Whether your backyard goats are considered pets and part of the family, or they provide milk for your household or business, it is essential to remember these four key points to ensure proper CARE. 

1. Companionship: Goats are herd animals and do better with a companion to support their overall well-being. 

2. Animal Health: Backyard goats can get the same diseases as those in a commercial setting.  Work with your local veterinarian to ensure they receive the vaccinations needed for your area and are monitored for parasites routinely.  One of the biggest health concerns in male goats is urinary stones.  To help decrease the chance of urinary stones, feed a high-forage diet, ensure the total diet has a calcium to phosphorus ratio of greater than 2, feed a diet that contains a urinary acidifier (such as ammonium chloride or ammonium sulfate), and make available free-choice water and mineral with salt. 

3. Requirements for Nutrients and Energy: Even if your backyard goats are pets and are not growing or producing milk, they still have requirements for water, protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.  Provide a diet that is appropriate and meet their energy and nutrient needs.  For many goats at ‘maintenance’, not growing or in production, good quality hay or browse along with a good quality goat-specific free-choice mineral is what they need.  If they are producing goat kids or milk, their nutrient requirements are greater and will need nutrient and energy supplementation to meet their enhanced needs.  Never forget about water.  Water is the most important nutrient.  It needs to be fresh and always available.  If the water is too warm or frozen, the goats will not consume enough to meet their needs. 

4. Environment: Provide shelter that will allow the goats to get out of the wind and the rain.  They should be housed on a substrate that allows them to wear down their hooves and does not get too muddy.  It is said that goats live in a 3-dimensional world, so they benefit from a climbing structure.  Goats are also escape artists, so make sure the fencing is proper for your goat’s size. 

As you plan to get goats or they are part of your backyard farm, remember these 4 points of C.A.R.E. to keep your goats happy and healthy.