|
Goat Types
The first step is choosing the right type of goat for your needs. Do you want a milk goat, a meat goat, a pet for the kids? There are many breeds available so make an educated decision and end up with a breed that suits your needs. Read up on the various types of goats out there, their uses, as well as tolerances. Goats are not cheap to take care of, make sure they'll be useful!
Purchasing A Goat At Auction
It is never a great idea to purchase an animal you intend to keep and not eat at an auction. There is little time (if any) at an auction to assess conditions of the animal or query the owner about breeding, quirks, or history. Often the owner is not even present.
You will also be more inclined to make a spontaneous purchase without the ability to think things through. This means you might pay a high price for your haste well after you've made the purchase.
The auction is truly a miserable place for animals. They get frightened, shocky (spooked), and some breeders do whatever is necessary just to ensure the sale of the animal. Once you get the animal home, they can be a different creature all together. You can compare this to a car salesman adding a gas additive to a lemon before the test drive.
I am in no way implying all sellers at auctions are unethical, there are some very reputable sellers at auction, but the situation is high risk - buyer beware.
Best Bets for Buying Goats
A few good places to purchase your goat are local 4H groups, a nearby goat ranch, or a recommended breeder (animals from these three sources are usually very well taken care of).
When buying a goat from someone in this manner you are able to go to the home and observe the condition of the animals. Make sure they all look healthy and happy. Talk with the owner about any problems you should be aware of, current immunization records and medical history of the goat.
Look the goat over with a fine tooth comb -- literally -- goat lice are very easy to spot and you don't want to infect your other goats. Lice are easy to get rid of but the medication is VERY expensive, better the owner take care of them before you take your goat home. If you are buying an older goat make sure their bag sits well.
Look for diseases goats are prone to like CAE (a joint disease). Most breeders or ranches are ethical enough not to sell a sick goat but again - buyer beware. If you are pretty confident in your choice of goat, go home and sleep on it anyway.
Home Preparations
Before bringing your new addition home be prepared. No construction should go on around them while they are getting used to their new surroundings.
Build a pen large enough to house the number of animals you intend to keep. Building a large enough pen to begin with is easier than going back and making it larger later when you add more goats (and you WILL get more goats) to your family. Remember when building your pen, the main objective is keeping predators out, not necessarily keeping the goats in.
Make sure the goat house is made of sturdy material with a roof that will not leak. Insulate the house if you live in a colder climate. Bed down the new home with fresh, clean grass or hay.
Make the trip home as comfortable and stress free as possible for your new friend.
Breeding Goats
Breeding your doe is always an adventure. There are a few ways to go about this...the most preferable being to hire a stud. This way you are only caring for and feeding a stinky billy goat a couple of weeks a year -- as opposed to feeding and caring for a vivacious young billy year round.
Our young billy played nicely with my children and seemed gentle and sweet until 6 months of age. Now that he is growing, his playful nature is becoming more dangerous, not to mention his new and very unpleasant odor!
If, like us, you happen to fall in love with a young billy, you will need to build separate quarters and a pen from your does. Although this may seem troublesome at first you should eventually re-coup your costs by renting out your young stud to other goat fanciers.
www.goodbyecitylife.com
|
|
