Welcome

    “LAVENDER GET OUT OF THE TRASH!!!!!!"

    "OWW.... stop biting me!!” 

     Sorry, I didn't see you there. Welcome to my crazy but fun farm. If you are wondering who Lavender is, she is my baby goat. 

     My name is Gia <3. Let me help you and give you some pointers about how to care for goats for your farm.

     “Lavender, would you stop biting your brother. You're causing a lot of stress!"

Reducing Stress

     Where was I? Oh, that's right. Stress! 

     Yes, goats can cause stress. But they can also get stressed out by the mistakes that people make. So here is some advice to help keep your goats calm (and that will help keep you calm, too!)

     First, it’s important for goats to have a herd so they are not lonely. It’s not good to keep just one goat for a pet because they are very social animals. It's best for a goat to have a companion or multiple friends.

     It's best that your goat has other goat friends. Some other animals, such as horses, also make good companions for goats. 

     If your goats seem stressed, what can you do to help? One suggestion is to keep a routine. Just like humans, goats can get stressed out if they get thrown off their normal routine or if they are expecting food but don't get fed. So one good routine you should do is make sure you feed them at the same time every day.                                                                                 

Handling Goats

     People can also cause stress to goats when they are handling them. If you handle your goats gently, confidently, and quietly starting from a young age, then they should not find your handling to be stressful. They will get used to humans if you treat them in a kind and gentle way.

Goat Needs

     You can raise goats for a lot of different reasons, but it’s best to keep them healthy. Some goats will need to be sheared every six months, but IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TRAINED, DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF!!! 

     If you have not bean trained, hire someone or pay to be trained so that you do not injure or scare your goats. 

     It’s also important to make sure to secure your paddock so your goats don't get loose. A paddock is a fenced or gated area especially for pasturing and exercising animals such as sheep, goats, and horses. You need to have enough outdoor space and pastures to keep your goats happy with lots of things for your herd to do. 

Goat Breeds

    One of the biggest goats is the Anglo-Nubian. This breed of goat can weigh up to 250 pounds. The domestic goat has somewhere around 200 different breeds. For example, Nigerian dwarf goats only weigh about 20 pounds. Some popular breeds of goats are Alpine, LaMancha, Nubian, Spanish, and Kiko. 

    The right kind of goat breed to choose depends on your reason for raising goats and the amount of space you have, and whether you are looking for larger goats or smaller goats.

Using Goats

     Some people (not me!!) raise goats for meat that is healthier than beef. Other people raise goats for fiber. This means they use the hair from the goat and spin it into yarn. Can I interest you in a lovely goat sweater? 

     There are many different reasons why people raise goats. For example, some people raise goats for milk using one of the dairy breeds. 

    Also, some people raise goats just as pets. If you have goats for pets, make sure you have enough space so your goats do not feel stressed (even mini breeds need space to roam and other goats socialize with).

   Notice I keep saying "GOATS" and not "GOAT!" There is a very important reason. Goats are social animals, and they really, really need other goats as friends and companions in order to thrive. 

Training Goats 

     Teaching your goats to recognize the sound of food shaking in a bucket can make herding your goat much easier. Goats are very trainable. With enough motivation and yummy treats, they can do cool things like goat yoga!! 

    Fun fact: I trained one of my goats to climb hay bales with me. If you train your goats well, they should come when you call them. If you need to, you can shake a bucket with food in it.   

Cool Facts

     Goats are like vegetarians, but the scientific word to use is herbivore. That means they eat plants. Domestic goats eat mostly grain, and my goats LOVE oats. 

    But goats get bloated, so just feed them some baking soda. It will make them burp. Sheep, cattle and antelopes are all part of the bovidae family and so are goats. 

My Inspiration

      I was inspired to research and make this website because I just love GOATS! They are crazy and fun, and you can train them to do just about anything. I trained my goat Donkey to climb hay bales with me.

    I hope you have enjoyed reading this website as much as I have enjoyed making it (even though I had to do a LOT of typing!!! Uggggh!!!) I hope you've learned a lot of useful information about how to care for goats.

     As a goat owner, one of the most important things I have learned about goats is THEY BITE! So here's one last important bit of advice: Don't paint your fingernails because your goats will bite them, and nail polish will make your goats sick.