Basic Goat Care | Raven Hill Farms

RAVEN HILL FARMS

Basic Goat Care Guide

Congratulations on your new Kinder goat! Goats are intelligent, curious, and entertaining companions that can bring years of enjoyment to your farm or homestead. Providing the right environment from day one will set your animals up for a long, healthy life. This guide covers the essential elements of goat care: fencing, shelter, feeding, water, and minerals.

1. Fencing

Proper fencing is the single most important infrastructure investment you will make for your goats. Goats are intelligent escape artists with a strong drive to explore. If there is a weakness in your fence, a goat will find it. A well-fenced property keeps your goats safe, keeps predators out, and keeps peace with your neighbors.

Recommended Fencing Types

No-Climb Horse Fence (2x4 woven wire): The gold standard for goats. The small 2"x4" openings prevent hooves and heads from getting stuck. Use a minimum height of 48 inches; 5 feet is preferred for active or larger breeds.
Cattle Panels (Livestock Panels): Heavy-gauge welded wire panels that are extremely sturdy and long-lasting. Excellent for permanent pens and loafing areas.
Electric Fence: Can be used as a secondary deterrent or for rotational grazing. Not recommended as a sole containment method for goats, especially kids.
Chain Link: Effective but expensive. Works well for smaller dedicated pens or kidding areas.
Hot Wire: Hot wire will help to keep the goats from rubbing and climbing on the fence.

What to Avoid

Field fence with large openings: Goat heads — especially horned goats — can get stuck in openings larger than 4 inches, resulting in injury or death.
Barbed wire: Not appropriate for goats. It causes serious injury and does not effectively contain them.
Single-strand electric wire alone: Insufficient containment, especially for determined does or bucks.

General Fencing Tips

Posts should be set no more than 8–10 feet apart to prevent sagging.
Secure the bottom of wire fencing close to the ground to prevent kids from slipping under.
Inspect fencing regularly for loose staples, bent panels, or weak spots.
Bucks require especially secure, reinforced fencing — a buck in rut is surprisingly strong.

⚠️ Note: Goats will lean, rub, and push against fencing constantly. Build for strength, not just appearance.

2. Shelter

Goats are notoriously weather-sensitive — particularly when it comes to rain. Unlike sheep, goats do not have a water-resistant undercoat, and a wet goat can quickly become a cold, sick goat. Adequate shelter is non-negotiable.

Key Shelter Requirements

Protection from rain and moisture: Goats must have access to a dry area at all times. Even light rain can drive them inside. A three-sided run-in shed is the minimum; a fully enclosed barn is ideal in wet climates.
Draft-free environment: While good ventilation is important to prevent ammonia buildup, your shelter should be free of cold drafts. Drafts — not cold temperatures — are a leading cause of respiratory illness in goats. Position openings away from prevailing winds.
Dry bedding: Use straw, wood shavings, or other absorbent bedding and change it frequently. Wet, soiled bedding harbors bacteria and parasites.
Adequate space: Allow a minimum of 15–20 square feet of indoor space per goat. Overcrowding increases stress and disease transmission.
Separation capability: A dedicated kidding stall or pen is strongly recommended so that freshening does can be monitored and bonding can occur undisturbed.

Ventilation vs. Drafts

Good shelter balances two seemingly competing needs: ventilation and draft prevention. Stale, humid air promotes respiratory disease, while direct cold airflow chills animals and suppresses their immune systems. The solution is to ensure airflow happens near the roofline (ridge vents, upper windows, or high gable openings) rather than at goat level. Goats can handle surprisingly cold temperatures when dry and draft-free — it is the combination of wet and wind that causes problems.

⚠️ Note: If your goats are standing outside in the rain rather than using their shelter, check that the shelter is not dark, cramped, or drafty. Goats will endure rain before entering an uncomfortable space.

3. Hay — The Foundation of the Goat Diet

Goats are ruminants, and their digestive systems are designed to process large amounts of fibrous plant material around the clock. Hay is the cornerstone of a healthy goat diet and should be available free-choice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Browsers, Not Grazers

One of the most important things to understand about goats is that they are browsers, not grazers. Unlike cattle or sheep, goats evolved to eat leaves, shrubs, bark, brush, and forbs — they prefer to eat from head height rather than off the ground. They will graze grass when no browse is available, but grass alone is not their preferred or optimal diet. Given a choice, a goat will always reach for the tree branch over the lawn.

This browsing instinct has practical implications for your pasture management: goats are excellent at clearing brush, blackberries, and overgrown areas, and they thrive in wooded or shrubby environments that other livestock would ignore.

Hay Selection

Grass hay (orchard grass, timothy, brome): An excellent everyday hay for most goats. Palatable, widely available, and appropriate for maintenance feeding of dry does, wethers, and bucks.
Alfalfa hay: Higher in protein and calcium, making it ideal for pregnant and lactating does, growing kids, and animals under increased nutritional demand. We feed our milking does free-choice alfalfa at Raven Hill Farms.
Mixed grass/legume hay: A good balance for general use. Look for hay that is green, leafy, and free of mold or dust.

Feeding Tips

Always feed hay off the ground in a rack or feeder. Ground feeding leads to parasite contamination and waste.
Goats are picky — they will waste hay that has fallen on the ground or been soiled. Use feeders that minimize spillage.
Free-choice hay 24/7 keeps the rumen active, prevents boredom, and reduces the risk of bloat and digestive upset.
Supplement with grain only when nutritional needs exceed what hay can provide (lactation, late pregnancy, growth). Do not over-grain.

⚠️ Note: A goat with free access to good hay at all times is a healthier, calmer, and more productive goat. Never let your hay run out.

4. Water

Fresh, clean water must be available to your goats at all times. This is not optional — dehydration leads to reduced feed intake, poor milk production, digestive problems, and in severe cases, death. Goats are surprisingly sensitive to water quality and will often refuse to drink water they find unpalatable.

Provide fresh water twice daily at minimum, or use automatic waterers to ensure constant availability.
Keep water containers clean. Scrub buckets and troughs regularly to prevent algae, bacteria, and biofilm buildup. Goats will refuse to drink from dirty containers.
In cold climates, use heated water buckets or tank heaters in winter. Goats will significantly reduce their water intake if water is icy, leading to impaction and other health problems.
Lactating does have dramatically increased water needs. A milking doe may drink 1–2 gallons or more per day. Ensure she always has easy, unrestricted access to water.
Position water away from hay feeders to reduce contamination from falling hay and debris.

⚠️ Note: Goats often reject water from unfamiliar sources when moved to a new farm. If you bring home a new goat and it seems reluctant to drink, try offering water from a clean bucket rather than an automatic waterer until the animal settles in.

5. Loose Minerals

Goats have specific mineral requirements that hay and pasture alone cannot reliably meet. Providing free-choice loose minerals specifically formulated for goats is one of the simplest and most impactful things you can do for your herd’s health.

Why Loose Minerals?

Mineral deficiencies are a leading hidden cause of health problems in goats, including poor coat condition, reproductive failure, weak kids, low milk production, and susceptibility to illness. Loose minerals allow each animal to self-regulate their intake based on individual need, which is far more effective than a fixed supplementation program.

At Raven Hill Farms, we provide free-choice Sweetlix Meat Maker minerals to our Kinder herd year-round. Always choose a mineral formulated specifically for goats — do NOT use cattle minerals, as they often contain copper levels that are too low for goats. Sheep minerals must also be avoided, as they contain no added copper and goats require significantly more copper than sheep.

Key Minerals for Goats

Copper: Essential for coat quality, immune function, reproduction, and hoof health. Goats have a high copper requirement. Signs of deficiency include faded coat, fish tail, and poor reproductive performance.
Selenium: Critical for muscle development and reproductive health. Deficiency causes white muscle disease in kids. Selenium levels vary greatly by region — know whether your area is selenium-deficient.
Zinc: Important for skin, hoof, and immune health.
Calcium and Phosphorus: Must be kept in proper ratio. Imbalances can cause urinary calculi in bucks and wethers, and milk fever in freshening does. A 2-4 Calcium for every 1 Phosphorus ratio is vital in keeping these minerals balanced.

Mineral Feeding Tips

Offer loose minerals free-choice in a covered mineral feeder protected from rain.
Keep minerals fresh — replace them regularly and clean the feeder to prevent clumping and contamination.
Do not mix minerals into feed. Free-choice access allows each animal to consume what their body needs.
Provide a separate feeder of loose salt if your mineral blend does not include adequate sodium.

⚠️ Note: When in doubt about your local mineral situation, work with your veterinarian or a goat nutritionist to test your hay and soil. Regional deficiencies vary widely, and targeted supplementation is more effective than a one-size-fits-all approach.

6. Quick Reference Checklist

Use this daily and weekly checklist to keep your goats healthy and thriving:

Every Day

Fresh, clean water available at all times — check and refill morning and evening.
Free-choice hay in a rack or feeder — never let it run out.
Observe each goat: normal behavior, appetite, posture, and droppings.
Check that all animals are accounted for and shelter is accessible.

Every Week

Clean and scrub water buckets and troughs.
Check and replenish loose mineral feeder.
Inspect fencing for damage, loose wire, or gaps.
Clean and add fresh bedding to shelter as needed.

Every Month

Check hooves for overgrowth and trim as needed (typically every 4–6 weeks).
Review body condition scores — adjust feed as needed for thin or over-conditioned animals.
Check FAMACHA scores if on a parasite management program.
Weigh kids and record growth if applicable.

Raising goats is one of the most rewarding experiences on a small farm or homestead. With the right fencing, solid shelter, and consistent access to hay, fresh water, and minerals, your Kinder goats will reward you with years of quality milk, beautiful kids, and endless entertainment.

If you have questions about your new goat’s care, please do not hesitate to reach out — we are always happy to help new and experienced goat owners alike.