So you want a baby goat?
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Let's Start With The Basics...
One of the first questions I always ask is what are you looking for?
We find many people reaching out to us inquire about getting a baby goat for a multitude of different reasons. Some want pets, others are looking for fresh milk right from their own backyard, and last, others are looking to add Show Quality stock to their Performance Herd or 4H project.
This page is intended for new goat owners to help you get started and answer some basic questions about goat ownership and care.
Things to think about before you commit:
We find many people reaching out to us inquire about getting a baby goat for a multitude of different reasons. Some want pets, others are looking for fresh milk right from their own backyard, and last, others are looking to add Show Quality stock to their Performance Herd or 4H project.
This page is intended for new goat owners to help you get started and answer some basic questions about goat ownership and care.
Things to think about before you commit:
- Purchase Your New Baby in a Pair: Goats are herd animals and always need a companion goat in order to be happy, well rounded pets.
- If it is just pets that you are looking for, we recommend you consider purchasing two castrated boys. We call them "wethers". Wethers are extremely loving and don't come with any of the negative attributes that an intact buck has. They are also MUCH less expensive to purchase. Our Does (what we call a female goat) start at $400 and up. Castrated boys are $150 each or $250 for a pair. We try first to keep brothers together when possible, since they are already bonded with each other, but two unrelated boys do great as well.
- We recommend you purchase your baby goats on bottles between 4-6 weeks of age. Further down the page is lots of information on bottle feeding baby goats, but rest assured it is not all that time consuming and we have yet to have a customer regret the limited work involved. It is a wonderfully bonding time and only takes a few minutes a couple of time a day.
- You are going to fall in love with your new goats, it's a given...so make sure you purchase from a reputable source. Goats can carry diseases that have the potential to affect their future health and well being. Ask the herd you are purchasing from if they disease test their herd annually. Purchasing a baby goat from a herd that does routinely test may cost a bit more up front but is well worth the peace of mind in the end.
Things you should always have on hand:
- Fresh Hay - we recommend Orchard grass for year round feeding of both does (girls) and bucks (boys). Young goats under 6 months of age and milking or pregnant doe in their last month of pregnancy we recommend feeding Alfalfa Hay.
- Fresh Clean Water - We cannot emphasize enough the need for fresh clean water daily for your goats health. If it isn't clean enough for you to drink it, they shouldn't drink it either!
- Minerals - Made specifically goats. They should be offered clean, fresh minerals weekly
- Good pair of hoof trimmers - your goats hooves will need to be trimmed every 4-8 weeks to maintain healthy feet
Bottle Feeding Basics: Coming soon...
Information and Care for a Doe (female): Coming soon...
Information and Care for a Wether (castrated boy): Coming soon...