Where Do I Buy a Goat?

Goats For Sale?

Take some time looking for goats and stay patient. You do not have to buy at the first place you stop. It may be that you learn something new and become a stronger buyer. Talking to goat breeders about what you are looking for is all part of the fun in shopping for goats.

Goatbay is one of the newest sites to shop for goats. This website maintains a free directory for goat breeders. Goats of almost every major breed can be found at Goatbay and you are able to contact the breeder directly by phone or email with your questions.
One of the most popular places to go when looking for goats is on craigslist. This provides a local source of sellers and maybe one of the most popular ways to find your goat. I also use Craigslist to locate feeders, waterers and everything else goat. 

Auctions are a very entertaining way to shop for goats. To find an auction near you take a look at auction finder.

Other shorts you may enjoy:

Buying a Dairy Goat
Buying a Goat For Milk
How To Build a Hanging Hay Feeder 
How to Build a Milking Stand
Fencing
Goat Barn
Shelter

Goat Sale Agreement

Goat Sale Agreement

A gentlemen's agreement is the way most all transactions between two or more parties was handled in the past, especially on the farm. It was typically oral, and not written mainly because many people could not read or write 100 years ago.

The essence of a gentlemen's agreement was that it relies upon the honor and memory of the parties rather than it being a written contract or agreement.

I don't much care to get lawyers involved in my business and have little need for written contracts but I certainly have a need to write things down so I don't forget, and it helps my customers remember the specifics of the deal.

I have a simple 1-page contract that I use when I sell goats from the Red Fence Farm. 

Send me a quick email if you would like a free copy.

Other shorts you may enjoy:
How To Build a Hanging Hay Feeder 
How to Build a Milking Stand
Bottle Feeding and Weaning Goats
Delivery of Baby Goats 

Newborn Goats Gotta Have It- Colostrum

Nursing a baby back    
How Early To Breed My Doe 
Is My Goat in Heat?
Breeding My Doe 
Buck or Wether
How to Castrate a goat
Birthing Barn for Goats
When will my Goat Deliver

Buck or Wether

From buckling to wether

Wether or Not

Many backyard goat owners make the horrible mistake of allowing their buckling to grow up to be a buck. Often, people do not castrate their buckling because they don't realize what a pain they are raising. The only reason you would want to allowing your buckling to mature to a buck is for breeding purposes. 

The Buck Stops Here

If you do choose to keep your male goat as the buck for your herd you will want to understand some things now.

1.  Bucks require a separate living space.

2. Bucks are much harder to handle.

3. Bucks don't smell, they flat stink. They have scent glands that put out an aroma and then they urinate on themselves during breeding season to make the stink really bad.

Turn your buckling into a wether, castrate him. Wethers can get big, but are the sweetest of all goats, they don't stink, they make great pets and pack animals.

Other shorts you may enjoy:
How To Build a Hanging Hay Feeder 
Milking Stand
Bottle Feeding and Weaning Goats
Delivery of Baby Goats 

Newborn Goats Gotta Have It- Colostrum

Nursing a baby back    
How Early To Breed My Doe 
Is My Goat in Heat?
Breeding My Doe 
How to Castrate a goat
Birthing Barn for Goats
When will my Goat Deliver

How to Castrate a Goat

How To Use an Elastrator

Using an elastrator & band to castrate your buckling is an easy procedure. Don't put this task off, get it done while the scrotum is still very small, anytime from about 3 days to 3 weeks of age.

I like banding it is the most common method that goat owners use to castrate their goats. It is quick and bloodless. Banding is the procedure of placing a small, thick rubber band to the top of the testicles. The band prevents blood flow.

 
Easy steps 

1. Restrain the kid.

2. Roll a band onto the prongs of the elastrator.

3. Expand the band by squeezing the elastrator.

4. Place the band over the scrotum and testes.

5. Be sure the band is below the testes.

6. Release the elastrator and pull it from the band.

If you believe the band is not placed correctly,  cut off the band and repeat the procedure. Your soon-to-be wether will experience some displeasure and will probably cry a bit, lay down, roll around and pace. This should all be over in less than an hour. The scrotum and testes dry up and drop off in about two weeks.

Other shorts you may enjoy:

How To Build a Hanging Hay Feeder 

Milking Stand

Bottle Feeding and Weaning Goats

Delivery of Baby Goats 

Newborn Goats Gotta Have It- Colostrum

Nursing a baby back    

How Early To Breed My Doe 

Is My Goat in Heat?

Breeding My Doe 

Birthing Barn for Goats

When will my Goat Deliver

When will my goat deliver?

What to Expect on Goat Delivery Day?

The most often asked question about raising goats is, "When will the baby goats be delivered?" It is normal to be anxious and to worry a bit since you have been anticipating this event for about 150 days. For most goats, it is fairly easy to  read the signs of delivery. Normally, delivery will take place within the next 24-48 hours:

1. When the tail ligaments become loose. Feel for loose/soft ligaments. Goats have 2 cord-like ligaments that run back to the tail, usually these are firm and are about the size of a pencil. To give you an idea of how this is suppose to feel by touch, run your thumb and finger along the back of the goat's tail well before delivery time so you know what the normal ligament feels like and you will have something to compare to later around delivery time.

2. When she paws at the ground and continuously gets up and down. Goats often become restless and even pace.

3. When there is white vaginal discharge, loss of the mucus plug and followed by a streaming of clear, runny mucus.

4. When the vulva becomes flabby & puffy

5. When the clear liquid from teats tuns to milk you are usually only 24 hours from delivery. During the last week of pregnancy, I check (milk or strip) my doe twice each day to see the color of the milk. 

6. When she elevates her front end by standing on something with her front feet only. Often will push the side of the fence or barn wall with her head. Acts uncomfortable and pushes and rolls as the babies get into birthing position.

Other shorts you may enjoy:
Milking Stand
Bottle Feeding and Weaning Goats
Delivery of Baby Goats 

Newborn Goats Gotta Have It- Colostrum

Nursing a baby back    
How Early To Breed My Doe 
Is My Goat in Heat?
Breeding My Doe 
Birthing Barn for Goats
When will my Goat Deliver

How to Buy a Healthy Goat

     Buying a healthy goat will make you happy. 

 It's really not too difficult, even for a first time buyer. Look for:

1. Bright, clear eyes, not clouded eyes.
2. A shiny coat, not dull.
3. A smooth coat, not ruffled.
4. A good appetite, sick goats do not eat well.
5. A goat with a great, perky attitude.
6. No horns. Goats with horns get in to too much trouble.
7. A Quiet Goat, when content and in good health, are usually quiet
8. Regular bowel movements well defined berries, not diarrhea or clumpy stools.

Feeding Baby Goats

Bucket Feeding Goats

Hand bottle feeding individual kids is often not practical if you have several goats to feed. Often times, a more efficient method is necessary, especially if you have several does delivering around the same time.

The first and last photos show five-gallon systems that requires the baby goat to actually suck the milk from the container. A nipple attached through the bucket with a milk line running to the bottom allows each goat to drink until the container is empty.

The second photo shows goats sucking from  one liter re-cycled containers with a nipple attached. The rubber nipples are readily available and easy to clean and reuse. This method is preferred by many because gravity helps the sucking action of the goat and each goat has a separate container.

Other shorts you may enjoy:

Milking Stand

Photo from Victory Hill Farm

Bottle Feeding and Weaning Goats

Delivery of Baby Goats 

Newborn Goats Gotta Have It- Colostrum

Nursing a baby back   

 How Early To Breed My Doe 

Breeding My Doe 

Goat Play Ground

Goats Like to Have Fun!

I love raising goats for many reasons. The thing I like most is their constant quest for something to climb, eat, jump or in this case surf.

Kids love to play and, like all baby animals, are bursting with energy! Adult goats are curious and love to explore. You can give them a place to burn that energy by putting goat stuff in your pasture.

 

1. Wooden spools.
2. Old tires.

3. Old furniture.

4. Build a ramp

5. Trampoline.

6. Slide.

7. Uncle Jim's Pickup.

Other shorts you may enjoy:
How to build a Milking Stand
Making Your Own Goat Treats
Dancing With Goats 
Goat Tricks

What do Goats eat?

Do goats chew their cud?  
Do goats burp?

If you said "yes" you are correct on both.

They are able to eat hay, brush and other roughage type feed because of their unique digestive system, made of 4 different compartments referred to as the four stomachs.

Goats belong to the class of animal known as ruminants. They and other like animals: cows, deer, chickens (just kidding not chickens) ruminate or chew their cud.

When roughage is eaten by goats it is first chewed, soaked with saliva, and then swallowed. This ball of feed swallowed is called "the cud" and it goes down into the 1^st stomach (rumen) to be broken down by micro-organisms living inside the goat’s stomach.  The rumen acts like a big fermentation vat breaking down the fiber in the feed. This is similar to how wine is made from grapes in a wooden barrel.

At regular intervals the cud is brought back up (regurgitated) to the goat's mouth to be chewed on some more and then swallowed again. Goats often burp to get rid of the gas produced by all the fermentation.
You may be interested in reading more on this topic

Goats Grazing

Feeders

Feeding 

Feeding Hay 

Feeding Scraps 

How To Build a Hanging Hay Feeder

Proper Feeding of Goats

Making Your Own Goat Treats

Does You Goat Have Bad Breath?

How to Take a Goat’s Temperature

Does my goat have a temperature?

   If you are trying to take your goat's temperature with a thermometer in the goat's mouth you are at the wrong end of the goat. Turn around and face the rectum.

   Taking a goat's temperature with a rectal thermometer is the correct instrument. For the purposes of the farm and with a goat as the patient, the only difference between a rectal thermometer and a regular thermometer is where you place it to take the reading.

  Normal temperature for a goat is 102 to 103 degrees F. If your goat has a temperature, there may be an infection.

Birthing Barn For Goats

Babies

Born Warm

Your doe should not be left out in the cold when they are expecting. The babies should be born and spend their first days in an area protect from the cold and wind. A ground cover like straw or shavings should be used to keep the area clean and warm. Using a heat lamp is recommended but proper hanging is a must to avoid it dropping to the floor and causing a fire.

Thanks to Bill DeVaul for the birthing barn photos. Please visit his website to see some great photos of his goats and his must-see online store for signs
http://shop.crazydazefarm.com/

You may be interested in reading more on this topic, take a look at these:
Raising Goats - Winter Housing
Goat Barn
Raising Goats in Cold Weather
Shelter 
Delivery of Baby Goats 
Raising Goats - Winter Housing
Goat Barn
Raising Goats in Cold Weather
Shelter 

Proper Feeding of Goats

Feeding Your Goat

Goats will taste just about anything. Cartoons often depict the goat eating a can, or a cardboard box. Goats are curious and experimental tasters but are quite particular in what they actually consume.

Goat Diet

1. Hay - Goats are ruminants and are able to eat and digest roughage. Hay should be free of dust, mold and weeds. The higher the quality of hay the better. See more on roughage for goats.

2. Concentrates - Grains like oats, bran, and barley. Concentrates should be measured and fed on a routine schedule.

3. Supplements - Purchase a goat-specific supplement in a pellet form, never feed vitamins or minerals meant for other livestock.

4. Treats - Much research has been done on dairy goats and sugar. Milk production has been found to increase after a ration change that included sugar, molasses, sugar cane or sugar beets. Moderate amounts of sugar is healthy for your goat. Making your own goat treats is easy and fun.

Goat Feeding Tips

-Store all feed off the ground to prevent mold, insects or other pests from eating or infesting it. 

-Use above-ground goat feeders for hay.

-Use removable feeders for concentrates.

You may be interested in reading more on this topic, take a look at these:
Goats Grazing 
Feeders
Feeding

Feeding Hay 
Feeding Scraps 
How To Build a Hanging Hay Feeder

   

Where Does Mohair Come From?

Valley View Farm

Angoras Produce Mohair

Those who raise Angora goats brag of the animal's gentle nature and friendly ways, ranking this goat breed as one of the top among hobby farmers.

Did you know?

1. The Angora goat is a breed of domestic goat that is named for Ankara, Turkey, historically known as Angora.

2. An adult Angora can produce as much as 15 pounds of hair each year. 

Greenstone Farm

 
3. The USA is one of the world's leading producers of mohair.

4. Almost 90% of the mohair from the United States comes from Texas.

Make sure you visit and bookmark Goatbay for an international photo journey of this and other goat breeds.

Other shorts you may enjoy:

Buying a Dairy Goat
Buying a Goat For Milk

Goat Coat/Blanket

 Dressed In Style

Goat coats are necessary if you live in an area that gets cold during the winter months. This winter strap-on blanket can keep your goat warm, happy and fit. Goat coats are a must for our goats in Alaska.

Many folks outfit their goat with a coat to preserve that show look and others just like to "dress" their goat up a bit. That's OK.

How To Get One

There are many websites that will show you how to make your own, but that usually involves some sewing, not my strength. Below is a tiny goat coat made from an extra large, colorful sock. I made that, not too difficult. The best way is to buy a quality coat that will not allow your goat to tie itself into a knot. I prefer Amigo Goat Blanket/Coat, proudly modeled by the goats pictured.

Other articles you may enjoy
Raising Goats - Winter Housing
Goat Barn
Raising Goats in Cold Weather
Milking Stand
Heated Water Bucket - How to Build

Shelter

Raising Goats - Winter Housing

Goat Igloo

 
When the snow falls and the winds blow, you'll want to have a place for your goats to go. In the dead of the winter an 48" of snow, this nigerian dwarf made a daily path in the snow from the barn to her house. The igloo dog house works great in the summer and is fantastic in the winter. My goats, during the day, prefer their igloo over the boring goat barn.
Other articles you may enjoy

Goat Barn

Shelter 

Goat Care
Life Span

Fencing

 Making Your Own Goat Treats

Feeders
Feeding

Feeding Hay 

Want BIG Aples on your tree?

How do I get big apples on my tree? 

It's easy!

1. Run a wire through the core of the largest apple you can get your hands on.

2. Cut the wire and bend remaining wire to form a hook.

There you are, a big apple on your tree. Do as many as you want and take lots of photos.

Guaranteed "Doe in-heat Test"

How can I tell if my doe is in heat? 

• If you have a buck around, it will be very apparent, with the wagging of her tail and wanted to get close to the buck. But what do you do if you you do not have a buck and you want to get the doe breed at the time she is in heat?

The very best way is to get a Henry Milker "Goat Musk Rag". Easy to use, cheap, lasts the entire season and it comes with a 100% money back guarantee.

 

When To Breed Goats

When Are Goats in Heat?

How can I tell if my doe is in heat? If you have a buck around, it will be very apparent, with the wagging of her tail and wanted to get close to the buck. But what do you do if you you do not have a buck and you want to get the doe breed at the time she is in heat?

1. Get a rag, preferably a Henry Milker Udder Towel.

2. Find a Buck

3. Rub the rag on the bucks head behind the horn area where musk glands are located.

4. Bring the musk rag to the doe once each day.

5. If you get a reaction from the doe, she is probably in heat and ready to breed.

6. Keep the musk rag in a sealed jar.

Alaskan Lawn Mower Update

That's "Oddball" out front thinking he can herd the goats!

Crooked Goat Grazing

Now I never said that the Alaskan Goat Mower would cut and trim your lawn in a neat and orderly fashion. I never said you could play golf on the turf when the critters were finished grazing. I did lay claim to the fact that you could cut down on your feed bill and keep the goats from eating all the stuff that you want to keep them away from. The goats have actually learned to push the Alaskan Goat Mower with their head when they want to munch on some new grass!

Other Henry Milker "Goat Shorts" you may be interested in reading. 
Alaskan Lawn Mower

Goats Grazing 

How To Build a Hanging Hay Feeder
Goat Feeding Schedule and Good Health
Don't throw it, feed it!
Hay an Important Roughage For Your Goat 

Goat Feeders - Start Having FUN - No Hassle

Alaskan Lawn Mower

The Henry Milker Mower

   It is so hard to put the goats in the backyard and get 'em to eat what you want them to eat. When left to run free, my goats go to my wife's prized hedge, the shrubs my mother-in-law planted in the backyard then to the house-wood siding near  Phoebe's bedroom. Now they are contained.

   When the goats jump on the gate side of the rolling pasture it moves just a bit to give them some more tasty grass (and dandelions) to eat.

   The plans for this goat feeder have not been put together yet but I would be pleased to answer any questions that you may have. Just send me an email.

Other Henry Milker "Goat Shorts" you may be interested in reading. 

Goats Grazing 

How To Build a Hanging Hay Feeder
Goat Feeding Schedule and Good Health
Don't throw it, feed it!
Hay an Important Roughage For Your Goat 

Goat Feeders - Start Having FUN - No Hassle