Everyone sees the videos. Baby goats in pajamas, baby goats sliding down slides, baby goats being adorable by just existing. These videos may lead you or your loved one wondering, “What if we had a baby goat?” Well, if that thought has crossed your mind or maybe even your lips, here’s some things to know before getting a goat.
- You can’t have just one. Goats are herd animals. This means that companionship is one of their basic needs, and without it, you will find yourself with a very sad goat. Sad goats get into trouble and portray the stereotypical goat behaviors you hear about, like making lots of noise and escaping their pen. At Applebury Dairy, we won’t even sell a goat to someone who does not have at least one other. You will find that goats with friends are much less likely to get into trouble, and have better health and well-being overall.
- Goats can’t and won’t actually eat anything. There’s a popular narrative about goats that claims they will eat anything. The stereotype most often portrayed in cartoons is a goat eating a tin can or even your clothes. Unbeknownst to those in Hollywood, this is untrue. Goats are very picky eaters and will actually refuse to eat feed that has been soiled or left on the ground. It will be necessary to obtain a hay feeder that prevents spillage, as they will refuse to eat most of what hits the ground, and your hay will go to waste. And speaking of hay…
- Goats are browsers, not grazers. I see many people buying goats to “mow the lawn.” Unfortunately for them, they will find that goats much prefer to eat your rose bushes, than your lawn. That’s because goats are browsers, meaning they prefer bushes, trees and hay to grass. So if a lawn mower is what you’re looking for, a sheep might be more of a move in the right direction.
- Goats are social, intelligent, and have unique personalities. Because of their browsing instincts, goats are naturally more curious about everything around them. They are constantly interacting with their environment and the other animals or people in their space. Just like people, each goat is unique and will develop a personality. Be prepared to accept your goat for who he or she is, and you will be surprised at how fulfilling a friendship between a farmer and goat can be.
- Only male goats, with testicles, stink. Another popular myth about goats is that they are smelly. This is only true of male goats, called bucks. Bucks smell because they have scent glands near their horns and because they urinate on their faces. Much like deer, bucks have a rut season and will stink worse during this time because they are constantly urinating on themselves to attract a mate. (Rut varies depending on breed) Female goats, called does, do not smell at all and neither do male goats without testicles, called wethers.
- Keeping them healthy can be time consuming and expensive. Another popular, yet untrue, belief about goats is that you can put them out to pasture and nothing else is required to keep them healthy. Unfortunately, this is not the case, as goats need a lot of maintenance to maintain the healthiest versions of themselves. Goats need tested yearly for deadly goat diseases, access to minerals at all times, a quality fence for protection from predators, regular hoof trimmings, vaccinations, hay, grain, shelters, de-worming and medications, just to name a few. Owning healthy goats is not a passive experience. It’s very much involved.
- They need milked at least once a day, every day. This only applies if you are planning on enjoying milk or milk products from your goats. If you want to milk your goats, they will need to be bred once a year to maintain lactation for a period of about ten months before drying them up and breeding again. During these ten months your goat will need milked at least once a day or she may end up with mastitis, a painful and potentially deadly infection of the udder. Deciding to milk goats is a huge commitment, so be prepared for the amount of time and effort that is required.
- They will steal your heart. If you decide to start a goat herd, it may be the best decision you ever make. Goats will take your heart and turn it to mush just by being themselves. You may find that you are never able to live without goats in your life after owning one. So prepare for your heart to break when they die and mend when they’re born, and prepare for a lifetime of smiles from the hoof prints they leave on your heart.