The Complete Goat Owner's Guide

Your comprehensive veterinary guide to raising healthy, productive goats. Prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by Dr. Rosemary Stolzer, DVM, this 87-page guide covers the essentials of goat keeping — from selecting the right breed for your property to managing kidding, dairy production, parasite control, and emergency care. Photos are AI-generated. What's inside: • Breed selection — dairy (Nubian, Alpine, Saanen, LaMancha), meat (Boer, Kiko), fiber (Angora, Cashmere) & miniature (Nigerian Dwarf, Pygmy) • Anatomy & biology — the four-compartment ruminant stomach, rectangular pupils & urinary anatomy • Behavior & herd dynamics — hierarchy, stress signals, buck behavior & safe integration • Property setup & fencing — the most important chapter — building fencing that actually contains goats • Housing & shelter — ventilation, bedding, kidding pens & milking areas • Nutrition & feeding — forage-first feeding, rumen health, bloat prevention & grain guidelines • Minerals & supplementation — copper, selenium, zinc & the mineral program every goat needs • Milk production & dairy goats — milking routine, mastitis prevention, SCC & making cheese • Kidding — pregnancy signs, dystocia assistance, colostrum management & neonatal care • Kid raising — bottle feeding, rumen development, vaccination & weaning • Hoof care & trimming — anatomy, technique, hoof rot & hoof scald management • Fiber goats — mohair, cashmere, Pygora & the shearing calendar • Health & preventive care — body condition scoring, vital signs & annual health calendar • Common diseases — CAE, CL, Johne's, enterotoxemia, listeriosis & respiratory disease • Internal parasites & FAMACHA — barber pole worm, anthelmintic resistance & targeted treatment • Predators & protection — LGDs, fencing strategies & post-attack management • Seasonal care — spring kidding, summer parasite peak, fall breeding & winter preparation • Emergency & first aid — bloat, urinary obstruction, milk fever, kid rescue & first aid kit • Record keeping — identification, health logs, milk records & herd improvement planning Fact-checked and reviewed by a veterinarian. No fluff — just the clinical knowledge you need to keep your herd thriving.