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…
Caring for Goat Kids: From Birth to Weaning
Goat kids: bouncy, lovable, adorable…and difficult! Today I want to talk about goat kid care—everything from what to do right after birth, to bottle feeding, to weaning! Prepping for birth: While this is not a post dedicated to pregnancy, kidding prep, etc., it is important to have a complete first aid kit by your side…
So You Think You Want Goats: Things to Know Before Becoming a Goat Owner
Goats are the best, and if you are searching online for goat information, you’ll see their adorable ears, their cute noses, their fuzzy faces, their gorgeous eyes, and of course, you will see a lot of wildly adorable baby goats! What’s the catch? There’s NO way anything can be bad enough to take your attention…
The Underweight Goat: A Nourishing Regimen for Productive Weight Gain
Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon Affiliate Links, from which I will earn a commission. Whether you have just rescued a goat, have one bouncing back from a rough parasite load, or just need to get weight on that hard keeper—putting weight on a goat is a whole body endeavor; you need to nourish and…
Diets for Male Goats: How to Prevent Urinary Calculi
I hear this often: “I want to get a pet goat! I want it to be easy. I’ll get a wether.” I hate to be the one to break this to you, but nothing about owning wethers (or any male goat) is easy. Wethers (castrated males) and bucks have different needs than female goats. They…
How to Build and Maintain a Strong and Functioning Immune System for Your Goats
Immune support is usually something that I discuss in depth with my clients in my Natural Goat Care Academy. Due to our recent crazy weather, I thought it might be time to put some of the basics down for easy reference! I was prompted to make this post today by the weather that’s currently occurring…
The Rumen Rumors: How Goat Stomachs Work (Troubleshooting and Treating Digestive Issues)
NOTE: This post contains amazon affiliate links. A small commission will be earned from each purchase. So if you can, please purchase directly from those links, any and all support would be greatly appreciated. Have you ever been told, “goats can eat anything”? No, no they cannot. The rumors of goats being able to consume…
What to Feed Your Goats: A Detailed Diet Explanation!
NOTE: This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a small commission. Any and all support is greatly appreciated! Goat diets … probably the most varied way of care amongst all goat owners. Everyone has a different diet for their herd, and as you will learn later in this post, it is…
Forming a Comprehensive Natural Deworming Regimen: Integrated Parasite Management
It’s almost spring! You know what that means … worm season! Wet and warm weather brings all kinds of parasites into the systems of our goats. It’s our job to do our best to keep our goats happy, healthy, and free from severe parasite loads! Let’s start with the basics! Aside from preventative measures, management,…
Why we “Plate Train” Our Goats
NOTE: This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a small commission. Any and all support is greatly appreciated! Let me guess, your first question is probably, “What the heck is plate training?” Well … let me explain. It all started when I was looking for creative ways to sneak garlic into…
Conducting an Overall Health Assessment for a Goat
For those of you who are constantly adding new goats to your herd, rescuing goats, or just wanting to know if your own goats are healthy, this is the blog post for you! There is a lot to look for to determine whether a goat is “healthy” or not. Along with looking at the physical…
DIY Natural Goat Treats
These treats are natural, easy to make, and a delicious snack for goats! The ingredients are linked to amazon affiliates, from which a small commission will be earned to support future blog posts, videos, and our lovely goats (find more about them on Instagram). So if you can, please purchase directly from those links, any and…
DIY Natural Salve for Goats
This is an herbal goat salve that promotes healing for wounds, cuts, scrapes, and more. We love this salve, as it is easy to make, and has many beneficial qualities! Read the full recipe below on how to make this wonderful salve! The ingredients are linked to amazon affiliates, from which a small commission will…
Supplementing Goats With Kelp Meal
Kelp meal is an extremely healthy supplement for goats. We feed our goats kelp meal “semi-free choice”; which means the goats can eat it to the extent that they want, but we still fill the feeder with a flat amount per goat. I fill the feeder at about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup per goat…
Winter Care for Goats
Goats, like most other creatures, are fairly well equipped to deal with cold winter weather. We, as owners, simply need to provide the necessities for them to survive. That includes… Adequate Shelter: Goats require the bare minimum of a place to be protected from wind, drafts, snow, rain, etc. A barn is ideal, but sheds…
Using Garlic to Improve Herd Health
Garlic (Allium Sativum), is our #1 natural health food staple in our goats’ diet. It is my favorite supplement for goats, and it is my go-to treatment for most things! WHEN WE GIVE GARLIC: When we first started our journey with goats, we used no garlic at all, and experienced multiple parasite problems as well…
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