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Goats are generally hardy and adaptable animals and not especially difficult to care for, but there are a few things they really need to thrive.

Companionship – Goats are herd animals and definitely need other goats as companions.  Other livestock or pets really don’t count as goat companions.  So, you really need at least 2 goats.  A “Wether” (castrated / neutered male goat) can be a wonderful companion to female or male goats and are generally not expensive as they cannot breed and don’t produce milk.  So, if you only want one female goat, a wether as a companion works well so she is not lonely.  Wethers can also be companions to intact male bucks.  However, an intact male buck should not be kept with females – more detail on that in the “breeding” section.  If you decide to keep a male goat for breeding, he will also need a companion. Intact males and your females should be housed and fenced separately if you decide to keep both.

Housing – Goats need a shelter to protect them from the weather.  Goats especially hate being wet and will almost always stay in the shelter during rain.  

1. 1. The shelter needs to keep them dry and draft free when it is cold.   
   2. Ideally, shelters can be closed to protect your goats from predators, which is especially true for young goats.  
   3. I like having a shelter that allows for feeding hay and water inside so the hay also stays dry and is available during bad weather.  A “Lean-to” on the side of an existing outbuilding works really well.   If you can’t feed inside the shelter, do ensure that the hay will be fed under cover to keep it dry as mold + goats is a recipe for disaster.  You need to keep hay and minerals dry.
   4. I also prefer a dirt floor with bedding on top – deep litter method.  If the floor absorbs / drains, the pee doesn’t sit on top and bedding stays fresher longer.  If you have concrete or stall mats, you will need to change bedding OFTEN!  With an earth floor, you may only need to empty the bedding a couple times a year.  This excess bedding also helps keep animals warm in the winter.
   5. Goats do NOT need heat lamps if they have adequate shelter.  They develop a nice layer of cashmere under their coats for winter and they shed this undercoat in the spring.  Putting coats on goats when weather starts to get cold will inhibit the development of their cashmere undercoat and actually make them colder.  Don’t do coats and heat lamps in general. 

Fencing – Goats need a fenced area to both keep them where they belong, and to keep them safe from predators.  Goats are prey animals and are not generally good at protecting themselves, especially if they don’t have horns.  Their instinct is to run.  Both wild and stray domesticated dogs are the top killer of goats and your fencing is to keep these predators out just as much as it is to keep your goats contained.  There is a separate section on fencing on this page.  The general recommendation is to provide at least 1500 square feet per animal of fenced space.  This can be slightly smaller for miniature breeds.  

Food – Goats are ruminants and need hay or quality pasture to eat. Hay needs to be fed in a dry location, up, off the ground.  Goats are surprisingly picky and will often reject any hay that falls to the ground.  They are also notorious hay wasters.  There are a lot of hay feeder designs for reducing waste.  I recommend staying away from “keyhole” style feeders which can cause injury if the goat has its head in the keyhole and is rammed by another goat. These keyhole designs don’t allow the goat to see beside / behind while eating.  It is helpful generally to have a feeder that requires the goat to put its head into the feeder and “commit” to eating, rather than a feeder that allows the goat to pull hay out to eat.  For example, net and wall-hung feeders generally are stuffed with hay and the goats go and “pull” hay out of the feeder – then, they drop half and pull more out.  If the feeder requires the goat to put its head into a trough, they may still drop half, but it stays in the feeder.  

Hay and forage (browse) is the most important food.  Get as good quality hay as you can find / afford.  Be wary of sellers offering you “goat quality hay”.  This hay is often bottom bales that are dusty or moldy, or older hay with less nutrition left.  I always ask for “horse quality hay”.  If you have does in milk, alfalfa hay helps support lactation and fetal development in late gestation due to its higher calcium content. 
Goats do not really need “goat feed”, especially males.  However, a good feed or goat specific grain mix is usually fed on the stand during milking to keep them busy and to provide calories to support good body condition during milk production – General rule for grain amounts is  1# of grain per 1-3# of milk produced.  So, for twice a day milking, that would be appox. 1 – 1.5 cups in the morning and again at the evening milking for Nigerians.  

Water – Goats need fresh water every day – ideally twice a day!  For all the “Goats will eat anything” rumors, they are actually quite picky. Goats prefer to not drink water that is not fresh (I wouldn’t either!).  For us, if I wouldn’t drink it, we change it – which ends up being at least once a day.  It is especially important that females (does) in milk are drinking plenty of water to support milk production.  It is worth your time to keep the water fresh and clean.  We personally like the rubber water bowls from the feed store because it is easy to clear frozen water from them in the winter because of the rubber’s flexibility.  

Minerals – Goats have different mineral needs than cows or sheep – especially for copper.  They need loose minerals available “free choice”. Free choice means it is always out and available for them. Mineral blocks are not a good choice for goats as they can be rough on their sensitive tongues. Loose minerals are a better choice.  Minerals need to be kept dry, so a location inside the shelter, and easily accessible, is the best location. Loose minerals can be bought at your local feed store.  I believe the best minerals are Sweetlix Meat Maker and Purina Goat mineral – both have sufficient copper and aren’t mostly salt.  At Rockville Ridge, we use Sweetlix, which is available through Rockingham Co-op in Western & Central VA.  Purina Goat Mineral is generally available at most farm stores.  An excellent article about goat minerals can be found at the Thrifty Homesteader here: https://thriftyhomesteader.com/goat-minerals/ 

Hoof Care – Goats need their hooves trimmed periodically. How often will depend on the breed and age of the goat as well as your terrain. Just like us, some goats also grow nails faster than others.  We end up trimming about every 6-8 weeks. If they are wearing down their hooves naturally due to your terrain (i.e. rocks), you will not need to trim as often.  There is an excellent facebook group just about goat hoof trimming called “Goat Hoof Maintenance 101”.  This group is full of professional hoof trimmers and beginner questions. I personally enjoy trimming hooves – if you purchase goats from me, I will be happy to help you learn how to maintain your goat’s hooves if you need help.  General supplies required are a simple hoof brush/hoof pick and hoof trimming shears.  My favorite shears are the ARS 140 DXR Trimmers.  I like the serrated ones (it’s a micro-serration).  These trimmers are about $45, but they stay sharp for years vs. the $25 pair I started with.  Either will work though – it’s more important to keep them trimmed well than worrying about getting the right trimmers.  Allowing hooves to over-grow can cause hoof-rot and ultimately lead to lameness.  

Parasite Management – Goats are susceptible to a number of internal and external parasites.  Learning to check a goat’s eyelids for signs of anemia, paying attention to their coat, and having a relationship with a large animal veterinarian can be a huge help in identifying which parasites you might be dealing with – if any.  Ask your breeder about their approach.  At Rockville Ridge, we do not deworm on a schedule.  I disagree with “preventative worming”.  Overuse of wormers and antibiotics leads to drug resistance.  We only deworm or treat for coccidia if there is a fecal done to confirm what parasites we are dealing with, and confirming the amount of parasites mixed with clinical symptoms requires treatment.  All goats will have some parasites, the goal shouldn’t be to have zero parasites, but instead to have goats who are able to avoid clinical illness and who are resistant to parasites.  Management of grazing can also help avoid parasite issues.  This is a much larger conversation, but goat owners do need to consider how they will manage parasites in their herd.  There is a bit more on parasites under “Health Issues” on this page.

Don’t let this list overwhelm you.  It might look like a lot, but it boils down to Shelter, Water, Hay, Minerals and hoof trimming.  Buying from an experienced breeder can make things easier as those of us breeding goats are generally doing so for the love of the breed and are happy to answer questions.  It is wise to ask your breeder about their philosophy and how they feed their animals anyway, as trying to maintain a similar diet for the goat upon moving to a new home can ease some of the stress of moving.   Avoid any sudden changes to their diet if at all possible. 

If you follow these basics, and buy healthy animals to start, you should have an easy start to your goat keeping journey!