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General Care Fainters do not need elaborate housing
– a simple shelter from wind and rain is all that is necessary. Safe fencing that keeps predators
out and goats from getting into mischief is also required. As a general rule of thumb, goats should have
30 square feet of pasture or paddock space per goat. Overcrowding leads to increased risk of parasite infestation,
lice, and stress. Providing a playground of climbing structures encourages exercise and minimizes boredom.
Goats are social animals.
While they will enjoy your companionship, you cannot spend 24 hours a day with your goat. It is best to have two
or more goats so that they have friends of their own species. For this reason, we do not sell single goats unless the
buyer already has other goats for companionship.
Goats are browsers, meaning they naturally
prefer a varied diet of grasses, flowers, leaves, woody stems, and fruits. This desire for a varied diet
and their natural curiosity puts them at risk for the ingestion of toxic plants. Click here for a list of plants that are poisonous to goats. Goats have mistakenly been labeled as indiscriminate eaters, but
in actuality they are particular about their diet and refuse to consume feeds that have been soiled.
These are our recommendations for feeding your Fainting Goats: - The majority of the diet should be
course forage. Grass hay is the best choice to provide this forage. Even if your goats
have access to pasture, some hay should be offered as the course forage is necessary for proper rumen function (the first
section of the goat’s stomach).
- A supplement, in the form of a pelleted feed formulated for goats, should be provided
to balance the diet. A feed containing ammonium chloride is recommended to acidify the urine and
help prevent urinary stones (see the section below on urolithiasis).
- Feed multiple small meals through
the day. Daily food intake should be divided into at least two feedings.
- Provide free access to a plain
salt block as well as a mineral block. The mineral block should contain selenium if you live in a selenium
deficient area. Your veterinarian can tell you if your area is selenium deficient.
- A bloat block for
goats or free access to baking soda will help prevent an overly acidic rumen and rumen bloat – two potentially fatal
conditions that affect the first section of the goat’s stomach.
- Make all changes in diet gradually.
Clean, fresh, non-frozen water is absolutely critical for a goat’s health.
Heated water buckets are invaluable in the cold winter months.
Goats should
be vaccinated against Clostridium perfringens C & D, tetanus, and rabies. In kids, the CD&T vaccine
should be given when the kid is 8 weeks of age and boostered 4 weeks later. This vaccine should also be
boostered any time the goat is at risk for tetanus (dehorning, disbudding, castration, wounds, etc). A
single rabies vaccine is given when the kid is at least 12 weeks of age. These vaccines are then given
yearly. Pregnant does should be vaccinated 4 weeks before their due date to ensure that their colostrum
(first milk) is high is antibodies against these diseases.
Goats are very susceptible to intestinal and external parasites and many of the parasites that affect goats are resistant
to the dewormers that are currently available. For these reasons, it is best to consult with your veterinarian
regarding the best parasite control program for your area. Regular trimming of hooves is an important part of keeping a goat
sound. A veterinarian or experienced breeder can instruct you on proper hoof trimming. Finding a veterinarian experienced
with and interested in goats should be a top priority for a new goat owner. The time to find a
vet in not during an emergency. You should establish a relationship with a veterinarian so that
you have someone you know and trust a phone call away when it is most critical. In addition, your vet is
the best source for advice on keeping your goat healthy and happy.
Goat Breeding
As a whole, Fainting Goats are easy breeders and kidders. A
doe can have two kidding per year, but this is not recommended. Kidding twice a year does
not give the doe time to completely recover between kiddings. Gestation
is 145 – 154 days. While most does kid without incident, kiddings should be attended to make sure
the doe and kids do not have any problems. Goats become fertile
at a young age. Bucks are potentially fertile as young as 16 weeks of age and should be separated from
does before that time. While does can become pregnant as yearlings, they should be at least 2 years of
age before having their first kids. Breeding is a big responsibility
for a goat owner. It is important for an owner to educate themselves as much as possible before undertaking
this venture. There are several good books available on the subject as this topic is beyond the scope of
this site. Urolithiasis
Urolithiasis (urinary stones) is a common problem in male goats.
It causes painful, potentially fatal obstruction of the urethra. Treatment is surgery which is expensive
and fraught with potential postoperative complications. Therefore, prevention is the best approach.
1. Clean, fresh, non-frozen water and salt blocks
should be available at all times. 2. Do not castrate bucks before 4-6 months of
age as later castration give the urethra a chance to reach its maximal diameter. 3.
Feed a supplement containing ammonium chloride. 4.
Avoid the following feeds: alfalfa, corn, oats, milo, molasses, clover, willow.
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