7 Things to Know BEFORE Buying Goats
Are you a homesteader considering incorporating goats into your self-sufficiency portfolio? A lot of people wanting to raise livestock for the first time find goats, at least in theory, to be a promising option. So, here’s a list of 7 things you should really know BEFORE buying goats!
Chickens are often touted as the ‘gateway’ animal due to their small size, low startup and maintenance costs, and ease of care. However, I think that there is definitely a place for goats in the beginner’s list of homestead animals to try.
That said, as with any homesteading project, it is IMPERATIVE that you do your homework in advance. No one likes jumping into anything only to find that it was more trouble than they initially believed. Thankfully, such unfortunate realizations are extremely preventable.
1. Decide what purpose the goat(s) will serve:
It is important to understand what purpose the goat(s) will serve on your homestead before you ever bring them home. Having this clearly laid out beforehand will help you keep the right goals in mind once they arrive on your place.
Let me explain.
If you want meat goats, for example, knowing that their end purpose – being food on your table – makes a world of difference when it comes time to make culling decisions.
If you have slow growing, light muscled babies, you probably aren’t going to end up with a set of animals that are ‘optimal’ for meat production.
That said, maybe your goal is just to have goats as pets. If that’s the case, then small, narrow built animals might not be an issue. They could even be your preference.
Meat:
If your goal is meat production, typically you would want goats that grow quickly, are heavily muscled, and large framed.
You want goats that efficiently convert feed products into meat, because, at the end of the day, they are the ones that are going to save you the most money.
An animal that is on feed for 8 months is going to cost less than an animal on feed for 12 months, that’s just simple math.
Now, if we are working with pasture raised goats, costs will look different than those who are finished per commercial norms on a predominately grain based diet.
Nuances aside, if you are wanting to raise goats for meat, you will definitely want efficient growers. Along the same lines, you’ll want large framed animals.
The larger framed an animal is, the more muscle mass (meat) they will be able to put on. That said, there is such a thing as too much frame.
We’re not looking for extremes here. We want heavy muscle and animals that are still physically functional.
Milk:
In milk production, the traits you’ll be looking for are different than those in meat animals. For dairy goats, you’ll want to put more emphasis on the structure of both the animal’s skeleton as well as their udder and teats.
A structurally sound animal is going to have greater longevity than an animal who isn’t. The less structurally sound an animal is, the greater the likelihood of pregnancy/birth complications, as well as other health problems.
Another important thing to look at is the milking ability/record on both the paternal and maternal side.
Genetically speaking, an animal’s milking ability is an extremely hereditary trait, so if maternal and paternal lines were good milkers chances are that your goat will be too!
Fiber:
Fiber, though not as common as meat and milk, is another specific purpose goats are raised for.
Goat fiber is known as cashmere or mohair, and is fairly expensive to buy due to how little is produced.
That said, if producing your own clothing fiber is something on your skills acquisition list, then maybe this is a good route for you!
Companionship:
Finally, goats can also be used simply for companionship. No fancy strings attached. Sometimes, the spunky personalities and goofy antics of goats provides a purpose all on its own.
2. Before Buying Goats, Pick a Breed:
Just like with any other animal, deciding on a specific breed that fits your production goals is critical to do up front, before buying goats.
You aren’t going to want to raise Nigerian Dwarf goats if your goal is meat production.
While the options are numerous, I’ll list a few of the most common breeds in each category.
Meat Goats:
- Boer
- Kiko
- Savannah
- Myotonic (or Tennessee Fainting Goats)
Dairy Goats:
- Nubian
- Nigerian Dwarf
- Saanen
- LaMancha
Fiber Goats:
- Angora
- Cashmere
3. Know what you’ll do for fencing and shelter before you start buying goats:
Ah, the dreaded topic of fencing! Probably the single most common complaint among goat owners…the struggle of keeping goats in the fence.
Yes, they are little escape artists. And yes, they like to climb, jump and get into mischief.
But no, it is not impossible to keep them in.
I’ve often heard it said that unless your fence can keep in water, it won’t keep in goats. Personally, this has not been my experience! Maybe I’ve just been lucky, who knows.
All that to say, it is really important that before you start buying goats, you know exactly what your fence is going to look like!
Trying to keep goats in with a five-strand barbwire fence for cattle isn’t going to cut it.
Usually, strand electric fencing isn’t a great option either, as goats have no issue moving the wire with their horns and sneaking through without a shock.
They are also prone to rub against your fencing, which causes it to bow out and break down over time. So what are viable options you ask?
Fencing Options:
Electric netting – While I’ve never used it, a lot of people are really happy with the electric netting fence for their goats. Premier 1 fencing is one of the best places to find supplies if this option interests you.
Cattle or hog panels – The big, heavy duty cattle or hog panels come in a variety of sizes and heights. I’ve had good success with using the 4 x 16 foot panels.
I do think it’s important to note here that if you use cattle or hog panels you need to be placing t-posts or some other variation of fence post every 3-4 feet to reinforce the wire.
I like this option for kidding pens and corral type enclosure up close to my barns.
Horse or field fencing – This woven wire is what we used as our perimeter fencing for years, and it never failed me, not once.
I prefer it to the cattle panels for perimeter fencing because the weave is tighter and doesn’t allow small kids to squeeze through.
With any fencing you choose, I am a firm believer that having support posts, be it t-posts or other wood or metal posts, every 3-4 feet along your fence is super important to keeping the fence strong.
It helps keep it from being compromised as quickly by the frequent rubbing and head butting from the goats. This also helps keep down frequency of required fence maintenance.
Shelter:
The type of shelter you will need is going to depend on what kind of goats you are raising. Meat goats have the simplest requirements, with dairy animals having the most complicated due to the stanchions and other equipment space needed for milking.
As a general rule of thumb, your shelter should have 8-10 square feet of space per animal being housed there.
It is important to have solid walls on at least three of the four sides of your shelter to provide protection from the wind. Goats do not like being chilled or wet.
In completely enclosed shelters, making sure that you have adequate ventilation is imperative. The last thing you want is your animals getting sick from inhaling ammonia fumes because there wasn’t proper ventilation allowing it to filter out!
I’ve used a variety of shelters over the years.
For kidding does, I really prefer having a barn that can be completely closed off to give the best protection possible.
The older animals on pasture, I’ve found, do well with more of a lean-to type structure, enclosed on three sides with a roof.
They tend to appreciate deeper bedding in the winter months for these types of shelters. That said, the deep litter method is useful in most applications for livestock and really helps keep in the heat during the cold winter months.
As mentioned previously, if you are raising dairy goats, it is important to plan where you will milk them. Incorporating a space for a milking stanchion in your goat shelter is ideal.
Just keep in mind that you want to keep that space squeaky clean to prevent contaminating your milk!
4. Understand proper nutrition requirements before buying goats:
I feel like this is an area that a lot of people kind of glaze over because of the ease of access to complete feed rations and other pre-mixed feed products.
That said, before buying goats, having a firm handle on the nutrient requirements for each stage of production is really important.
Each stage of production is going to bring different nutrient requirements for your animals. A freshly weaned kid isn’t going to have the same protein or energy needs as a three-year-old lactating doe. Similarly, a buck’s maintenance needs aren’t going to be the same as when he’s in rut.
Keep in mind that deficiencies or excesses in certain nutrients can affect the absorption of other nutrients.
This can lead to major health issues and is why it is critical to know what you’re doing when it comes to feeding your livestock, especially if you are going to mix your own rations or plan to keep them on a predominately forage based diet.
Having adequate mineral supplements is crucial in any diet, but especially if you are raising with little grain supplementation.
5. Have an idea of supplies and equipment needed:
This is a category that really varies based on each person more so than it does on the type of goats you are raising.
That said, yes, there are some things you should really have if you are raising dairy or fiber animals that you wouldn’t need as a meat goat producer, but all in all its very person specific.
I would also be remiss to not mention the importance of calculating expenses before buying goats.
Make sure while you are working through each facet of production to make purchases for, that you are keeping a tab on the total cost in each category.
Like any other area, being prepared and knowing what to expect ahead of time will save you major headache in the long run!
6. Inform yourself on health issues that may arise:
When it comes to buying goats, it is important to educate yourself on the most common diseases your animals might have the misfortune of contracting.
Not only that, but you should also be familiar with signs of parasite infestation within your herd.
Knowing what to look for and how to treat it are great tools to have in your producer’s handbook of knowledge.
7. Be realistic about daily care requirements (i.e. time):
The type of goat you are raising will play a huge role in the amount of time you’ll spend caring for them each day! For example, dairy goats are going to take more time than meat goats, due to milking.
In general, daily goat care (watering, feeding, and checking in on) is probably not going to take the average person more than 30 minutes to complete for a small, homestead herd.
That said, there are also ‘occasional’ care requirements for your herd that will take time and are worth factoring in your time constraints before you start buying goats for your homestead.
Hoof Trimming
First, is hoof trimming. Access to rocks or rough concrete, wet weather, and nutrient intake will all factor into how often this will need done.
For my herd, in my climate, I found myself trimming hooves once a month in the spring and fall (when it was wetter) and every couple months in the summer and winter when the ground was dry or frozen.
Having rough terrain can act as a natural file and do some of the work for you.
Vaccinations
Second, vaccinations. If you are going to vaccinate your herd, it is important to know the recommended age for the initial vaccination and booster in kids, as well as how often to booster adult animals.
Kidding Season
Third, kidding season! Simultaneously the most exciting and stressful time of year as a goat herder, in my personal opinion.
During kidding season it is likely that you will be spending substantially more time with your herd than other times of the year.
From helping make sure does don’t need assistance during the birthing process to caring for orphaned (or rejected) kids, you need to make sure you set up your schedule so that if something happens, you can be there to help your goats.
Milking or Shearing
Fourth, milking or shearing. If you have dairy or fiber goats, you will want to set time aside for milking or shearing.
As mentioned previously, usually shearing will only be a once or twice a year affair. But milking is going to add time to your daily chores while the does are in milk.
There are probably other things that you will think of that you need/want to do for your herd, not included in this short list.
The important thing is to make sure you know what your time requirements will be and plan accordingly, so that you don’t get stressed out.
In Conclusion!
Now that you’ve learned about the 7 things you should know before buying goats, you are equipped to go out and make that purchase!
We would love to hear about how adding goats to your homestead is going! Leave a comment below and share your experience with us!
Other Homesteading Posts:
How to Care for Goats to Obtain Optimal Herd Health
How to Take Care of Chickens on the Homestead
Chicken Parasites: What You Need to Know
Some more goaty resources!
For further reading and information on getting started, here are a few resources for you before you start buying goats!
Oklahoma State University Extension Meat Goat Manual – here
University of Arkansas Extension Meat Goat Nutrition Manual – here
Penn State Extension Dairy Goat Info – here
Oklahoma State University Goat Breeds – here
I’m glad you found it helpful! 🙂
I grew up on a dairy goat farm and this is very helpful and accurate. Great post, keep it up!
This is a super helpful post for anyone interested in goats. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you found it helpful and enjoyed it! 🙂