| People get involved in goat care for many different | | | | stand for feeding should be built outside off the |
| reasons. Often goats are raised to give milk or meat, | | | | ground. Along the fence line can be the perfect place |
| mohair or cashmere, to clear land, or to become | | | | because when you put it in too small a space, |
| pets. There are around seven million goats in the | | | | dominant goats can keep the less dominant or |
| world, most of them in developing countries where | | | | younger ones from getting to the feeder. |
| they are used for milk production. | | | | Goats should be introduced gradually to new pasture |
| Goats are very hardy animals, so when it comes to | | | | or freshly cut green hay so that they do not bloat |
| goat care, they do not need much in the way of | | | | and become ill. While you may hear that goats will |
| housing. For winter there should be a shelter with dry | | | | eat anything, in reality this is far from true. Goats are, |
| bedding. Goats hate to get wet so a shelter from | | | | in fact, very picky about the hay that they will eat. |
| rain and snow is very important. A three-sided shelter | | | | Some goat owners feed alfalfa and timothy with |
| works well year-round as long as it protects your | | | | good results. |
| goats from the rain. Always house at least two | | | | Goats need to get regular vaccines, so if you are |
| goats together as goats are pack animals and can | | | | just starting out with goats you will need to find a |
| get very lonely and unhappy if they are the only | | | | good large animal veterinarian. They also need to be |
| animal. | | | | wormed regularly and to have their hoofs trimmed. |
| Goats must be fenced in and even then they will try | | | | Although goats are not frequently ill, it is good to do |
| to escape every once in a while. So, you need to get | | | | a little research on goat diseases so you know what |
| good sturdy fencing with heavy-duty wire. An electric | | | | symptoms to look for and when you should call a |
| fence can work very well as long as you don't have | | | | vet. |
| dogs or other animals small enough to sneak under | | | | If you decide to breed your goat, both the female |
| the fence and get in the pen or pasture. | | | | and the male must be in season at the same time. |
| As far as food goes, goat care means feeding quality | | | | This is usually in the fall, between August and |
| hay and grain every day. They also need to receive | | | | December. During this time, a female goat will go into |
| certain minerals and to have fresh, clean water at all | | | | heat every 18-21 days. After being bred, the |
| times. Make sure the hay doesn't sit on the ground | | | | gestation period is around 150 days, so the young |
| where it can get dirty and moldy. A wooden hay | | | | one will be born in the spring. |