Care
Nigerian Dwarf goats, just like all goats require an appropriate environment and regular husbandry. We have put together a little guide to help answer many of the common questions we receive about goat care. If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to get in contact with us either via the Contact page or through Facebook.
Companionship
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Goats are highly social herd animals. It is vital that they have the companionship of at least one other similar age goat for their mental health.
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Well socialised goats make wonderful pets and can get along with a wide variety of other animals.
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Goats are prey animals. They can become defensive or take flight if they feel threatened, depending on the temperament of the animals involved. So, it is important to gradually introduce goats to other animals, especially dogs to ensure the safety of all involved.
Food and Water
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Goats need access to clean water at all times.
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The vast majority of their diet should comprise good quality browse, pasture and/or hay. This should be available at all times.
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Goats are expert hay wasters, they will not eat hay that has fallen to the ground or become wet or dirty. There are many different styles of DIY hay feeder examples online. We personally use a feeder similar to Premier 1 Hay feeders
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Netting style hay nets designed for horses are very dangerous as goats can very easily become entangled and injured. Well made hay bags can be suitable under supervision.
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To help combat worm issues, feed bins and hay feeders should kept off the ground and constructed to prevent goats defecating or putting their hooves in the feed. This can be quite difficult to achieve with kids as they love to sleep in feed bins.
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It is a myth that goats will eat anything. They are browsers and prefer to ‘pick’ at a wide variety of plants and trees, rather than graze intensively on grass.
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Resources concerning plants that are potentially toxic to goats:
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Wethers have an increased risk of developing Urinary Calculi. To prevent this extremely painful, potentially fatal condition, their diet should predominantly be free choice browse, pasture and/or good quality grass hay. However, it can be safe to feed a small amount of a good quality muesli or pellet formulated for goats or horses with a calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2:1.
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Further reading on Urinary Calculi:
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New feeds should to be gradually introduced over a week or so, as sudden dietary changes can make them very unwell.
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Goats should not have access to chicken feed as it can make them very unwell. Many chicken feeds contain RAM products which are illegal to feed to ruminants.
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We recommend a mineral supplement such as Olsson’s Goat block, Profarma’s goat loose lick or ‘Kool Glow’ mineral mix.
Fencing and Shelter
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Goats require secure fencing that is snug to the ground to prevent them going under the fence and a minimum of 1.2m to prevent them jumping over.
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Gaps should be small enough to stop goats putting their heads through and becoming trapped. Wallaby or chicken mesh up to 900mm with a couple of strands of electric above is ideal.
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Goats love to rub and scratch themselves, especially along fences. To prevent damage to fences an electric offset around knee height works wonders. Trees, branches or even hard bristled brushes secured to posts are all great alternative options to provide for scratching on.
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Toys and shelters should be kept far enough from fences to prevent goats climbing or jumping out of their paddocks.
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Shelters should be situated so goats can stay dry and protected from prevailing wind and rain during poor weather.
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We recommend using straw or pine shavings for bedding inside their shelter to provide warmth, especially while goats are young, unwell or if the weather is poor.
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Bedding should be kept dry and regularly cleaned to prevent illness. This is especially important for young animals as they are particularly vulnerable to infection. It's also important for milking does, to prevent contamination of the milk.
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Hay feeders should be available inside shelters so goats can continue to eat during persistent poor weather.
Handling
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All our goats are gently introduced to wearing a collar from a young age. We then progress to training them to stand tied and walk on a lead. Just like puppies these things take practice, sometimes they will do it perfectly and other times they will protest. It is important to be patient, take it slowly and keep sessions short. Offering pellets or treats as a reward can help keep them motivated.
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It is also good practice to pick up and handle their hooves, from a very young age to ensure they are prepared for feet trimming.
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Goats are highly intelligent and respond well to voice commands and clicker training. Some good goat training resources:
Hoof Trimming
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Goats require regular hoof trimming every 6-8 weeks.
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Persistent wet conditions and mud can cause serious problems for goat hooves.
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Providing dry areas in their environment is important to help prevent hoof infections. Rough, rocky areas are also great for natural hoof management.
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Young or untrained goats often find hoof trimming stressful. It is generally easier to have one person hold and calm the goat while the another person trims the hooves until they are familiar with the process and big enough to stand quietly while it is done.
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Some great tutorials on YouTube about hoof trimming:
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We use Burgon and Ball Hoof Shears which are available at most rural supply stores, however any good quality hoof or pruning shears will get the job done. We also use a horse hoof file to smooth edges.
Vaccinations
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Vaccines are vital to protect goats from serious clostridial diseases and tetanus. These diseases are found Australia wide in the soil and environment.
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Goats require vaccinations more frequently than sheep as the effectiveness wears off more rapidly. At a minimum goats should be vaccinated every 6 months. If they receive a lot of additional grain in their diet it may be necessary to vaccinate every 4 months. We recommend Glanvac 3 or Glanvac 6.
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The bottles of Glanvac are 100ml+ and only last 30 days from opening. Some livestock vets will administer single doses over the counter if the goats are already known to their practice. Otherwise, getting to know other local breeders/owners and organising to share a bottle is a great option.
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It is quite common for goats to develop a marble sized lump at the injection site, this sometimes develops into an abscess. When this happens, we keep the area clean and spray with an antiseptic such as Cetrigen.
Parasites
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Worms can cause serious illness and potentially death, so it is important to monitor for signs of worm infestation such as scouring, poor weight gain or dull coat.
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Assessing FAMACHA scores is great way to monitor for worm burden before goats become unwell.
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For more information about how and why to use FAMACHA scoring:
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Wormboss is a great resource for learning more about the types of worms in the environment, the symptoms to look out for, which drenches to use and when.
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Coccidia are present in the soil and environment where goats live. Mature goats develop resistance to coccidia, however stress and poor conditions can cause goats to become susceptible to active infection which can potentially cause permanent damage to the digestive system. Symptoms of an active infection may include poor weight gain, rough coat and severe scouring particularly in young kids.
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To protect our kids, under vet prescription we routinely use a preventative treatment. This is usually enough to protect them while they develop resistance, they should not need any further treatment.
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If a goat becomes unwell and coccidiosis is suspected, it is important to consult a knowledgeable livestock vet. For more info on Coccidia:
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Lice are particularly prevalent in the colder months, so it is good practice to check regularly for itching and hair loss from Autumn through till Spring. For more info on Lice:
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Lice can be treated with Pestene powder which is available from most rural supply stores. Deltamethrin or Extinosad are other options but they both require an off-label prescription from a vet to legally use for goats.
Castration
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Castrated buck goats, also known as wethers make the best pets. They don’t experience the stress of all the reproductive hormones that bucks and does experience and as a result they are much calmer and easier to handle all year round. They also don’t develop the smell that bucks are infamous for.
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We apply castration rings at 10 weeks old to ensure maximum growth of the urethra and help prevent the incidence of Urinary Calculi.
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Under Vet prescription, we administer pain relief before the procedure and the following day to help manage discomfort.
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It is important to monitor the castration site until the scrotum has naturally detached and the area has completely healed. This process can take a few weeks. In the meantime it should always appear clean and dry. Applying Cetrigen or a similar antiseptic spray can assist with preventing any potential infection or flies irritating the area. If there is any smell, pus or weeping this may indicate an infection, which may require the attention of a knowledgeable livestock Vet.
Horns
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Most miniature and dairy goat breeders prefer polled or disbudded goats. This is because horned goats when kept in close proximity to humans, children, other animals, fences and infrastructure can seriously injure themselves and others, accidentally or otherwise. Horns are also not permitted when showing.
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Polled goats typically have large, rounded lumps under the skin where horns would normally grow. Sometimes they can develop small scurs which is called scur polled, or short nubs which is known as giraffe polled.
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We disbud horned goats around 1 week old or younger depending on the size of the horn buds. Under Vet prescription we use Meloxicam for pain management before disbudding and apply an antiseptic following the procedure.
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Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to achieve 100% success rate. Scur development is not uncommon in male goats due to the size of the horn base. We monitor for scur development and disbud again if scurs are obvious before kids leave for their new homes. If this is the case kids may still have scabs at the disbudding site when they leave us. The scabs will come away in their own time. Sometimes they can bleed a little if knocked, spraying with antiseptic can be helpful but otherwise they should not require any treatment. The fur will grow back completely in time.
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If small scurs develop at a later date, generally they do not cause any issues. The goat may rub or knock them off playing from time to time. In the event a small amount of bleeding occurs, we spray with an antiseptic and monitor healing.
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If a goat has pronounced, firm scurs, we may use a horse hoof file to reduce the length when appropriate. Goats that develop large scurs we use embryotomy wire to reduce the size when necessary, taking care to avoid any blood vessels. If a goat develops scurs that are uncomfortable or a danger to them, it is important to consult an experienced livestock Vet.
CAE and JD
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Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis or CAE is a retrovirus that is transmitted by bodily fluids such as milk, colostrum and nasal secretions.
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CAE can present in several ways, such as chronic arthritis, weight loss, under productive udders, chronic pneumonia and neurological signs particularly in kids. Symptoms can be slow to develop, and goats can carry and spread the virus before the clinical signs are detected.
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There is no treatment and no vaccines.
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Johne’s disease is caused by a bacterium that is contracted via exposure to the manure of infected animals. Goats can contract the strains of both cattle and sheep. JD can persist in the environment for quite a long time. Infected animals will be shedding the bacteria in their manure long before they exhibit clinical signs.
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In the later stages of clinical infections, goats will experience weight loss and rough coat. Often, they just appear wormy or skinny. Affected goats may experience scouring towards the end of their life.
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There is no treatment for JD. There is a vaccination, however this doesn’t provide full protection and is no guarantee that the disease won’t be shed into the environment to infect other animals. Once vaccinated, a goat will test positive via the standard blood testing for JD. To rule out active infection faecal samples must be tested. A JD vaccination program is a management method for herds already exposed.
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These diseases can cause significant suffering for animals and considerable financial loss for herd owners. As a result, most associations encourage breeders and show participants to test their herds annually and only buy goats from herds that also test or are accredited via the GoatMAP program.
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For more information about CAE and JD:
Biosecurity
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Apart from CAE and JD there are many potential biosecurity risks to consider when keeping goats.
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Worms, lice, mites, diseases and even hazardous plants and materials are all potential threats to the health of goats. So, it’s important to mindful of the risks and manage the movements of feed, water, stock, people and vehicles onto livestock properties.
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Neighbouring properties can also be a potential source of contamination. Sometimes it may be necessary to fence off areas of potential exposure.
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When introducing new goats to a property, they should be quarantined in a safe, secluded area away from existing livestock for at least 28 days. On day 1 of quarantine, drench for worms and treat for lice if necessary. If the goats are over 12 months of age blood samples should be taken to test for CAE and JD. After 14 days in quarantine, a Faecal Egg Count (FEC) should be conducted to determine if drenching again is necessary. After 28 days of quarantine, conduct a 2nd FEC, if clear and CAE and JD tests results are negative then it is safe to introduce them into the herd.
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For more information about biosecurity for goat producers:
Introductions
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Bringing new goats home is very exciting, but it can be very stressful for the goats.
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It's important to keep their diet as close as possible to what they have been used to at their previous home. Changes to the diet can be made gradually once they have settled in.
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Ideally, new goats should be quarantined in a small, secluded area away from any existing livestock and living areas. This is to allow any parasites or illnesses to be identified, treated and avoid potentially infecting the property and any existing residents.
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The quarantine area should be small so that it is easy for the goats to find water, food and shelter. Having them in a small area also makes it easier to approach and handle them, allowing them to bond with their new human/s. For more on quarantine, head to the Biosecurity tab.
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Once goats have completed a quarantine period, they can be introduced to their new environment. If there is already an existing herd, temporarily yarding new goats next to the main living area, with a calm member of the existing herd can be a great way to make the transition easier.
More Resources