Goats are second most popular pets on small farms and homestead where chicken goes first. Because, they’re easy to care and in fact when a goat that raised right can be loyal just like other pets you grow in your home and companionable and charming and in some cases, a lot more useful too.
If you’re thinking to get them to your homestead, there are some things you should consider when raising goats. Bringing livestock to your property is absolutely no small undertaking and farming goats are no exception. From food to shelter and wellbeing this article covers it all.
Farming Goats( For Milk And Meat):
These animals depend upon your care and in return, they provide you with fresh food which you couldn’t buy it at any grocery store. Here are 5 basic things to consider before purchasing meat goat or milk for beginners in goat farming. However, female goats are first priority and often the first to come to the homestead.
- Companionship:
Goats are social creatures just like dogs and cats, so they require another goat for companionship. If you leave them alone, they become more stressed as to sick or sometimes even dies if left alone for longer time. It’s always better to plan to bring at least two females to share some space. They’ll keep one another a good company.
- Food:
Goats eat everything is a myth, they eat lot of things but not everything. They often eat branches, leaves, bark, weeds and some grass just like deer’s. As they are ruminants, you must provide them long-stranded fibers to keep their rumen healthy and strong. If they don’t have access to plenty of pasture, give them hay as well as mineral supplement.
For milk goats, feed them with concentrated feed which contains vitamins and minerals to be healthy.
- Water:
Goats need to have continuous access to clean water always just like other animals. Lactating animals are especially in need of large amount of water, so set up a trough or watering system near a pond, hose is quite important.
You can also provide water on regular basis especially if you decide that farming goats is for you.
- Shelter:
A simple shelter to escape from the fluctuations of weather is more than enough for them to survive. You can keep them out of cold winds if at all possible. They also want a quiet place to go when birth is imminent.
Bedding down a shed with hay, straw, wood chips are important for mucking out and keeping their living areas clean. Similarly, daily mucking out any solid areas is helpful in preventing spreading of diseases.
- Right Fencing:
Goats can be escape artists, especially if there is hay or any food visible on the other side of fence. So, choose the right fencing type to protect your goats. However, there are many types of fences available and it totally depending on the size of your space and number of goats you are bringing home.
Most Common Fences Used Are:
- Barbed Wire
- Goat Wire
- Woven Wire
- Electric Fencing
Building short fence is directly proportional to giving a chance to your goat to jump out of the fence. And a fence that is strongly established will encourage the goat to squeeze through.
If you have large number of goats, it’s better to build a fence using barbed wire. It is inexpensive and you will not face any problems like goats getting stuck, or cutting themselves.