5 Tips to Heed for Goat Rescues

Goats come in a variety of sizes from the small pet pygmy goats to the dairy goats to breeds that are developed to produce meat. All can make great pets but they do vary in size considerably. If you are thinking about a pet goat there are several things to consider, especially for a rescue goat. Here are five points.

Lucas is an Angora wether, available for adoption in the Arlington, WA area from New Moon Farm Goat Rescue and Sanctuary. You can find him through petfinder.com.

1. Goats by their very nature are different from many other rescue animals. They are ruminants, meaning they have four chambers to stomachs that are distinctive and they chew cud – a sign of a contented animal.

2. Goats can take cold and heat with shelter but typically do not like getting wet. Dry housing is important and free access to it helps. They are naturally clean animals that enjoy company and can be quite intelligent. However they aren’t dogs, so don’t expect them to behave like dogs.

To illustrate the goat’s “un-doglike” behavior, I have to tell a quick anecdote here. Years ago, family friends kept a few goats for their milk and would occasionally breed them and sell the kids. One kid was not accepted by his mother and so my friends hand-reared him. Their own children became very attached to the little creature and he became a family pet, following them everywhere, just like a dog. And, just like a dog, he loved to ride in the truck. Unfortunately, he had one very bad habit. As soon as the engine turned off, he would urinate. (And believe me, goat pee is a whole lot more potent than dog pee). The family was never able to break him of this habit and never had the heart to ban him from going for a ride. Instead, they did their best to remember to get their ruminant out of the truck before turning the ignition off.

3. Despite what you might hear goats are incredibly picky eaters. They don’t “eat anything” – but they will dine on berry bushes, rose bushes and a variety of other bushes. Goats make very poor lawn mowers as they are naturally browsers. Sheep make much better grazers for grass control. Furthermore, goats are so picky that often if hay is thrown on the ground or stepped on they won’t eat it all. Equally they like their water clean, without debris in it.

4. Research on goats is lacking, and it may be difficult to find a veterinarian familiar with goats. One big difference is that sheep cannot tolerate copper in the diet. Goats, however, need copper in the diet and can become deficient if they don’t receive enough. This can lead to nutritional issues as well as poor color to the coat.

5. Don’t assume that a skinny goat is abused. There are several diseases that goats can get that can lead to weight loss as well as abscesses and other heath issues. This is usually fatal though, with treatment, you can sometimes buy your pet a little extra time.

Additionally remember that the biggest enemy of goats is often canines – dogs and coyotes are the greatest hazard in keeping goats. If you have a fainting goat especially you MUST provide safe, strong fencing as, when they ‘faint’ they are helpless This means woven wire fencing is needed and/or an electric fence. This is not just to keep the goats in but to keep dogs out.

Goats can make wonderful pets but it pays to be ready for the reality of what goats are. Bucks can be quite smelly – an odor that is stronger in some than others. Does, or female goats, find this odor quite appealing especially during the fall breeding season. Wethers (neutered males) usually don’t have the strong odor of bucks.

If you are taking on a pet goat be sure to read up on basic care and stay tuned here for updates on a variety of animals