The Ultimate 7 Step Guide to Raising Goats for Beginners
Step 1 - Choosing the Right Goats There is no single goat that can do it all. There are goats that are best for milk, others for meat and others for different purposes. Let’s look at the key things you need to know to pick the right goat for your goals. Then, later on in this Beginners Guide to Raising Goats we will talk about getting ready for your goats and how to take care of them.
Dairy Goats If you want to make milk, cheese and other dairy products you will want to pick a dairy goat breed based on several factors. Each breed has a slightly different milk taste, so that’s one thing to think about. You may want to try milk from several different milk goat breeds before you can choose which one you like best. Their milk is all different, as well as their personality.
Dairy Goat Breeds One popular choice is Nubian goat milk. Nubians are one of the most charming goat breeds out there, but they can be quite loud and annoying. Another good goat breed is the Oberhasli. Some farmers are very passionate about their love for Oberhaslis. In general, they’re a very friendly breed of goat with a unique look. They even make good pack goats. Some other dairy goats include the Alpines, LaManchas, Nigerian Dwarfs, Saanens and Toggenburgs.
“each breed has a slightly different milk taste”
LaManchas are from Spain and make very nice milk goats. They make a rich milk. One of their most noticeable features is their small elf ears. Nigerian Dwarf goats are from Africa and are fairly small, so they are easier to handle. That’s important if you have kids and want them to have fun with goats. Nigerians can make up to 3-4 pounds of milk a day. That milk is higher in butterfat and creamier than the milk of some other goat breeds. Yes, Nigerians are also cute.
However, something you should think about when buying a smaller dairy goat is that you may get creamier, better-tasting milk, but you will get less amount than you would get with bigger goats. As for the Saanens and Toggenburgs, both of these breeds are proud goats with heavy milk production. However, the Saanens make a very thin milk while the Toggenburgs will make a fattier milk, great for cheeses.
Nigerian Dwarf Goats
Meat Goats Although any goat could be used for its meat, the two most common meat goats you will see are Boer goats and Kiko goats. Boer goats are probably the least smart of all goats but are one of the biggest (ie, make the most meat per goat). They are a strong breed with a white body, brown head, and backward curved horns. Some people say Boer goats are the toughest and easiest meat goats to raise while other people like other meat goat breeds. If you raise Boer goats, make sure they have plenty of food and browse (trees and plants) to eat as they tend to eat too close to the ground when grazing down low, leading to worms and parasite problems. Kikos are slightly smaller than Boer goats, but are also great meat producers. They can take care of themselves better in harsh conditions with very little help from goat owners. There are many other breeds and mixed-breeds that also make good meat goats.
Fiber Goats If you’re looking for that soft goat fleece that goes into cashmere and angora, then you should be looking for Angora, Pygora, and Cashmere goats. These goats have a thick under-coat, perfect for yarn. These are all great goats for making fiber, and it really depends on your preference in choosing one. Making goat fiber is a popular hobby and a booming business for many people.
Pet Goats Many kinds of goat can be wonderful pets. One example is a Pygmy goat. Pygmys are mainly for fun/pet goats. Sure, you can use them for meat or milk, but many goat owners have one or two pygmy goats just for the sake of having them. There’s nothing like going out to the barn and having your little Pygmy goat follow you around, keeping you company on your morning rounds. These goats come in different colors and are usually short in stature with round bellies and pointed ears. Once you’ve decided on a breed choice, you’ll want to take some important steps to get ready before you bring home your first goats.
Step 2 - How to Get Ready for Goats
No Beginners Guide to Raising Goats would be complete without covering what you need to do first to get ready for your new goats. Before you start raising goats, you will need to make sure you have the right equipment. You probably won’t know exactly 100% what you need for your goats until you get a few. For example, you can have a top-notch fence, and your little Kiko kid somehow magically finds his way out of it. With a walk around the fence you might find that your top-notch fence was not as good as you initially thought. Goats are known as expert escape artists. So some people start with temporary fencing until they see the weaknesses that are found by new goats. Then, they decide what permanent fencing they want. The same thing applies to food supplies. You may find that a tiny goat can eat A LOT when the feed you bought runs out faster than you thought. Don’t worry. As you spend time getting to know the habits of your own goats, you will eventually figure out any extra equipment and supplies you may need to buy. Until then, here are some basic preparations you will definitely want to take care of before you buy goats for the first time.
Goat Feeding and Water Equipment The amount of food and the kind of feeding equipment is mostly dependent on your terrain, housing and fencing. If you go for a traditional wooden or wire fence, you can attach feed buckets or troughs to your fence. If you have an electric fence, you’ll likely have some kind of housing within the fenced space where you can put a feeder. You don’t want to arrange feeders so they are inconvenient for you to fill at feeding time. When it’s 110 degrees outside or 20 below, you don’t want to have to take a quarter-mile walk into the pasture to feed your goats. Other important considerations are water and hay feeders. If your area faces harsh winters, consider heated watering buckets. This will make things easier for you, so you don’t have to keep changing the water all day in the freezing cold. In regard to hay feeders, goats (especially pregnant goats) should NEVER be exposed to moldy hay. This will lead to serious health problems like bloat and miscarriage. Basically, you want to make sure the hay stays dry and off the ground. For this, build or buy covered hay feeders that keep the hay a good distance from the ground.
Goat Housing and Fencing Next in our Beginners Guide to Raising Goats we need to talk about how you should house and secure your new goats. There are many housing and fencing options for your goats. But, when you’re setting up your place, there are a few basic rules. First, you’ll want some kind of shelter, whether you’re in a cold area where your goats will want to avoid the wind and stay warm, or whether you’re in a warmer area where your goats will want to avoid the sun. Also, think about terrain. Goats love to climb, and a bored goat is a goat that will want to escape. If their shelter is pretty plain, consider adding something your goats can climb on in the middle of the shelter. Just don’t put it close to the fencing where they may be able to jump over and get out.
Types of Fencing As for fencing, woven wire and electric fences are some good options. Make sure the fence is tight with limited space between the wires. One-strand wire fences may work with bigger livestock, but won’t work with goats. You can also try a wooden fence. That can work for smaller farms with one or two goats in the backyard. Again, make sure the boards are close together and high enough to not let your goat squeeze through or hop over it.
Milking Equipment: If you’re going to keep dairy goats, you will also need some special equipment for dairy needs. One key item is a milking stand where you can milk your goats. A milking stand is usually pretty simple, something you can even make yourself. It usually has a small feeder at one end with a place to tie-up your goat so she can’t jump off of the stand while you’re milking her. The floor of the stand usually stands about 1-2 feet off of the ground, whatever is comfortable for you while you are sitting on a stool next to the stand doing the milking.
The purpose of this stand is to lift your goat off the ground so that you can milk your goat while you’re sitting comfortably, and while she enjoys a sweet treat or goat feed. This keeps your goat busy while saving your knees and back from discomfort. The hardest part is training your goat to hop up on the milking stand.
Luckily, that’s usually not a problem if you have feed ready on the stand. After awhile, when your doe has learned to link the milking stand with eating something yummy, she will happily jump up into place when it’s milking time. Once you have your basic equipment ready, you’re ready to bring home your first goats. When you buy goats for the first time, keep the following important tips in mind.