× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! These are the herbal books I use. I’m including links (affiliate links, I’ll get a commission if you buy through them) of the ones I feel are really useful and practical for herbal/holistic herds. Goat Care Books Listed in order of how much I use and refer to them, these are the books I wouldn’t want to be without. Click on the title to be taken to the page for that book. Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable by Juliette de Bairacli LevyThis book has been the single most influential book in guiding my philosophies and care for my goats. I absolutely love how Juliette told it like she saw it Read More
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Realistic Expectations for Livestock Guardian Pups
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! I want to take a few minutes to address some common misconceptions about livestock guardian pups and what they can and cannot handle when they first come home. Housing There is an old school of thought that an 8-12 week pup should be immediately placed out with his stock to get to work. Some folks go so far as to suggest these dogs should be minimally interacted with in order to preserve the bond between pup and the stock he’s guarding. This is flawed, outdated and often results in bad outcomes. Just don’t do it, please.
Water Hemlock and Goats: Toxicity, Symptoms, Prevention
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! In early spring when things are just starting to green up, watch out for water hemlock. It is a horrendous and unforgettable way to lose a goat. I read a fascinating university publication a couple of years ago after we buried our 2nd goat and started to put the pieces together. It was from 1920 and they tested various feeding methods of water hemlock to sheep to learn about toxicity. If you’re interested in this topic enough to read 23 pages or so, I highly recommend The Poison Parsnip Or Water Hemlock, available for free on Google Books. In earliest spring, water hemlock is one of the first plants to grow. Read More
Caring for Chilled or Rejected Kids
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! If you raise goats, having a chilled and/or rejected kid is somewhat inevitable. We select carefully for good mothering ability, but still wind up with 1-2 bottle kids every year in our 30-50 kid crop. While the inclination seems to be to bring these kids inside and raise them up, it can create a host of problems down the road. House raised kids are psychologically completely different than kids raised with the herd. If your goal is tightly bonded house pets that feel like a part of the family, raising them indoors can make sense, but if your eventual goal is that they will be living full time outside with other Read More
Caring for Goats in Winter
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! As the cold weather once again approaches, we see many concerned goat owners on Facebook wondering how to keep their beloved goats safe, healthy and warm in freezing temperatures. This concern is understandable, particularly for goats that originated in a warmer climate, like our Nigerian Dwarf goats. Caring for goats in winter is really quite simple, though, so let’s get to the basics, followed by a discussion on additional practices that can help you raise hardy, healthy goats in cold weather. Hay Rumen activity, the process by which a goat digests its food, generates quite a lot of heat. Long stem roughage in the form of grass or alfalfa hay is Read More
10 Steps to Livestock Guardian Dog Wildfire Preparedness
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! It’s wildfire season again. Up here in eastern Washington, late summer brings us the perfect conditions for wildfires and this year seems to be even drier than normal. A spark can turn into hundreds or even thousands of acres in heart stopping short time. A fire several miles away can be at your back door before you’ve had time to make all the preparations necessary for evacuation. As I write this, we have 15 sheep evacuees and their companion livestock guardian pups taking it easy in a pasture on our place. While they’re resting comfortably, their home remains threatened and we await the news of the final outcome. My heart goes Read More