How to raise goats in your backyard? Even if your house is modest, don’t dismiss the idea of keeping backyard goats. Even if you don’t have a huge farm or acres of land, you may still raise goats in your garden. In fact, our family began raising goats years ago with our initial two goats, which we kept in our backyard behind our home. We subsequently expanded from there to our present farm, where we now have additional acreage and a large goat herd.
How to Raise Goats in Your Backyard: Understanding the Benefits
Starting a modest backyard goat farm may provide several advantages.
Pets
If you’re looking for a backyard pet or an educational project for your kids, goats are excellent animals because of their size. They’re easy to manage and very people-friendly. If you spend time with them when they’re young, they’ll follow and nuzzle up against you as adults. With enough training, they can even perform tricks!
Showing Goats Competitively
Maybe you, too, wish to breed pure-bred registered goats in order to exhibit them at goat shows. If you do so and start winning acclaim, your goats will become more valuable. The new kids can then be valued higher when you breed them and sell the offspring.
Dairy
We continue to keep our dairy goat herd the same as we did when we first launched in a tiny backyard. They give you access to free milk for your family, which is fantastic. Goat milk also tastes better and is healthier for you and your family.
Meat
Most people don’t know this, but many goat farmers breed goats for their meat. Just like with any other animal, certain breeds of goats are better suited for being used as food than others. Goat meat is especially popular among those who celebrate ethnic holidays. Even if you’re just starting out with a small backyard operation, you can raise meat goats.
How to Raise Goats in Your Backyard: Responsibilities That Come
Below are some of the greenhouse gases released by raising goats in your backyard, which we will discuss further.
- Fencing
- Shelter
- Feeding equipment
- Birthing new kids
- Healthcare/illness
- Legal requirements
- Food
- Water supply
- Clipping hair
- Trimming hooves
- Breeding
Here are some of the fundamental duties involved in maintaining goats in your garden. There are several more tasks you’ll need to complete if you intend to market goat products, compete with other farmers, and so on. But for now, it’s better to concentrate on the essential details. In your backyard, you may start with little and basic tasks, then learn more about those additional things as you decide which direction to go in with your backyard goat farm.
How to Raise Goats in Your Backyard: Getting Your Backyard Ready for Your New Goats
If you’ve decided that goats are for you, there’s a few things you’ll need to do in order to prepare before bringing your new livestock home.
Legal Requirements
Before you continue, ensure that goats are not banned by law in your area. To see if they’re allowed where you live, check the deed restrictions or restrictive covenants in your neighborhood.
Fencing and Protection
You’ll need a safe place for your goats to live, be secure, and not run away. Make sure that the space where you will keep them has adequate fencing around it. Woven wire or cattle panels (sturdier but more expensive) are two excellent choices for goat fencing.
Fencing Against Predators
The key reason for building a fence is to keep predators at bay, rather than goats contained. Before you begin, take some time to research the types of predators that are prevalent in your area. When we lived in Virginia, foxes were the main issue.
Shelter for Goats
Goats hate getting wet, so you’ll need to build a shelter where they can take cover when needed. Place this structure in an area of your backyard that is typically dry. If there is too much moisture, it can lead to sickness in goats. A goat shelter should be placed on higher ground that drains well instead of an area where water collects.
Food
Although some people believe goats will consume anything, that belief is false. If given the wrong kinds of foods, goats could easily become sick. Their favorite food happens to be “browse” which are leaves and shoots from woody plants.
Feeding Equipment
You have lots of different options when it comes to feeders, buckets and troughs. What you choose ultimately depends on your personal preferences and how you have your goat area set up. That said, hanging feeders are usually the best option since goats tend to knock over or poop on anything that sits on the ground.
Healthcare and Treating Illnesses
To keep your goats healthy, you should first learn their behaviors so that you can identify when something is wrong. However, if you’re unsure whether or not your goat is sick, the best course of action would be to consult a veterinarian. That being said, there are some things that you can do yourself to save money with your vet’s guidance.
How to Raise Goats in Your Backyard: Take Action
Before you buy your first goats, be sure to have fencing, shelter, food and water ready in your backyard farm. This is the first you do on how to raise goats in your backyard. It’s essential that you purchase more than one goat because they are herd animals–try to get at least two. We’ve heard many stories from people who tried to buy a single goat and failed miserably. When a goat is left alone, it becomes highly agitated and will go to great lengths to avoid being abandoned. In situations like this, a goat will continually break out of fences, leap over objects, and try to get into houses in order to be with a person or other animals. Always keep two or more goats together, not just one.
How to Raise Goats in Your Backyard: Learn How to Take Care of Your New Goats
When you first bring your new goats home to your backyard, they will be “scared” at first since they are unfamiliar with their surroundings. Simply make certain that they have a safe place to sleep, food and water, and be patient with them. At first, don’t alter their diet too much. Feed them the same food as before since they’ve been used to with the previous owner. Changes in diet suddenly, particularly if they are drastic, might make a goat sick. Unless your goats have had time to get acclimated to their new surroundings in your yard, it’s probably best not to engage them too much.
How to Raise Goats in Your Backyard- Bottom Line
Now that you know how to raise goats in your backyard, it’s time to take action and get started. Although it takes some effort to get everything set up initially, once you have everything in place, raising goats is relatively easy. Just remember to have patience, especially when you first bring them home and during the first few weeks while they’re getting used to their new surroundings. With a little time and effort, you’ll be an expert at raising goats in no time!
