× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! Welcome to Goat Keeper Weekly! Every so often, I like to share little snippets from inside our Holistic Goat Circle – the funny stories, practical tips, and seasonal reminders that come up when goat owners start swapping experiences. Think of it as a peek into a thriving community of holistic goat keepers helping each other learn and grow. November brings that mix of muddy boots and grateful hearts – a season for slowing down, tending what matters, and sharing a little warmth with one another. This week, we talked about selling goats, mineral balance, and keeping hooves healthy through the wet season. Selling Goats Locally: The Power of Real Connections Inside Read More
Category: Goat Nutrition & Minerals
Natural Pregnancy Toxemia Protocol for Goats
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! Purpose: Stabilize metabolic energy, support organ function, improve nutrient uptake, and prevent collapse in does showing early signs of toxemia: lethargy, inappetence, isolation, sweet breath, weakness, refusal of feed, etc. Signs to Watch For Diagnosis Confirmation (if available) Can treat based on suspicion, even if no diagnostics available. These ingredients won’t hurt. Emergency Sweet-Electrolyte Syrup (Oral) Mix together: Add as many of the following as you can: Offer: Tip: Blend a batch and refrigerate for 2–3 doses. Warm before use. Herbal Energetics You’re Targeting Herb Function Yarrow Astringent, stabilizing, supports vascular tone and internal containment Cayenne Circulatory stimulant, supports blood sugar regulation Nettle Nutritive, supports kidneys, minerals Mullein Adrenal/lung support, gentle Read More
Why My Goats Rarely Chose Calcium And What I Did About It
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! Let’s talk about calcium. Looking at long term sales data, the calcium in the mineral buffet is in the bottom 2 or 3 refills ordered. Some herds love it, but more often than not, we hear from herds whose goats/sheep/whoever consume little to no calcium. My own herd rarely consumes it either, though they will if they need it. The calcium in the buffet is pure oyster shell flour, something goats just don’t seem to love. Since this system was designed for cattle, I often wonder if they’re less picky about their calcium sources. I sometimes wish I had some cows still to try this out on! Based on the results Read More
Float Valves for–Almost–Maintenance Free Goat Water
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Storing Hay to Prevent Mold & Listeriosis in Goats
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! Hay can be stored just about anywhere with a few extra props. No matter where it’s stored, if you’re putting it on the ground, you’re going to get mold all over the bottom bale. I don’t feed those bales to my animals: “Listeriosis is caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes and is commonly seen in cooler climates. These bacteria can be found in the soil, food sources, and even the feces of healthy animals. Most commonly, this disease of sheep and goats is observed as a result of feeding moldy or spoiled hay or silage.” (https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/listeriosis-in-sheep-and-goats) To prevent moldy bottom bales, you can go to many manufacturing or large item supply stores – Read More
Can Goats Eat Alfalfa?
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! I have raised goats for 17 years and in that entire time, the ONLY hay I’ve fed to all classes, including wethers and bucks, is second cutting alfalfa. My herd size in that time has ranged from 4-6 goats all the way up to a high of somewhere around 40. I’ve only been on buffet for 4 years, so they were 13 years without a free choice source of phos. Where’d I learn it from? All the producers who feed it with no issues. It is a common online myth that alfalfa is dangerous. By FAR the vast majority of cases of urinary calculi come from too much phosphorus in the Read More