Goat Keeping Class for Beginners
Are you thinking of starting your own goat mini-herd, or perhaps you would like to advance the potential of your current herd?
Or, maybe you just LOVE goats and are DREAMING of selling everything someday and moving to the country to buy your first milking goat! (that was us, not so long ago!!!)
This fun and informative session will give you the hands-on tools and confidence you need to get started. We will cover the basics of goat care as well as discuss the more advanced aspects of goat keeping and specifically, how a dairy goat can change your life and health. Of course, we will interact and handle both mama goats and baby kids of various ages, contrasting and comparing the various dairy breeds (in our case, Nubian, Nigerian Dwarf and mini-Nubians)
This will be both an INDOOR and OUTDOOR event (weather permitting). Please dress according to the weather. We have areas to sit and relax, although you will be standing for most of the session.
This class includes:
Duration: 1.5 – 2 hours
What You Learn:
- Tips and advice from over 12+ years of raising goats
- Milking Basics
- Hoof trimming
- Administering meds and routine essentials (the basics to have in your medicine cabinet)
- Breeding Schedules, preparing for kidding season and registering your kids
- Record Keeping for a healthy herd (tracking health, meds, using a weight tape)
- Pasture maintenance & fencing
- Feed, minerals, worming naturally
- Using herbs & essential oils for goats
- Possibly disbudding if we have a kid of the right age
- A 8-page handout with 12+ years summarized for you to easily get started with your own herd
- And lots of crazy goat fun!
Bring a clipboard, pen and paper. You will go home with a summary hand-out of what we covered plus a list of contacts and suppliers of recommended suppliers. I will have some items on hand to purchase in smaller quantities (while supplies last).