How we care for our goats...
One of our livestock guardian dogs looking after the babies.
Our care philosophy can be summed up by saying... keep it as natural as possible and put the goat's best interests first.
Our small doe herd enjoys a 1/2 acre pasture fenced in 2x4" non climb fencing, a 12x12 run in shelter as well as a barn with three kidding stalls that have removable dividers so they can open up into one large stall. Our bucks have their own paddock with shelter and access to a one acre pasture they can alternate with our two horses. Our kids are dam raised with daily human interaction to ensure friendly, social, easy to handle babies. We do teach the kids to take a bottle, when possible, to make milk testing days easier and less stressful. Because selecting for sweet temperaments is so important to us some of our kids can easily be mistaken for bottle raised babies. It is very common to have them following us around eager for snuggles or hoping up in our laps for naps. Once they are 4 weeks old they are separated from their moms at night, in an adjoining stall, so we can milk in the mornings, then the moms and babies are put back together for the day. Our goats love to play and we like to give them various structures and obstacles to have fun with. Their pasture has a variety of soft and hard footing to help their natural hoof maintenance and health. We check and trim hooves once a month.
You may notice that we do a few things differently from most other performance oriented herds. We believe in putting the goats' best interests first and rather than breed them early (before they turn 1 year old as many show herds do so they can select their keepers and culls more quickly) we usually wait until they are in their second year and have achieved their mature height and better emotional maturity. It requires a bit of patience on our part but we believe this makes for better moms and healthier kiddings. We also no longer disbud (the removal of growing horn buds by using a hot cauterizing iron) our horned goat kids. We do not believe in causing our goats pain for the sake of our potential convenience or ability to keep more goats in limited space. Therefore, we select heavily for docile temperaments, do not overcrowd our goats and we take the time to train and interact with each individual so they behave respectfully towards us.
Our goats are given free choice minerals as well as a Copper Bolus and Selenium & Vitamin E Gel 2-4 times a year depending on their evaluated need as we live in a copper and selenium deficient area. We worm as needed upon evaluation or fecal exam and select for natural parasite resistance as we strive to have a naturally hardy, healthy herd.
We take our herd health and biosecurity very seriously and test our adults for CAE annually, in the fall, when we send pregnancy tests in to Biotracking. Additionally, after many years and many hundreds of dollars spent on full panel CL/CAE/Johne's testing with all negative results, we now randomly spot check for CL and Johne's using WADDL's Caprine Biosecurity Screen grouping of blood tests. Any new additions to the herd are also screened for CL/CAE/Johne's prior to entry and we only purchase from herds with a history of negatives tests. All routine and random testing results have been negative. We are happy to provide copies of results upon request.
Our small doe herd enjoys a 1/2 acre pasture fenced in 2x4" non climb fencing, a 12x12 run in shelter as well as a barn with three kidding stalls that have removable dividers so they can open up into one large stall. Our bucks have their own paddock with shelter and access to a one acre pasture they can alternate with our two horses. Our kids are dam raised with daily human interaction to ensure friendly, social, easy to handle babies. We do teach the kids to take a bottle, when possible, to make milk testing days easier and less stressful. Because selecting for sweet temperaments is so important to us some of our kids can easily be mistaken for bottle raised babies. It is very common to have them following us around eager for snuggles or hoping up in our laps for naps. Once they are 4 weeks old they are separated from their moms at night, in an adjoining stall, so we can milk in the mornings, then the moms and babies are put back together for the day. Our goats love to play and we like to give them various structures and obstacles to have fun with. Their pasture has a variety of soft and hard footing to help their natural hoof maintenance and health. We check and trim hooves once a month.
You may notice that we do a few things differently from most other performance oriented herds. We believe in putting the goats' best interests first and rather than breed them early (before they turn 1 year old as many show herds do so they can select their keepers and culls more quickly) we usually wait until they are in their second year and have achieved their mature height and better emotional maturity. It requires a bit of patience on our part but we believe this makes for better moms and healthier kiddings. We also no longer disbud (the removal of growing horn buds by using a hot cauterizing iron) our horned goat kids. We do not believe in causing our goats pain for the sake of our potential convenience or ability to keep more goats in limited space. Therefore, we select heavily for docile temperaments, do not overcrowd our goats and we take the time to train and interact with each individual so they behave respectfully towards us.
Our goats are given free choice minerals as well as a Copper Bolus and Selenium & Vitamin E Gel 2-4 times a year depending on their evaluated need as we live in a copper and selenium deficient area. We worm as needed upon evaluation or fecal exam and select for natural parasite resistance as we strive to have a naturally hardy, healthy herd.
We take our herd health and biosecurity very seriously and test our adults for CAE annually, in the fall, when we send pregnancy tests in to Biotracking. Additionally, after many years and many hundreds of dollars spent on full panel CL/CAE/Johne's testing with all negative results, we now randomly spot check for CL and Johne's using WADDL's Caprine Biosecurity Screen grouping of blood tests. Any new additions to the herd are also screened for CL/CAE/Johne's prior to entry and we only purchase from herds with a history of negatives tests. All routine and random testing results have been negative. We are happy to provide copies of results upon request.
Nutrition
We follow the same natural philosophy that we have learned over the years caring for our horses, but applied to the unique digestive needs of dairy goats. While sugar rich processed grains may boost milk production, we would rather our goats eat a more natural, easy to digest diet that is rich in balanced omega fatty acids and has plenty of long stem fiber to keep their rumens healthy and active. In addition, a more natural, low sugar diet helps to create strong hooves and to avoid many hoof problems (such as laminitis) that are common in high performance feeding programs. Because we do not feed for performance and we usually only milk once a day, our DHIA milk numbers will look lower but we continue to select our bloodlines through the generations to perform well on a natural diet and hold a long, steady lactation.
Our goats have constant access to fresh water, locally grown grass hay, goat balanced minerals and kelp. Twice a day, depending on their age and body condition they receive Chaffhaye (fermented alfalfa). Our milkers enjoy Chaffhaye with a small top dressing of rolled oats, ground flax seed and probiotics while being milked once a day. We have found that this diet works well for our farm and our goats' health. Their milk is rich, sweet and creamy and their coats are soft and shiny.
We use herbs and medications as needed and are fortunate to have a good local vet to work with. Many problems can be headed off in advance by being observant, knowing your goats well, maintaining excellent nutrition, a natural herd dynamic, and sanitary housing. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Our goats have constant access to fresh water, locally grown grass hay, goat balanced minerals and kelp. Twice a day, depending on their age and body condition they receive Chaffhaye (fermented alfalfa). Our milkers enjoy Chaffhaye with a small top dressing of rolled oats, ground flax seed and probiotics while being milked once a day. We have found that this diet works well for our farm and our goats' health. Their milk is rich, sweet and creamy and their coats are soft and shiny.
We use herbs and medications as needed and are fortunate to have a good local vet to work with. Many problems can be headed off in advance by being observant, knowing your goats well, maintaining excellent nutrition, a natural herd dynamic, and sanitary housing. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Below are some management articles that we have found helpful:
Understanding Natural Behavior to Improve Dairy Goat (Capra hircus) Management Systems by Gosia Zobel, Heather W Neave, Jim Webster
How to House Goats Harmoniously, How to Make a Great Goat House Where Goats Rest and Feed in Peace by Tamsin Cooper
Other great articles by Tamsin Cooper:
https://backyardgoats.iamcountryside.com/author/tamsinc2/
Understanding Natural Behavior to Improve Dairy Goat (Capra hircus) Management Systems by Gosia Zobel, Heather W Neave, Jim Webster
How to House Goats Harmoniously, How to Make a Great Goat House Where Goats Rest and Feed in Peace by Tamsin Cooper
Other great articles by Tamsin Cooper:
https://backyardgoats.iamcountryside.com/author/tamsinc2/
