Daily goat care routine
Raising livestock can be overwhelming, especially when first starting out. There is so much to do every day, and maybe you are worried you might overlook something important. If so, this daily goat care routine will help.
Know what you can do each day how to raise dairy goats that are healthy and thriving year-round.
Taking proper care of goats is essential to keeping them healthy and producing milk. But how exactly should you go about caring for a goat on a daily basis? We’ll talk about areas that need attention each day so you can set up a care routine for your herd. Whether you’re raising one goat or many, following these steps each day can help ensure that your animals stay hardy and in great condition to provide delicious milk for you and your family to enjoy every day.
Are dairy goats hard to take care of?
Dairy goats are hardy animals that are relatively easy to keep on a homestead. They are friendly, intelligent, and close to self-sufficient. However, like all livestock, they do require daily care and attention to thrive. This includes providing clean food and water, regular grooming and hoof trimming, as well as monitoring their health and behavior.
Daily care routine for dairy goats
By having a routine that you do every day, you will not only train your herd as to what to expect but yourself as well. A routine will keep you consistent so you do not forget an area when it comes to caring for your goats. Be sure to keep your eyes open so you can catch any issues before they get out of hand.
Goats can hide their illnesses, giving only subtle clues that something is wrong. For that reason, paying attention to their behavior is crucial to raising healthy and thriving animals.
Give Fresh Hay
Each day, be sure your herd has access to roughage. You can let them out to pasture to graze, or you can give them good quality hay. On average, a goat eats about 2-4 pounds of hay a day. This will vary depending on the breed and if they are pregnant.
- What Hay do Goats Eat?
- Best Dairy Goat Diet
- What are the Best Minerals for Goats
Give Their Portion of Grain
If you have pregnant does, young kids, or goats with specific nutritional requirements each day, you will want to give them the feed they need. Only feed your goats what is recommended, and use a feed that is made for goats specifically.
SLCG Pro Tip: Feeding grain to wethers can increase their risk of urinary calculi. This is when crystals form in the urine that can block the urinary tract and prevent urination. Urinary calculi is a deadly disease and only occurs in male goats, both bucks and wethers.
Change out all Water
I am a big proponent of giving fresh water to all of our animals every day. Water is the secret to health in all living things, and water in a barn or pasture can get dusty and dirty in just a few hours. Every day, dump out any water and replace it with fresh.
Spot Clean Bedding
A goat’s droppings usually have little to no smell and resemble small berries. Their urine, however, can have a strong odor. Too much urine smell can irritate a goat’s lungs, affecting their breathing. For that reason, you will want to maintain their bedding every day. Remove any soiled areas and replace them with fresh bedding.
Minerals
Goats need minerals to keep your herd hardy and healthy. Hardiness is important as it will help them to keep worms and parasites under control. Each day, check these containers and replenish them as needed. You can give goats a mineral mixture that will contain the most common additives for goats.
Health Check
Checking the condition of your goats each day is crucial to knowing your herd. Touch them, pet them, hug them. A goat’s fur can mask quite a bit, so touching will give you a more accurate assessment compared to just looking everyone over. If you live in an area where worms are an issue, I suggest checking a few goat’s membranes each day. If you see paleness behind the lower eyelid or pale gums, this is a sign of anemia and can be related to worms or parasites.
Check Hooves
Overgrown hooves can cause issues with your goat’s gait. If you see any hooves that are starting to get overgrown, you can do a quick trim while they are eating. Doing hooves more often will make this an easy task and not a hard to do chore.
Pasture
If you are able, let your goats out to pasture to graze and browse. If it’s winter, you may want to keep them closer to the barn, but getting them out every day will help to keep their lungs healthier and their demeanor happier.
What order to do Daily Goat Care routine?
Always start with the food because this will keep your herd occupied so you can do the rest of your routine.
- Fill hay feeders
- Give grain to any goats that need it.
- Change out all water sources.
- Replenish minerals
- Spot clean soiled areas
- Check on the condition of your goats
- Let them out to pasture if able
Making sure your goats have attention every day will help to raise a hardy herd. From food to water to bedding and healthcare, having a daily routine will ensure you hit all the key points with their care. Use this list as a guide to setup a daily goat care routine you can begin using today. Be hands-on with all of your goats and raise a herd that will keep you supplied with milk all year long.
More Goat Care Resources:
- Creating a Free Playground for Your Goats
- Goat Fencing 101 Everything You Need to Know
- How to Make Goat Milk Taste Better
