Pet Goats 101

I spend a lot of time in e-mail or messenger, talking about goats. I love talking about goats, and encouraging people to get goats. However, I tend to be wordy, and try to share all the information! So I thought I'd compile some of this information into posts. Please understand that some of this is simply my opinion, based off my own experiences. Many breeders disagree on the best management techniques, as people tend to do, and there are many different ways of accomplishing the same goals. But as you're asking me, I'll just share how I do things. Hopefully, I won't overwhelm you!

Do goats make good pets? Goats DO make great pets. If you have a good set up for them, they are relatively low-maintenance. When they are friendly, they have fun personalities, like dogs. They can be trained to walk on a leash, do tricks, and sometimes their manners can be trained. ;) There are a few things you should know ahead of time, though.

1. Goats will not eat just anything. This is a common myth. Goats will nibble on everything. They are like toddlers, and get to know the world through tasting everything, but they do not, in general, eat random objects. They are browsers. They find particular plants they like, and eat all of those. They enjoy berry bushes and seem to navigate the thorns without any problems. I wish they'd eat whatever is in abundance. We get these twiggy weeds with blue flowers, and the goats will eat the flowers, but leave the twigs. :) Goats can live on pasture during the spring and summer. We do not usually supplement except for the milking does. Pet goats do NOT need grain. In the winter, a grass / alfalfa mix hay is just fine for pet goats. If you're looking into getting breeding goats, I am making a separate post for that info.

2. Goats can be escape artists. If you leave the gate any sort of open, they will figure it out. I've even had one learn to use a slide latch, and I got in trouble for leaving the gate open multiple times before we figured out what she was doing! They want to explore and climb and taste everything they can get to. So yes, they WILL jump on your car, and they WILL strip your baby trees, and they will TOTALLY come in the house if you leave the sliding door cracked. We have found that field fencing works best, but the baby goats can still get out through the holes, so we have to keep an eye on that. Gates need to latch securely and leave no gaps where they can slither through.

3. Goats destroy stuff. Sorry, they just do. You want to put that quaint little chicken tractor out in the pasture. IT IS NOW YOUR GOAT'S PLAY STRUCTURE!

4. Enough with the warnings. These are all problems that can be avoided with good planning. Pet goats are pretty easy. They are herd animals, so it's advisable to have more than one, unless they are going to be part of a multi-species herd. They like horses, sheep, and other critters as well, but they don't do well on their own.

What kind of maintenance do they need?

Supplements: It's a good idea to have loose minerals available for them. They will eat what they need. Helps with overall health. Some people keep baking soda available to them as well, as sometimes they will eat it when their tummy is upset. I don't do this myself, but it couldn't hurt. Kelp is also a good supplement. It's an ingredient in the dairy goat grain we use, so I don't put it out, but it's supposed to be very good for GI health.

Vaccines: An annual booster of CD&T is a good idea. You can do this yourself, and can find the ingredients at the farm store. Another good supplement is a Selenium. You can get it as an injection (but it needs a prescription from your vet) or a paste. The shot is good once a year, the paste you have to give them every few months or so, but it's pretty easy and the tube lasts forever.

Deworming: depends on your situation. Regardless, I do not deworm on a schedule. I want to avoid them building up a tolerance to the dewormer. I will usually only deworm if I see symptoms (Weight loss, diarrhea, etc). I'll give them some of whatever I have (I alternate Safeguard and Ivermectin, sometimes will throw in Toltrazuril for coccidia overload) and if it clears up, we're good. I have had my vet run fecals before when there was an ongoing or recurring issue, but I don't obsess about it. If you have enough space and healthy goats, worms shouldn't trouble you too often. Stress is a big factor. The worst year I ever had was dealing with a sudden, long, icy winter, when we are used to mild winters. Most years, it's one or two goats that might need a dose at some point.

Lice: It's important to remember two things about goat lice. 1) Almost all goats get them at some point, and 2) Humans cannot get goat lice. They are species-specific. That doesn't mean your skin won't crawl while you're dealing with them, but you can't get it. And it's very common, especially in early spring. You can use treatments to cut back on them, but it's hard to get rid of them entirely until it's warm enough to clip and bathe the goats for summer. I dust the bedding with Diatomaceous Earth periodically. Not sure it makes a difference, but it makes me feel better. (Yes, my pretties, allow the fairy dust to fall on you and shrivel your tiny little bodies!). Last year, I started treating everyone with Cylence in early spring, and that has been really effective at killing the lice and preventing reinfestation. If you still have a few stragglers, clip all their hair, give them a good bath, and let the sun do its work.

Blood Tests: You will often see information regarding CAE, CL, and Johnnes blood tests. Many breeders test their herd for this annually. With pet goats, you do not need to do this year after year, but it is a good idea to have it done initially, if the farm you purchased from did not. CAE is generally passed from mom to baby, but CL and Johnnes are highly contagious, yucky diseases. If you buy from a reputable breeder with a clean farm, you're fine. It's generally more of a problem with animals purchased at auction.

What kind of pen and shelter do they need?

The general rule of thumb is 1/10th of an acre per goat. This is both for grazing and to help prevent the spread of worms. However, rotating paddocks helps too. Goats don't need anything fancy for a shelter. A 3-sided pen is plenty. Just a place to get out of the wet and the wind. You want to avoid too much mud, as it comes with health problems. I live in a dry climate, so I don't know a lot about troubleshooting mud.

I've also noticed different types of goats react differently to weather, but you have to consider their genetics. Nigerian Dwarfs come from Africa. They handle our hottest summer days like it's a gentle spring morning. Snow and ice, however, stress them out. I also have a few alpines, and they are the ones who stay in whatever shade they can find and tend to lose weight over the summer, but they will stand in the middle of the snowy pasture chewing their cud in the winter.

How do I train my goat?

Goats like routine. If you do the same thing every day, they will anticipate it. For example, we just started milking three does. The first day, we had to go find them and lead them to the milking room. Two days later, we just opened the gate and they came out and went straight to the door. Especially if there is a treat involved, they will generally get the idea. I whistle to my goats when I'm going to feed them. So they associate my whistles with "Run over to Mom!" Makes it easier to gather everyone when they're scattered.

It's important to not give up. One thing that is not a myth is that goats are stubborn. Initial leash training is frustrating, because you feel like you're dragging them and they just won't cooperate. BUT it's truly for their own good (and your back's) to get them to lead nicely, and if you stick to it just a few times, they will come around. Just kinda sucks for a while.

You train manners like you train a dog's manners. As fun as it is, I don't let my baby goats climb on me anymore. I've had too many mountain climbers grow up to think that was still an option. Believe me, you do NOT want your 80 lb wether to do yoga with you. Sometimes you have to bop them on the nose to get their attention they are being pushy or nibbling.

Remember to play with your goats the way you want to play with them as adults. One of the worst things you can do is to push on their heads. Goats like to push things with their heads, and they will headbutt each other to establish dominance. You do NOT want them doing that to you. It's not as natural to them as it is with sheep, but it's still a behavior you don't want to encourage. I have had to sell one goat for this behavior, even though she only did it when she had babies. Not tolerable. But the rest of my goats, bucks included, wouldn't dream of butting a human, even a little one. My toddler wanders all over out there, and they are all completely gentle.

Can goats be housebroken?

In theory, yes. I've heard of people training goats to go to the door when they need to go potty. I would not do this, personally. I often have baby goats in my house, either to socialize them or give them extra care. But an adult goat in my house is not my preference. To each his own!

What kinds of goats make the best pets?

Wethers (neutered males) make the best pets. They are not subject to the hormone spikes that both bucks and does have, they do not smell bad, and they are easy to feed and care for.

Does are also good pets. Some can be temperamental when they are in heat, but without a buck around, they probably won't be too annoying about their cycles, and you may not even notice. One important thing to remember is that if you have a pet doe for several years and then later decide to breed her, that can be dangerous. Does actually do better producing babies and milking for at least a while every year. It keeps obesity at bay, which is the most dangerous thing for them. If you just want to get your feet wet and enjoy goats, then a wether is better.

Bucks do NOT make good pets. Yes, they can be just as friendly as does and wethers. Yes, they have epic beards. Yes, they smell bad almost all the time. Yes, they really will pee on their own faces (and yours, if you get too close) and do all kinds of disgusting things right in front of your neighbors. There is no reason on God's green earth for you to keep an intact buck as a pet. You also run the risk of him getting someone pregnant- either a pet doe, or a neighbor's goat. They are very determined to escape when they smell something good. You can have an adult buck castrated, and then he will generally settle down after a few weeks...but I'd have my farm vet do that if I needed to have it done.

What breed of goat is best?

Obviously, I prefer Nigerian Dwarfs. I like that they're small enough for me to handle without hurting myself, they are too short to challenge my fences too much, and they're just really easygoing in general.

Nothing wrong with full-sized goats. In my experience, Boers can be pretty sweet, they're just HUGE. Nubians have the best personalities that I have seen, but they are known for their loud screeching. Alpines have spunky personalities and are really entertaining. I've never had LaManchas, but I have heard they are very gentle and laid-back. Pygmy goats and Fainting goats are popular pets, but I'm a little more wary of them because they have dubious backgrounds.

How do I choose a farm to buy from?

***This is all my own opinion, based on my experiences and values.

Even when buying a pet, you're best off looking for a breeder of high-quality, registered goats. Why? Because they are caring for them properly. They will be healthier, first of all. Second of all, breeders almost always have wethers available. They may also have sweet older does that need retirement homes. If you tell them what you're looking for, they will be more than happy to help you. Plus, breeders enjoy helping others get started with goats. I love hearing from people who have purchased goats from me, and helping them with issues that come up. If you purchase something from an auction or out questionable circumstances, you have no knowledge of the goat's history, health, etc.

How do you know it's a good farm? Do you ask for a tour? You certainly can ask for a tour, but don't be surprised if they decline. Honestly, we have to be careful. Animal rights activists are not only concerned about animals being cared for properly, but they often believe animals shouldn't be kept AT ALL, especially not in a farming situation. We don't like to invite these bullies to our home. The second issue is that everyone loves goats. They come out, spend time with them, ask lots of questions, take up 2 hours of your Saturday, and then they leave and purchase a goat somewhere else. I'm happy to send pictures, and I'll give tours if someone is there to pick up an animal they've already paid for, but unless I know the person, I don't usually invite them to look around my farm. It's important to respect the time and privacy of these farms.

It's a good idea to buy from clean-tested farms. This will actually be my first year testing, but I only buy from clean tested farms, and my girls don't leave, so I haven't really needed to yet. But with LA coming up, and maybe some shows eventually, I need to do that. But honestly, unless the goats look unhealthy or the owner seems shady, it's probably not something you need to fret about for pets.

If you can think of any other questions I haven't covered here, feel free to add a comment!