In general, you want to have 3 females for each male. This ratio tends to work out the best for smaller goat herds. Typically a female goat will only have two kids a year. Having more male goats tends to cause more breeding and rivalry between the bucks.

When a female goat goes into heat, she will wag her tail and stay close to the male goat if there is one nearby.  She will also make more noise, a distinctive bleating. She will also eat less and produce less milk.

Under normal conditions, female goats will come into heat between September and March.  The will usually be fertile about three days.  If mating has not occurred during this time period, the female goat  will remain fertile  for about three weeks and go in and out of heat.

Female goats have a gestation period of about five months or 150 days. Usually goats only have one kid at a time but twins or even triplets appear occasionally. The birthing process known as “kidding”.  Birthing for goats is usually an easy process. Complications are rare but should there be any, contact your local large/farm animal veterinarian for assistance.

Once the kid is born, they will stay in a safe, warm, place if it is available. You should have provided your pregnant goats with a sufficient shelter to fill this need. The new mother goat will go off for a while to feed.  She will nurse the new kid when she returns. The female goat produces six pounds of milk daily while nursing.  The kid will drink her milk until they can eat fully on their own. This takes up to three months.

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1. Introduction to Raising Goats

First of all, you can’t just have a single goat. Goats are herd animals and will only thrive when in a group. You should plan to have a herd of at least 4 to 6 goats unless you have other herd animals, such as cows, sheep or horses in the same pasture. Goats will bond with other grazing herd animals as well as their own kind in most cases.

You will also have to have enough pasture land to allow the goats to roam around. While goats don’t need a huge amount of space, they will be in their best condition when there’s enough space. Confining goats to smaller areas tends to bring out bad habits while allowing them to live comfortably will produce happier animals.

In general, goats will need to reside in a rural area, such as a farm. Few cities or even small towns allow goats within the city limits outside of officially sanctioned petting zoos or temporary displays. Occasionally locales will have areas zoned as agricultural where you can keep a small population of farm animals. You will need to check local zoning regulations before you begin to keep goats.

Goats, while well known for their ability to eat most vegetable materials, will do best when provided with a regular balanced diet provided by a formulated feed especially for goats. They will also need access to fresh water. As their keeper it is up to you to provide this to the animals.

In addition to regular care, goats will also need veterinary care on a regular basis. They are susceptible to various diseases, parasites and illnesses. The animals will need to get regular vaccinations and preventative treatments. Also, should you decide to breed goats, a good relationship with a large animal veterinarian is a must.

Lastly, when purchasing goats, make sure that you obtain them from a breeder who has a well known track record for producing good livestock.

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1. Breeding Goats