Suggestions For A First Time Goat Owner?
Image by frank2037
Question by wscagamergal: Suggestions For A First Time Goat Owner?
I am soon to be getting a few week old goat. I don’t know too much about goat care, training, and showing, but the old owners are helping me but i would like to have more opinions and suggestions. I’m planning on showing this goat in 4h this summer. How do i halter break the goat? Any care or feeding tips? Basically anything a first time baby goat owner should know, tell me! Thanks!
Feel free to answer in the comment section below
5 Responses to Suggestions For A First Time Goat Owner?
Leave a Reply
To halter break your goat you just lead herhim around. You don’t say what breed you are getting, so depending on coat leagth a curry comb should work for grooming. You will need a high quality milk replacer, a block of salt a pan for grain. A fenced in area with water tank and a hay feeder. Goats are herd animals so she might get a little lonely by herself , later you might want to get another goat for compainion. Goats are kind of fun very entertaining like to climb on things, and they make excelent pets. Good luck with showing
Anna
March 19, 2013 at 4:24 pm
As with any show animal you can not start the halter and lead training soon enough. The best I could suggest is fitting the goat with a halter and good lead and take it for walks just like you would a puppy. Also be sure to groom your goat regularly. Keep it clean and well brushed as close to all times as you can. Find out from your chapter what the criteria is for showing goats and start training your baby the moves and stands that you will need to show.
Most importantly never ever ever yell or hit your goat. You want it to be able to trust you fully it will not only make the animal more at ease in the show ring it will also make training easier.
Goats will eat just about anything they can get their lips on so a good fence makes for a healthier goat. Also keep in mind that goats are very agile and love to be in high places so don’t put anything to close to the pen fence or it will be bye bye goatie. Good Luck.
Shylo
March 19, 2013 at 4:50 pm
Make a good fence! They are easily housebroken and trained to pull carts and walk on leads.
You can read some tips on feeding your goat at http://www.keeping-goats.com/feeding-goats-properly.html
Good luck
-Michael
Michael
March 19, 2013 at 4:58 pm
First off goats aren’t shown on a halter, the are shown on a thing chain around their neck.. I recommend just keeping a collar on them at all times, and leading him/her around at times. You should also practice setting up your goat. You set your goat up like you would a dog, the body should look squarish…
I also recommend seeing if there is a 4-h goat showing clinc in your area… I learned everything I know from them.
kipper_and_kara
March 19, 2013 at 5:41 pm
First, I don’t recommend getting just one goat. They do much better at least in pairs, as they need the herd socialization. A goat kid raised by itself is going to be rather clingy to you, and definitely louder and more demanding than one that has company. Perhaps you can check with the breeder to see if they have a companion wether that they would be willing to sell along with your new kid. Pet wethers often cost much less and are very helpful in keeping your other goat company.
I’ve never used a halter on a goat. In an ADGA or NPGA sanctioned show, a loose collar or lead held high on the neck (directly under the chin as to prevent choking) is all that is required for showing dairy goats.
It’s up to the owner to reposition legs and place in stance (and fortunately, our judges are usually pretty forgiving for correcting and recorrecting, as my goats tend to behave rather badly during showtime). My dairy herd only leaves the farm for shows, and I have a couple who are very nervous around strangers, and one who is even terrified of children. She shows and places high, but she is a royal pain for anyone but me to deal with!
Dairy goat judges don’t tend to worry too much about behavior, as long as you are able to control the animal and can get her to cooperate enough for the judge to take a good look at conformation and (most importantly) the udder.
If you join 4-H, your advisor will help you out and work with you on showmanship and handling. If you are getting a new kid, keep in mind that bottle feeding and daily interaction is what is going to make the difference in how the animal behaves and how you are able to handle her. I don’t lead break our kids until about 4-5 months old, but before that, they’re friendly enough to follow me anywhere (after all, I am the keeper of the bottle).
For any goat, I highly recommend getting a copy of Storey’s Guide to Raising Dairy Goats. It is an excellent reference book for any goat owner, and covers the basics of health, feeding, housing, hoof trimming, recommended vaccination schedules and such. I’ve raised goats for years, but still reference this book on occasion.
Learn what you can about not only what type of goat you have (dairy, pygmy or meat) but also about that specific breed is as well (Alpine, Lamancha, boer, etc) as each breed will vary slightly in their care and nutritional requirements. While some goats do better with certain types of feed or forage, others don’t. Learn about your breed on the breed-specific websites (or at ADGA’s website) as well.
Lots for you to learn and prepare for – start doing your research now and get the housing and fencing in place before the kid(s) comes home.
2 EDITS: First, unless it is a break-away collar, DO NOT LEAVE A COLLAR ON YOUR GOATS. Too easy for them to climb and catch it on something – I know people who have lost goats to strangulation or a broken neck from this!!
Secondly, goats need a free-choice mineral, but don’t waste your money on a salt or mineral block (like what is used for horses). Goats teeth are not designed to bite pieces off of these, and the block will be used for climbing and not much else. Loose mineral is recommended for goats.
stonefieldhill
March 19, 2013 at 5:54 pm