Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Articles & Books From Cheryl K. Smith
Article / Updated 09-01-2022
Goats are mammals and are similar to other mammals in some ways. But they also have unique features that indicate whether they are healthy, tell you how old they are, and even give clues about their parents. © Milya Shaykh / Shutterstock.com
Parts of the body
You can own goats and not know the names of parts of their bodies.
Article / Updated 09-01-2022
The average length of time that a person owns goats is only around five years. One reason is that they have unrealistic expectations of what owning goats requires. So what exactly do you need to understand before becoming a goat owner, and what are some of the common missteps you can avoid? © lakov Filimonov / Shutterstock.
No buts: discover the addictive joy of raising goatsGoats are amazing, multi-talented creatures that have been domesticated for over 10,000 years. As well as being a source of food, clothes, and milk, they're wonderful companions: cute, intelligent, and playful—and often as friendly and attentive as dogs. In addition, they make endearing noises and—according to ancient Ethiopian legend—discovered coffee.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-01-2022
Goats make great pets. And as more and more people look for ways to live sustainably and grow their own food, goats are a wonderful option for raising meat and milk. You can harvest their fleece, as well. Whether you want to raise goats for food or as the smart, lovable pets they can be, you need to know what questions to ask.
Step by Step / Updated 06-14-2021
Grooming a goat is pretty basic, and keeping a goat's hooves trimmed is one of the easiest, least expensive, and most important parts of goat care. Regular trimming takes very little time and cuts down on health care expenses in the long term.
How often you trim depends on each goat and the conditions it lives in.
Article / Updated 12-10-2021
Most goats can give birth without human help, but if you want to raise goats as part of your green lifestyle, you need to know the basics of kidding (the birthing process) so you can help when you have to. Here are the basics about labor.
The first stage of labor
The uterus contracts and dilates, forcing the unborn kid against the cervix (neck of the uterus).
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Although you probably are excited to buy goats and bring them home, taking some precautions to make sure that you get healthy goats is an important first step. After you have determined what kind of goats you want and how you intend to use them, you can eliminate goats from consideration by asking the following questions:
Are your goats registered?
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Your goats will let you know when something’s wrong, but you need to recognize the signs. You need to investigate further or begin taking action if you see the following signs of illness:
Not chewing cud
Not getting up
Pressing her head against wall or fence
Not eating
Feces aren’t pelleted
Not
Article / Updated 09-01-2022
If you're raising goats as part of a green lifestyle, you need an overall feeding program to keep your goats at maximal performance, but at times you need to make exceptions for certain goats or categories of goats. Pregnant goats, milking does, kids, and senior goats need special attention and modified diets.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
If you live in a state that doesn't require identification, you don't have to permanently identify unregistered goats. If you get a registered goat, it should already have a microchip or tattoo, and if you want to register a goat that is eligible for one of the registries, you will be required to permanently identify it to prove that the goat is who you say it is.