Getting Started with Goats Series
Welcome to the addiction! Let’s dive right in and chat about choosing the right goats for your homestead.
Keep in mind that due to goats needing a hooved companion it is always best to start with two or more.
Choosing your Goats:
First, you need to determine the purpose for your goats. Would you like pets, show goats, milkers, meat or do you plan to breed? There are many different breeds of goats and they all have different purposes.
Pets:
If you are purchasing goats as pets it is not important to buy registered stock.
Starting with bottle babies is always fun if you have the time!
Additionally, whethers can make amazing pets as well as amazing hooved companions.
To find pet goats you can attend auctions and do facebook search.
Show Goats:
I recommend attending a few shows in your area to see what qualities the judges are looking for. There you will be able to determine the breed you would like to show. From there you will want to research the organization online to make sure you haven’t missed any key notes.
Milkers:
Saanen, Nubians, Lamancha, Alpine and Nigerians are very well known for their milk. See breed standards here.
Again, registered stock is not important here, it will not change the taste of the milk. Although, if you sell her kids you will get more if they are registered so that is something to keep in mind.
Purchasing a doe in milk is a great way to add milk to your table fast. Additionally, this shows you her teat size, milk amount, as well as milk taste.
If this is unavailable or you’re purchasing a doeling I recommend that you can look at her dam(mother) and granddam(grandmother). Ask the breeder how much milk or how many pounds to expect from her.
Keep in mind that in order to get milk the doe must kid so you either need to keep or borrow a buck. If you wish to have milk year round it is a good idea to have multiple does and stagger their kidding.
You also need to determine if you wish to leave the kid on the doe and kid share or if you will sell or bottle feed and use all of the milk for your use.
Meat:
Boer goats are very known for their meat because they are a larger, meatier goat.
Breeding Stock:
If you plan to breed your goats you will want to start with registered goats. First, become a member and choose a herd name at the association for the breed you choose. Second, ask lots of questions to the breeder and research the goats genetics online.
When purchasing your stock with plans to breed it is important to purchase from a clean tested, closed herd.
You will want to look at both the Dam and the Sires side to determine if these are lines you wish to breed. As you learn more you will know exactly what you want to breed for.
Our Story – The Crooks Family Farm:
Whenever we started I simply wanted pets but that quickly turned to milk then breeding.
We started with 4 unregistered bottle babies. But after that we added 4 registered Nubians and then four months later added our registered herd sire. We now have all ADGA and MDGA registered goats. Depending on the season we have up to 20 goats at one time.
| Term | Definition |
| Doeling Doe or Nanny Buckling Buck or Billy Yearling Wether Dam Granddam Sire Grandsire IA Kid/Kidding | A doeling is a female goat that is less than a year old. A doe is a mature female goat. A buckling is a young male that less than a year old. A buck is an adult goat male. A yearling is a female or male goat that is a year old. A wether is a castrated male goat. Mother Grandmother Father Grandfather Artificial insemination A Baby Goat/Giving Birth |
See more in the Getting Started with Goats Series
Here: How to Choose the Right Goats!
What Do You Feed Your Goats?
The Best Goat House and Fencing
Goat Medicine Cabinet
How to Choose a Herd Sire
Goat Breeding Expectations
My Goat is Bred, Now What?
See My Kidding Kit
