Getting Started

Goats eat everything. From plants, tree bark, washing end anything green they can lay their lower teeth on. Having said that, poisoning rarely occurs when goats are left to browse on their own. They are selective feeders and will pick out all the juicy bits and leave the rest for you to dispose of. Selecting your first goat is simpler than most people think. The first thing you should know is what breed you want to start with. We highly recommend the Saanen due to their availability and their reputation as the top milk producers. One dairy oat per family will satisfy the dairy needs of the family with milk to spare for the pets.

When looking for your first goat you must at least look at the following:

1. The animal must LOOK healthy - not skinny and obvious lack of hair in the coat.

2. The udder must be well formed and the teats must not be out of shape either. Wart-like growths on the udder are normally an affect of sunburn and are not always a genetic issue. But why take a chance. There are enough good ones available and you may as well look for a good healthy goat.

3. The animal must be alert and inquisitive. These characteristics are natural to goats and they will in most cases approach you when you enter the pen to see if you brought something to eat.

4. The colors of the coat must be correct. You can see some of the colors on the Breeds Page elsewhere on this site.

5. It is recommended that you obtain goats without horns. Farmers stun the growth of the horns by burning them at a very early stage. This will save you a lot of money at a later stage. You do not need to learn the hard way as to the damage a goat can do to fences and each other with a healthy pair of Harley Davidson-like horns, especially the billy goats.

6. To start with, get a female goat. The boys take some getting used to and may put you off the idea for the rest of your life. Boys will be boys!!!

7. Lastly, make sure that you are buying from a farmer who has been breeding goats for some time. Reputable farmers normally get rid of problem animals and the chances are therefore good that you will have the benefit of the farmers expertise when you buy from him.

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