Basic Goat Care

Goats need hay or some type of adequate roughage to be successful and thrive as this is their main source of nutrients. There are all different types and sources where you can obtain hay and/or roughage, but you must be careful when selecting it, as it is not all created equal. If hay is not properly baled or "put up" at the correct time of the year, the result may be molding of the hay and/or too much dust in the hay which may lead to respiratory issues in your livestock. Since goats are able to process hay/roughage much differently than other types of livestock it is important to understand how this process works. In short, goats are ruminant animals like cattle. Their stomachs contain 4 different chambers to process food, whereas humans only have one. I found two great articles online regarding goats and their feeding requirements. Since I can only include one to use as a direct link below, I will list the other one as follows:

https://www.betterhensandgardens.com/feeding-nigerian-dwarf-dairy-goats/

We provide our goats with a ration of grain everyday. We have tried a variety of different types of goat grain. What I will say is that when does are in lactation I prefer to have them on an actual dairy goat grain 18-20% for its nutritional benefits, proper calcium to phosphorus ratio, added ammonium chloride to prevent urinary calculi, and prebiotics. I also tend to feed buck and doe kids grain until at least a year of age as it provides added minerals and support best utilized during the biggest stages of growth. Other brands I know that have worked well for other dairy goat breeders are the following: Field & Farm; Kalmbach; Nutrena Country Feeds (note: mine absolutely do not the textured kind); Purina; and Blue Seal. Depending on your area you may have none to all of these options available. Typically, you can find at least a couple of these at your local feed store. Don't forget to try the closest farmers co-op too. Ours can order in some things for us not found at the local feed stores. 

For someone like me with smaller hands I have found that the Saboten Hoof Trimmers are the way to go. Not only do they fit my smaller hand perfectly, but they are super sharp and STAY sharp for years! I have recommended these to other people and they have loved them as well. A great pair of hoof trimmers can make hoof trimming that much easier on you and the goat. 

However, I all but threw out my beloved hoof trimmers when my goat mentor told me I needed to invest in the Hoof Boss. Luckily, the $300 price tag didn't have to be absorbed by myself as I received a whole kit for Christmas one year from my in-laws. The kit comes with the Hoof Boss, CDs on how to work said Hoof Boss (I'll admit, I never watched a single one of them 😆), several different attachments for grinding the hoof down and a pair of safety glasses. Let me just say this much...once you get past the initial jitters of trying this thing out it'll become your BEST FRIEND and MVP of the barn for the remainder of the time you breed, own, and/or raise goats. I will never not have a Hoof Boss around at my farm. This thing is INVALUABLE to me since it hurts my hands quite a bit to trim hooves with regular hoof trimmers no matter how great they are. My only regret is that I didnt have one from the very start of my goat adventure. Do yourself a HUGE favor and get one! Pictured is me trimming one of my does hooves with my most cherished Hoof Boss. They are SO worth the money, trust me! 😊 I have included a link below for your convenience and, no, I do not get anything for the sale of one. I just truly love this thing so much and want to save people TIME and ENERGY. 

There are several of these on the market. We have an electric plug in from L&H Branding with a cast iron tip. It seems to do the job well. These get VERY hot, so please be careful when using this tool. We put our disbudding iron in a small bucket with large gravel pieces in the bottom, while waiting for the iron to heat up and during use. This has worked great! We also choose to administer Banamine orally about 20 mins prior to disbudding for pain and inflammation. We feel this helps these kids get through the process of disbudding better and provides an added measure of comfort afterwards. Typically speaking, we try to disbud buck kids between 3-5 days and doe kids between 7-10 days old. We find it is much easier to do at these ages even though they are still very young. We have also found that thr younger they are the better and faster they bounce back which, in our experience, has been immediate. 

A bander is used to castrate male goats. We use the Producer's Pride Castrator Premium Bander that can be found at your local feed store. You will also need castrating bands and we have chosen to use Producer's Pride Castrating Bands. These are what people refer to as "green Cheerios."  The green color is in reference to the size of the castrating band itself and is the color used for smaller goats. We have found both products work well.

P.S. All the boys above can give you a good idea of what to expect immediately after being banded. 😆 This is NORMAL behavior. I mean you did just take away their manhood after all. That hurts the ego and the "family jewels." 🤭

If you plan on breeding and selling goats you will need a tattoo kit similar to the one in link I have provided below. A tip for getting the tattoo to absorb better is to use a toothbrush. After applying the ink the first time, rub in vigorously, then tattoo the goat, apply more ink and rub in vigorously with the toothbrush a second time. Do this especially for goats with dark colors on the ears.

Goats need a consistent supply of fresh, clean water to grow and stay healthy and do their best during milk production. Pregnant and lactating goats, in particular, require the most water intake as do all goats when the weather is hot and dry. As a general rule, a single goat will require between a half-gallon to four gallons per day. Water intake will depend on the amount and type of forage and/or roughage they have available to eat such as lush green grass, hay or silage.

Goats need mineral free choice at all times. Over the years we have tried several different types including: DuraFerm; Dumor; Manna Pro; Sweetlix and Purina brands. I have found that the goats tend to like the Sweetlix the best with Duraferm next. When I can find Sweetlix at the local Tractor Supply store that is what I choose to have them on over the Duraferm now. However, Duraferm does have something called Concept Aid which purportedly has an additive to help in conception rates prior to breeding season and during breeding season. So, sometimes I will switch back and forth between those two. From a purely cost/benefit analysis its cheaper to find Sweetlix and Duraferm for the price per lb. This will also vary greatly depending on your geographical location. 

We disease test our herd through any of the following labs: WADDL in Washington State, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and SEK Genetics in Kansas. This report is available to view upon request for any potential buyer. FYI, you will want to order red top tube, glass or plastic is fine. I prefer plastic especially if the samples need to be shipped. My recommendations are the following: Monoject Blood Collection Tubes - silicone coated/no additive 3ML or Ideal Instruments Neogen Blood Collection Tubes - Vacuum/Plain 5ML. Typically you only need 3-5 ml of blood for disease testing and pregnancy checks. 

Our herd tested NEGATIVE for CAE, CL, and Johne's as of 04/09/2025 & 12/1/2025.