Our philosophy behind herd management is based on preparation and prevention. Before our goats came to live here, months were spent reading, building, asking questions, and planning. Adequate fencing is of the utmost importance and must be in place before the arrival of the first goat. Don’t be fooled by the Nigerian Dwarf’s size – it can jump as high as a full size goat. Another consideration for us was not only keeping goats in, but keeping predators such as coyotes and stray dogs out. We opted for five foot fencing with strategically placed center boards for scratching. Posts must be solidly placed as over time even small goats can loosen them by rubbing and leaning. We have never had an escape from our fenced area unless someone forgot to chain the gate. Our thanks to Tragos Trip Farm for advice and guidance in fence construction!

As we began our herd with four very small goats, their housing requirements were very small as well. Consult any good goat book for specific square foot requirements. Now that our herd is growing, a garden shed is no longer enough to accommodate everyone’s needs so we are looking into other options.
 
The fence and housing are ready and goat proof. Now, what are we going to feed them? We first looked at the hay used where we were purchasing our kids. It was beautiful and green with wide, flat leaves. Goats tend to turn their noses up at timothy and most of it ends up on the ground. Calling around and visiting local producers is the best way to find quality hay. We are also always on the lookout for plants other than grass in the hay because some can be toxic to goats. Never accept hay with obvious milkweed in it, for example. Hay is available free choice unless adequate grazing is available. We also had to decide on what grain we would use.  For young kids we use a grain with coccidia preventative in it. By the time kids are 6 months old they don’t need any grain unless there are extenuating circumstances (such as winter weather, pregnancy or lactation).
 

In order to provide our goats with optimal nutrition and the best chance at healthy growth, pregnancies, and greater milk production we offer various supplements. Of course, sodium bicarbonate is always available, but also a good goat mineral with copper (Sweetlix) and Sea Life, a kelp meal for animals available from North American Kelp in Maine. We found that creep feeders are the easiest way to have supplements continually available. Water may seem like a given, but providing fresh water twice a day, hot in winter (we call it goat cocoa), ensures adequate hydration.

There are also duties which must be performed on a monthly and annual basis to keep goats in top condition. Hoof trimming is very important. We trim hooves on a 4 to 6 week basis but do have one doe whose hoof growth is so fast she requires trimming every two weeks. Another monthly duty that comes with milking is keeping udders clipped and is called “dairy clipping.” This allows thorough cleaning of udders for milking and I also find it easier to milk a clipped udder as the fur is rather slippery. While we have each goat on the stand for trimming and clipping we check their weight with a weight tape. This is also the time we check each goat's record to see if it is time for any vaccine (CD&T) or semi-annual supplements (Bo-SE or copper bolus).
 

Photo by Gunter Garbe

There are many products on the market for deworming, some which require milk dumping and some which don’t. At this time we are enjoying success with an herbal dewormer fed weekly in the form of dosing balls we prepare at home. This is somewhat time-consuming but our herd is small enough to make it a practical task. It is a natural supplement as well as a dewormer and does not require milk dumping. With many mouths to feed, this is a consideration for us.

Finally, we began our annual CAE(Elisa test), CL and Johnes testing in Fall 2006. All adult animals tested negative to all three diseases (very young animals are not tested as these diseases might not be detectable yet). In coming years additional testing for TB and Brucellosis will be added.  We are very exclusive about herds we will interact with in the way of breeding or introducing a new animal. Ultimately, our health is dependent on our animals’ overall health.