Raising Goats

Okay. Since there are over 300 distinct breeds of goats around the world we are going to focus on the most common ones that people get when raising goats - the ones for meat, dairy, fiber (mohair and cashmere) and companionship.

The goat breeds for raising goats for meat.

The first breed is the Boer goat. The Boer goat is the goat of choice when you are looking to raise goats for meat.

Why?

They grow quickly (goat breeding), are very fertile (breed year round), and are just a thick meaty goat. They are also the goats that are in high demand from the folks that actually eat goat meat which leads me to assume that they taste better then other goat meat.

If you are looking to raise Boer goats for meat then I would recommend reading this book as it focuses solely on raising Boer goats instead of being a general goat raising book.

The Fainting Goat - Just as it sounds these goats just up and faint. They are also a very gentle breed of goat so they would make a good companion goat. They are small but meaty and are herding goats so you need to have more then one.

The Nubian Goats - The Nubian Goats are also a meat breed but also can be consider a milk breed of goats. The are smaller then the Boer goats so they do not provide as much meat.

The Spanish Meat Goat - These goats are smaller and not nearly as meaty as some of the other meat goats.

Raising goats for dairy - The different breeds

The Toggenburg Goat - These are high strung goats (not family pets) with shaggy hair that are generally smaller in stature.

The Alpine Goats - These goats produce a good amount of milk.

The Saanen Goat - Also a good milk producer.

The Nubian Goat - This stubborn (high willed) goat has a thicker and more protein enriched milk.

The Oberhalisis Goat - A darker colored goat of medium build.

The Lamanchas Goat - This is the more relaxed and gentler breed of milk goats.

The Fiber Goats

The Angora Goat - The Angora goat produces what is known as mohair. They get shaved twice a year and produce about five pounds of mohair each shaving.

The Cashmere Goat - This goat will shed it's coat once a year and needs shelter provided for it.

Raising Goats For Pets

The first thing to know is that all goats get lonely if there is just one of them so you need to have a least two. The other thing to know is that you do not want a buck! Bucks are for breeding and that is it. The best sex to buy for a pet (generally) is a wether male (fixed male). They are often more companionable. Another thing to watch out for is horns. Horns can hurt children and adults as well as get caught in fences and things.

A good breed to start with is the Lamanchas breed as they are more gentle.

Now that you have a general idea on which type of goat breed would work best for you I would recommend getting a goat raising guide before you actually go out and get a couple of goats.

Two good ones are:

A guide about general goat raising.

A guide dedicated specifically to Boer goat raising if that is the breed that suits you best.

Before you go out and get your first two goats (remember they are herding animals and will get very lonely if there is only one) you will want to make sure you have at least the basic goat supplies to make the transition easier.

The first thing you will need is a shelter for your goats. It should be an enclosed shelter with a non leaking roof and if you live in a colder climate you should make sure that it is insulated to keep the goats warmer. In this shelter you should have stalls for your goats to have their "own" room.
On the floor you should lay down straw, hay, or grass for them.

You will also need to have easy to clean bowls for fresh food and water.

Surrounding your shelter you should have a large fenced in area that your goats can freely wonder around in.

Food. Watch when you are buying food that you get food specific to goats. To keep goats healthy they need an abundance of copper however the amount that they need is toxic to sheep so if you get a combined food your goats will not be getting enough copper to keep them healthy.

A great place to get your goat supplies is Jeffers Livestock. What I like about them is that they have quality supplies for a really good price.

The best possible place you can go to buy goats is a local farm or local 4H club. The reason for this is because you are better able to see how the goats have been taken care of and also it helps out other folks in your community.