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As a big lover of goats , I had to get one . I think a lot before doing this step but i have no choice , I just love them so much .Raising goats in my backyard was enough to handle a baby goat.
Raising goats is easiest than any other animal, they are cute and also they give me a delicious milk every day .
I know you are excited to get a goat . If you follow reading this article you will be able to get one even in your small farm or backyard .
what are the things that you need to know before raising goats on your small yard ?
1- The best goat breed to raise as a pet
Their are three breeds , milk breeds who give milk , and meat breeds who give meat . Those two breeds need a lot of care , they cant be adapted in a small yard . But their is the third choice for you , the pet goats .
This kind of goats can live and adapt in a small yard .
This is a list with some breeds of goats than you can get as a pet :
Pygmy , Mini Alpines , Nigerian Dwarf, Mini Myotonics,Mini Toggenburgs ,Mini Lamanchas ,Nubian Dwarf , Mini Saanen , Mini Oberhasli, Mini Guernseys ,Kinder , Pygora , Boer .
I chose those breeds because they are good as a pet and they can give a large amount of milk . It s can be up to 90 quarts of fresh milk every month for 10 months of the year.
2- The housing
This is the barrier that prevents you from having a goat but dont worry , its easy .
you need to make sure that your backyard is dry and draft-free .
It’s helpful to have a small stall for isolating a sick or injured goat or for a pregnant goat to give birth.
A suitable hay or straw bedding should be provided for warmth and comfort.
3- The fencing
Goats are cunning and skilled animals in climbing , this is why You should provide for your goats a strong fence that they can’t climb over, knock down, or otherwise escape from.
Goats are It must be a Steel fence of 5 feet high and it should be constructed with bracing on the outside so nimble goats cannot easily climb out.
4-Food
You will not have a problem in feeding goats, Goats browse and forage constantly , they eat all types of weeds and other plants.
Their are a poisonous plants that you need to keep away from your goats , If you want to know the details check this article :
You can give your goats Hay, alfalfa , grains and vegetables , you can feed them twice a day , this if you are not interested in getting milk.
But if you want it , you need a A balanced diet , we already talked about it in this article :
5- Veterinary Care
Of course you dont want your goat to be sick, so you need tobe cerfull and to take care about your goats .
Goats need a regular veterinary checkups and vaccinations .
It s gonna be good if you learned how to do the first aid for your goats, and to have a care supplies .
Those are the common goats deseases:
Caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE). It is a very contagious disease who can the immune system of goats ,it is similar to the AIDS in human .
Bladder stones: These stones can be a result of a dietary imbalance . Calculi (stones) can form within the goat’s bladder and get stuck in the urethra.
This can block urination and be deadly. These stones are often a result of a dietary imbalance.
Caseous lymphadenitis (CL): This is a disease that forms pus pockets called abscesses around the lymph nodes.
When they burst they infect other goats, and it is highly contagious.
Sore mouth (orf, scabby mouth, contagious pustular dermatitis): This is a disease that causes blisters in and around the mouth and nose of a goat. It is caused by a virus and can be passed on to humans.
Enterotoxemia: A bacterial imbalance in the goat’s rumen, it’s preventable by vaccination. It can be caused by sudden diet changes or anything else that may cause a digestive upset.
Those are the important things that you need to know before raising goats as a pet .
We are here to answer any question about raising goats
I hope this article help you .