Basic Goat Care

Bucks & Wethers: We feed a quality long-stemmed grass hay all year long, such as Barley, Oat, Wheat, or Triticale. We supplement the long-stemmed grasses with a summer grass hay such as Teff, Orchard Grass or Burmuda. In winter we will add some alfalfa to their diet to help keep them warm. During rut bucks will lose weight. As a treat to help prevent weight loss, we will give a mix of Chaffehaye which is a fermented alfalfa, beet pulp shreds, and calf mana. Adult males are prone to developing urinary stones and are best maintained on a low protein low calcium diet. Limiting alfalfa and grain are key in its prevention. We recommend feeding adult males limited or no grain once they reach 6 months to a year in age but if you insist on feeding grain look for lamb finishing pellets that have a urine acidifier (ammonium chloride). You should not feed more than 1/4 cup per day. Instead of grain, you can feed a variety of fresh fruits and veggies such as apple slices, carrots, celery, and mesquite beans (when in season). 

Does: We feed our does the same diet as the bucks and wethers when they are not pregnant or lactating. If your doe is pregnant or lactating, you want to gradually increase her alfalfa intake until she is predominantly eating alfalfa. We like to add variety to our animals’ diet so we will supplement with grass hay of some sort. Approximately a week prior to kidding, start giving a small amount of grain (a handful or two). You don’t want to do this too early. Too much grain while a doe is carrying will cause the babies to grow larger which could cause birthing complications. After the doe has kidded, you can gradually increase her grain rations which will help her body produce more milk and assist her in keeping her weight up and her body in condition. Milking places stress on the body so adding grain to the diet is helpful but be careful not feed too much grain as it can upset the pH of the rumen making them susceptible to acidosis which can be deadly.

Kids: A higher protein diet is beneficial to kids under a year for growth. Alfalfa is recommended for kids under a year and a handful of grain for each makes a nice treat.

Things to know: All hay should be free of dust and mold. Goats are very sensitive to mold toxins, do not feed moldy hay. Never change a goat’s diet abruptly. If you are going to make changes or additions to their diet, it should be done gradually to avoid bloat or scurs (diarrhea). Goats require clean, fresh water at all times, especially a doe that is lactating. 

Minerals: Goats require a good quality goat mineral to stay healthy. This should be offered free choice meaning you have it available to your goats at all times and they will determine how much they need. We highly recommend loose minerals over mineral blocks as it is much easier for the goat to get what it needs from the loose version and many agricultural experts recommend this, as well. We feed Sweet Lix Mangum Milk but Purina also carries a good blend, as does Manna Pro.

Baking Soda: We offer this to our goats free choice also. This helps to balance rumen pH and keep acidity down. If you’re not feeding a lot of grain, your goats should not be eating a lot of it.

Copper: Copper is a vital mineral for goat health. Not enough copper in the diet can lead to lack of vitality and even death. Not enough copper will also lower your goat’s resistance to parasites. We highly recommend you educate yourself on signs of copper deficiency in goats and minerals that may be in your water (especially well-water) that can bind to copper causing your goats to need more. The Thrifty Homesteader has several blog posts and a free course on copper and goats. We highly recommend you take a look so you are knowledgable about this subject.

Probiotics: We are fanatics about probiotics. We keep a tube of Probios on hand at all times. There are so many instances where a goat might get into something that will cause scurs, or we will give if a goat is under stress from a move to prevent issues, it has endless benefits. Probiotics help to stablize the rumen and digestive tract.

Deworming: Goats need deworming from time to time. If you have a goat that is looking thin and you’re having a hard time keeping weight on, they may need deworming. Another way to stay on top of this is to check the coloring on the inside of their lower lid. This is referred to as FAMACHA scoring. There are many videos on YouTube. The University of Rhode Island has a thorough video here:  watch video

Hoof Trimming: Hoof trimming is essential to the health and mobility of your goat. We recommend that hoof trimming be done at a minimum, every other month. Some goats will need it monthly. If you need to learn how to trim hooves, please ask us and we will show you how or you can learn how from several videos on YouTube.

Grooming: Goats are pretty low maintenance on grooming requirements. A nice soft bristle brush is all you need to brush your goat down, we like to do this after we trim hooves. This is a good time to check your goats for lice also. Goats do not like water so bathing is optional but recommended prior to clipping for show or appraisal. A dirty goat will dull your clipper blades quickly. If you have a buck, a once per year bath in summer is helpful to their skin and can assist in the prevention of skin scald.