Today feels like the end of an era. After many talks with my husband, serious reflection, and hard thinking on the direction of our homestead going forward, I sold my beloved dairy goats. My Nubians Ruby and Rory to be specific, and they are getting picked up today. We originally got started with home dairy a few years ago, and for many reasons we went with goats over cow. They were 100% the right choice for us at the time, and have served us well the past few years. I owe so much knowledge to them, and they have repaid me with all the milk for delicious recipes.
But, not all animals are permanent. Some you raise and love, and they are a standing member of your homestead/farm forever. Others you don’t particularly care for and are here and gone. While others, are temporary stepping stones along the homesteading journey. They become a source of your knowledge, confidence, and the lessons they teach you and the mark they leave stay with you long after they’re gone. This does not make them any “less”. Dairy goats for me are the latter. I learned so much from them about fencing, housing, and most importantly, keeping a dairy animal. Deciding to sell them was no reflection on them, or anything they did wrong. If anything, how good they are is what made this so much more difficult. It would be an easy decision if they weren’t such good girls. What it was, was a necessary step to take our homestead in the direction we desire.
A cow has always been the end goal for us. I want the heavy cream, and the abundance of milk to fatten our pigs and offset our feed costs. We have no allergies or intolerance in our household, so goats are not our only option from a dietary standpoint. But, for all the reasons mentioned in my blog post on our choice to raise goats for dairy, they really were our only logical option before. But, things have changed. After spending a few years clearing our land and creating pasture, and creating even more this year for next spring, we have reached the point where we feel we are able to sustain a dairy cow.
We are practical people however. We cannot and do not want to have a cow and two large dairy goats that aren’t producing milk. Not to mention our Nigerian Dwarf males I am selling as well. The reason why I am able to give every single one of my animals such a high level of personal care and the best in terms of nutrition, is because I am intentional with who we keep. If I had twenty goats “just because”, the quality of care would suffer. I couldn’t feed organic 2nd cut hay, provide the chelated mineral supplement, or the organic grain ration to that many animals. With greater numbers, the quality of care would suffer. To me, it’s quality not quantity.
Every animal here (except for Wyatt 
) serves a distinct purpose, and we don’t need four goats to help with clearing. Our two Nigerian Dwarf does Audrey and Alison are still needed here for this, and so they are staying. But the two Nubians as well? It just didn’t make sense, so we had to choose. Pursue a dairy cow now, or continue down the dairy goat road and acquire the necessary breeding stock for our existing does. This would just mean more goats to sell later. So, we decided it was best for us to bite the bullet and go through this transition now.
It was not an easy decision, but one that had to be made. I know that I made the best decision for us going forward. As far as Ruby and Rory are concerned, before listing them for sale I made them a promise. I would not allow them to be separated, nor would I sell them to a farm that was any less in terms of accommodations they were used to here. I can’t bear the thought of this bonded mother-daughter pair being split up, or them being confined to cramped accommodations.
Not only did I come through on my promise, but I am not ashamed to admit they are moving on to bigger and better things themselves. They are going to the Remick Country Doctor Museum Farm in New Hampshire where they will become part of their new goat milk CSA program. Not only are they moving on to a farm bigger than our small homestead, but they will be fulfilling their higher purpose of providing the community with fresh goats milk. They will be well cared for, and have no shortage of attention or pasture to run in. I couldn’t have asked for a better home for my beloved girls.
Send in the Cows
Behind the scenes I have been looking for a Jersey cow on and off for the past few months, and got really serious about it over a month ago. First of all, I cannot get over how difficult of a time I had finding potential quality prospects. I’m not entirely sure what I expected, but the process has been more difficult than I anticipated. I scoured Craigslist, called farms, asked everyone I knew, put it to Instagram, etc. I came up empty handed a lot.
We had an ideal scenario that we were looking for. We wanted to avoid a heifer (never calved) at all costs, because we wanted a cow with some experience under her belt. We also wanted to steer clear of a cow that wasn’t already bred back. I am still working out the details of AI and talking to my vet about it, so I didn’t want to have to scramble. Plus, if an animal hasn’t been bred at this point in September, we wouldn’t be looking to calve until late next summer, which just doesn’t work for us. Why would I want a dry cow during the summer when I have my feeder pigs and quality pasture?
The biggest part of the hunt of course was the quality of the cow. A family milk cow can serve you for many, many, years in a homestead setting. And if properly cared for, can be productive into their late teens. I want this long term relationship, and wanted to get it right the first time. So, I was doing my homework, asking the questions to weed out the cows that wouldn’t work for us, or had more question marks than answers. I wasn’t afraid to take a pass on a cow I felt was a risk even if it meant not finding anything.
Finally, the Jersey Cow gods took pity on me and sent me a lead via an Instagram follower (thanks Natalee!) who personally knew some farmers that were selling some of their bred cows. I wasted ZERO time making the 7+ hour round trip visit to Orb Weaver Creamery in Vermont to meet Zack, one of the owners. They’re a farmstead cheese creamery that raises Jerseys, and specifically breeds for udder longevity, high butterfat, and high protein. Check, check, check. Upon my arrival, it took me all of five minutes to decide that I needed one of their cows.
As if the bucolic setting wasn’t enough, I consider myself a good judge of character when it comes to what kind of stewards people are to their animals. Maybe it’s because I’m a helicopter mom myself with my livestock, and am fanatical about their care. So, perhaps I recognize some of these traits in others. Whatever the reason, I see when people care, truly care, and that is reflected in the quality and personality of their animals. While standoffish with me being a stranger, the cows were affectionate and personable with Zack as he showed me around. He knew everyone’s name, age, individual personality quirks, and who would be the best “hand milker” for me in terms of teat size and milk flow. I didn’t just want a cow, I wanted one of their cows.
A Bonny Lass
Based on the personality I was after, the size of our homestead, and being a hand milker, Zack already had a few prospects in mind for me. One of which was Lassie who immediately caught my eye. Lassie or “Lass” as I will surely refer to her as, is a 4 year old cow who is pregnant and due in December. This will be her third calving so she is old enough to have the experience we were after, but is young enough that she has a lifetime ahead of her of productivity.
One of the first things that I noticed about her was her shorter stature in comparison to the others. In comparison to other dairy breeds, Jerseys are smaller but can range in size from a mini (which I didn’t want) to a standard size. She is 47″ at the withers, which puts her right in that mid-sized range we were after. Given our smaller homestead, this is the sweet spot. The other thing that caught my eye was those hand milking teats. One thing Zack cautioned me about just in general education when looking for a cow, is the teat size. Because so many dairy farms milk with machines, larger teat size has largely been selected against in breeding. While teats will get larger with each calving to an extent, like I experienced with my dairy goats, some just naturally have larger ones than others. This is a mistake I was not going to make twice, and her larger teat size was a major selling point for me.
I left Orb Weaver and thought about Lassie the whole way home. When I got home, I couldn’t stop talking about her or Orb Weaver Creamery to my husband. Then, when it came time to go to bed she’s all I thought about. I woke up the next morning, and put down a deposit on her. She is officially mine.
So, where do we go from here? We are in the process of doing some infrastructure changes in preparation to bring Lass home. When that will be, I am not sure of yet. We are knocking out the dividing stalls of our goat mini barn and opening it up, siding in the overhang, reconfiguring fencing, and figuring out a covered round bale feeder. Lots of moving parts and things happening, but we are very excited about it in anticipation of bringing our first milk cow home.
It is a bit nerve wracking for me, starting over with an entirely new species. But, I know I have a mentor in Orb Weaver, and I will figure things out and make it work just as I always have in the past. I am anxious to start bonding with Lass, and am looking forward to the strong bond we will develop over the coming years. I am hopeful and excited for this new adventure ahead, and hope you will stick around to watch it all unfold!
Moooooooo,
It is no secret that we utilize every single animal we have to clear our land, fertilize, and produce delicious food in the process. Each animal is at the very least dual purpose, some tri, some quad! In order to do this, proper fencing for the homestead is paramount.
Our Icelandic Sheep rotationally graze our pastures and fertilize while producing delicious grass fed lamb and fleece. The pastured meat chickens follow the sheep, and scratch and peck through the freshly mowed grass while dropping their nitrogen rich manure. Our dairy goats clear brushy and overgrown areas to convert into milk. Then, our wonderful pigs till and turn over the soil in our woods in preparation of converting it to pasture while packing on the pounds with all of the forage the land has to offer. Before fulfilling their higher purpose of feeding us, our animals heal and reclaim our land.
With all of these animals moving around in different frequencies and areas of our property, it can be a complicated choreographed dance. Through this, we have gotten quite skilled at fencing and have accumulated many different types as we have fine tuned our processes. I have touched several times on fencing for the homestead as it pertains to our different animals specifically. But, I figured I should break it down for each animal in one comprehensive and digestible post to refer back to.
General Set Up
Understanding what we use and how we use it will probably be easier if you understand our set up. My (crudely) drawn map below shows an aerial view of our property, with different colored lines each representing a different animal’s area. PS it is soooooo much more open now, I can’t wait for a google earth update!
- Aqua X: Location of our AC electric fencers. One in the goat barn, one in the garage. Each one feeds its side of the property with power via travel lines to allow us to easily hook up our netting to
- Red: this is our “new” sheep silvopasture that we have recently reclaimed from thick overgrown woods. The entire perimeter is fenced in with permanent perimeter fence and has an electric travel line that runs along the inside.
- Blue: Goat silvopasture off of the barn. Perimeter is fenced in with a combination of a couple different types of permanent perimeter fencing. This is the first area we established when we moved here.
- Yellow: Our pigs areas (both feeders and breeders) The area off the farrowing barn has permanent perimeter with a training line of electric on the inside. Everything else is 100% electric.
Sheep
The sheep without question are the most frequently rotated animal we have. Because we want grass fed lamb, we rotate our sheep everyday to fresh ground. This way they have as much as they can eat that particular day, but don’t stay in a place long enough to over graze and stunt our pasture growth. They move around our newly created pasture (red) that we break up into paddocks with our netting, as well as the front and side lawn, logging trail, and anywhere else we can stick them. If there is a travel line to hook up to nearby and there is grass, we will put them there. Each year we are creating more pasture, which gives us more opportunity to graze. The frequency of rotating the sheep would be impossible without the use of electric netting and the tools we use.
- Permanent perimeter fence: Red Brand Sheep & Goat Woven Wire 4×4 Square 48″ high with a galvanized travel line running along the inside via T-post insulators
- Premier One Electric Netting – my life will never be the same after discovering this. This netting is essential for us for easy rotation and security of our animals
- Premier One Power Links – allow you to quickly connect two strands of netting together, gate to the netting, or netting to travel line. We have about ten of these, we use them everywhere!
- Premier One Gate – easy electrified gate that comes in different widths for either walking through, or driving a side by side. Depending on set up this can be extremely handy.
Goats
The goats are rotated less frequently than the sheep. I try to keep them as close to the barn as possible due to milking, so they spend most of the time in their blue pasture. However, there are several times in the summer when we put them to work clearing a stone wall or some brushy areas. When we move them around, they are contained by the same Premier One netting as the sheep. Their blue pasture is surrounded a hodge-podge of permanent perimeter fence. Some we bought initially and have since replaced because it was the wrong kind, some we got for cheap, some we got for free. Below are the different types we have ripped from another blog post:
- Cattle Panels:
- Feedlot panels (6′ x 16′): These are by the far the most expensive panel I have ever seen or purchased, but in the small paddock directly off the back of the stalls of the barn this stuff is what encloses it. This panel is tall enough to deter anything from jumping over (whether that be out or in) and the squares are so small the entire way up that even the smallest Nigerian Dwarf baby goat can’t squeeze through. When the kids are very young they don’t get to go out into the big pasture quite yet, so they stay in the smaller paddock with mom. This allows them to be truly contained and safe.
- Feedlot hog panels (50″ x 16′): These are cheap at a local TSC in comparison to the aforementioned Fort Knox grade panels. These are used in approximately half of our big pasture and make setting up fencing really easy and are much more aesthetically pleasing than spooled fencing. They also have small enough squares on the bottom half of the panel to keep babies from slipping through.
- Woven wire: Used in approximately half of my large pasture for the goats. It can be a little bit of a pain to get set up because you have to do a lot of pulling and stapling to prevent a saggy fence, but it does hold up very well to rubbing and is cheaper than panels if you’re fencing a large area. My recommendation is to get the tallest one you can to deter jumping, and with the smallest squares. We use Red Brand 48″H 4″ x 4″ square. If you end up getting goats with horns, if they can stick their head through they will get stuck and can strangle themselves. Small squares keep this from happening and help prevent baby goats from being able to slip through.
Pigs
I talk a lot about using our pigs to clear our land and how big of a difference they have made in turning overgrown woods into pasture. This year we opened up a new wooded pasture for our breeding stock yellow pasture that’s on “top” of the map. This is a virgin area of woods that we fenced in with our three strand polywire set up. The girls have been digging, rooting, and turning over the soil for us and come fall after they’ve been moved back to the farrowing area, we will come in and drop trees, rake, and seed or bale graze this winter. The yellow pasture that’s on the “bottom” of the map is also fenced in with our three strand polywire set up. This is a heavily wooded area that we rotate our feeder pigs through. Just like with the goats, we use a combination of different types of fencing for the pigs depending on where they are physically, as well as their stage in life.
- Farrowing area: off the back of the farrowing house we utilize 34″ x 16′ long hog panels to fence in their farrowing pasture. We have a single line of polywire that runs along the inside for training purposes.
- Premier One Hog Netting– we utilize this netting for training piglets on electric fence
- Three strand polywire set up – once the pigs are sufficiently trained, they will be contained with this set up from thereon out.
Meat Chickens
The meat chickens are kind of the unsung heroes in terms of the power they posses to transform your land. After seeing with our own eyes the incredible difference their manure makes in pasture grass growth, we have become obsessed with utilizing them as much as possible. Thanks to our mobile chicken coop, we are able to easily move them wherever we feel the pasture needs a little something extra in terms of fertilizer. They scratch and peck around, nibble on greens, pack on the pounds, and drop their gold-like manure onto our soil. Like anything else it’s about finding a balance. The frequency with which we rotate varies greatly depending on their size, and the condition of the paddock they’re on. You want them to be on a particular piece of land long enough to make a positive impact but not a moment longer. They leave the land richer than they found it. Just like any other frequently rotated animal, we would be lost without the use of our electric netting:
- Premier One Electric Netting – keeps the birds in, the predators out, and makes moving a breeze
- Premier One Electric Gate – essential for easy entry and access, bringing in water, feed, etc. Ours is wide enough to drive our side by side through
- Premier One Power Links – like I said before, we use these constantly!
We have learned a lot over the past four years here and have fine tuned and improved our methods as we have become more established. I like to think of myself as a bit of a fencing connoisseur, and it is one of my favorite things to do. It didn’t always use to be so easy moving this many animals though! Through the use of quality fencing for the homestead, we have a good system in place and strong fencing to keep our animals contained and safe, while improving the quality of our land in the process.
Happy Fencing,
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How to hand milk a goat is one of the most difficult things to try to explain in words, let alone in a video. It’s one of those “you have to do it and feel it for yourself” type of things. Explaining how to move your hands and where…it’s hard. But, I decided to give it a try anyway, and finally recorded a “how to hand milk a goat” video for my Youtube channel. Don’t be discouraged if you go to milk for the first time and you get it all over your hands as opposed to the bucket. It will come to you. Also a little trade secret, it is OKAY TO CRY. I have done my fair share in the past 
But, once you get the hang of it, it’s pure magic.
Every goat is different, as is their behavior on the milk stand and how they milk. Are their teats large or small? How big are your hands? Are their orifices small or normal? How defined is the medial ligament, affecting teat positioning? The more you milk, the more you get a feel for what works for you as well as your particular goat you’re milking.
Ruby for example is a saint on the stand as long as she has food and is still hungry. But, once she has had her fill, I have a very short window of opportunity to finish. As evident in this video, I was talking and showing things rather than going about my usual brisk pace milking. Usually, I beat her. So due to my slower pace, she got a little fed up and wouldn’t stand well for me anymore. This is just how it is with her, and I know that going into it. Thankfully, when she is preoccupied and happily eating, as you can see she is an absolute angel and I love milking her.
Please excuse the last few minutes where my head is partially cut off. Unfortunately, I have to record these videos myself and sometimes I don’t get the camera placement right!
Additional posts that you may find helpful related to this include the design for the goat milk stand, how I process the milk post milking, and why I went with goats for home dairy in the first place.
P.S – I ended this milking with a half gallon on a 12 hour udder for inquiring minds!
Happy Milking,
See my Youtube videos below for a tour of our goat mini barn! The first video was taken in July of 2018 that gives specifics on dimensions, organization, etc. The second video was taken in March of 2020 that shows updates and changes that have been made since the first video.
In these videos I make reference to my goat milk stand and lambing jug blog posts
Most Recent Video - March 2020
First Video - July 2018
Finally the time has come! After breeding, caring for your pregnant doe while waiting a long 145-155 ish days, and recognizing the signs of labor, it’s time to give birth! So, what do you do when goat kids are born?
There are certainly many, many different scenarios that can arise. Kids can need to be re-positioned due to presenting improperly, perhaps need to be pulled, not be breathing when born, etc, etc. This is life being born after all, so many things can go wrong. Way too many to mention. This post is not about everything that can go wrong and how to handle it. What it is about however, is what do you do when goat kids are born to get them off to the best start possible. And let’s not forget those precious does! They need some post birthing love too. So, grab your kidding kit and let’s get to it!
The Kids
Okay, so the kid(s) are born and have officially hit the ground! First, let’s see what a textbook birth looks like. By textbook I mean the kid has presented in the diving position with the front legs forward, with the head tucked between. This would be as opposed to breached (butt first), sideways, etc. She didn’t get stuck, Audrey didn’t struggle, she just slid right out and plopped onto the puppy pad.
Excuse the darkness, it was 5 am afterall…
Immediately After Birth
Once those kids hit the ground you want to make sure they are free from their sac (if it didn’t break) so they don’t drown in their own fluid. Next, you want to make sure their nose and mouth are clear of mucus so they can breathe. Some people use a nose sucker, but for me this is just one more “thing” to lose track of and fumble for in the dark. So, I use my good ole’ fingers to pull away mucus from the nose and scoop it out of the mouth if needed. If it’s really packed in there and you can’t get it cleared, grab the kid by the back legs and let it dangle upside down gently swinging. With the help of gravity, the kid sneezing, and your hands, this will help the mucus clear from the nasal passage.
After the nasal passage has been cleared, give that kid to mama. Let her clean it up! Not only does this cleaning stimulate the kid and help perk it up, it aids in bonding. Unless it is absolutely freezing and I need to get those kids dry stat, I do not rush this process. Drying them off yourself is 100% a matter of the weather and temperature. I have had kids born in March thru June. One of the perks of warmer weather kidding is of course you don’t have to worry about them being wet and cold. In these cases I have let mom clean them off and they air dry without issue. In cold winter temperatures however, human intervention is needed. Dry them off with a hair dryer after mom has cleaned them off a bit, and remember you want to get them bone dry.
Next you need to give each kid a little TLC with some nutrients and umbilical cord treatment. In your kidding kit you should have Nutridrench and Iodine. Give that bottle of Nutridrench a good shake, and give each kid two pumps in their mouth. As for the umbilical cords, depending on where they detached when being born you may want to give them a trim. You don’t want them so long they’re stepping on them, a couple of inches is sufficient.
You can either dip the cords in the iodine, or spray. To dip, fill a shot glass or some other small shallow vesicle with iodine. Hold the kid, and dip the cord up the the belly. You want to get it all the way up to the belly. To spray, simply douse the cord to where it meets the belly with the iodine fitted with a spray bottle. Dipping/ spraying with iodine prevents the risk of a naval infection, which can become serious. This is a simple preventative step, and don’t worry you can’t use too much iodine!
soon after birth
Once your kids are dry, dipped, and drenched it is imperative they get colostrum. Colostrum is what the mother is producing first after birth as opposed to milk. It’s a thick, power punch of nutrients, and most importantly it’s full of antibodies. Kids are born without any immune system, so the antibodies the mother passes on in the colostrum are essential for life.
While I cannot attest to the exact timeline that a kid needs to have colostrum or it will die (spoiler there is no “magic” number). You do want to make sure they get that first drink as soon as possible. My target is always within an hour from birth, although I know many shoot for within 2-3 hours.
Depending on how strong and determined the kid(s) is, as well as how receptive your doe is to nursing, this may require your assistance. It may also require some serious patience. Newborn kids can be quite fumbly, and seem to be able to get the teat everywhere except in their mouth. Help direct the kid to the udder, and if need be direct the teat toward their mouth to help them latch. Hold them to help them stand if need be. If mom is being difficult and isn’t taking to it, rub her flank and speak softly to her. Sometimes kids are up and immediately looking to nurse and have no problems, others struggle. Some moms are naturals, others don’t know what they’re supposed to do and need help from you to show them the way.
If need be, put mom on the milk stand to distract her with grain and restrain her. Put the kid on the stand with her and try the process again. It can be extremely frustrating, but patience is key. Stressing will create stress for her, and won’t help the situation. Once you get a successful latch and everyone figures out “this is what they’re supposed to do” the hard part is (usually) over. Just like the cleaning, nursing is a crucial part of bonding between doe and kids. She will get a flood of hormones that solidify her bond with her babies, and instincts will kick in. There are of course exceptions to the rule, and some goats are just bad moms. But generally speaking, this is the norm.
over the next 24 hours
Like with any newborn animal, you want to monitor them as well as mom over the next 24 hours. Depending on the weather, additional measures may need to be taken to keep the kids warm. They also need to be nursing every 2 hours, so regularly check in on them to make sure that you are seeing them latch on. They still may need some help finding the teat and latching, so it’s good to keep an eye on them.
You will also notice meconium poop for the first day or so. A black, tar-like poop that should be getting cleaned by mom. If she isn’t, regularly clean it off with a damp cloth/baby wipe to prevent blockage. As the kid nurses, the colostrum acts as a laxative and helps push the meconium through their system where it will then change to a runnier and yellowish tinted colostrum poop.
General awareness and the power of observation is not something to disregard. You don’t have to be a “seasoned” breeder to recognize that something may be amiss. If a kid looks lethargic and weak, something is likely going on. Trust your instinct, and intervene if you feel the situation calls for it.
The Doe
Now that we have gotten the kids squared away, it’s time to turn our attention to those mamas. I cannot emphasize how much easier a good mother makes things on you. I also can’t emphasize enough the importance of giving your doe the absolute best care and nutrition so that she in turn can take proper care of her kids.
Immediately After Birth
Once all of the kids have been born, she will soon begin to pass the afterbirth. Whatever you do, DON’T TOUCH IT! Don’t pop it, try to pull it out, etc. Let it hang and release on its own. Sure, it may look gross and you may have to avoid getting whacked with it as she moves around with it dangling out of her backside. But, it will release on its own. Selenium aids in the release of the placenta, and the regimen I follow when caring for a pregnant doe is specifically designed with this scenario in mind. It can happen within 10 minutes of giving birth, or it can take a few hours. But, whatever you do, resist the urge to mess with it.
Just like you gave the babies some nutridrench after being born, you will want to give your doe a couple of pumps as well. It has many essential vitamins and minerals (including selenium) that will help perk her up, release the placenta, and give her the energy to care for her babies. In addition to this, I also offer fresh warm water with a little bit of molasses added for a sugar boost and to encourage her to drink, as well as plenty of grain with pregnancy tonic mixed in.
soon after birth
Don’t be surprised if your doe is not interested in eating immediately and may be preoccupied with her babies. But, you do want to make sure she eats and drinks as soon as possible afterwards. She needs calories and water for energy and to make milk for her kids.
You also want to keep an eye on her to make absolutely sure that she passes and releases her placenta. Animals will eat it (and I encourage such behavior) so you can’t always rely on being able to find it. If the placenta doesn’t detach and release but is retained, this can cause a serious infection if left un-diagnosed and treated.
Another thing to keep an eye on is your doe’s udder. Check to make sure the teats aren’t block and milk is flowing properly, as well as for any signs of mastitis (redness, hard and hot to the touch) in the udder. Keep an eye on her, and generally observe her behavior for anything that could indicate that there is an infection, milk fever, etc. Early detection is critical.
over the next 24 hours
Over the next 24 hours and beyond, you are going to do a lot of observing. Continue to check to make milk is flowing and there are no signs of mastitis. Make sure she’s eating, drinking, and appears to be in general good health. Her body will continue to flush out even over a week after kidding, so blood and brownish discharge is normal. I continue to feed out the pregnancy tonic up to two weeks after kidding as this helps reduce the postpartum bleeding.
Towards the end of the first day after kidding, I always milk out some colostrum for the freezer. This is a very good thing to keep on hand for future kiddings or even if you breed pigs and sheep. Some goats’ milk is delayed coming in, or god forbid if something happens to your doe during labor it’s even more critical. Colostrum from the first 24 hours as well as at least a gallon of milk is something that I always keep in my freezer just in case. I have never had to use it yet, but it’s comforting that it’s there if a situation arises.
Deworming immediately after kidding is common practice. After labor, your doe is in a vulnerable position to be overrun with a parasite load. If neglected, it can and will get out of control and can create serious adverse health affects. Most dewormers require an initial dose to handle adult/larval stage. Then, a follow up dose x number of days after the initial, to kill the secondary load that matured from the eggs the initial dose didn’t handle. There are many types of dewormers that are specific to different types of parasites. Most are approved for use during pregnancy, and others aren’t. Some people will time it to give the initial dewormer dose during late stages of pregnancy, with the second dose occurring right after kidding. Others will do both doses after kidding. Talk to your vet and see what protocol they recommend for you, but it’s best to be prepared ahead of time.
Every kidding can bring certain challenges. Sometimes things just plain go wrong no matter how much you’re prepared or have done everything you possible could. Like I sad before, these are live animals we are dealing with, expect the unexpected. But, don’t underestimate the power of being an observant steward to your animals. Even though it takes no experience or training, it is something that shouldn’t be disregarded.
Be prepared, have a plan, and trust your gut. Hopefully you feel a little more knowledgeable now about what to do when goat kids are born.
Happy Kidding,
When you bring any kind of dairy animal home whether it be cow, goat, camel, or buffalo, you are signing up for a very big commitment. Aside from the fact that an animal has to be bred and give birth in order to produce milk, then you have to milk! This is a 1-2 time per day commitment that is non negotiable and must be done.
Every dairy animal has its own pros and cons but the two “biggies” you hear about are goats and cows. Each animal has its own appeal, and when you dive into the differences, they go beyond just the animal itself. From the makeup of the milk to the needs of the animal, there are significant differences. In the end, we decided to go with goats because we felt they best suited our landscape, available space, and milk needs.
Pasture Accomodations
When you first decide to bring home a dairy animal there are a lot of considerations that need to be made. But, a realistic look at your available space and pasture quality should be the first thing. Cows need significantly more space than goats, a bigger animal = more space required. Under prime pasture conditions you are looking at one cow requiring ~2 acres, versus 4-8 goats per acre. Again, this is prime pasture conditions, and assuming you don’t want to feed out hay all year round. In addition, bigger animal = more food required. Whether that be during the summer months or the winter, a larger animal is going to eat more. We can’t forget those cold barren months (for us northerners) when pasture is nonexistent and hay is the source of feed to replace that summer pasture. A cow will go through significantly more hay than a goat!
When we first bought this place, we didn’t have one square foot of pasture, we barely had a front lawn. The property was so overgrown and neglected, it was nothing but brush and woods where pastures once sprawled. So, our landscape and terrain essentially made the decision for us. Our property was not well suited for a dairy cow, and it would have had to be fed hay year round even in the summer months. The goats however, were able to help clear our overgrown land by rotating them around our property which provided their sole source of food for the entire spring, summer, and early fall WIN-WIN.
Pasture space aside, there is the actual terrain to take into consideration as well. While cows are certainly equipped to handle less than ideal terrain, they are in noway as adept to handling our rocky landscape like goats. Boulders, hills, stonewalls, these don’t even phase our goats while they may limit a cows ability to graze. The goats on the other hand LIVE to play on rocks! Or stumps, or anything else they can jump on. Their surefooted nimble bodies paired with an ability to eat nearly any kind of vegetation makes them the best land clearers possible.
Breeding
In addition to pasture accommodations, one thing you really need to take into consideration is the breeding aspect of your dairy animal. Whether it be a goat or a cow, an animal needs to give birth in order to produce milk so breeding is a necessary part of the process! With a cow, unless you want to go the AI route, you need access to a bull. Depending on where you’re at geographically, if there isn’t someone that offers a stud service then you would have to invest in one. This means you’re bringing on two cows versus one, doubling your pasture requirement not to mention strong fencing. Then, once they do get pregnant and deliver, you have a calf to contend with. Your options are to keep and raise it for either slaughter or future milking (adding on another body to pasture!) or you sell the calf once its weaned. Is there a market in your area to sell? These are all very real concerns to take into consideration before choosing what species to keep.
For me, keeping a buck on site is not a imposition as he doesn’t require much space or have the pasture and hay demands a full sized bull would. Even without keeping a buck onsite, there are plenty of people who offer their bucks for stud services so that I could easily breed my does. There is also a very good market for baby goats, so I sell them after they have been weaned by their mother which helps offset some costs of feed/care of my doe through her pregnancy. I know that I have to breed every year to get milk, so having the ability to do so without worrying I won’t be able to find a sire, or that I will have a bunch of babies born that I can’t sell is very reassuring.
The Milk
Now, let’s get down to the brass tacks here – the milk. After all, isn’t that why you are here? Let me just preface this paragraph by saying this: GOATS MILK DOESN’T TAKE LIKE A GOAT. Well, good goats milk at least. If you tasted goats milk that was “goaty” then one of a few things happened. It was either improperly handled/stored after milking, the doe was in very close proximity to a buck, or the milk is starting to get a little old and it’s developing a strong taste. I personally have had raw fresh cows milk that also developed an off taste, due to it sitting in the fridge for two weeks. This happens with raw milk (which we drink) regardless of the species.
Now that we got that out of the way, first and foremost one thing to consider is the volume of milk you need. There are so many variations depending on choice of breed as well as the genetics, but figure a cow is going to give you roughly a gallon of milk a day at least. Whereas with a goat, you could range from a quart up to over a gallon depending on the breed. In her peak last summer, Ruby gave a gallon and a half a day! For someone with several kids, a gallon a day is nothing and makes a dairy cow or large goat desirable. For others, that’s way more milk than they could never go through, and so one or two smaller dairy goats is much more feasible.
With that being said, there are differences in the milk itself in cow versus goat. Cows milk has large fat globules, versus goats milk where they are small. What does that mean? Large globules are harder to digest, and for some it wreaks havoc on their digestive system. If someone is lactose intolerant, in many cases they are able to drink goats milk! The smaller fat globules make it easier to digest and for our bodies to absorb the nutrients. In fact, when raising livestock if you end up with a bottle baby goats milk is always the preferred substitution to mothers milk because of its digestibility.
Fat globules aside, there is another distinct fundamental difference (that to some is a deal breaker) between cows and goats milk. Goats milk is naturally homogenized, whereas cows milk is non-homogenized. Meaning in cows milk the cream will naturally separate from the milk (in a day or less) and rise to the top allowing it to be skimmed off. Goats milk is naturally homogenized, meaning you do not get the separation of cream and milk like in cows milk. Now, if you let goats milk sit in the fridge for a few days undisturbed, yes it will eventually separate. But, having multiple jars of milk sitting in the fridge untouched for days just so you can separate some cream isn’t really realistic, or the freshest.
This is a major sticking point with some people on why they choose cows over goats for dairy – and rightfully so. Cream makes butter, and ice cream, and is fantastic in coffee. But, as I mentioned above, in some situations a cow isn’t a realistic option for dairy, and goats are much more suited. Just because you choose to raise goats though doesn’t mean you should be denied that delicious cream! Luckily, thanks to the invention of a cream separator you don’t have to! A cream separator is a mechanical devise that physically separates the cream from the milk. It can be used with fresh milk, or milk that’s been in the fridge (as long as its heated up). It can also be adjusted to regulate the thickness of the cream aka heavy cream or light cream. It takes some getting used to, and no it’s not as easy as just ladling the cream off the top like with cows milk. But, if you raise goats this is an extremely useful tool to have if you are wanting to capture that cream to make all the delicious things.
While there are certainly noted differences between cows milk and goats milk, you are still able to use either in any recipe. There may be some tweaks needed in the recipe, the process, or even small differences in the final result of a product. But raising goats for milk has not slowed me down in the slightest when it comes to making things like cheese or yogurt, nor have I ever had an issue substituting goats milk for cows milk in anything I’ve made. Remember, for half the year or more, it’s my sole source of milk!
Adding breeding stock to your homestead for dairy is a big financial and time investment. When making a decision on cow versus goat, cow versus sheep, or even between goat breeds decisions need to be made that are best suited for works for you. You need to take a realistic look at your situation and ask yourself how much property you have to dedicate to the animal, how much hay you’re willing to buy, how big of a shelter you can provide, or even how much milk do you really need? The answers to these questions will help guide you to what works best for you!
So you’re thinking about getting some goats this spring are you? I can’t say I blame you, they truly are just about the cutest things and can bring so much joy (and delicious milk) to your life. When I first got goats a few years ago I admittedly knew nothing about them. Which is why I am writing about what you should know before getting goats. I originally got a doeling and buckling (that we castrated to become a wether) from Craigslist strictly for the purpose of land clearing. We had no barn, they slept in a doghouse, and we used panel fencing they constantly escaped from to rotate around our overgrown property. I had no clue what I was getting myself into.
Ohhhhhh how the tides have turned since then. I now raise a small herd of dairy goats (my original doeling has been rehomed) and they are raised and bred for the purpose of milk production. The dog house is a thing of the past, and they now live in the mini barn that we built for them. They are fed a completely different diet, and have a permanent pasture while being occasionally rotated to clear with poly wire netting. I have learned a lot of things the hard way to say the least, but I finally have a good system in place. There are a lot of things I wish I knew before getting them that may have saved me some headaches, money, and sleepless nights. There are also some things I knew I was signing up for, but you might not! So, if you are new to or are thinking about getting goats, below are some of the top things that I think are very important to know!
1. Fencing, Fencing, FENCING!
The reason why this topic is number one is because it’s the one thing that has caused more grief and headaches than anything else with goats. Simply put, they are master escape artists. If they can find a way out and have the desire to, they will make it happen. I have personally witnessed my goats walk up to a fence eyeball it, back up, walk up, eyeball it, then turn around and get a running start and use a rock as leverage point to propel over. Olympic athletes have nothing on these guys! Was it due to lack of forage? Nope. They were just jumpers and did it because they wanted to, and they could.
We have used every kind of fence imaginable from panels, welded wire, woven wire, to polywire electric netting. Some goats are just jumpers simply put, and if you get one that is, my thoughts are with you. It’s not fun, and basically the only way to stop them is to fork over a lot of money and invest in a rather tall fence they can’t jump over. But then, they may find a way to crawl under. My original doeling that has since been rehomed to a different farm was my notorious problem child. She could propel herself over anything if she put her mind to it. My current goats couldn’t care less or be bothered to attempt an escape, and I haven’t had an escapee in almost two years. It’s just luck of the draw.
I can’t stress enough though, that you should be prepared for the worst and it’s a lot cheaper in the long run to buy the right fencing at first (even if it’s a little pricier) than getting the cheap stuff and have to replace it due to escapes. I am not by any means exaggerating when I say we have spent thousands of dollars to fence in our goats. Depending on what your setup is, you can make your own fencing decision but I’m going to explain what I have for fencing here and why:
- Cattle Panels:
- Feedlot panels (6′ x 16′): These are by the far the most expensive panel I have ever seen or purchased, but in the small paddock directly off the back of the stalls of the barn this stuff is what encloses it. This panel is tall enough to deter anything from jumping over (whether that be out or in) and the squares are so small the entire way up that even the smallest Nigerian Dwarf baby goat can’t squeeze through. When the kids are very young they don’t get to go out into the big pasture quite yet, so they stay in the smaller paddock with mom. This allows them to be truly contained and safe.
- Feedlot hog panels (50″ x 16′): These are cheap at a local TSC in comparison to the aforementioned Fort Knox grade panels. These are used in approximately half of our big pasture and make setting up fencing really easy and are much more aesthetically pleasing than spooled fencing. They also have small enough squares on the bottom half of the panel to keep babies from slipping through.
- Welded wire: While it may have its uses say around a garden, I don’t recommend it for goats. Why? Because goats loooooove to rub on fences. There is a reason why welded wire is the cheapest type of fencing, and long term compared to others it will have to be replaced more frequently.
- Woven wire: Used in approximately half of my large pasture for the goats. It can be a little bit of a pain to get set up because you have to do a lot of pulling and stapling to prevent a saggy fence, but it does hold up very well to rubbing and is cheaper than panels if you’re fencing a large area. My recommendation is to get the tallest one you can to deter jumping, and with the smallest squares. If you end up getting goats with horns, if they can stick their head through they will get stuck and can strangle themselves. Small squares keep this from happening and help prevent baby goats from being able to slip through.
- Electric Polywire Netting: If you are going to rotate your goats even somewhat regularly, this is the way to go. It’s easy to set up, take down, and move. Even escape artist goats can respect it when properly trained. We use it to rotate our pigs, chickens, sheep, and goats. There is a reason it’s in the background of almost any photo of my animals in spring thru fall, I can’t say enough good things about it.
2. Horns versus No Horns
Horns versus no horns is a highly debated and touchy subject much like dam raises versus bottle fed. But, like anything else I truly believe it is a matter of personal preference and of course your decision to make. The first two goats I got were horned and after that I swore I would never have goats with horns again.
A goat’s horns are like little battering rams and they can do some serious damage. Not only have I had to practically break their necks trying to get them unstuck from the fence they had themselves caught in (this was before we had to buy better fencing with smaller squares they couldn’t get stuck in), but they have accidentally hurt each other as well as my livestock guardian dog. In a domesticated setting such as ours, they just aren’t necessary and can do more harm than good. While a goat without horns can still harm another goat, the chances are much less than one with horns.
Some people on the other hand love their goats with horns because it’s the natural way, or if they show them and the breed standard calls for horns then they have to leave them on. Regardless of what you choose, it’s something you want to seriously consider when getting your first goats.
3. Breed & Sex Choice - Is Dairy on My Radar?
The purpose of the goats on your property will steer you in the directions of what breed you will want to get. If they’re for meat then Boer goats or a cross are the obvious choice. If they’re for pets or land clearing then the choices are endless and it is a matter of what breed interests you. Keep in mind the size of the goat, and consider how much room you are able to allot them, what kind of housing you can provide, and how many you can comfortably raise on that space.
We got our original goats for land clearing so I didn’t really care what breed they were or if they were does or wethers. They were nigerian dwarf crosses, which made them very easy to move around and manage. But, it wasn’t long after we got them that I wanted to start focusing on dairy. The fact that I had a wether and a doe with unknown dairy lineage didn’t leave me in the best position.
So, my advice is if you have any inkling that dairy may be on your radar at some point, keep that in mind when selecting your breed and the sex of your goats. If I could do it all over again I would have never gotten a wether. They can’t be used to breed or be bred, so with a focus on dairy they’re kind of of useless (sorry Alan!). I also would have been more choosy about the breed I got as well as their lineage focusing on dairy, rather than whatever Craigslist had to offer at that time. Getting into the world of dairy opens a whole new can of worms as you start to consider milk production as well as butterfat content. But, that’s a topic that deserves a post all in itself!
4. Urinary Calculi
It’s tough to be a wether. You get all of the same urges to breed as the bucks, but you lack the equipment to back it up. When a buck is castrated and becomes a wether, not only does he lose his manhood, but testosterone production and urethra development stop. A narrow urethra makes them extremely susceptible to developing urinary calculi. UC is a very serious medical condition where kidney stones are formed that the goat cannot pass. It’s an issue that if left untreated or caught too late, will result in death. It can rapidly escalate, and sometimes it’s impossible to catch in time. So prevention is key! I have only experienced it once, and it was a very hard (and expensive) learning experience for me.
All goats whether they be does, bucks, or wethers require a 2:1 Calcium to Phosphorus ratio as part of their basic nutrition. When the phosphorus ratio gets out of balance, this is what causes these stones to develop that lead to blockage. Yes, UC is possible in does and bucks, but it is rare when compared to the number of cases it’s seen in wethers.
So, if you’re getting wethers you will want to take this into consideration what you are feeding them and providing loose minerals. Everyone has a different opinion on if wethers should or should not eat grain. But, I have always heard it is a common cause for UC. This is what caused it in my situation, and ever since then I switched to strictly feeding alfafa to wethers and bucks at my vets recommendation in addition to hay and forage. Never grain, and I haven’t had an issue since.
5. Housing
When we got our first goats, they lived in a large dog house. No fancy barn, not even a shed. Just a regular large dog house. And you know what? It worked! It limped us along our first full year keeping them. They had plenty of room to be comfortable, yet it was small enough that it made it easy for us to pick up and move when we rotated them. We have come a long way and have since built our mini barn to accomodate our expanding herd and needs for additional hay storage, as well as a place to milk.
But, if your herd is not for dairy and you don’t need all of that additional space, you don’t have to go all out for housing. There are so many different options that are perfectly suited for raising goats even in the winter as long as they have sufficient bedding and you keep it clean! Repurposed sheds, quonset huts, carports, pallet buildings, the possibilities are endless. You can go as expensive or as cheap as you want, and still provide suitable housing for your herd.
6. Routine Care
Regardless of the reason you keep your goats, there is some basic routine care that is required above making sure they have food and water. Giving an annual CD&T booster is the universal recommended vaccine to prevent tetanus and enterotoxemia. Both of these are deadly for goats, and the vaccine is cheap insurance against them that you can easily administer yourself.
Trimming hooves is another necessary part of keeping goats. While some may have to do it more frequently than others if their goats are raised on pasture versus a rockier terrain, it is something that has to be done. Neglected hooves become overgrown and can lead to hoof rot and separation of the wall and sole. This can result in lameness. Maintaining hooves is simple and something that should be done on a regular basis to prevent health issues.
7. Herd Dynamics
Everyone knows you can’t just have one goat. If you’ve never heard that then you just learned something new! Goats are incredibly social animals, and for this I would never suggest getting just one as they need a friend.
As your herd continues to grow, you will notice a natural pecking order begin to form with the herd queen on top. Yes, goats too have a pecking order, it’s not just for chickens! Herd queens come in many forms. Some are the strong silent type that rule gently, while others like my former herd queen Karen rule with an abusive iron fist. This social hierarchy is part of natural herd dynamics, so some head butting and pushing around is to be expected. It is a matriarchy, so the higher ranking goats pick on the lower ranking ones. But, sometimes it can get out of hand depending on the personality of your herd queen. Because of her growing aggressiveness towards my other does, I ended up re-homing Karen to a new farm. Audrey, another one of my does seamlessly stepped in to assume the role and she does so with grace .
8. Fresh Water
Fresh water is essential with keeping any livestock. If you want one of the best and easiest ways to keep your herd as healthy as possible, start with fresh water! Even in the winter, this is essential and I give my goats fresh water every day twice a day.
While this may seem like common knowledge to some (and it is) I have seen and heard of some really skanky water being left out for goats. This is just asking for problems, and remember “dilution is the solution to pollution”. So, in cases of UC in wethers like I mentioned above, lots of fresh water is key to helping the stones flush from their system!
9. Keep it Clean
Much like fresh water, I feel like this is also common sense. Keep your goats bedding dry and clean! This is cheap insurance to keep health issues at bay and not to mention just being a good steward to your animals. Goats don’t like to be wet or damp, so keeping their bedding clean and dry keeps them comfortable while reducing respiratory issues among other things.
Goats are not like pigs in the sense that they won’t go to the bathroom where they eat or sleep. A goat has no sense of hygiene when it comes to this, and they will quite literally poop and lay down in it. So, it’s our responsibility to keep it clean. Think of them as the kids that make a mess and never clean up after themselves. You are signing up for a lifetime (well, their lifetime) of cleaning out bedding. Know this going into getting your first goats
10. Parasites
There are a lot of parasites out there that can affect your herd, some are more concerning than others. There are various worming protocols that you can follow, but there are some things that you can do for preventative measures:
Pasture rotation is one of the best ways to naturally keep down parasite loads. Rotation allows the parasite cycle to break without a host for the parasite to complete its life cycle. If pasture rotation is not an option, the best possible advice I can give is to never feed your goat on the ground directly. I’m talking about hay or grain, always put it in a dish or a feeder. Now you’re probably thinking but they eat grass? Yes, but they are typically fed by or in the barn, where there is high traffic meaning poop. By not eating food directly on the ground in these high traffic areas you’re reducing the risk of them consuming eggs of a parasite they carried in on their hooves or they’re already shedding. Food dishes are cheap and we built our hay feeders out of scrap material. This is not a way to 100% prevent them from getting worms, it’s going to happen to you at some point. But, feeding off the ground is just another layer of protection to reduce their exposure. It doesn’t have to be overly fancy, just keep it off the ground.
11. Learn Your Goats "Normal"
Goats are pretty amazing animals. They are somehow incredibly sensitive, yet very strong and resilient at the same time. I mean, what other animal can give birth to five babies on her own without issue but scream and cry like she’s being murdered if she’s caught in the rain?
Joking aside, goats can become very sick with little notice and die quickly if left untreated. So, know your goats normal. Know what her average temperature is, maybe it always runs a little high or low than “normal”? Know if she is typically standoffish and is more laid back, or if she’s always front of the line. I could talk about each one of my goats personalities and behaviors in intimate detail like they’re characters on a tv show, and I know if something is amiss. Why? Because I pay attention. I observe them, I pay attention to how they interact with each other, with me, how they behave when milking. That way, when something seems off, this gives me an indication to check them out because something may be wrong. With goats, early detection and prevention is key.
12. Keep a Stocked Medical Kit and have a Relationship with Your Vet
Because goats can go downhill quickly with no notice, it is essential to keep a well stocked medicine cabinet. Keeping commonly needed supplies and medications on hand will give you the needed quick response that can mean the difference between life and death. While I have a kit that keeps me well stocked in a lot of basic veterinary supplies, I have other medications that I keep on hand that I got from my vet in case of an emergency.
While my vet is good and knowledgeable, they aren’t exactly close by. If I were in an emergency situation and I needed a certain medication that could at least help until she can get here, I try to keep that on hand. You can’t get everything from Tractor Supply or Jeffers, and in addition to a vets knowledge and ability to diagnose, you need them for many life saving prescription medications. Forming a close working relationship with a trusted vet is critical when raising livestock.
Are you an experienced goat keeper and have some words of wisdom you would like to add? Drop it in the comments below for those just starting out!
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Kidding season is an incredibly exciting time on the homestead! But, waiting for those highly anticipated babies can feel like watching paint dry. There are several signs of goat labor, or that labor is looming and you need to keep a closer eye on your doe. Watch my short and sweet video below on signs to look for to know if your goat is going to kid soon! Just a side note, Audrey kidded the night I filmed this video 
Just remember that every goat and every kidding is different. You may see some of these signs, or all of them. The timing of labor after seeing them will certainly change from goat to goat and kidding to kidding. In this particular kidding with Audrey, her ligaments got incredibly soft but they never were fully gone to the point that she had a broken tail appearance. She still kidded twelve hours after filming the ligament portion of this video though! These signs do not have a timeline cast in stone, they just give you a heads up to keep a very close eye on her because she will kid soon!
Check out my other kidding related posts on a kidding birth kit and caring for you doe during pregnancy to make sure you are as prepared as possible!
Check out my Youtube Channel for other videos
Happy Kidding,
Learning how to trim a goat’s hooves is a critical part of keeping goats. In the wild, goats naturally wear their hooves down by jumping on rocks and climbing cliffs. Domesticated goats raised on pasture however, require a little more maintenance. How often I have to trim my herd’s hooves varies depending on the time of year, if they’re in milk and consuming more grain, and varies from goat to goat. Back hooves also typically tend to grow faster, and typically need to be trimmed more often than the front. Due to our rocky New England landscape, in the summer months hoof trimming generally doesn’t need to be done as often as the winter months due to them naturally wearing as they hop around on the rocks. However, my Nubian Ruby who is not as agile as my Nigerians doesn’t do a whole lot of rock hopping, and I have to trim her hooves more frequently than the other girls.
Neglecting hoof trimming has detrimental health effects. Goats can develop hoof rot, hoof wall separation, joint and pastern issues, and eventually lameness. I can’t emphasize its importance enough, and it is part of the responsibility of keeping goats. I am not a veterinarian nor a farrier, and some may trim their goat’s hooves a little different than I do. I am also not perfect, and sometimes I totally space and forget to trim them for a while! But, I have been doing it for a few years now and have never had any hoof issues. So I like to think that I know what I’m doing!
Tools Needed
To give your goat a proper hoof trimming you don’t need many supplies. You need a sharp pair of clippers, a brush/pick combo, and a milk stand to get the job done. If you don’t have a milk stand, then I suggest you have a helper that can hold/restrain the goat for you while you trim. But a milk stand is where it is at.
I got my clippers and brush/pick from my local farmers co-op. I got whatever they happened to have on hand, and I’ve had them for a couple of years. I highly recommend you don’t go too cheap on the clippers, as they won’t cut as cleanly/easily and have a tendency to stick. A good pair of clippers are worth their weight in gold!
Anatomy of a Hoof
In order to properly trim a goat’s hoof, you need to have a handle on the anatomy and know what a properly trimmed hoof looks like. When a hoof is trimmed correctly, the sole will be cleaned of any debris with the inner and outer hoof wall flush to the the sole. There should be no overlap of the inner or outer wall over the sole. The soft heel should be trimmed so it is flush with the toe, and overall the hoof should have a square appearance while the goat is standing as opposed to a lengthy toe.
Before and Afters
Front Hoof
In the before photo there was some manure getting packed in between the sole and the wall of the hoof while the wall was growing out and sticking above the level of the sole. In the after photo the manure was brushed and picked out, hoof wall was trimmed back level with the sole, the soft heel was trimmed, and the toe was rounded out.
Rear Hoof
In the before photo there was some manure getting packed in between the sole and the wall of the hoof while the wall was growing out beginning to curl over the sole. The soft heel was also overgrown and wasn’t level with the toe. In the after photo the manure was brushed and picked out, hoof wall was trimmed back level with the sole, the soft heel was trimmed, and the toe was rounded out. Within a day all of the jagged cut marks the clippers make will be smoothed out through normal wear.
Side View Hoof
In the before photo the toe is slightly elongated causing too much of an angle in the hoof. The toe was rounded out and trimmed back along with the hoof wall which in the after photo creates a boxier appearance in the hoof.
Now that we have some of the basics established, I felt like the best way to properly show and explain how to properly trim a hoof was with a video walk through while I trim Ruby’s. She has the biggest hooves and her hooves require the most trimming out of them all! Watch my YouTube video below where I explain how I trim my goat’s hooves and walk you through the process!
Being the sole caretaker of my animals, it is my responsibility to give my pregnant girls the absolute best care possible to ensure a healthy pregnancy and the easiest delivery possible. It is a responsibility that I also happen to take very seriously. Now, with that being said, sometimes despite how far above and beyond you go with your care, stuff just happens that’s out of your control. This is a hard lesson I learned this year with my first farrowing. But, the best thing you can possibly do for a healthy doe and kids is to give mom the best care possible during her pregnancy.
Some of the care comes towards the end of the pregnancy, while some is just general health and responsibly caring for your doe before being bred. Once a dairy goat is of breeding age, at any given point throughout the year she is either pregnant, lactating, or both. Each require a certain level of care to maintain health and body condition.
Body Condition & General Health
Before your doe is even bred, she should be in good body condition not only for the best chance of the pregnancy settling but for her health as well. A good body condition is an ideal balance of fat and muscle. There are various things that can affect body condition above and beyond over and under feeding. Age, parasites, disease, whether the doe has ever been bred, and the point in her lactation cycle can all have an effect. Too thin is equally as detrimental as too heavy, and can lead to fertility issues, pregnancy toxemia/ketosis, labor difficulties, and higher risk of kid mortality. Being in good body condition will set her up for as healthy of a pregnancy as possible, meaning healthier kids and stronger milk production. If you are unsure how to determine your dairy goat’s body condition score, here is a great video that goes over the scoring system. Whether you’re doing linear appraisal or not, this video will show you what to look for to determine if your doe is too heavy, too thin, or just right.
In addition to body condition, careful attention should be taken to provide any additional supplements she may be deficient in. Being deficient in certain vitamins and minerals can affect fertility and stillborn rates, and sometimes feed and loose minerals isn’t enough. I personally live in a selenium and copper deficient area of the country, so as a preventative measure I give my entire herd a dose of Replamin Gel Plus weekly. It includes many essential vitamins and minerals in addition to the selenium and copper we are deficient in. Administering this weekly has made a huge difference in the thickness and quality of their coats, skin health, and has prevented fertility issues due to providing the much needed selenium and copper naturally lacking. Before breeding season, I recommend that you look into what your area may be deficient in and handle accordingly to prevent potential issues. Whether it be a weekly supplement or a shot your vet can administer, it is worth looking into.
Feeding
Providing your doe with a proper diet is a delicate balance. There are so many variables including quality of hay and grain, breed, and size of the goat. With so many different types of grain and brands, not to mention hay quality, all I can do is speak to what I do here.
I feed out organic second cut hay, and my backup is organic early first cut. These cuttings have the highest nutrient content possible and I fill their hay feeders both morning and at night. Easy enough right? If only…
Throughout the winter regardless of pregnancy, for my winter care regimen (but it just so happens winter is when everyone is pregnant anyway) I also feed out one cup of New Country Organics Goat Pellets to each doe every night. Because they like to bounce around from dish to dish, starting at about six weeks out from her due date I will feed the expecting mother on the milk stand separately. Not only does this get her into the habit of getting on the stand again, but it ensures that she is getting all the grain for her growing babies. When she has a month to go before kidding, I up the grain to one and a half to two cups to accommodate for the rapid growth the kids are going through at this point in gestation.
Grain is a bit of a hot topic issue. Depending on who you ask you will get different opinions on what (if any) grain to feed out during pregnancy and how much. Some swear by feeding out alfalfa pellets late in gestation for additional calcium to aid in labor and milk production, while others say absolutely not due to hypocalcemia. I have found goats to be incredibly tricky as there is a lot of conflicting information out there depending on who you ask.
Regardless of this, pregnancy toxemia is a risk if excessive grain is given during the final month of pregnancy, while ketosis can happen after kidding if not given enough grain. Like I said, it’s a balance! It can be difficult to maintain, but keeping an eye on body condition late in gestation and getting to know your goat’s body will help you determine if she’s getting enough or too much to eat.
Herbal Supplements
Once I start feeding the expectant mother on the milk stand six weeks before her due date I start top dressing 1/4 cup of Molly’s Herbals Pregnancy Tonic on her feed as well. This natural herbal supplement containing red raspberry leaf, alfalfa, rose hips, fennel, and cinnamon has huge benefits to a pregnant doe and I swear by it. Some of the benefits (straight from the site) include:
- Aid in preventing miscarriage and hemorrhage
- Aid in reducing pain during labor and after birth; by helping to tone the muscles used during labor and delivery.
- Strengthen the uterus
- Aid in providing a safe and speedy birth; helps to encourage the uterus to let go and function without tension. This does not strengthen contractions, but does allow the contracting uterus to work more effectively and so make the birth easier and faster.
- Aid in colostrum / milk production and quality.
- When consumed after birth, this Pregnancy Tonic may help decrease uterine swelling and cut down on post partum bleeding.
- Supplies Vitamins A, Bs, C, E, K, D. High in Calcium and contains phosphorus, iron. potassium and enzymes and trace minerals.
I used tonic last year throughout the last trimester of my doe Karen’s pregnancy. She had a textbook kidding in every way imaginable. Her labor was quick, she quickly released the placenta, and there was minimal post partum bleeding. I largely thank the Molly’s Herbals for this, and will always feed it to my pregnant does!
Shave Her Up
Shortly before kidding you will want to give your does udder, backs of legs, and vulva area a thorough shaving with an electric razor. Not only will this make clean up easier after birthing, but a clean shaved udder will make it easier for the kids to nurse and easily find the teats.
I have maintained (and still do!) that dairy goats are some of the most difficult animals to keep. They can be so delicate yet tough at the same time, and so many things can go wrong during pregnancy, kidding, and with milk production. There is conflicting information everywhere you turn, and it can be extremely frustrating. But, once you have a reliable grain, hay, and supplement regimen you figure out a rhythm that works for you. Feeding quality feed is the best you can do just like with any other animal. But, I also believe that what works and what doesn’t work largely is affected by animals living conditions, as well as the area of the country you live in and its deficiencies.
All of the care I mentioned above is what I do, and what I learned from my friend and amazing goat mentor Angela with some of my own research. This works for me and gives my herd the best chance possible at a healthy pregnancy and kids! Do you give special care/ treatment/ feeding/ supplements to your pregnant does? Let’s hear what you do below!