Every year when kidding season comes around and I post the little babies up for sale. I’m surprised by how many are first timers when it comes to goats. So here are answers too many question that I get to help prepare those of you who are new to goats and may discover that you’re not quite as prepared as you thought you were for these little beasties.
You Can’t Have Just One
Unless your with your goat 24 hours a day, or have an alternate pasture buddy like a horse, pig, sheep . . . As herd animals, you must have at least 2 goats to keep them happy. They can otherwise become depressed and eventually end up sick from loneliness. Many families either have 2 does, or a doe and a wether (neutered male). Wethers are cheaper than does and bucks and are often sold as pets and/or companion animals.
They Can Be Loud
Goats can be loud and some have very irritating voices. Another one of my posts, “How To Keep Goats Quiet“, goes over ways you can either lessen or stop the noise. But we’ve had to sell goats before, just because we couldn’t take their yelling any longer. So be prepared with that if you’re goats are going to be located close to your house.
Feeding Requirements
At the very minimum you’ll need a good source of quality hay to feed your goats. I find an alfalfa/grass mix to be best. Your goats will benefit from additional things like loose minerals, grain (if milking), baking soda (if giving grain). You can find more detail on my feed post here.
Housing
Housing can be simple, but they will need something to protect them from the elements. It can be made from simple scrap wood, to OSB, to big and nice. The more the room the better if you live where it gets especially cold or nasty weather. Your goats will truly appreciate. Also consider that if you get more than two goats that they may or may not always get along. We’ve had goats kick others outside into the cold and have had to come up with additional housing.
Destructive
Goats love to chew on everything and are good at destroying. If your goat has access to your garden, trees, bushes . . . consider them dead soon. If you have a goat with horns, they LOVE to rub and scratch those on everything and will begin to wear down whatever they’re rubbing on. Even goats without horns will try but they can’t cause much in the way of damage.
Escape Artists & Proper Fencing
Goats love to find out ways to escape, not to get away, but just to prove that they can. It’s entertaining to them. Along with being destructive, they are very good at wearing down a fence until they are able to weaken it and create a hole. I have a post on what fencing to use here. Keep in mind your fencing height too. Even though we have Nigerians and almost none of them have been jumpers, I have owned a buck that was able to clear a 5-6 ft fence in order to get to his ladies.
Those are the main points you will want to consider before owning goats. They can be a lot of fun, especially if you have kids that want to do 4-H, but it take some careful preparation. You can find more information on goats from my other posts here.
Recommended Products (clickable)
