Basic Goat Care Sheet

Feed: Your new goats are currently eating a mix of Bermuda Grass and Alfalfa hay. They will also like Orchard Grass hay. If they are pet goats they won’t need much if any alfalfa. Adult goats will typically eat between 2 and 4% of their body weight per day. I put out roughly 1lb of hay per goat in the morning and 1lb of hay per goat in the evening. If they are leaving a lot of waste, cut back. If they are gobbling up every stem, add more. 

• Grain is not necessary unless you decide to breed and milk your goats. 

• Hay should be fed off the ground. Goats are browsers - I typically place hay in a basket type feeder  or in a high fence line hay feeder that they have to stand or stretch upwards to reach. The ideal is a feeder that they can not stand in or get into to trample and poop in  the hay.

Water: provide fresh clean water at all times. I also put out an additional  5 gallon bucket of water with a ½ cup raw Apple Cider Vinegar, refreshed as they drink it down or it gets dirty..

Minerals: Goats need a loose goat mineral with copper. I provide my goats with  the 20 individual minerals + Salt from the mineral buffet (ordered from goatcare.com) or look for a quality loose mineral like Sweetlix Meat Maker.

Thorvin Kelp can be given as a trace-mineral supplement in addition to their regular minerals.  Kelp contains bio-available minerals and goats love it! I top dress a teaspoon per day on my dairy goat ration and put a cup out for the bucks free-choice once a week.

Herbs & Vitamins to have on hand: 

• Vitamin C powder for immune system support.  

• Injectable B complex. 

• Homeopathic Arnica tablets (for muscle pain and bruising). 

• Echinacea tincture

•  Oregano Essential Oil to mix 1 drop/ml of olive oil (immune support/natural antibiotics). 

• Dried Raspberry Leaf for gestation and early lactation. 

Shelter:  Goats need an overhead shelter with a wind break  to get away from the wind/rain/sun. They need good ventilation in the summer and draft free shelter in the winter.

Hoof Care: Hoof shears - highly recommend Silverline or similar quality that are are sharp and cut smoothly

•  a small rasp or planer for leveling

• Corn Starch or Blood Stop Powder

There are many educational  hoof trimming videos on YouTube. 

I found the “Goat Hoof Maintenance 101” Facebook Group to be very helpful while learning how to trim hooves. 

First Aid: This is a starting  list of items to have on hand, as you go along you’ll add to your cabinet:  

• Livestock thermometer

• Vetericyn Would Spray or similar 

• Povodone Iodine

• Vet Wrap

• Non-Stick Gauze Pads

• Alcohol Wipes

• 18 & 20 gauge 1” needles and 3ml luer slip syringes 

• Sulphur Dusting Powder and Coconut Oil - lice and mite treatment

• Activated Charcoal

• Grooming clippers

Vaccinations: The most common vaccination for goats is the CDT vaccine.  Duckwater goats are not vaccinated. I recommend researching to decide if it is the right thing for your goats. 

Worming: Do not worm on a schedule and if you do worm, complete the full protocol to avoid creating wormer resistance. 

I worm individual animals as needed based on fecal examination and modified McMasters fecal float test. 

Feeding hay off the ground and keeping living areas clean help break the parasite’s life cycle by preventing re-infection. 

If you decide to breed your does:

• They need to reach a minimum age and size:

  • Be at least 8 months old

  • Weigh 45 lbs

  • Measure 4.5 inches thurl bone to thurl bone

• Nigerian Dwarf Goats should not be bred to standard size goats - kids could be too large to birth. 

• I start my  pregnant does on a their  dairy goat ration top dressed with dried raspberry leaf 75 days before kidding. Start with ½ cup grain +1 tsp raspberry leaf 2x/day and gradually increase to their full ration + 1 tbsp raspberry leaf (split into 2 feedings) by kidding. During lactation I feed ½ lb of dairy goat grain per 1 lb milk produced and adjust up or down as needed

Recommended Reading and Helpful Resources:

Natural Goat Care - Pat Colby

Holistic Goat Care - Gianacalis Caldwell

Storey’s Guide to Raising Dairy Goats

“The Holistic Goat” Facebook Group

theholisticgoat.com

“Goat Vet” Facebook Group

I am not affiliated with any of my recommendations - I recommend them because I use them successfully