Little Valley Acres
New to Goats?
Here's a few things to know!
Before you decide to officially buy a goat, there are a few things you may want to know and research about. Seeing the fluffy little face of a baby goat can melt your heart in seconds and bring your life an unending amount of happiness- But there are many things a lot of people don't know about goats and some things you may want to think about before you fully commit. Owning goats is an unending journey of learning from your own successes and failures; leaning on other goat lovers in times of emergencies, and listening to the advice of your goat mentors. It's a rewarding and at times, stressful adventure. But to some, it's all worth it! The best feeling in the world is when you go walking out to the barn and a whole herd full of friendly faces come running out to meet you!
The Basics...
One goat is not enough!
The Farm you buy from is very IMPORTANT!
Goats are herd animals
A goat is a herd animal. They need to be surrounded by animals or at the very least one other goat. If you're buying a goat and don't have any other goats, I always recommend that you buy two-even if you do have other types of animals. Having another animal the same size and from the same farm is always beneficial for your goat. Personally, I will never sell one goat to a farm that does not have another goat.
I don't believe its healthy for them and as easily stressed as goats can get- I never recommend it.
First, you want to make sure that your goats come from a clean tested herd. Diseases are never a good start to your adventure with goats. The social skills of your goat is also important. To be honest, my first goal with my herd wasn't set out to be how well they socialize with people. This mindset quickly changed after I bought my first buck from a farm that did NOT socialize their goats AT ALL! I quickly learned from my mistakes; especially while I was driving five miles down the road looking for a goat at 11:00pm at night, crossing my fingers he would come back for two days! (Yes! That all really did happen.) And that is why socialization is extremely important to me for my herd! :)
Healthy & Friendly = A good start!
Your Goat Set up...
Pending where you live, your set up may vary. Here in northern Wisconsin, having a barn or at least three sided shelter is a must! When you experience wet or cold seasons, your goats are going to be more prone to parasites and health issues. A place where they can get out of the heat or wet areas is huge!
Rain or shine your goat needs to stay dry...
After you bring home your goats...
The first thing to do when bringing goats to a new environment; make sure you properly introduce them to where things are, show them where the hay and water buckets are along with the loose mineral and baking soda.
Make sure they are adapting well; eating properly; and most importantly, maintain good health. Also, make sure you go out to the barn lots throughout the next few weeks- you want them to be comfortable with you, not just their environment. If you don't maintain social interaction with them, they can loose their friendliness. Chasing a goat to do something as simple as trimming hooves is never fun.
Things to have on hand-
Here's a general list of things I would recommend to have on hand:
-Hoof trimmers
-Hay bag or Feeder
-Rubbing Alcohol
-Disposable gloves
-Ivermectin 1%
-LA -200 or some form of antibiotic
-Probio's (Probiotic)
-Diatomaceous Earth (I like to spread this in there stalls in the summer months/or when I'm worried about lice)
-High level Vitamin B. comblex
-Syringes & Needles (Its lots cheaper to buy stuff like this off of Amazon vs. Tractor supply or Farm stores)
-Loose Mineral (Do your research on mineral- Not all minerals are made the same. The brand I like is called -Manna Pro mineral)
-Baking soda (Helps with digestion)
-Apple Cider Vinegar
-Hoof n' heel
-Vetericyn plus -Wound & skin
-Fly spray (For in the summer months)
-CD&T
-Total Toltrazuril (Coccidia prevention-for sure get this if you're bringing home baby goats. This is ordered online)
-Grain (Do your research, grain and sweet feed are NOT the same. You can also make your own. I give grain only to my pregnant does, lactating does, or kids. Bucks don't need grain and really shouldn't have it.
-Hay!
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*Believe me, your goat supply cabinet will get bigger and the list will grow. Once you have a good supply of a little bit of everything- you'll be prepared for just about anything; if the 1:00am goat emergency arises, you'll be so grateful you have a good supply.
*Also- Find yourself a good goat mentor, join some goat Facebook groups, watch YouTube videos, research and enjoy the process. You're learning!
Have a question?
Reach out! I would love to help you in any way I can! :)
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