GIVEAWAY: Mineral Buffet Starter Kit

Hooray, it’s monthly giveaway time!  Keep reading to learn how to win a full mineral buffet starter kit.

I am passionate about this mineral option and think it is such a great way to handle mineral balance – by getting out of the way and letting the animals figure it out.  My wish is that every small herd interested in getting started will be able to, so I’m hoping to do a giveaway every month. Continue reading “GIVEAWAY: Mineral Buffet Starter Kit”

Ever Refining the Path

As some of you who have followed me for awhile know, I’ve really struggled with the concept of selling animals vs. not selling animals over the last couple of years.  For those who don’t know, here are the two posts where I initially announced I would no longer sell animals and then backtracked that spring to say I was wrong and had regained my senses😅: Continue reading “Ever Refining the Path”

Selenium Deficiency or Contracted Tendons?

Legs folded over at birth? Give it selenium! Actually, DON’T. This is one of the most pervasive Internet goat care myths to ever exist and it is my sworn duty to try to educate, so let’s talk about selenium deficiency, contracted tendons and slow unfolding at birth.

Selenium Deficiency AKA White Muscle Disease

First, let’s start with true selenium deficiency, officially known as White Muscle Disease. According to Merck, “Most kids affected by white muscle disease have been in good condition and are 2–3 months old (range, 1 week to 4 months).” As in, if you had a newborn present with selenium deficiency, that would be an exceedingly rare case, because typical presentation is much older and the earliest average presentation is 1 week old. Continue reading “Selenium Deficiency or Contracted Tendons?”

Oregano Essential Oil for Pregnant Goats

As goat owners become more aware of the power of using essential oils in therapeutic practice for their goats, one of the common questions I hear is, “Is oregano essential oil safe for my pregnant goat?”  I won’t give you a direct answer, but instead will provide you with the sources and research available to help you make your own decision.

So much of what we’re taught in articles and other resources is based on opinion and conjecture.  If we look at the actual facts, the studies themselves, and the finer details, we can be better informed to draw the conclusions that make sense in our own lives.  It’s a good policy to never trust anything on the Internet–including this blog!–without trying to verify from other sources, especially your own experiential knowledge, so let’s look at this source as part of our essential oil education. Continue reading “Oregano Essential Oil for Pregnant Goats”

Non Coercive Milking: A Force Free, Peaceful Milking Process

I used to do all the tricks you hear about to force my goats to do what I wanted. Coming from a cattle background, the entire process of “working cows” is nothing but trauma for the animal and it took a while to learn a different way.

Now, I cringe when I read people advising hobbling, tying, or other force measures to milk a goat. I did those things too, until I learned how to do it differently in a way that requires no head gates, no locking or forcing (energetically it’s not much different than rape, is it?), just free will.

Instead of looking at it as a battle of wills, I began to approach it as a business transaction where I am a paying customer, exchanging my really yummy grain for their really yummy milk. The pay is equal to the milk – as long as I’m milking, I’m paying in grain. I don’t limit what they consume and I don’t fret if they’re ‘eating too much,’ because the universe has abundance for us all and my income has a habit of increasing to fill the need to ensure we have all our needs met. A spiritual tangent I’m happy to go down one day. 😁 Continue reading “Non Coercive Milking: A Force Free, Peaceful Milking Process”

Herbal Remedies for Goat Pneumonia


Goat pneumonia is usually fast acting and critically serious.  I’d like to start with this: you will most likely need antibiotics for treating any case of pneumonia that includes a downed goat or one who is obviously lethargic.  For cases quickly caught, here are the many herbal remedies you can use to treat pneumonia in goats.  This article details herbal, natural and alternative remedies that I have personally used to treat cases of pneumonia in my own herd.  It draws from nearly 15 years of personal experience as well as the wisdom gleaned in some of my favorite herbal remedy books.  This is an article to read ahead of kidding time or times of the year when pneumonia is most prevalent so you are able to prepare with supplies you’ll need. Let’s begin by learning how to identify goat pneumonia. Continue reading “Herbal Remedies for Goat Pneumonia”