GOAT CARE AND FEEDING
NOTE* These are just helpful suggestions that work for us, we do not claim to be experts. Always consult with a goat knowledgeable veterinarian for your goat care.

It is essential that you find a reliable veterinarian that is knowledgeable about goat care. It took us a few years to find one that keeps up with what is current and knows goats. It is also very helpful to have a mentor or "goat friend" that you can call with questions. Another essential, get a book goat resource book. Our favorite beginner book  is " YOUR GOATS, A kids guide to raising and showing" by Gail Damerow. This is a fairly complete basic care book written in clear simple terms.

WHERE TO BUY YOUR GOATS- First know that goats are herd animals, you will need to keep at least 2 goats for them to be happy and well adjusted.  We do not recommend that you keep a goat with horns. All of our babies are disbudded. Even the sweetest and most gentle goats can seriously hurt you unintentionally with their horns. We can almost guarantee that if you buy goats with horns, you will regret it soon.
   We do not recommend that you purchase goats from an auction. MANY of the animals at auctions are sick and some are sick enough that they will not live to see another week. The stress of being placed in the auction, overcrowding and contagious illnesses all lead to this. Our advice STAY AWAY from livestock auctions all together.  Instead look for a knowledgeable goat breeder who will be there to give you support after you take your goats home. It doesn't matter how many goats a breeder keeps,  a larger goat breeder does not necessarily mean a better one. Ask local livestock veterinarians or even farm stores for a reference to good goat breeders.

GOAT HOUSING-
Fencing- Goats are actually fairly tough on fencing. The saying " The grass is greener on the other side" clearly applies to goats. They will push on fencing to try and reach that blade of grass just outside. If you have thin, cheap fencing they will destroy it very soon.
   In general, Nigerian Dwarf goats are difficult to keep in electric fencing. They are very small and you will need several strands with the lowest being only 6 inches off the ground. That's a lot of fence maintenance to keep the fence from  grounding out. 
    When I purchased my first goats, the seller told me "if it won't hold water, it won't hold a goat"...seemed like a strange comment to us....until we witnessed two tiny goats destroy cheap fencing in a matter of weeks.  We have a few different suggestions that WILL work.  Probably the least expensive, is HEAVY DUTY woven wire fencing for horses, at least 4ft high and preferably 6ft high, to keep dogs and predators out. No matter what fencing choice you choose you need good sturdy fence posts, not the cheap metal T-stake type, they will not last. You can use pressure treated or cedar landscape timbers, that are 4 in by 6 inch by 6-12ft long (depending on your fence height).  Another fencing option are panels called "combo panels" These are VERY heavy duty. They are typically made of 4 and 6 guage wire and are 16ft long and 52 inches tall. They have graduated spacing between the wires with the spaces being closest at the bottom and wider at the top. This is what we use in our buck pen and they are definitely "buck proof".  If you are going to keep small kids (dwarfs or pygmies) under 4 months old you will need to add a 2 -3 ft high chicken wire or yard fencing at the bottom to keep kids from escaping through the wider spaces.  
    For years we kept our does and kids in 6 ft chainlink with  metal fence posts made for chainlink and then put 2x2's around the bottem. This worked very well for us, but when we moved oiur goats out back last year I wanted more security from coyotes and other predators.  We now keep our does and kids in 8 ft high woven deer fencing with graduated spacing (Stay-Tight) and run 2x4 boards around the bottom. The 2x4's prevent them from pushing out the bottom and also makes it more difficult for dogs and predators to dig under the fence.  For the deer fence we used 12ft cedar poles and rented a post hole digger
 (!!!Warning!!! these can be very dangerous!!!) We rented one that had the auger on the end of a folcrum and the handle on the other (like a see-saw). It was the safest we could find that did not require a tractor to use.  This was fairly hard work I may add.

Shelter or Barn- Goats need shelter from wind, rain, snow and sun. Here in the northeast we recommend a barn type structure that you can close up when the weather is extreme. However, goats MUST HAVE adequate ventilation or they will become very prone to pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses. Be sure that your barn is not too air tight. We allow our goats to come and go into the barns as they please unless the weather is extreme. This allows for plenty of fresh air.
   Our outside (goat entry) barn doors are  2 1/2 x 3 ft and inside the barn we have a 4 ft wide "runway"  that divides stalls on either side.  We use 3 1/2 ft x 4ft  doors on each stall. This helps for easy stall entry and cleaning.  On a side note; goats should not be on wet bedding. Be sure to clean your barn often enough that they are on dry bedding. You can use dried wood shavings or straw for bedding
   

FEED-
 Goats need to have either adequate pasture and/or browse or good quality, dust and mold free hay. We have found that many farmers in our area will bale hay before it is completely dry. Because of this we prefer to buy our hay right out of the field where I can check the hay myself before it is baled to be sure it is dry. If it is not completely dry before it is baled, it will mold... period. Mold can make your goats very sick. If we cannot buy it right form the field then we buy just a few bales at first to check them out, then go back and buy more if we are happy with it.  We feed our hay in COVERED hay racks for the most part. It is essential to to cover your hay racks to prevent goats from jumping in and getting hung up. Too many goats have died or been seriously injured from this. It is fairly simple to attach a thin piece of plywood to the top of the hay rack.  We also use canvas hay bags in our barns when feeding inside is necessary. The canvas bags are much safer than the netting style. You can also use big rubber livestock feed tubs. I have found my goats love to climb in these and sleep and this, of course, soils the hay.
Grain-  Purchase a grain made specifically for goats. Goats need a fair amount of copper in their diets and many all purpose feeds do not have enough. There are many different brands of grain and pellets made especially for goats. When you first bring your new goats home do not change their feed from what they were eating for at least a week. Ask the person you are purchasing your goats from to give you enough of what they are feeding to last a week or two. Then you can gradually make a change if you wish to feed something different. We also recommend that you give your new goats PROBIOTICS daily for a  week to help prevent them from getting a stressed gut. In general for dwarf goats at least, bucks and wethers should not get more than a cup of grain or pellets a day, for the most part they should not have any grain.  Does will need more if they are being milked or feeding babies or in later pregnancy . We adjust the amount to their need  giving them 2-3 cups per day during these times.
Water- Goats need plenty of clean, fresh water. In the winter we give them warm water twice a day. If the weather is really extreme we may add a small amount of molasses to it for extra energy. You can buy heavy plastic (nearly indestructible) buckets at most any farm store. Do not use metal buckets. Do not use a deep water trough that they could jump into and not be able to get out of, or worse yet drown in.
SALT and MINERALS- We provide our goats with Sweetlix Goat Mineral supplement in the loose style. We also give them livestock grade sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). We put these in plastic mineral feeders that attach to the barn wall with screws or nails. You can buy these at most farm supply stores.

HOOF CARE-
   In general, goats need to have proper hoof trimming every 8-10 weeks. Some goats only need it every 12 weeks depending on the surfaces they walk on. Have the person you purchase your goats from or a knowledgeable veterinarian show you how to do this properly. Many people like to use a quality pair of pruning shears for this, but really, whatever works for you is fine.  We prefer to use a small pair of hoof nippers for horses, although it should be noted that this is a very expensive option compared to pruning shears.

WORMING AND OTHER HEALTH CARE-
 The current theory among most goat veterinarians is to use the same type of worming medicine until it no longer works. You will need to have your goats stool checked for parasites a few times a year to know when you need to change wormers.
   We give our goats annual CD&T and rabies vaccinations but, it is best to ask your veterinarian about what vaccinations are appropriate for your area.
   Keeping a basic goat First- Aid kit is essential. It should include minimally, a flexible digital thermometer, an antiseptic wound spray or ointment, bandaging such as guaze pads and Vet Wrap, blood stop powder, probiotics, Goat Nutri-Drench or the equivalent. If you will be having kids (baby goats) have some electrolyte solution around. Also it is important to keep your Veterinarians phone number handy for emergencies.
    As a more experienced goat person I also keep various antibiotics around as well as some goat pain medicine/fever reducer called Banamine (like human ibuprofen). Please!!! do not give any antibiotic unless you are positve it is the correct one for your goat's problem. Consult with a vet first. I keep these medicines because I cannot always get a vet to come here when I need them as they cover a huge area.  But they will always call me back and advise me what to do untli they can get here (this may be as long as 24 hours). Having the right medicine here has definetely saved my goats lives before (along with alot of prayers!)