CARE OF YOUR GOATS

            Your goat will need consistent basic daily care to ensure a healthy and productive life.  Nigerians can have life spans in excess of 15 years so when making a decision to purchase your goat be prepared for the dedication and devotion required to make these little goats happy and healthy for many years….their affection and devotion to you will be most rewarding. Those that truly love the breed enjoy the love and affection these little companions display.  Their antics are most joyous and you can’t help but laugh at them as they play.  Their gentle and friendly personalities make them excellent pets for young and old alike.

HERD ANIMAL

The first thing about your goat you need to understand is their herd instincts.  As much as these adorable goats enjoy your company they will still need a herd companion.  If they are left alone they can become depressed, stressed, and sickly.  Your goat will be much happier, healthy, and productive with his like companion.  So if you plan on purchasing a goat …please buy two.  A wether (castrated male) can make a wonderful pet.  They are usually inexpensive ($50-$100) and are just as friendly and affectionate as the doe. If you decide to invest in a nice Doe for show, breeding, or even a pet …a wether would be a cheap investment to keep your doe happy and healthy. 

BUYING YOUR GOAT

            Make sure you buy your goat from a reputable breeder.  Someone who registers their goats, advertises their herd, actively participates in breed shows/ milk testing etc. tends to sell healthy quality goats.
Ask the seller questions about your goat whether it be management practices or herd health.  A reputable breeder would be happy to answer those questions because they are proud of their achievements and take pride in their herd.  A good breeder may even ask “YOU” questions to insure the goat’s new home would be a good one. Please don’t be insulted….we work very hard to uphold the standards of the breed and really love what we do…we don’t want to send our babies to owners who are not educated on care and the responsibilities that come with this type of ownership.  Its hard enough to sell these cute bundles of joy, but we find it easier when we know they will be provided a good home environment.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions either!  Ask away…that is the only way you will be sure you are making the right decision and providing the best care possible to your new pet.
A backyard or “Goat Mill” breeder is usually in it for the money and many times these goats are not vetted regularly, has poor health, or bad breeding.  This is not the route to go to get that “cheap goat” pet.  There are plenty of reputable breeders out there offering beautiful and healthy low priced goats.  A goat not properly cared for and brought home can cost you a lot of money down the road or worse yet, bring disease to your herd or die. 
So please, do your research, decide what type of future you want with your goat (breeding, pet, show) and learn about the breed and care, then pick the right goat for you.

FEEDING

            Feeding practices range from breeder to breeder. Main concern is to make sure you do research on how to feed goats and use feed specifically beneficial to them.  Other types of feed can be toxic to goats and may not contain essential nutrients or minerals they require.
I provide quality Alfalfa/Timothy/Orchard grass mix to my goats free choice.  They are fed Purina Show Goat (16%) in the evenings and the amount I give them depends on age, condition, and size.  They always have fresh water and minerals as well as baking soda available to them free choice daily.  I never give extra feed to help with the colder months…additional hay is a better choice or gradually add some alfalfa or an alfalfa mix to their current hay option. With free choice quality hay it is rare for goats to really even need change…they do quite well in the winter months.  But if you see they need more bulk in the cold winter months an increase in hay is a much better approach and much more beneficial to them to help regulate body heat than increasing their grain rations. 
Bucks and wethers should be given special attention with grain intake.  Male goats are susceptible to urinary calculi and need feed containing ammonium chloride.  If you can’t find this type of feed you must top dress their grain with the proper amounts of ammonium chloride or your will have a very sick goat that can die from the symptoms.  Many male goats can maintain their weight on hay and minerals alone….do your research and follow the care regiment for these guys and you will have many healthy years together. 

VACCINES / ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

            In order to keep goats healthy you need daily routine maintenance.  You can not just put your goat in their pen and forget about them for weeks at a time.  In order for them to stay healthy and socialized they will need hoof trims (as needed / usually 4-6 weeks if they are on a high protein feed), vaccines (CD&T highly suggested), clean water, good quality hay, minerals, clean living quarters, and of course human interaction and love.  They are animals that crave attention and affection just as any other pet. 
There are several different types of vaccines and preventatives on the market and a lot to learn about them and how they affect your herd.  At Apache Downs we vaccinate all our goats annually with CD&T.  All goats are also tested annually for JOHNE’s, CAE, and CL.  We have been disease free since we started our herd and follow very strict Biosecurity measures to keep it that way.

WORMING & PESTS

WORMING: This can be an extremely large topic for ruminants and there are no set rules to the proper way to do this.  You can choose to worm quarterly, yearly, FAMACHA, and many other methods.  The main objective is to keep your goats healthy, don’t under-medicate / over-medicate, or refuse to acknowledge the problem because you find it difficult….ask for help from a vet.  Goats have worms no matter how healthy they are.  It’s the level, living conditions, health, and the resistance levels in their system that determines their effect on the goat.  Your best resource is a local vet which can determine what worms are problems in your area.  They can also run fecal tests for the first year and test as needed to determine what worms are problems in your herd and get you on a program to protect your goats.   This isn’t a definite fix for your goats and they will still need to be evaluated from time to time as all goat breeders do.  If you are not an experienced goat owner please rely on experts to help sort out this decision for you.  Under-medicating can cause the worms to build resistance to the chemical and cause bigger problems down the road not only to your herd but others as well.  Over-medicating can kill your goat.  Waiting to long can kill your goat as well.  So please as I stated above….ASK QUESTIONS and do your research.
Here at Apache Downs we worm only when needed and only worm those that need it, not the whole herd…others that have built a higher resistance of sorts, or are not affected, are not wormed.  We will also cull those animals out of out breeding program if warranted.   Because we are a small hobby farm, it is easy for us to check the weight, condition, and membranes weekly on our goats.  If we see a change in any of these conditions we conduct a fecal exam to determine the worm load and type and proceed to medicate accordingly.  We use two types of medication depending on the worms Safeguard and Ivomec injectable (given orally 1ml/50lbs).  Please ask your vet for proper dosage of these products or any other type you choose before you medicate.
NOTE: We have changed to the Herbal Treatment for our worming practice in Spring of 2007 and have seen an outstanding improvement in the health of our stock (coat condition has much improved, strong immune systems, & overall body condition has improved).  We have not had to use a chemical wormer since we started our herbal treatments. We order our herbals through Fias Co Farm.
At Apache Downs we also use the Probios product and believe that it contributes strongly to the immune system as well as being very beneficial to the rumen of the goat.  (This product has been just as beneficial to my horses -equine version of Probios- as well in regulating the digestive system and preventing colic problems) Our goats are given a 5g dose, once a day, for two days in a row each month and the results have been very beneficial to my herd in building strong immune systems and controlling digestive upsets.  My herd is much healthier, happier, and I believe they utilize nutrients in their food much better when given these good bacteria as a preventive medicine.

PESTS: We also keep an eye on external pests such as lice on our goats.  If our goats start to bite, rub, or scratch we treat them with PYTHON dust at about 1-2oz per goat.  I use only about ½ - 1 oz on the young ones. We follow up treatment 10-12 days later to get any eggs that may have hatched.  If you use Ivermectin as a wormer then it will take care of external parasites as well and dusting may not be necessary.
Flies, which are the biggest nuisance, can be decreased to lower levels but not fully eradicated from your farm.  Good manure management, clean housing / pen areas, use of fly tape (out of goats reach of course), fly predators, and a mild mist of Prymethrin horse fly spray on your goats (watch not to get in their eyes/nose/mouth),  can go a long way in making your goats more comfortable and healthy.  There are many other methods of fly control out there so do your research and see what works for you and your farm. 

HOUSING

            Goats should be kept in a well constructed pen….never tie your goat and leave him unattended!  Not only can they strangle themselves but they can’t get away from predators. I prefer a fenced area constructed of no climb horse fence 4 foot high (5-6 foot for bucks) attached to 4x4 posts spaced about 8 feet apart.  This seems to work for me and I’ve never had any escapes.  Make sure gates are secure…these little guys can be pretty tricky!
Their housing depends on the number of goats you have.  I have four  housing areas and the barns are (2)8x10 and (2)4x8 and they are quite comfortable.  They have good ventilation, shelving areas if they choose to sleep off the floor, and are draft free. If you have only a couple goats a 4x4 or 8x4 shelter will be adequate….just make sure you check frequently that they are draft free and are not laying on damp or urine soaked bedding.  Drafts, ammonia fumes, and damp bedding can cause many health problems for your goats so it is important to prevent these problems and keep them comfortable.  I have contact with my goats everyday and do daily checks of housing and pens that consist of anything from a walk through to a total stripping of bedding in their barn areas.
I also use a product called “Sweet PDZ” to help bedding area to stay fresh and fume free.  I apply Sweet PDZ to base of floor, a thin layer of wood shavings, and then a layer of straw.  Straw is thin to thick depending on the weather.  The colder the weather the thicker the straw. 
Please make sure they have access to hay and water in bad weather (high heat, frigid temps, rain, snow). A roof structure of some kind over the shelter area will insure your goats will still get to their food and water when the weather is awful.  Goats hate to get wet….and many times will wait out bad rain storms for many hours before even thinking about going across an uncovered area to get to nourishment…it is also very important to provide shade areas in very hot weather, heat stress will kill your goat !  It is your responsibility to help them with this and construct their areas accordingly.    
Make sure they have things to climb on in their pen area that will not injure them (no sharp objects, broken tables, objects wide enough for hoofs to get caught, wires or ropes hanging etc).  They love to play and “King of the Mountain” (or table..ha ha)  seems to be their favorite.  Besides, it will provide you with many hours of laughter watching their antics.  I have an old tire in the ground half way, platforms, a fisher price table and house, and ramps.  They use all of it and have a blast during their daily play time.  It will keep them fit and happy having their own playground.
Be careful when it comes time to place young goats into pens with larger goats….some older goats can be bullies or too aggressive and may hurt little ones.  If this is the case you may want to keep them separated until they grow a bit more and gain more weight but keep them close to the others  if possible.  Maybe even put them with a gentle doe or wether for a bit for company.  When they get a bit older and gain some weight  you can place them together again, let them establish dominance issues (they will fight a bit ) and then they should be ok.  Remember they are herd animals and the order of “dominant goat” needs to be established in order for things to settle down…..your interference will not help the situation….do not keep taking your goat out and putting her back in again.  They need to duke it out so to speak and then things will be fine. 
Never put Bucks in with Does unless breeding….in fact, if you have no need for a Buck, you really shouldn’t have one….a Wether (castrated buck) is a better option.  If you do have a need for a Buck (breed / show) keep him separated from the Does and a  Wether or another Buck as a companion is the best option…you don’t want to leave him alone…again they are herd animals and he would be much happier & healthier with a buddy.

      SOME SIGNS TO LOOK FOR THAT INDICATE A PROBLEM

Most times goats will wait till the very last minute to show signs of sickness, so you must
observe / interact with then daily to get use to your goats routine/behavior.  This will help
you to better judge when there is a problem.  Here are some signs to look for but please note
that sometimes the signs are very subtle and unless you are a long time owner to goats and
familiar with their behaviors you may miss them.  If uncertain please contact your vet.  You
want to see an alert happy goat when you enter the pen, wide clear eyes, eager to be fed,
ears alert, eagerly greeting you in their own language, walking or jumping around, with a
nice shiny coat condition.

These are some signs to look for,  if you see the following please contact your vet :

- not interested in their grain ration                                 -listless or laying off by themselves away from the herd            
- limping                                                                            -diarrhea or any form that is not typical goat berries
- dry coarse coat/balding/constant scratching                 -nasal or eye discharge
- coughing/heavy breathing                                              -foaming at the mouth
- head shaking                                                                   -staggering/disoriented
- standing with back arched & and back legs                   -weight loss
Together                                                                            -standing with head pressed against something for long periods
- hair puffed and tail down                                                -lesions, scabs, swelling, blood

DISCLAIMER

            Please note that the animal health and husbandry information contained in this website is merely what has worked for me and my herd.  I do not claim to know all the answers and can only offer you the best information based on my experience and research.  Please use common sense and monitor your goats daily.  If you have any questions or problems please consult a ruminant vet directly if the health and welfare of your goat is in question.
My “Care Of” page is just the beginning and not intended to be your entire education about goats.  There is so much to learn about goats and it’s your responsibility to research and learn as much as possible BEFORE you decide to buy a goat.
Owning a goat can be a fun experience and can bring many years of joy and companionship, However, the responsibilities of  pet ownership should be considered carefully before you purchase your goat and not after.

I have found the following books to be a great reference tool when deciding to purchase my first two goats.  I still use them for reference, along with some outstanding websites & clinics offered to continue to educate myself on goat health and husbandry. 

Reference books:
       
        "Your Goats - A kid's guide to raising and showing"       by Gail Damerow
        "Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats"        by Jerry Belanger
        "The basics and beyond - Goat care and Management"       by Patty Putnam

Reference websites:

        Fias Co Farm  www.fiascofarm.com
        Cornerstone Farm www.cornerstonefarm.net
        Dicksons Brokenharrow Ranch  www.brokenharrowranch.com