Skip to Content

Raising Goats Resources (Add to Your Goat IQ!)

Raising goats? Everything you need to know here…raising goats

As with any animal, there are countless amounts of information to learn about goats. But what a delightful creature! Hardy and full of spunk, they provide companionship, milk products, and cute kids! Enjoy our Goat IQ: Raising Goats page!

In my years of goat ownership, I’ve realized one thing: I love my goats. I LOVE raising goats!

And the more I learn, the more I realize that there is always more to learn.

Raising Goats for Beginners. Start here: 

With that said, never let anyone shame you for not knowing all there is to know about raising goats. We all start somewhere. There is a lot to learn from reading AND from experience. And the combination of both will continue to make you a great goat owner.

A-Z Goat Information:

Abscesses in Goats: Identification, Types and Effective Treatment 

Adaptability and Goats: Surviving and Thriving

Age of a Goat Determination

Analyzing Hay and Forage for Goats

Anemia in Goats

Basic Goat Health Information

Basics to Raising Goats–5 Tips!

Biosecurity

Bloat: Danger in Goats

Breeding and Pregnancy Tips for Goats

Breeding for Optimal Milk Production 

Breeding Goats for Best Results

Breeding Stock: Avoiding mistakes when purchasing

Broadleaves: Why they are better for goats

Buck Housing and Management

B-Vitamins

CAE: Prevention, Management, and Treatment

CDT Vaccine for Goats

Chemical vs Natural Dewormers

Chocolate Pudding from Goat Milk

Choose Goals and Mentors Wisely

CL In Goats

Copper Bolus Complete Guide

Copper Bolus: safe for pregnant goats?

Cost of Goats

Coughing: Normal or Sick in Goats 

Dietary Needs of Goats–the Realistic Realities

Disbudding and Deh0rning

Diseases: Prevention, Control and Management

Emergency Plan for Goats 

Euthanasia: When to Consider Putting Down a Goat

Fainting Goats: The Truth About Fainting Goats

Feeding Goats: Terms You Should Know

Fencing, Pen, and Pasture Setup for Goats

Fencing for Goats: 5 Options

Fencing: Pallet fencing for small animals

First Goat: What You need before bringing them home

Founder in goats

Geriatric Goats: How to Care for Old Goats

Gestation in Goats

Gifts (relating to goats)

Goat Cheese: Is it Dairy?

Goat Record-Keeping System

Hay Cost Calculator

Hay, Forage and Feed to Give Goats

Heat Cycles in Goats

Heat Stress and Heat Stroke in Goats

Heredity and Environment in Dairy Goat Development 

Hooves: How to Trim Goat Hooves

Horns on Goats: Pros, Cons, and Purpose

Housing for Goats: DIY Idea

How Many Goats Per Acre?

How to Convince Your Parents to Get Goats

Hydrating a Sick Goat: Vital to Recovery 

Hypocalcemia in Goats

Injections: Your Comprehensive Guide to Giving Injections to Goats

Ketosis in Goats

Kid Problems: 15 Problems

Kidding Kit

Lice in Goats

Lifespan of Goats: how long do they live?

Livestock Guardian Dogs for Goats (LGDs)

Long Stem Fiber is Essential for Goats

Lumps: Lumps or Abscesses on a Goat’s Face, Neck or Jaw

Lutalyse for Goats

Management: Goat Management: Successes and Pitfalls

Market: How to Determine Your Market

Marketing for Goat Product Sales Directly from the Farm

Markets: 7 Goat Markets to Choose From

Medications: Extra-label and Off-label medications for goats

Milk a Goat (How To)

Milk for Goats

Milk: Goat Milk Benefits

Milking: Training New Goats to Milk

Milk Goiters/Milk Neck in Goat Kids

Milking Goats: Prepare for them!

Milking Stand from Pallets

Mineral Feeder: DIY

Mineral Guide: Complete Goat Guide

Minerals: Can Goat Kids Have Minerals?

Needles and Syringes

Mow Your Goat Pastures–Here’s Why!

Needles and Syringes for Goats

Newborn Kid Checklist

Newborn and Young Kid Health Challenges

Newborns and Young Kids Up to One Year

Nutrition for Goats: Complete Guide

Nutrition: 4 Tips for Optimal Goat Nutrition

Organic and Natural Practices for Raising Goats

Parasite Information Book and Binder

Pedigrees, Registries, and Genetics in Goat Breeding

Pen: Perfect Setup for Goats

Pneumonia in Goats

Pregnancy Toxemia in Goats

Preventative Care: Raising a Better Goat

Profit with Goats: Free Course

Protein: Excessive protein problems

Raw Milk Benefits

Raw Milk: is it safe for kids and babies?

Reasons you need goats

Record Keeping

Shelter Plans for 3-6 Goats

Sickness and Disease: 5 to be aware of

Sickness: Sometimes an “easy” fix

Sick or Injured Goat: Answer these Questions First

Spring Goat Checklist

Staph Infections in Goats

Stress in Goats: How to prevent it and stop it

Tattoo a Goat (How to)

Tips: Considering goats-Here’s what you need to know

Toxoids and Anti-Toxins

Types of Goats: Milk, Meat, Fiber

Vaccines: Multivalent-Are They Safe or Not?

Vaccines: Which are available and Necessary or not

Vaccinating and Deworming Goats

Vet for Goats–Find one NOW!

Water Source: How it’s affecting your goats

Weeds and Leaves: Why Goats do Best on Weeds and Leaves (and not grass)

Weighing a goat: 4 ways

Wether Goats

What is a Baby Goat Called?

Winter and Goats and how to care for them

What I Wish I Had Known Before Owning Goats

The posts below will encourage you to learn all there is to know about how to prepare for goats, goat health, and caring for your goats through the ups and downs of all the issues that may arise.

6 Reasons Your Farm Needs A Goat

What I wish I had known before owning goats

BEFORE Bringing Home Your First Goat

raising goats

 

 General Goat Information and Health at a Glance:

• Temperature: 101.5 – 103.5

• Pulse: 70-80 beats per minute

• Respiratory: 15-30 per minute

• Rumen movements (Stomach): 1-1.5 per minute

• Puberty: 7 weeks to 8 months. At weaning (2 months), separate the bucks from does

• Full Growth Size: Goats will continue to grow into their 3rd year

• Estrus/Heat Cycle: 17-23 days

• Gestation: 143-155 days

• Life Span:

• DOES: 11-12 years on average, death is usually kidding-related. Does who retire from breeding, around the age of ten, live longer (16-18 years).  

• BUCKS: 8-10 years, the stresses of going into rut each year cause their lifespan to be shorter. 

• WETHERS: 11-16 years on average.

Print off the information and hang it in the goat barn!

Raising goats

Necessary for Raising Goats: 

Goats are sensitive to the elements and will need a good shelter to get out of the wind, rain, hail, and snow. The shelters linked below are so easy to make, they are economical and have done such a great job of protecting our goats. 

Fencing is one of the most important parts of goat ownership. Goats have a knack. A crazy knack for being able to get out and being exactly where they are not wanted. Do your thorough research on which fence will work best for your property and goats. 

Below is linked the pallet fence we use. But even with that four-foot fence, my Mini-Nubian buck scaled over that fence like he was a Thoroughbred at the races. And he still had all of his necessary parts intact after reaching the other side, thankfully! And well, he kind of was in a race. A pro-creation race. A doe in heat was being serenaded by another buck. And that was not to his liking.  

That is all to say, never underestimate a goat’s will and desire to get OUT!

Pallet Fence: Great for small livestock

Fencing for Goats and Small Livestock

Pallet Goat Shelter

Double Sized Pallet Goat Shelter

Goat Feeder Using Pallet Boards

Goat Mineral Feeder

Follow on Pinterest for more shelters, fencing, feeding, and health care ideas for goats: Follow on Pinterest.

 

This is an ultra-useful tool for any goat owner: Goat Management Binder

General Goat Care Information: 

It helps to be prepared with as much information as possible. We only own a few acres on the edge of a smaller town, so the quest to answer the question, “How to raise goats in my backyard?” is high on the list. And from my experience, goats start out as pets and then they are being raised for profit…because, well…it’s easy to end up with too many goats and then your spouse insists that they need to start paying their own way…

Am I the only one…?

Your Complete Goat Mineral Guide

Basic Goat Health Information

Goat Feed: Hay Cost Calculator for GOATS

Weight Calculator for Goats

CD&T Vaccination for Goats: What is it?

raising goats

Milking Goat Needs and Raw Milk Information: 

Raising goats is a really good investment if you are interested in a healthy source of milk products and potential income, which could at least pay for the cost of your goats for a year. 

We offer an exclusive email series on being profitable on your property, which includes ideas for utilizing the different avenues of income from goats. Your next step would be to sign up here: 230 Ideas to Profit

And did I mention the love of goats? They will give you a beautiful relationship that will benefit your whole family! You will be invested in more ways than one. 

Benefits of Raw Milk That YOU Need!

Astounding Benefits of Goat Milk!

How to Build a Pallet Milking Stand

Homemade Milk Filters Using a Bed Skirt

Simple Strip Cup for Milking

How to Milk a Goat

raising goats

Goat Care Pre and Post Pregnancy: 

Even your most special wether needs proper nutrition to remain healthy. And sometimes issues can still arise with the best and most proper care available. And when the issues arise it can be very scary. 

Years ago, I didn’t know about goat polio, but now I’ve had the first-hand experience and have learned an incredible amount about the condition. I researched all I could and now combine that with my experience, which makes a complete picture. That’s how life works, even for you! You will read and learn and then experience.  All of that will grow you into a better goat owner. 

It can be easy to bring home a goat and feel like all will be well, always. I was there once. I had owned a few wethers for a handful of years and had never had any problems.

But when pregnant and lactating animals are present, there is a whole new set of things to think about and deal with. Ketosis really does happen. Goats are actually quite picky and do require a high nutritional diet. Pregnancy complications are a part of the deal. And sometimes kids are born with unknown issues. It can be heartbreaking and sometimes almost too much to bear.

Easy Goat Due Date Calculator & Goat Care During Pregnancy

What is pregnancy toxemia in goats?

Kidding Kit: A Complete List of What You Will Need for Kidding

Ketosis in Goats: What is It and How to Prevent It?

What is hypocalcemia in goats?

And with all that said, I hope you are one step further in your goat ownership journey. It’s a fun journey, isn’t it? 

 

I’m filling you up with things to read in your quest for goat knowledge, I bet you would also enjoy reading these as well: 5 Goat Lessons I Learned the Hard Way, Goats for Dummies Cheat Sheet, Fun and Profit in Goats

 

I accept the Privacy Policy

Line

Monday 21st of March 2022

Hi, we have two , 11 months old pet goats ( mixed breed ) which are eating a complete gaot meal now ( bLUE SEAL cAPRINE cHALLENGER 16% ) & have to decrease & stop feeding it , too rich, getting to fat ( had problems before ) so I'm looking for a good mineral/vitamins free to give free choice & that's what is available here, in Qc : would it be good ?

Shurgain : 15-5 , 15% Calcium, 5% phosphore & others mins & vits, they say that's good for goats ? G

Delci Plouffe

Friday 25th of March 2022

Here is an idea of what you're looking for:

Salt needs to be 14-20% The calcium to phosphorus ratio need to be 2:1 or up to 4:1 Copper between 1800-2500 Zinc 3000-5000 ppm And it should also have cobalt and selenium

I hope you can find something like this!