Buy a goat

Pedigree goat or outbred - which one to choose? There are a lot of different breeds of goats: dairy (Saanen, Toggenburg, Nubian, Murciana-granadina, etc.), MEAT (Boer, Spanish, Tennessee, Kiko), downy (Kashmir, Kyrgyz, Don); companions (dwarf breeds). it is better for a novice goat breeder to buy a goat outbred. Of course, you won’t take her to an exhibition and you won’t register in the stud book, but outbred goats are more lenient towards the flaws of people without experience, and there will most likely be a lot of them. Real goat farming is far from idyllic pictures of shepherdesses and shepherds playing the flute and leading a herd of clean and obedient goats. Therefore, it is always recommended to take an educational course before buying a goat.

At what age is it better to buy a goat? Goats are wonderful creatures and tenderness can outweigh common sense, but to start your herd, females are preferred at the age of a year, and preferably two. The price of goats rises after they are one year old, as the first year is the most difficult for a goat in terms of HEALTH. Goats aged about 8-9 years, purchased from a good owner, are reliable, with strong immunity, but are approaching the end of their productive age. At two years old, they are just entering their prime. But goats, if you plan to keep a male for breeding, it is preferable to purchase at the age of 8-9 months.

It is logical to pay extra for dehorned goats. The Horned Ones, although they cost less, are quite skilled at using their formidable weapons when in a bad mood.

Vaccinations. Ask about the vaccination of goats against Clostridium perfringens and tetanus, ask for tests that there are no animals in the herd of encephalitis, arthritis of goats and caseous lymphadenitis - there are no vaccines against these dangerous diseases.

When traveling to the farm, check the conditions of detention. Clean or dirty, how the goat house is set up. If the owner provided his goats with healthy living conditions, most likely he gave them time and care.

Check the animal's friendliness to people: pet and feed. Of course, you want a friendly and playful one, not a shy or wild one.

Make a goat diet in advance by inviting a consultant. Goats prefer a variety of feeds: weeds, forage grasses, twigs, hay, alfalfa pellets.

Contrary to the prevailing stereotype that goats are ready to eat anything, they are actually very picky eaters. They often refuse to eat hay that they have walked on or wallowed in during the day. Goat tripe holds 15 to 18 liters of plant material and, by breaking down cellulose, works like a fermentation tank. Of course, fermentation produces gas, and this gas comes out in the form of a loud, healthy burp. When goats are given sprigs of conifers, the belching becomes aromatized.

The most common mistake made by novice goat owners is the transfer of animals to a mixture of grain feed. The goats immediately become constipated, and the owner panics and calls the veterinarian. Grain is given only if the goat is being milked and you need something to feed it on the milking stand. The only other exception to this rule is when you want to give a small treat from time to time. Goats are not fed grain on a daily basis.

And don't forget that goats are herd animals and get depressed if kept without companions. You need at least two goats. Two females or a goat with a goat when you intend to breed animals. They eat and sleep together. Not a single person, even the kindest, can replace a soul mate to a goat. A lonely goat will misbehave, shout loudly - call relatives.