If you're looking for a pet that can live in the backyard or an animal that can complement a small home farm, midget goats are a great option. These animals have a number of special care steps, but once you know their needs, the care is not difficult. In fact, dwarf goats can survive in a variety of climates if provided with a suitable enclosure. You must also provide proper feed and monitor their health so that the dwarf can accompany you for many years.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Setting Up the Cage and Entertainment
Step 1. Determine the type of cage needed
To determine this, consider the weather conditions in your area. If you live in a warm climate, goats may not need a tightly closed enclosure. At a minimum, you should provide a 3-walled structure to protect the goats from the wind and sun. However, if you live in an area with severe winters, you will need to provide a covered barn to protect the animals, even if they are small. You just need to provide protection from the cold.
Step 2. Consider the number of goats kept
The size of the cage is determined by the number of goats kept. In general, you should give each goat an area of 1.3 to 1.8 square meters.
- So, if you only have one goat, the cage that is made is only 1.4 to 1.9 square meters in size. In practice, the cage can be made with a size of 1 x 1.5 meters or 1.2 x 1.5 meters. If you have 5 goats, you will need a 7 sqm to 9.3 sqm cage that is approximately 2.4 x 2.7 meters or 3 x 3 meters.
- In fact, you can use a large dog kennel as a kennel for a midget goat to keep in your backyard.
Step 3. Make a cage divider
If you have more than one animal, create some dividers so that each goat has its own room. The ideal floor for goats is gravel covered with clay. These floors are easy to clean and you can resurface them every few years.
- The haystack is enough for a bed and goats don't usually eat anything on the floor.
- In addition, you must also provide a tub or other container to feed the goats.
Step 4. Install the fence
The best fence for midget goats is a wire fence. To prevent the cat from jumping out, the fence must be at least 1.2 meters high.
Step 5. Provide an area for climbing
Goats like to climb so you need to prepare a special place for this. For example, any type of picnic table is ideal for this purpose. You can also make small hills out of mounds of earth, as goats enjoy climbing them too. They will jump up and down from that place.
Old tires can also be a great toy for your pet
Step 6. Buy at least 2 goats
Goats are animals that live in groups so you will need to keep more than one. They prefer to live in a social group.
Method 2 of 3: Feeding Healthy
Step 1. Let the goats graze
Goats can eat grass, shrubs, and flowers, but they usually prefer shrubs and flowers. The flowers in question are cloves and dandelions. In summer, goats can survive on grass if your yard is large enough. You need a grassy area of 1101.7 square meters for one goat.
If you have a herd of goats, you will need several grassy areas to meet their feed requirements. Also, you'll need to rotate the goat's feeding area so the plants can grow back
Step 2. Try giving alfalfa hay
If you don't have enough grass area to feed the goats, you can provide alfalfa hay instead of grass.
Each goat requires feed of 0.5 to 0.9 kg per day. However, if you also provide grain, less feed is needed
Step 3. Complete the nutrition of goat feed with grains
In winter, goats need more food. In addition, young goats and adult goats that produce milk also need nutritional intake from grains in the summer.
The grains in question include corn, barley, and wheat
Step 4. Provide adequate water intake
Just like other animals, goats need water to survive. However, water is very important for goats because they are ruminant animals that need more water to digest food than other animals. Make sure they have access to clean water every day.
Make sure you clean the drinking container and change the water regularly
Method 3 of 3: Keeping Goats Healthy
Step 1. Brush the goat hair once a day
Use a stiff brush to clean the dirt on the goat hair. After that, use a soft brush (curry comb) to comb the bristles. Also, feel for bumps on the goat when brushing as this can be a sign of infection, cuts, or abrasions.
You don't need to trim goat's hooves unless you plan on showing them off
Step 2. Bathe goats only when they have parasites
Often times, brushing the fur is enough for goats. To bathe him, warm the water a little so it doesn't feel cold. Use pet shampoo or goat shampoo to clean it. Wear brushing gloves to make the process easier. Rinse the soap clean.
It's easier to put a leash on the goat so you can hold it in place
Step 3. Give vitamin A
Midget goats need vitamin A as a nutritional intake to stay healthy. Usually, they get these vitamins from young hay or weeds. However, if you don't feed him, try adding corn to his diet.
Step 4. Give vitamin D
Just like humans, vitamin D helps goats absorb calcium which functions to maintain bone health. If goats are allowed to roam around all the time, they will get their vitamin D from the sun. However, if they are rarely exposed to the sun, give the goats hay that has been dried (not heated) or yeast that has been heated.
Step 5. Add minerals for weed-fed goats
If your goats are fed only weeds (instead of alfalfa hay and grains), you'll need to add a mixture of iodized salt, limestone (already ground), and animal bones (steamed and ground).
Basically, you can put this mixture in a separate bucket and let the goats eat it as needed
Step 6. Inject selenium
Selenium is an essential nutrient and must be given if white muscle disease is particularly susceptible in your area as it can prevent the disease. When the lamb is born, you must give this nutritional supplement by injection.
This disease makes the muscles calcify so that the color turns white. That's why it's called white muscle disease
Step 7. Give annual vaccinations
Goats should be vaccinated, at a minimum, against enterotoxemia and tetanus. You can buy the vaccine at your nearest animal feed store and inject it yourself. You can also ask your veterinarian to give you an injection of the rabies vaccine.
You may also need to give the clostridium CD vaccination
Step 8. Schedule an annual inspection
To maintain the health of the goat, it is best to schedule an annual checkup. This way, you can make sure your goats get the vaccines they need and are in top condition.
Step 9. Trim the leg of the goat
Goat footprints will grow over time. If not trimmed, the hooves will make it difficult for the goat to walk.
- To trim them, use gloves, a tread trimmer, and a special knife for animal footprints.
- Tie or hold the goat. You must have someone hold the goat while trimming the tread.
- Notice the ring on the elongated tread. You can see parts of the tread growing too long. Trim the nail until it is parallel to the last growing tread.
