You don't need to be a homestead expert or a veterinarian to own and take care of goats properly. Since they've become more popular in the U.S., you can use other people's advice to make your experience with goats more seamless and harmonious. The breed will not only determine their use, but also their size and personality. You need to find the right type of goat to fit your land and needs.

1. Goats in general are very social, curious, gentle, independent and intelligent creatures. They get bored and lonely when alone. It is never a good idea to just have one goat, you need at a minimum two goats. Two does or a doe and a wether (a neutered male goat) or a buck and a doe, if you are ready to start a little herd. They huddle and cuddle, they eat and they sleep together.

2. Goats can climb, jump, crawl and run over or under anything they want to. You need to have good fencing.

3. Goats hate to get wet and will stay out of or jump over any puddles. Goats do not do well in wet, swampy areas. You need to provide them with ample dry shelter and dry paddocks or pasture before you bring goats onto your farm.

4. Each goat has her own distinct personality and some personality traits seem to be more common in one breed than in another. We have found that our Nubian Goats are the divas of the bunch. They are very loving and loyal and incredibly demanding. If a Nubian goat does not want to go on a milking stand, then there is no way of making her, short of picking her up. Our LaManchas are sweet and hardworking and easy to train. Our Saanens are the clowns of the dairy and always ready for mischief.

5. Dairy goats love routine and get upset when the routine changes. Keep that in mind when you rearrange the milking stands to be more efficient.

6. Goats browse like deer. They will prefer bushes, trees and hay over grass. Goats are not lawnmowers and they will eat your rose bushes. They are ruminants: They have four stomach compartments and regurgitate. By the way, anything the goat eats, will impart a unique flavor on the milk, hence all the regional flavors of cheese.

7. Goats are very clean eaters. Goats also eat a lot, so plan for a sufficient budget to feed them before you bring them onto your farm.

Do you have goats on your homestead? Are there any other things we should know before bringing goats into our lives?

Article Source: Homesteading Freedom