The goat is a wonderful animal to raise and can provide you with healthy, delicious milk and meat. Goats can also enrich your homestead by keeping it weed-free and by acting as living brush hogs. They will challenge your skills and teach you many lessons about life and farm management along the way. However, they are not for the faint of heart and require a great deal of time and attention. Goats can make wonderful pets and will keep you entertained with their antics and mischievous behavior.
Purchasing a goat can be very expensive. A pygmy goat without papers can cost $60 to $160 and one with complete documents can run $300 or more. Nigerian Dwarf goats with comprehensive documents and vaccinations can be more than $400. Whether you buy a pygmy, Nigerian dwarf or other breed of goat, it is important to find a reliable breeder and pay attention to the documentation.
If you are considering buying a kid, visit the breeder’s website and look at pictures of their goats. Ask about health records and if the herd has been tested for diseases such as TB and brucellosis. A reputable breeder will be able to answer all of your questions.
You can find goats for sale on Craigslist but be very careful. Look under the Farm and Garden section as well as the Pet section. Be very skeptical of anyone who asks you to send money by wire or PayPal. Goats are very sensitive to parasites and infections and can die from them. Be very diligent about worming, vaccinations and other health care for your new animal.
Goats can be sold at Goats for sale auctions or through sale barns but you should be very wary of this type of purchase. Many unscrupulous owners offload diseased or unproductive animals at these sales. Goats may also be sold to slaughterhouses where they are euthanized for human consumption.
Another place to buy goats is at local livestock shows. Typically these are held during the spring in areas where goats are raised and the farmers will have booths to display their stock for potential buyers. It is a good idea to visit several goats and ask questions at each booth to get an overall impression of the quality of the herd. Look at the cleanliness of the stalls, the number of goats and the overall health of the herd. This is a good opportunity to meet other farmers and learn more about raising goats. It is also a good place to look at goat equipment and tools such as milking stools and milking buckets. You can also ask about breeding schedules if you are planning on breeding your goats. If you want to be successful at raising goats, you must make sure that the herd is in good health and that you have a plan for each step. It takes a lot of time and commitment to raise a healthy herd of goats that will produce high quality milk.