FAQs

Lamb and ewe (cyclone) wire with two single strands at the top,
Wooden paling fence with the side rungs on the outside,
Electric fencing,
Wooden palings with chicken mesh over top,
Strong chicken mesh fencing that is very tight

 Generally this is done every 4 months.  Let your goat’s condition be your guide.  If you rotate paddocks  and your goats are not crowded and have good browsing and a balanced diet we have found some animals are fine up to 6 monthly. Contact us if you need help - we offer worming services! 

Again let your goat be your guide.  Generally every 6-8 weeks.  If your paddock/pen has rocky or hard ground not as often.  Check your goats hooves straight away should it display any signs of limping or your goat cannot stand. Contact us if you need help - we offer hoof trimming services!

The short answer is yes definitely.  Goats are very social creatures and need companionship.  This need not be another goat (but would be nice to have a friend of his/her own kind) but can be a dog, a pony or other animal that they bond with.

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 Animals should be quietly introduced in a safe, supervised environment.

There are many forms of transport available.  Some transport companies carry goats, some airlines will carry goats.  A horse float, covered trailer, station wagon or utility with a canopy is also fine.  Kids travel well in cat boxes.  So long as your goat is in good health and is secure they will travel well.

Goats cry for all sorts of reasons.  Once you get to know your mini goat you will also be able to distinguish the different bleats.  They may cry if they are lonely, hungry/thirsty, feel threatened, cold, they are ill or if they get stuck.  Never ignore a bleat especially if your goat is only new.  Goats do not usually make a sound at night unless there is something wrong.  It is best to investigate all bleats, especially at night.

If your mini goat is fed correctly and has access to clean water at all times, has a shelter from the heat, cold and wind they should get by without too much drama.  Occasionally they will get scours either from eating the wrong plant, eating too much rich feed or if they have a tummy upset.  On the whole they are relatively easy to keep healthy.

Bottle babies can go home once they are drinking well from the bottle and are in a routine.  Kids on mum need to stay with the doe until they are weaned at 3-4 months of age.

Grass of course but not as their sole diet; Goats need to browse.  Hay and branches of native trees, most willows, olive and apple trees can provide this – tree branches are also a good source of iron and other vitamins.  Chaff, both lucerne and oaten and a small handful of grain such as flaked barley – 3 times a week should also be fed.  There are commercial goat pellets available also.   Feed pellets sparingly as they can swell in the rumen (stomach) once the goat has a drink – this can cause bloat and other gastric upsets.

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Click here for an excellent article about what goats eat.

Goats will play “goatee” games with each other.  They will chase each other and head butt etc.  Goats love to climb so a sturdy tree branch or log, an old cable drum, some form of platform with boards to jump from one to the other is goat heaven – make sure they are sturdy and stable.  Check that there are no nails, screws or jagged edges for them to hurt themselves on.

Generally yes.  As with most animals though there is always an exception to the rule.  If your goat is in good health and not under weight or too fat you shouldn’t have too much trouble.  You should always try to pin point the time your goat will give birth just in case.  There is no set time for your goat to kid but generally mid morning or mid/late afternoon.

Yes they do.  Goats scratch naturally, they love to rub up against a fence post or a tree and scratch but when the scratching becomes excessive or their coats look dull or hair looks as if it has split ends they should be checked for lice.  Once again, if your goat is in good health lice will not be too much of an issue.  Lice do not cause humans any issues and die soon after leaving the goat and do not cross infect the family dog.  Powders and sprays are available to combat them.

This has to be a personal choice.  Both wethers and does make lovely pets.  The wethers will grow a bit bigger than the doe and wethers are cheaper than does.  Contrary to popular belief wethers do not smell like the bucks.  Does come into season every 21 days and some can become snitchy and some noisy during this time but otherwise are as good as pets as the wethers.  So the decision is really whether you like boys or girls.

If you purchase a mini from a registered stud your mini will already be tagged.  If you breed your own you will need to buy a tagging tool and tags under your own (property identification code) PIC number.  The tags will have your PIC number printed on them and then you can tag your goats yourself.  Some breeders offer a tagging service for a small fee (see what services we offer).   PIC numbers are obtained from your local Department of Primary Industries or DPI.  PIC numbers are free.

Goats have 60 chromosomes; sheep have 54.
Their feeding behaviours are very different too as sheep are grazing animals while goats are called browsers.
Goats, even though very social animals, are not as flock-oriented as sheep.
Goats are more likely to seek shelter in wet weather than sheep.
Male goats will rear up on their hind legs and lunge downward to butt heads while male sheep will run at, or charge, each other to butt heads. If you mix male goats and sheep, the sheep will dominate because they don't play by the same rules and will charge the goats while they are rearing up.
Goats have a tail that mainly stands up and sheep have tails that hang down.
Most goats have beards – males definitely and some females. Sheep do not have beards.