You definitely want to keep a record of some kind! Everyone has something different that works for them, I put everything in my phone calendar, and then write it down when I get home. That way I have two copies if something ever happens to one.
I use Manna Pro goat minerals (in the orange bag) fed free choice. I also feed Kelp Meal during breeding season- I heard it was supposed to help them have more doe kids
my vet said it was conformation-related. I have her mom, twin sister, and two nieces who are all perfectly fine- though I have been breeding for strong legs.Polled goats are a toss up, they’re nice but you never know if they’re going to have polled kids or not. That being said, you’ll definitely want to disbud them, it makes them so much easier to be around, and it’s easier to find homes for the babies if they don’t have horns
Not very often, I use the Famacha method to worm
My girls really like pumpkins
They seem to work if you use them regularly. Molly’s Herbals is great, but I never remember to use it every week like you’re supposed to
Local breeders are best if they’re good quality. I like to travel a little, but that’s because the herds in my area aren’t very high quality and aren’t disease tested
Not more than once a year. You can milk her as long as you want, just not more than 2-3 months into the next pregnancy (I dry mine off before re-breeding)
I only give a CD/T vaccination once a year, it’s given SQ under the front leg
You’ll want to feed mostly a grass hay such as timothy if you can find it, alfalfa is usually too rich for most goats except for pregnant/milking does.
Thank you. I keep spreadsheets for my chickens, so I think I will just keep a spreadsheet. How often do you clip hooves and shear udders?
It’s recommended to trim hooves every 6-8 weeks. If you only have a few you can do them all on the same day every few weeks. I have so many goats now that it kills my back to do them all at once, so I check them every few weeks and trim one goat a day
Best Goat Book Ever
I do have a quick question. How much space does each goat need, not counting the run?It’s recommended to trim hooves every 6-8 weeks. If you only have a few you can do them all on the same day every few weeks. I have so many goats now that it kills my back to do them all at once, so I check them every few weeks and trim one goat a day
You can shave udders whenever you want, a lot of people do it before kidding, but you can wait until you start milking, or not shave them at all, depending on what you want to do
I just wanted to add a few more tips if you’re interested
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Records: I recommend keeping records for individual goats. I keep a 3-ring binder with a separate file for each goat where I put their registration papers, medical history, breeding records, and sale history.
In some states such as my own you are required to keep these records (mostly medical) for several years. The main purpose of this is for meat and milk withdrawal times and to trace disease
Registration: If you’re planning on breeding to sell, you’ll definitely want to get good quality registered stock, and you’ll get out of having to use scrapie tags as long as they’re registered and tattooed
Testing: You’ll want to start out with goats tested negative for CAE, Johnes, and CL. These are serious diseases that can go by undetected or take out your entire herd. Most serious breeders will test. I got lucky with mine, but it’s so much easier to start with tested stock than to replace infected goats that you love
That’s all I can think of right now, but feel free to ask any questions you might have
No pictures of the goats, because we don't have any, but this is the barn. Ignore the mess, we are trying to repaint the walls. The stalls we plan to put the goats in are fully enclosed, but we will bring them outside to free range and stuff. Atleast thats the plan!
That is a really nice stall!
Yeah, the stalls are pretty decent. Its pretty lifeless right now though, so the only thing missing is some goats!
