Goat supplies is the theme of the day for a very good reason…
They are here! Our first two sweet Nigerian Dwarf goats! We have Jill and her sweet baby boy, Bauer finally at home. We have a third goat who will be a baby girl arriving in a few weeks. So, we have been figuring out what goat supplies we need and how to prepare for goats!
Never having owned goats before it was hard to know exactly how to prepare for bringing Nigerian Dwarf goats (or any type of goat) home.
We did a lot of reading and research about how to prepare for goats. After that, we made the difficult fencing decisions.
If you need help on that you can see what we did for goat fencing options.
And if you’re having trouble picking your goats, here’s how to choose your first goats.
We needed to know what goat supplies to get. We never did find a simple list of things to have and do to prepare for goats, so we thought we would provide one here to help others out.
Top 7 goat supplies you need for your herd:
1). You’ll need hay.
If you have anything other than does in milk you can feed good quality grass hay (such as orchard grass). Does in milk should have access to alfalfa hay.
If you can’t find alfalfa you might have luck finding a Chaffhaye dealer near you. Hay should be free choice (always available).
In addition to hay, you’ll obviously need a hay feeder to put they hay in.
2). Grain/milkstand treats.
Goats can get sick if over fed with grain. You can give varying amounts and types.
The breeder we got our goats from feeds a mix of BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds), alfalfa pellets and calf manna or goat feed everyone gets a nighttime treat and milking does also get some on the milk stand.
All three of these get combined into a handy dandy feed bucket such as this.
If you just have wethers or girls that are not pregnant or milking then grain or milkstand treats are not one of the necessary goat supplies.
3). Fruits and veggies can be fed as special treats.
One of our girls, Chloe, especially loves bananas, so we bribe her with a few pieces every time we go outside with her.
Bananas are not the only treat they love, they enjoy lots of different fruits and veggies like squash, apples and carrot pieces.
Chloe also loves vegetables. She does not discriminate.
4) Fresh, clean, unfrozen water.
We used these buckets and in the winter we break out these heated buckets. Make sure not to leave them with dirty water.
Even a stray leaf or goat pellet (poop) in their water will make them refuse to drink it. (Goats can be pretty picky). So, be sure to keep their water clean for them.
5) Goats also need free choice baking soda as well as goat minerals.
It is very important to get minerals specifically for goats, not minerals for goats and sheep. This is because goats need extra copper in their diet. We use Manna Pro Loose Goat Minerals.
You can feed the baking soda and minerals in a simple two compartment feeder placed on the stall wall.
6) You will also need hoof trimmers.
It is important to learn how to trim your goats hooves. Without regular hoof trimming they can get really sore feet and other issues.
7) Finally, if you have a doe in milk you will also need milking supplies.
Basic milking supplies are a milk stand, stainless steel milk bucket, and stainless steel strainer. Make sure you have learned how to milk a goat before you get started!
That’s it! Now you are prepared for your wonderful new goats! What goat supplies do you think are must haves?
My goats prefer the scratch feed we give to the chickens over the mixed grain that is made for goats. Is it OK to only give them the scratch feed ? They have unlimited hay and they graze on grass every day too.
I would not let your goats get into the chicken feed. Any grain fed in excess can actually cause them to bloat which is a very serious issue. I would keep they out of the chicken feed and just give them the goat grain in moderation.
Best,
Kristin