Got Goats? Let’s Talk!
“Hay” there! Whether you own goats, plan to own goats, or are just an avid knowledge-seeker, you’re in the right place. The Giving Goat is dedicated to providing individualized consulting services on all topics of goat care, with clients ranging from commercial operations to backyard pet owners. Along with mentorship, we offer a variety of eBooks and online courses for self-led learning to deepen your knowledge of goat health, and help your herd thrive! Click the icons below to explore options.
Looking to Read up on Goats?
Check out the latest blog posts below, or click “Blog” on the header to fully dive into goat health with posts on nutrition, parasite management, illness prevention & treatment, reproductive health, and so much more.
Learning After Loss: Why Necropsies Are Important for Goats
Only in recent years have more people kept goats as pets, resulting in many goats living longer and therefore passing due to what are often described as “old goat” issues, or more unique problems for which there is very limited data.
Self-Led Applied Research in Goats: You Don’t Need a Lab Coat to Study Your Herd
There are two mindsets that often feud with one another – conventional western medicine techniques, and holistic, alternative, natural methods. Very rarely are these two combined synergistically. Yes, they are used in conjunction with one another for sure, but without the knowledge that can unlock the beauty of the two together! You are not limited…
Avoiding Losses This Kidding Season: How to Save Goat Kids
Keeping kids alive comes down to three main factors: keeping them warm, keeping their blood sugar stable, and keeping them fed. Now, to elaborate on these three vital factors…
How to Weigh a Goat: 5 Helpful Methods
There is nothing more important than being able to know your goats’ weights. Truly, you cannot perform important tasks like dosing medications, or even simple daily tasks, without knowing a goat’s weight. If you don’t have a plan for weighing, I encourage you to start planning one by the time you’re done reading this post,…
Natural Mastitis Treatment & Prevention For Goats
Mastitis is the inflammation of the mammary gland usually due to a mammary infection that occurs in lactating goats (though sub-clinical mastitis can persist when dry, or can occur from a precocious udder). Several different strains of bacteria can be responsible for causing this illness. Early stages of mastitis or sub-clinical mastitis are hard to…
Are Mineral Buffets Right For All Herds: Pros, Cons, and Thoughts
Many people are jumping on the trend of buffet-style mineral options for their herds—it’s slowly becoming more popular, especially within the natural community. The most important value that I strive to lead with in all of my consulting is that everyone’s situation is different.
Treating Polio & Listeriosis in Goats
Polio (Polioencephalomalacia) and Listeriosis (also referred to as “Listeria”) are two, unfortunately, highly common neurological illnesses in goats. Often when we hear about one, we hear about the other, because they appear very similarly. So much so that many people just refer to the issue as “polio/listeriosis.” When they treat for one, they also treat…
How Much Does Your Soil’s Mineral Level Affect Your Goats?
How much does your soil mineral content/forage mineral content actually impact your goats? I have heard from many industry professionals, vets, blogs, and goat owners to check and be aware of your soil mineral levels to determine how you need to supplement your goats. I cannot tell you how many people have come to me…
A Guide to Feeding Pregnant and Lactating Goats
It is so important for any creature who is a soon-to-be-momma to have proper nutrition. Why? Because it’s not just for their bodies, it’s for the bodies of their offspring as well. I cannot begin to explain how many occurrences visible at birth in goat kids can be attributed to poor nutrition of their dam…
Redefining Goat Care
Goat Medicine: why does it differ so much from the veterinary medicine of other ‘similar’ creatures? I mentioned this briefly in one of my Instagram posts, which sparked many people to request a longer explanation. I could write for days, but instead I want to focus on a few key reasons as to why goats…
Goat Gardens: What to Plant, Forage, and Feed to your Goats
Goats are fed a diet of mostly hay these days—as they are domesticated and most owners don’t have miles of land for them to forage on. This is totally fine; however, your goats will always be healthier if you can switch up their diet in small, meaningful ways by adding in a variety of forage/browse…
Preventing & Treating Coccidiosis in Goats
What is Coccidiosis? Coccidiosis is a parasitic infestation in goats caused by the parasite Coccidia. Coccidia is not a worm, it is a protozoa. This means that regular dewormers (chemical ones, in particular) do not affect it. Luckily, natural dewormers work very effectively for Coccidia. Coccidia (aka Cocci [pronounced Kok-see]) has been known to cause…
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