My husband and I grew up on dairy (cattle) farms and vowed to never again milk a cow…so we ended up deciding to milk goats! We’re blessed to have land that had been untouched for a decade before we purchased it so that we could hit the ground running with an organic herd of ADGA registered Nigerian Dwarf goats we were able to source locally from a friend. We have also been blessed with three children who make excellent helpers! Our youngest is an animal lover through and through, so we’ve got some of the tamest goats around.
When the pasture is dry, our goats can be found out grazing on it! They also enjoy alfalfa hay, the mineral buffet so that they can meet their nutrient needs in a customized way, and the does in milk get a mix of organic barley, oats, and peas with a pinch of black oil sunflower seeds while on the stand.
We practice rotational grazing in order to keep our goats eating high quality pasture without eating so low to the ground that they pick up parasites. During rainy weather and the winter, they have a brand new goat shed that they love to hang out in!
Babies get separated overnight for 12 hours when they're two weeks old so that their dams can be milked once a day in the morning. Boys are weaned at 8 weeks old in order to avoid any unintended pregnancies, and their dam is then milked twice per day. Doelings get to stay with their moms during the daytime unless they're sold.
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Parasite Protocol: We use Land of Havilah's parasite powder as a preventative and treatment for parasites. Occasionally, if we feel the need warrants it, we will use essential oils but much prefer herbal powder or tinctures instead.
We also keep our goats in a dry lot during wet times and never let them graze on pasture that is shorter than 6 inches in order to avoid parasite problems in the first place. We're working on planting a bigger variety of plants in their pasture, especially plants that serve as anti-parasitics. We're big believers that giving them the correct tools to be healthy will make them resilient against viruses, bacteria, and parasites, so this is a major area of focus for us!
Vaccination Protocols: No Vaccinations
