molasses water after each kidding. They love this treat and it helps them recover some of their energy---kidding is hard work!!
Cocci Prevention -- One of the biggest threats to the lives of kids is Coccidiosis. Adult goats will have this parasite to some degree, but they are resistant to it. However, it is the kids who are more susceptible as their systems have not built an immunity to it yet. It will cause diarrhea in the kids; and, if left untreated will result in death. In the past, we have practiced cocci prevention by administering a dose of Albon at 3, 6 and 9 weeks of age. Each treatment is given for a five consectutive day period. However, Albon has ceased to become effective against coccidia in our area. Therefore, we have had to turn to medicated minerals to protect the newbies. Again, this is something that the breeder must do some research on.....as every area differs.
Hoof Trimming -- The hooves on the goats must be trimmed. If they are not, they will cause the animals to walk improperly and lameness can result. This is best done on a milk stand. Tools needed are hoof trimmers and a hoof plane. The end result should look like the hooves of a kid. The bottom of the hoof has surrounding walls which need to be trimmed flat to the bottom walking area of the hoof. Use the trimmers to cut off a little at a time until the desired effect is achieved. Finish of with the plane to create a flat walking surface. When pink is observed, stop to avoid any bleeding. It is best not to trim the hooves of a pregnant doe during the last two months of her term. As goats sometimes have a tendency to kick when their rear hooves are being trimmed, this could cause her to abort. After about a month of age, we check the bottoms of the kids' hooves. If they need trimming, we only use the plane to "shave" them down.
Milking - Milking your goats is the fruit of the entire goat rearing experience. Goat’s milk is not only the most healthy milk available, but it is so versatile. Goat’s milk is used in everything from yogurt and cheese to soaps and lotions. Although colustrum is only made by the doe for approximately the first 16 hours after kidding, we don’t use the milk for human purposes until 1 and ½ weeks after kidding.
Milking is not intimidating as some perceive it to be. Providing some feed will make it an easier achievement. Remember to have patience with new fresheners. After all, this is all new to them; and they are not always as cooperative as we would like them to be. Before milking your doe, squirt a little from each teat into a strip cup. At this time you can check this small amount of milk for any discoloration or lumps. Using a stainless steel pot, milk out the udder. Be sure to dip each teat with teat dip after milking. This is crucial in the prevention of mastitis.
A note should be made here about udder congestion or hardening of the udder. After kidding, keep an eye on your doe’s udder for the first few days. This is especially necessary in the cases of single kid births. The kid will not be able to drink a sufficient amount of milk---or will only nurse from one side of the udder. This can result in congested udder. If the udder appears too full after the first day of kidding, you can milk out some of the udder to make her more comfortable and help to prevent congested udder. Again, always remember to dip the teats after milking.
External Parasites - External parasites can be controlled with some wormers and dusting products. For a more natural course of action, you may try DE (Diatomaceous Earth). Another method is the use of sulfur......pharmaceutical grade. This can be rubbed into the skin and also given orally at the dose of 1 tsp. per week per adult doe as a preventative measure. The sulfur is inpalatable to lice and other parasites. Additionally, there are sulfur blocks available for livestock. Be sure if you are using sulfur to use pure sulfur with no other additives. It may be purchased through veterinary supply houses or some feedstores may carry it. Vinegar may be applied topically also for use in control of lice; mineral oil will smother and kill ear mites.
The above are only some basic principles and ones that we utilize with our animals. If you are new to goats and are investigating the possibility of raising them, it is important to do some research on the various breeds. This can be easily done on the Internet. The dairy breeds (Alpine, LaMancha, Nubian, etc.), Boer (meat goats), Pygmy, etc. should be researched in order to determine what suits your particular needs, desires and situation.
However, no matter which breed or type you decide to raise, you can be rest assured that there is no other livestock as productive, rewarding and enjoyable as goats. You have only to witness one kidding to realize this. There is nothing, nothing more adorable in the animal kingdom than a baby goat .
