Basic Needs: Shelter, food, water and minerals. 

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Shelter  Goats need a basic shelter. There are many good ideas you could find on Pinterest from the elaborate and cute sheds that are prefabricated to the DIY goat shacks made of repurposed wood pallets. Some things that you might want to take into consideration are: 

* Do you need to lock your goats up at night or will they be safe from predators? 

* If you will be breeding them, do you have enough pens to keep your does and bucks separate? 

* Do you have enough stalls or space to keep the pregnant doe separate for when she is ready to kid and until the kids can be back with the herd?

* Is the shelter draft free from cold wind that could freeze a new kid? 

* Will you be milking in the shelter? If so, you may want a separate stall or area to keep it as sanitary as possible. 

 

Food, Water & Minerals There are so many different feeding programs out there for goats so I think you are just going to have to find what works best for you and your goats. I give our goats free choice mineral that I get from our vet and they obviously have 24/7 access to water. I only feed my bucks grass hay after our buck bloat accident this last summer. I may do more research and change that, but for now they are only getting water, minerals and grass hay and the occasional browse. When my does are in milk I give them free choice minerals, alfalfa hay, grass hay, and 1-3 coffee can sized scoops of alfalfa pellets in the evenings for 6+ does and kids. My does get grain while on the milk stand that is 1:3 BOSS (Black oil sunflower seeds), 1:3 wet or dry COB (Corn, Oats & Barley), and another 1:3 extra Oats or Barley or even "Dairy Goat Grain" or "Lactating Goat Pellets". I'm really not too picky about the mixture but it seems to be working well for the goats and they love it. 

 

I spoke with several farms to see what their feeding programs are and this is what Westi at Twin Pear Farm told me she does for her Nigerian Dwarf goats. 

" *Bucks: 80% grass hay, 20% alfalfa hay. For 4 bucks we're currently feeding 3 flakes in the morning, 3 flakes in the evening (2 of grass, 1 of alfalfa). They have no access to forage, essentially dry-lotted. SweetPro mineral round block 24/7, SweetPro Fresh Start Fresh Start 1.25lbs loose minerals free choice per goat with 1 tablespoon kelp mixed in. Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda free choice 24/7, and fresh water in CLEAN bucket (clean or dump your buckets daily). Never any grain whatsoever.

* Wethers: Same as bucks, but sometimes more heavily grass hay. Never any grain whatsoever.

* Dry-does who are full sized: 80% grass hay, 20% alfalfa. At least a flake per day per doe. Dry does get fat very easily! SweetPro mineral round block 24/7, SweetPro Fresh Start 1.25lbs loose minerals free choice per goat with 1 tablespoon kelp mixed in. Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda free choice 24/7, and fresh water in CLEAN water bucket. Grain only when flushing prior to breeding. If they are pregnant it is important not to overfeed them. You will end up with a doe carrying too much fat and kids too big to be easily birthed.

* Does in Milk: Does in milk require the most nutrition! Without proper nutrition they will have trouble kidding and be poor producers on the milk stand. Our does in milk are fed 70% alfalfa hay, 30% grass hay. On the milk stand twice a day they received: a large handful of Chaffhaye (fermented alfalfa), 1/2 cup of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds and 1-2 cups of sprouted whole barley (we sprout the barley in jars for 2-3 days). If you do not have access to SweetPro minerals, add 1/4 cup Diamond-V Yeast to their grain with each milking. SweetPro mineral round block 24/7, SweetPro Fresh Start 1.25lbs loose minerals free choice per goat with 1 tablespoon kelp mixed in. Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda free choice 24/7, and fresh water in CLEAN water bucket.

 

*While alfalfa pellets are an option, most goats HATE them. Chaffhaye is a much better choice if you're looking for zero waste. For hay, what goats hate are thick alfalfa stems, not the leaf. How much waste you have is dependent upon the quality of the alfalfa, which is very hit or miss depending on the source. If you don't have access to good quality alfalfa, use Chaffhaye instead. I haven't used alfalfa pellets in awhile, but maybe a cup or two per goat. Remember that goats only have a bottom row of teeth and pellets are quite hard for them to chew.

*This is sprouting barley in a half gallon mason jar. I fill the jar 2/3 with whole barley, fill the jar with water and let soak over night. The following morning I drain and rinse the barley. I repeat morning and evening for 2 days and feed on the third day just when it starts to sprout. I use sprouting lids (mesh) you can buy on Amazon. A small bag of barley from a grocery store would only last you a few goat meals. I get a 50lb bag from the Grange Coop. It’s only $15 so it goes a long way and is very affordable!

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***Equally important, make sure that you give BoSe (selenium) injection fall and spring, as we live in a naturally selenium deficient area, and give a copper bolus when needed (look for dull coat or "fish tail"). A copper bolus lasts for about 8 months, so all of our goats receive copper at least once a year."