WELCOME TO

Oak Grove Farm

O N L I N E

River Falls, WI
Oakgrovefarmonline@gmail.com

Bringing Your New Goats Home

Helpful Tips and Hints!

#1. Have your Goat Area ready before bringing your goats home.

Your babies are not ready to come home until they are 8 weeks old. If you are planning well in advance, even better! Use that time to prepare their house and yard. Goats require a fenced area (to both keep them in and animals that could harm them out) with access to shelter to escape the elements. The shelter should be big enough for all your goats to fit with plenty of room for them to move around comfortably. Remember you will have at least 2 goats. Prey animals are herd animals must live in groups of two or more. If you are getting babies pay attention to how big the adults are. Babies will grow. If you plan add any additional goats you will need to have a big enough shelter and yard.

It is to your advantage if you plan on a big enough space to feed your goats indoors as this will be necessary to shut them in at night for their safety, if the weather is wet, or in the winter. Goats should have some clean bedding to sleep on. In winter the bedding will help keep the goats warm.

Good bedding for goats includes pine shavings and straw. The bedding should be changed out at least weekly. You may need to change out more often depending on the size of the shelter and the number of goats.

#2. Plan your fences carefully.

To a goat, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. They will test your fence. Miniature fainting goats are much easier to contain then most goats as they rarely climb or jump out, but they will accept the challenge of a fence's weakness and once they discover they can escape they will continue to do so. They have great memories. These are small goats, as 8 week old babies they will easily fit through cattle panels. Adults can be contained by cattle panels though. Hog panels are suggested or choose a higher gage wire with small holes. If you choose inexpensive wire that will not hold up to the elements (like chicken wire) expect to be replacing the fence often. Goats can be contained with hotwire (especially good for short term situations), but the impedence must be low and the joules must be high or they will blow through the fence to get something they want on the other side.

#3. Plan to keep your new goats in a SMALL area for the first 7 to 10 days.

Keeping your goats in a small space will help your goats use to their new family. The babies are use to us at OGF and we do handle them daily and hand feed them, but they need to get to know you.

Remember everything is new for your goats: New surrounds, New people. All this newness can be very scary! There will be an adjustment period.

We highly recommend sitting at ground level and hanging out with your goats at first. Allow them to approach you. Their natural curiosity will have them coming up to you. They will come around and warm up to you especially if you offer them yummy things to eat. Depending on the goat's personality they may adapt quickly, or they may be more shy.

If you have other goats it is best if you house your new additions next to your current goats for a time as well so that they can introduce to the other goats safely though a fence. Also before turning the goats out together you will want to remove the other goats for a short time to allow the new goats explore the pen alone. Do expect some head butting etch while they work out who the new boss is. Do feed and water in several different spots after a new addition and watch to make sure all goats are getting to eat and drink.

#4. Work up to hand feeding.

The way to a goat's heart is through their stomach. Working on hand feeding is a way to get your new OGF miniature fainting goats to know you are the source of the food. This should start when you have your new goats in the small pen for the first week. After they do warm up to you do not allow your goats to be rude by standing on their hind legs or getting pushy.

#5. Feed hay off the ground.

Goats given the opportunity will waste hay. You can avoid a lot of waste by feeding off the ground in a rack with a tray under it. This will not avoid waste completely, but it will greatly help. Goats are like spoiled children. They want new not "old" (even if it is just 10 minutes "old") and if you give in this just encourages them.

If their hay has not been on the ground, they have not soiled it, it is good quality hay without mold or dust do not give them new until they eat it no matter how they whine.

Feeding pet goats only what they need versus free choice will help. However, pet goats should have access to 24/7 hay during cold snaps in the winter. Breeding goats are fed hay slightly different as their calorie needs are higher.

#6. Type of hay does matter.

Goats ideally will get a grass or grass with weed hay. Weed is fine. Goats actually prefer it. Alfalfa should NOT be fed no matter how nice or how cheap as this can develop into stones, especially in boys. If you have ever had a kidney stone or given birth to a baby you have felt the pain you are asking these goats to go through by feeding alfalfa. Stones that develop can kill your pet as well.

#7. Feeding Grain and supplements.

Growing babies and breeding goats need grain year round. Pet goats will need grain in winter. BUT grain should NOT be fed per the recommendation on bag. If you follow these feeding instructions you will have very sick goats. Miniature Fainting Goats are small goats. Do not over feed them. Never feed them as much gain as they want or you will have dead goats by morning and/or a very expensive vet bill.

Free choice mineral and baking soda should be made available to ADULT goats 24/7. Loose mineral is best, but a mineral block can be used. Babies do best with a block mineral as they are less likely to over-eat and cause harm.

Do make sure the mineal is for goats. Sheep blocks do not work well for goats as sheep cannot have copper. Goats NEED copper. The mineral needs are different for sheep vs. goats.

#8. Have your vet care set up well in advance.

Because goats are so different from other animals in how they respond to medications, etc. many vets do not treat them. You will want to call around and ask. It is ideal to do this in advance of bringing your new additions home, but especially before you need the vet for any reason.

#9. Keep good records.

Goats need to have a feet trim a few times each year. They also need vaccinations. Keep good records so you can follow the health of each of your goats.

#10. Train your Goats.

You can teach your goats to lead on a leash and to tie. These are very important skills that you would be strongly advised to make your life easier and making it so you can take your goats on walks, show your goat, etc. Teaching to lead and tie takes short lessons and also patience and rewards. Do not get discouraged. Very few are born knowing how. The younger you start them the better although you can teach an old goat new tricks.

Fun GOAT FACTS:

Goats are like deer in their eating habits. They browse versus graze.
Goats are very, very different from sheep who only graze. They look similar, but are different animals and need different care.
You may see goats eating grass in the pasture if there is nothing else to eat, but they much prefer weeds over grass and love woody plants like buckthorn.
If your goats escape into your yard they will go for your favorite shrubs, award-winning roses, and fruit trees before the grass.
Goats will taste many things, but they will eat what they love down to the ground.
Goats are very good at clearing areas nautrally without the use of chemicals, hard labor, and noisy machines.
Many meds that are perfectly safe to give to another animal will KILL a goat. Goats are very sensitive to medications. Always ask your vet before giving any medication to your goat for any reason.
Goats need: Access to fresh water 24/7, access to shelter 24/7, food, and fencing