Who doesn’t love goats?! (If you don’t, then this post isn’t for you.) We had goats on our little farm growing up, but as an adult I spent YEARS begging and pleading with my husband to buy me some goats! And this year. IT HAPPENED! HE FINALLY BOUGHT ME SOME GOATS! We stared with three Nigerian Dwarfs, one whether and two does. Cutest little things!
Our whether, Kronk, is more like a puppy dog than a goat!
Our does, Daisy and Jane, are a bit more shy. With some good, tasty treats they are starting to come around!
Being first time goat farmers, we really weren’t aware of all the things to watch out for when it came to buying and caring for goats. My husband and I both grew up on farms so surely it’s not that difficult, right? The first thing we noticed, most people confuse Nigerian Dwarf and Pygmy goats. They are pretty similar, but serve different purposes. Nigerian goats are bred more for milking and have a leaner build whereas Pygmy goats were bred for meat and have a much shorter, stockier appearance. We were initially told that the first three goats we purchased were Pygmy goats, the farmer we purchased them from bred both and gave us a fantastic price on the three so we really weren’t concerned either way. After a few months of being in the goat “business” we found they must be Nigerian or a cross between the two. Why does it matter? For us, it really doesn’t. We aren’t out there to make money and our local 4-H has a cross class that kids can show them in. IF you are serious and really investing in the goat business, it is definitely a good idea to buy registered or have DNA tests ran on your starter herd to see what you have and possibly register from there.
Aside from breed, you’ll want to see if the goat/goats have had any kind of vaccines or treatments. This is VERY important if you are wanting to run an organic operation! We are not organic, but our first goat-farmer-failure was not asking about Coccidia prevention treatments. This is one of the most common goat illnesses that should be treated/prevented at birth to help with future outbreaks. I will share our experience and treatments in my next post.
Looking for a pet goat or a “weed eater”? Be wary of getting a billy goat. While they are usually pretty people friendly and easy to get along with, they are smelly! Billy goat urine is a smell that you can’t get off of your hands let alone out of the barn where it lives! My favorite pet was our billy goat, Danny Boy. He roamed the yard like a dog and would greet everyone that stopped by, but by golly! He reeked! Aside from being smelly, billy goats will try to breed year round, which is taxing on young does and nannies. We have also seen them single out the younger goats and pen them, and ram them until they are seriously injured or die. Obviously, not all billy goats are like that, but I have seen it happen several times! So unless you have a way to keep them separated, I don’t recommend starting off with a billy goat.
Goats and other animals? Before we got our first three goats, we had a horse and mini donkey on our farm. The horse didn’t pay them any mind. The donkey however was slightly agitated by their presence. He wouldn’t really be mean, he would just chase them around, baring teeth, until they went in their pen. Now he has slipped into more of a “guard” role. He will herd them around the pasture and into the barn at feeding time, occasionally he will get huffy when they get around his food, but that’s expected. Goats and dogs? Like all things, dogs have to be taught to not chase/bark at the goats. The goats don’t mind them a bit and actually find them entertaining. When the dogs are in the yard, all the goats will come out of the barn to watch them.
Okay, so I am rambling now. I guess I’m just SO EXCITED that our little farm is coming together! Thanks for sticking around and I hope you continue to follow along as we learn, grow, and build our homestead.
-Kristen
Tune in next week for information on treating and preventing coccidia.
“I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.” Psalms 34:4
[DISCLAIMER: we are not veterinarian professionals, we are only sharing our story and experiences. Seek professional advice prior to purchasing/treating animals]
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