Feeding

Goats will eat almost anything except meat. They love raw scraps from the kitchen. It is highly recommended that you get a bail of lucern from your local farmer supply and have this available for them at all times. Due to their anatomy, goats need to get enough roughage (leaves and grass) This is not negotiable. Not giving them a good supply of roughage can make your goats sick and they may even die.

Many farming retail outlets have a formulated goat or sheep ration available and it is always a good idea to give them some of this pelleted formula during their lactation (the period when they produce milk). Make sure that the formula does not contain urea. Urea is an artificial form of protein, which can be poisonous when it gets wet. Adult goats are quite capable of digesting this when fed correctly. As a beginner though, you should minimize your risks and rather get a formulated ration, which is free of urea. A good supply of fresh water should ALWAYS be available. Never let any animal be thirsty, not even for an hour.

Health

Not all vets know their way around goats and these animals are often treated as sheep. Although there are quite a few similarities, there are as many differences. It has been said that goats are closer related to ‘game’ than they are to sheep. The first signs that an animal may be sick is the slower way they move around and an obvious loss in appetite. With goats the loss of appetite is normally the most reliable way to detect illness. Make sure that you have the phone number of a farm vet handy. These animals are fortunately not much bigger than a large dog and can easily be loaded onto a bakkie and carted of to a doctor.

Many farmers believe in a deworming program. One of the top vets in our country however, recommends that only animals infected with worms should be treated, not the whole herd. The reasons for this are lengthy and cannot be explained here. For the first year or so, it is important that you learn as much as possible about your animals and your vet is the best person to teach you the ropes about animal health.

When an animal looks sick, ACT IMMEDIATELY! Don’t wait for them to get better, they normally don’t and then get to the vet at a stage where very little can be done to save their lives.

Intro |Getting started | Housing | Health and Feeding | Milking and Pasteurising