Raising & caring for goats at home
The field is the best place to be
Research on goats has proven in many countries, nature & browsing is the best for goats. Goats everywhere have adapted to a variety of environments. Over feeding excessive grains & commercial feeds is detrimental to the health of goats and risky.
Natural Goats
Plants, fiber, and some protein is the mainstay for goats.
Healthy Happy Goats
On rare occasions there is a need for veterinary check ups to ensure all is going well for the goats. For the majority of our holistic ways it is about preventing a condition rather then curing a condition of serious injury or illness. Continued educational developments about goats is on going in the USA. New Informations and research is always being offered about goats nutritional requirements
Digestion & other facts
4 stomachs
- rumen
- honeycomb reticulum
- omasum
- abomasum (true stomach)
Note: Rumen is the largest part of the digestive system, also where all needed functions of digestion begins. Rumen does fermenting and sorting for the primary over-all health.
when the rumen is healthy the goat does well. When this organ gets out of balance, things get a bit complicated. No rumen, no goat.
Rumen health a necessity
Ruminates (they chew cud). The rumen ferments foods. Tiny organisms in the rumen helps build the proteins needed from the foods eaten. Yes goats can make their own proteins, and thus are not required as much protein intake as other animals may need. Rumen also manufactures B vitamins that provide energy. Goats are a fiber and protein balance intake & green plants in variety, is most everything a goat needs. Minerals has to be added fulfilling the health balances. Mountain goats naturally do well, due to the mineral content of rocks & natural elements in environments. Most goat owners don't have exactly the balances needed for goats living in a pasture, and especially not in a small pen of limited browsing. Minerals are essential.
Baking soda is often a free choice product for goats by most owners, and if pellet feeds are given frequently, there must be a baking soda tray for the goats. Goats actually produce bicarbonate on their own if they are browsing live green plants most of the day. Commercial feeds, heavy on the rumen, are difficult for the fermenting processes of goats, and limited creation bicarbonate, which is needed for cud chewing and helps to prevent bloat (very serious condition).
More Detail can be found:
If one must do feeds, due to limited accesses to browsing areas, here one kind of recipe mix that offers nutrition, and other breeders have found other recipes that are just as good. but yes. Keep a dish of minerals and baking soda free choice. offer hay every day also. Goats need a variety of foods to stay healthy.
2 cups barley
1 cup cracked corn
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seed
2 cups alfalfa pellets
3 tablespoon manna pro goat balancer
feed 1 cup per goat twice daily
Other Facts
normal temp. 103.5 - 105.5
normal pulse 70 - 90 beats
normal respiratory 12 - 20 breaths per minute
Hoof trimming is a need for goats also, we do ours once a month on average, it varies from farm to farm environments & frequency of needs of the goats, the more sandy or rocky, more then likely a lot less trimming needs, but most of us goat owners have flat pasture environments, thus hooves need to be checked or trimmed monthly.
The longest known living goat 22 years & 5 months, her name was McGinty and she lived in Hampshire, UK, her granddaughter lived 19 years.
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