How to Raise Goats for Milk & Cheese
Goats are popular animals in both commercial farming and personal barnyard situations. Their playful personalities can make them entertaining as pets, though many people raise them for more practical reasons, like cheese, milk and even weed control. To raise goats for a specific purpose, make sure it's legal to keep them in your area and research the type of goat that is best suited for your needs.
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Instructions
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Check your setup. Goats need shelter at night, from inclement weather and from predators. Goat sheds or barns should be surrounded by a fenced area so that goats can be turned out in a controlled way, without danger of running away or being attacked by predators.
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Purchase goats that are appropriate for your purposes. Goats like Toggenburgs and Saanens produce high-quality milk and cheese, while some other goats are better for other purposes.
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Make a bed in the goat shed or barn using straw or wood shavings. Put buckets or troughs of water inside the shed and outside in the barnyard area. Feed goats one to two times a day using alfalfa hay and pellets. A full-sized goat should get 1/2 flake of hay every day. Make sure you put the hay in areas that are consistently clean, rather than the areas where the goats go to the bathroom.
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Monitor the health of your goats. Goats should maintain clear, bright eyes, glossy smooth coats, temperatures of 102.5 degrees F to 104 degrees F and good activity levels.
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Keep the goat pens and water buckets clean by cleaning them at least once a week.
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Tips & Warnings
For female goats to provide milk, they must have kids.
Goats are prone to issues like eye infections and mange.
References
- Photo Credit goat image by milemarsovac from Fotolia.com
