Goats and What I Learned My First Year

There is a bigger learning curve to owning goats than I initially thought. We are into our second year with our herd and are still learning daily with so much more still to learn. That being said, these are just some of the experiences and thoughts we have had so far. I know with many more years to come, we will have so many more experiences to grow from.

Starting your herd

* Don't be quick to buy - take your time and think it through.

* Start small.

* Buy goats from clean health tested herds. You can request paperwork verification.

* If you want animals that are polled or moonspotted, etc., make sure you understand what to look for to ensure you are getting what you want.

* Buy goats from an honest breeder and don't be hasty to send a deposit before you are confident, as most are non-refundable.

* Think about your herd goals and what you are wanting in your herd. Do you want goats that are heavy milkers? Great at winning shows? Highest LA scores? Colorful and blue eyed?

* Know your goals/desires can (and probably will) change and start with a herd you are happy with.

* Find a mentor(s)/goat friends - they will be invaluable in guiding and helping you down the road.

* Transportation is hard on goats. Keep a close eye on any animals you bring into your farm. Ideally, get a fecal test done the first couple days they are there to see if they need any treatment.

* There is so much information available for registered goats with LA scores, milk tests, shows, etc. learn how to utilize these tools to help you improve your herd.

* You can't look at a goat and tell if they are bred. I think it is best to breed your herd vs. buying "bred". Also, it is very stressful to transport a pregnant goat and wouldn't recommend this if the goat is later in her pregnancy.

* Buy friendly goats. They have rectangular pupils and can see about 340 degrees around.. meaning, it can be very difficult to catch a goat that doesn't want to be caught.

* Some goats are more talkative than others. We have some that scream (very loud and sometimes very often).

* A balanced diet matters. Hay is the most critical in a goat's diet, but you can also feed them some grain.

* Minerals are critical. Leave out good quality loose minerals for your herd to munch on. Refresh them at least weekly, as they can be picky.

* You can't have just one. If you want to get into goats, you have to get at least 2, but preferably more to start your herd.. If you don't already know - goat math is tricky. Once you buy 2, your 2 will need 2 friends of their own.. and so on. ; )

Breeding/Babies

* When you start to breed goats - put the breeding date on a calendar so you know when to expect kids and be better prepared. Nigerian Dwarf goats have about a 145 day gestation period.

* Use CDT vaccine 1-2 months before kidding.

* Schedule disbudding on kids soon after they are born, as it is ideal to have done before they are 2 weeks old.. and in most cases the first week is ideal.

* Coccidia can hit babies hard. It causes diarrhea and commonly hits kids as they feel stress from weaning. You can use preventative medicine if you choose starting at 3 weeks old.

* Wean bucklings at around 8 weeks old or when you see them extending, as they can breed at a very young age.

* Keep bucks separate from does, as nigerian dwarfs can breed year round and buck aprons are not completely effective.

* Dreaded single buckling - Our first year we had 2 does give birth and both had a single buckling. I was lucky enough to have my mentor on video speed dial and she talked me through assisting with the second delivery. The first one was born with no issues and was dried off by his dam before I got back to the barn.

*Bucks stink - hang out with a group of adult bucks before you make the leap. We do love our bucks, but they definitely have a very strong and distinctive smell that lingers.. they pee on their faces and it gets rubbed into their coats.

Get to know your goats

* Goat acting off - either yelling/talking more than usual, laying off by themselves, panting, not wanting feed, or acting off in any way, call your local vet or mentor for help. Goats can go down quickly, as they try to hide illness.

* Parasites - Are the worst! Goats all carry a parasite load and can typically keep them under control.. however, if their immune system is compromised, it can easily get out of hand.

* Pneumonia - Can come quick and hard. Goats will start acting off, possibly talking more than usual or grunting, laying away from the herd. Call a vet as soon as you suspect pneumonia.

* Urinary Calculi - This was a big scare for us when we started our herd, as so many people start here for diagnosing a buckling in pain. Therefore, anytime one of our boys was acting off, we thought it was this. Luckily, we have never dealt with this in our herd.. but were prepared if necessary.

For the most peace of mind, prepare yourself as best as possible by keeping a full medicine cabinet, reading and keep mentors close by. Don't be scared to ask questions - there are several Facebook groups geared towards goat help and many times you get a quick response. (However, please do some of your own research, talk to a vet if possible or get multiple opinions before following the internet advice). These are just some notes from our first year. Raising goats is a very rewarding and fulfilling experience for us and we hope to have many more years improving our herd and the nigerian dwarf breed.