× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! When the veterinary feed directive took effect some years ago, it made the conventional coccidiosis preventive we used available only by vet prescription. “No problem,” I thought, because I’d always wanted to find a natural coccidiosis prevention protocol for my goats and this was a perfect nudge in that direction. Sometimes those things we feel are harmful can lead to blessings we’d never have been able to attain otherwise. Now, in 2022, we’ve been using a combination of herbal remedies for several years and I feel the results have been consistent enough to be able to share my protocol with you. You can use the treatment protocol at the end of Read More
Category: Goats
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 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
Goat Marketing: The Ins and Outs
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! For some, goat marketing is a necessary evil but if you raise goats, marketing is a necessity. Your ability to get your goats in front of the right people is a major part of determining how successful your goat operation will be. The following tips and pointers are designed to help you streamline the process of goat marketing and identify how and when to focus your efforts so you can not only find buyers for your goats but also establish the foundation of a solid, thriving brand – your goat farm. Goat Marketing 101: Be Willing to Spend the Time I often read comments online from goat breeders saying things like, Read More
9 Reasons to Have a Website for Your Goat Business
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! I’m not into fear mongering. I don’t feel like the proverbial sky is falling in the world of online livestock sales, but I do believe some things are changing and if you’re trying to make a business with your goats, you may need to be changing as well. If you’re into social media, you probably have heard the murmurings of Facebook’s recent crackdown on livestock sales. Major groups that focus on animals, even if they weren’t sale groups, have been taken down without a warning. I’ve heard rumors of Facebook business pages being removed as well. PETA’s recent venture into Facebook stockholder status is going to cause an increase in this Read More
Costs of Raising Goats 2020
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! Every year, I like to write up a current breakdown of how much it costs us to raise goats. In 2018, the cost of raising goats came out to $480 per doe per year. The 2019 cost changed little, coming in at $483 per doe per year. This coming year, 2020, our numbers have increased, so let’s walk through the costs of raising goats again and see how we compared to the last two years. First off, we plan to winter 21 does and 2 bucks, or 23 total, up from 19 for 2019. (Wait til you see the 2021 numbers we’re planning, that’ll change things!). Let’s look at the costs Read More