Goats

Top Mistakes With Goats

January 13, 2026 by Leigh Leave a Comment

We all know that I love my goats. Probably more than most people. They are seriously the coolest creatures on our farm. But there are some very common mistakes with goats that I would love to clear up today. I’ve talked before about goats not being beginner livestock and I will say it again and again. Before you get into goats, lets learn somethings about them.

Before You Decide Goats Are “Hard”

Most frustration with goats comes from starting with the wrong assumptions — not from the goats themselves.

If you’re new to goats, bonding and trust come before routines or productivity:
👉 How I Bond With Goats on a Working Homestead

Most Common Mistakes With Goats

Goats Are Easy To Take Care Of

They are NOT the easiest thing to take care of. In fact, far from it! Out of all of my animals, the chickens are the easiest not the goats. We are constantly battling worms in the summer. Getting them through winter tends to be iffy if they had a ton of worms in the summer. Spring is kidding season. I think the only “safe” season is fall but we are still dealing with bucks in rut, worms, and feed.

We are currently battling coccidia with our kids and are trying like hell to keep everyone healthy. But unfortunately, summer in Georgia is a goat killer. Between the heat, worms, forage issues? It’s stressful. One of the ways that we combat the worms is by only worming when necessary. That includes coccidia. But summer is a scary time for us. Another way is pasture rotation and free ranging.

You Can Get One Goat

Goats are herd and prey animals. In order to feel safe and happy, they need other goats to hang out with. Without having a companion, they will get depressed, lonely, and will not thrive. Do yourself a favor and get two.

When we lost V and Bella was our only goat for two days, she literally Houdinied us every couple of hours. I don’t even remember how many times she took off. Finally, we had to tether her because she wouldn’t stay in the pin. As soon as we got Midas in with her? She never broke out again **knocks on all the wood**

While on the topic of only getting one goat, do yourself a favor and get two goats whenever you are bringing new goats into your herd. We have always brought home at least two goats every time we purchase new stock. The last time, we didn’t. Poor Phoenix doesn’t have anyone that will play with her. She is a lone goat in the herd because everyone is already paired up. Thankfully, she is a pocket goat and really just wants our attention. Which is fine, except we can’t always be out there with her.

You don’t HAVE to do this, but it does help transition if there is another new goat to buddy up with.

Goats Can Eat Anything

No. Just no. I saw a post on Marketplace a couple days ago for last years hay. Good for mulching, raised beds, or goats…. Excuse me? I can promise you, if you feed that kind of hay to your goats, they will die. Period. Moldy, old, dirty, hay will kill your goat. They really need horse quality hay because they can get sick so easily. Let’s not mention that they cannot eat a tin can.

When we got Oakley and Bailey, then Spike, Jade, and Sapphire, they got into mountain laurel. Thankfully, we were able to pull them through but it was touch and go for a minute. There are tons of toxic plants to them, and usually they are good about not eating it. But they are very curious creatures.

Goats Are Stupid

These creatures are more intelligent than dogs. They are also incredibly curious, which gets them into a ton of trouble. Champ knows how to get into pasture two, where she doesn’t belong. We have tried various ways to keep her out but none of them work. So she ends up in pasture two. A lot.

All of the goats know that if they scream loud enough, for long enough, they will get extra grain and alfalfa in the mornings. So no, they are not stupid.

We have trained our goats to feed buckets in case of a break out. We’ve trained them to a dinner bell like this, if they are too far away to hear the bucket. Goats are incredibly smart.

No Fence Will Hold A Goat

This is borderline when it comes to goats. I have noticed that if they are kept fat and happy they will probably not try to escape. BUT if they want something on the other side of the fence? They are going to go get it. We manage to keep two bucks from the girls simply by making sure that the fence is secure and they have a buddy.

There are some goats that cannot be contained without resorting to tethering. While that is not ideal, especially if you have high predator loads, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. We had to tether Bella until she became more comfortable with us. We also had to tether Midas because he was so stressed out when we brought him home.

Goats Only Eat Weeds

Not true! Goats prefer browse, which is plants with woody stems. However, goats are actually Growsers, meaning they will graze and browse. They will eat weeds, trees, hay, grasses, fruit, veggies, etc. Just like you prefer certain foods, so do they.

It is important to pay attention to what they are avoiding though. If you have a patch of some sort of weed, and the goats are eating everything but that weed, go ahead and remove that weed. It’s probably something that they shouldn’t eat.

Goats Are Not Intuitive Eaters

This is a pretty hot button topic among most goat owners. It’s kind of like the deworming or disbudding argument, you’ve got people for and against it. In that vein, I’m going to give you my opinion and experience, you do with it what you will.

My goats are intuitive eaters. If they have access to plenty of forage, they will not touch toxic plants like Mountain Laurel, Beefsteak plant, and Rhododendrons. But as soon as forage starts to die back and only toxic plants are available, they may start to eat it.

This goes for minerals as well. There is a huge debate about whether or not you should have free choice loose mineral or a mineral buffet. We’ve done both and have found that our goats will clear out entire buckets of one or two minerals and leave the rest alone. So again, I do think that goats are intuitive eaters.

Unfortunately, we do not have the time, space or set up to really have an effective mineral buffet, so we went back to free choice loose minerals.

Once expectations are realistic, goats become far easier to live with.

👉 How I Build Trust and Routine With My Goats

These Are Just A Few Of The Mistakes I’ve Noticed

There are many, many more mistakes with goats but those are the biggest ones that I feel need to be addressed. I know that I have a ton of different posts about goats and sound like a broken record, but these really are important.

If you like the content I put out, feel free to buy us a coffee! It helps keep this site running, marketing and the goats in grain!

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How To Bond With Your Goats

January 6, 2026 by Leigh Leave a Comment

If you are lucky enough to win over the love of a skittish goat, count yourself lucky. Bella is my most skittish goat and will run as fast and as far as her short little legs will take her if anyone comes anywhere near her. But when she is scared or hurting? She looks to me and that is pretty amazing. So if you have a skittish goat, or have a new goat that you are looking to bond with, here is a couple hacks to bond with your goats.

Bonding isn’t about making goats friendly — it’s about building trust so handling, health checks, and daily care don’t turn into a fight.

If you’re new to goats, start here first:
👉 What It’s Really Like to Raise Goats on a Working Homestead

Before Bonding With Your Goat

Before we get into bonding with your goats, I want to first address something. Unless your goat was born on your farm, your new goat is stressed to the max. They were ripped away from their herd, thrust into a box (or car, crate, whatever), and transported to a new farm. Then they were dumped in a fence with new goats and people that they don’t know. If you are bringing home babies? This is the first time without their momma. This goat is freaked out. No matter how good your intentions are, or how good of an owner you are, you are a stranger.

So before you thrust yourself on to them and then wonder why they are running away from you, give them some time to just be. Let them figure out where they are, who their new goat friends are, and the pecking order that they are now probably at the bottom of. Let them destress as much as possible. Realistically, this will probably take a couple weeks of regular feeding and treats. It could take longer depending on your goat.

Be prepared to deal with sickness. Whether that is in the form of diarrhea from a change in food, or a worm bloom from stress. Stay on top of their health!

You can get my goat assessment sheet for free by subscribing! The box is near the top of the page.

Bonding makes daily care easier — trimming hooves, checking eyes, monitoring health — all of it depends on trust.

This is how I structure daily animal care so it stays consistent without being overwhelming:
👉 My Realistic Homestead Daily Schedule

Bond With Your Goat: The Hacks

There are several different ways to bond with your goats, but at the end of the day it’s really up to your goat. Not every goat will be socialized. Not every goat wants to be around humans. More importantly, not every goat is going to trust humans. But with a little time and effort, you should be able to at least tame your goat enough to know their ticks and maybe, just maybe, get some snuggles.

When we got Bella and V, we realized that we were going to have our work cut out for us with Bella. At first, we thought she was just antisocial and didn’t want anything to do with us. After a while we realized that she was scared of us and didn’t trust us. Every time we had to grab her horns and force her where we need her to go, it set us back. But what were we supposed to do? We needed to trim her hooves, administer medications and just be able to care for her.

After V died and Bella was alone for a few days, I thought maybe she would start to trust us, but she seemed to distrust us even more. When we got Midas, he became very untrusting towards us because he spent the first two weeks with Bella. Since Bella wouldn’t come near us, neither would Midas. It took about six months before Midas would come near us willingly. So what can you do?

Hack #1: Time

Give them time. Let them decompress and learn that you are safe. Sometimes the best way to do that is to let them see you with your other goats.

Goats are very smart creatures and will see how you treat their herd mates and will judge you accordingly. So be patient.

Also, don’t rush. If you’ve got a spastic child (my Jaxson), maybe don’t let them love on the brand new, completely freaked out goat. If you are spastic (myself), be calm and understanding.

Hack #2: Pin Them Up

I talk about goat basics in my Goat Crash Course: Goat 101, but the biggest thing that we noticed with our new girls was that if we let them run wild in the pen, they would take longer to come around to us.

What we would do is put them on the small side of our barn that is used for laboring moms, moms that just kidded, or when we separate for goat sharing. This would keep them from running away from us and us having to chase them down. For a prey animal, being chased is literally the worse thing you could do.

When you keep them pinned up and bring them food and water, they see you as the giver of delicious nom noms. They also see that you are safe and won’t hurt them.

Hack #3:Treats

Seriously, treats are the best. We get “apple crack”, which is a goat probiotic in pellet form. Even Bella will come running for apple crack. A word of caution. Do not give empty calorie treats like crackers, cookies, etc. These can actually mess up their rumen and that is not good.

But anything can be a treat in moderation. We also give small pieces of apple, carrots, cucumbers, etc. They see it as a treat and it allows us to reinforce that they are safe and we are the bringers of delicious nom noms.

If you don’t have an issue with alcohol, get your goats drunk…. I’m only kind of joking. But the reality is that goats actually benefit from a beer occasionally. It helps their rumen function. Plus, it’s delicious.

Hack #4: Forced Snuggles

I did this with Bella and Spike with mixed success. A lot of people swear by this because it really does work. You basically force the goat to accept your love. The good news it is, it mostly works. Unless you have a Bella.

Bella LOVES to be snuggled when she is stuck in the barn, scared or laboring. If she is outside the barn? She totally forgets that I am a friend and I love her, and will run for the hills. But that’s okay because in the years that I’ve had her? She has become the sweetest snuggler I have. And she willingly gets on the milk stand and will let me love on her when I milk her, so I win.

Spike will tolerate the snuggles but he knows he can over power us very easily so we use caution around him.

Hack #5: Children

This is where that spastic child may actually help you out. Jaxson has no fear. Zero. Our rooster will beat the crap out of him and he comes back for more. It’s the same way with the goats. He doesn’t care if they want his love or not, they are getting it. He has managed to get these goats to realize they are friends, not food.

Children rarely have fear about something they perceive as cute and cuddly. It’s why your kid will randomly show up with a scorpion and while you are freaking out, they are asking to keep it….. Ask me how I know.

So let that child man-handle the goat, SAFELY! They will be the best of friends… maybe.

Accepting Defeat When You Try To Bond With Your Goats

If you have tried all of these things and nothing is working, chances are you have a Bella. That goat will probably never come around. We’ve had her for a few years now and we still have to work to get her. You will get there with your goat, but it’s going to take time.

When you have a “normal” goat that wants your affection, those five tips above usually works well. All of our other goats have come around within a month max. But sometimes it takes longer. Sometimes it’ll never happen. That’s okay. You have to keep trying and just try to manage the chaos.

Update For Those Interested

In the years that we have had Bella, she has given birth three times for us. And all those times she would cry for my attention. She only allows me and my oldest son to snuggle her newborn babies. She milks beautifully and has become an amazing goat for us. It does take time and effort.

I’ve read on so many Facebook pages of people saying get rid of the goat, freezer camp for the goat, etc and it breaks my heart. If we had listened to them, like a lot of new goat owners would, Bella wouldn’t be here. Neither would Ursula, Maverick or Goose.

For me, it’s no different than a difficult dog. The animal (regardless of species) is scared. But when you finally gain that trust? You have an animal that truly wants to spend time with you. Let’s you snuggle them and their babies. Brings you their babies. It’s truly amazing.

How do you get your goats to warm up to you?

Your Next Step

Bonding is the foundation — but routines are what keep that trust intact.

👉 How I Structure Daily Care for Livestock on a Working Homestead

If you like the content I put out, feel free to buy us a coffee! It helps keep this site running, marketing and the goats in grain!

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How to Start A Homestead

December 30, 2025 by Leigh Leave a Comment

People across the country are concerned with the state of the grocery stores and supply chain. People who previously thought they could get anything they needed from a store, have quickly come to realize that is no longer the case. Shortages of basic necessities are becoming more common and leading many people to think about starting a homestead. But how to start a homestead?

Starting A Homestead

Most people don’t know where to start when it comes to farming, livestock, and other “farming” things. Well, welcome to the club. If you were not born into the lifestyle, and many of us weren’t, starting a homestead can be a daunting task. The good news is when you dive into the world of homesteading you will realize that it looks very different to everyone. Not mention the amount of resources available.

Before You Start a Homestead

“Starting a homestead” doesn’t mean doing everything at once.
It means choosing one system and building from there.

If you’re still figuring out what homesteading actually looks like in real life, start here:
👉 What Homesteading Really Means (and What It Doesn’t)

I talked in another posts that homesteading is a spirit, not a set of hard fast rules. I know homesteaders that live in a subdivision on less than an acre and others that have hundreds of acres. Some people love keeping pigs and some that don’t. We have goats, not everyone likes them. There are no rules to homesteading because homesteading is about independence, not acreage, livestock, and gardens.

Understanding Why You Want To Start A Homestead

I suggest really thinking about the why. Why do you want to homestead? What does homesteading look like to you? Can you do the things that you think a homestead is? What are your current capabilities and disabilities? Can you overcome them? What does the infrastructure of your homestead look like?

Our dream of homesteading started as a cabin in the woods fifteen years ago. As the world around us has changed, so has our dream. I wanted a garden for fresh produce, now I want a garden that will fully sustain us. Livestock? Nah, I’m good with my dogs and cats. Until we saw what the price of meat was doing. Your dreams can evolve and devolve and that’s just fine.

This Is Where Most People Get Stuck

Homesteading only works if you turn ideas into a plan — otherwise it becomes overwhelming fast.

This is the system I use to decide what to tackle first and what can wait:
👉 My Daily Homestead Schedule (What Actually Gets Done)

Let’s Start With Animals

Every new homesteader thinks they have to have pigs, cows, chickens, and other livestock when they start homesteading. We almost fell into this trap and thankfully cooler heads prevailed before we dove in head first. However, we have had our share of Uh-Oh’s and it has been a very expensive lesson to learn the hard way. We weren’t ready for goats and it has been a very steep learning curve. But worth every penny and heartbreak. So start small and grow from there.

Oakley and Bailey the goats — Oakley and Bailey

Chickens

Chickens are a great way to have that homestead feel, without all the extra work of a homestead. They are relatively easy creatures that don’t require around the clock work. Our chickens are set it and forget it. Once they were out of the brooder and into their coop, they had feed in the morning and night, and free range during the day. They also have access to plenty of water throughout the property. They don’t require a ton of upkeep.

Raising dual purpose meat chickens is also a great way to reduce your dependence on the grocery store without breaking the bank. You can have a steady stream of fresh eggs from hens and butcher the roos for meat. But there are some downsides to raising chickens, like escaping, predators, and getting into your garden.

Meat rabbits are another good animal to have on the homestead. Rhonda at The Farmer’s Lamp has a great post about the ins and outs of meat rabbits. Having meat rabbits allows you to close gaps in your food security and they don’t take up much space. Since it’s hard to automate their care, they are more work than chickens. But once you get used to what they need, it should only take about 10-20 minutes in the morning and evening. We will be adding them to the homestead this fall when its a little cooler. The biggest downside of rabbits is the cuteness factor. Many people will struggle to butcher them because they are really cute.

Goats

Goats are cool critters for the homestead. Unfortunately, I don’t recommend them for beginners. I say this as a beginner who had no clue what was happening and we have paid a hefty price for not knowing what I was doing. The value of learning about them mixed with the milk they give, possible meat, and income from breeding make them a good creature to have when starting a homestead.

If You’re Ready to Start, Start Small

The biggest mistake new homesteaders make is trying to do too much at once.

I start by setting a few realistic, seasonal goals and building systems around them:
👉 50 Realistic Homestead Goals to Start With

What About Gardens?

You do not need a acre garden when you are starting out. Yes, I am currently reminding myself of this right now as I am looking at my garden space, which is almost a half acre. You don’t need a greenhouses or other large, expensive purchases. Start small. Grow your tomatoes and peppers to make your salsa. Plant herbs and keep them alive. Make sure whatever you are planting you have a plan for. If you do not like cucumbers, do not plant 20 plants just because you think you should. Once you have a handle on what your family needs and what your land can produce, then you can start growing the size of your garden.

Learn how to preserve your garden so that you can enjoy your harvests well past summer. If you don’t know how to can, you can check out our canning page or go to YouTube, Pinterest, and Google for amazing resources. Also make sure that you have good storage for your jars of food. There is nothing worse than spending tons of time canning just to have your plastic shelves fail. If you don’t want to can and have some money to burn, invest in a freeze dryer.

Finances

Starting a homestead with no money is just not feasible. Whether you decide to make homesteading your fulltime job or simply a way to live more independently, you need to make sure your finances are in order before you start. Our first year homesteading cost us over $20,000 between buying fencing, animals, lumber, and vet bills. So make sure you have the ability to cover those expenses.

Setting up your infrastructure so that you can reduce costs over time is extremely important to your long term finances.

Your Next Step

If you’re serious about starting a homestead, the first thing you need isn’t land or animals — it’s a plan that fits your life.

👉 How I Structure My Homestead Day (So Things Actually Get Done)

Remember….

When everything is all said and done, you have to remember that starting a homestead comes down to your goals and your ability. You are only limited by your resourcefulness and imagination. There are no rules to what you have to do to be a homesteader. You don’t have to have or know everything to start a homestead. A dream, drive, and determination are all you need to start a homestead. Don’t get hung up on the details.

I hope this helps you start on the path to starting your own homestead. Leave us a comment below on your thoughts of starting a homestead.

If you like the content I put out, feel free to buy us a coffee! It helps keep this site running, marketing and the goats in grain!

Buy me a coffee

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How to Use Social Media to Earn an Income on the Homestead

April 29, 2025 by Leigh Leave a Comment

Gone are the days when farming meant staying offline and off the grid. Today, some of the most successful homesteaders are using social media not just to share their lives—but to fund them. If you’re looking to make extra money while raising animals, growing food, or living a simpler life, creating a homestead social media plan could be one of the smartest moves you make.

Whether you want to start a YouTube channel, monetize your Instagram reels, or sell digital products on Pinterest, this guide will walk you through exactly how to turn your homestead content into consistent income.

The Ultimate Homesteader’s Starter Bundle – Only $47!

Get the tools you need to stay organized, track profits, and manage your homestead with ease!

Includes:
✅ Schedule F Tracker – Simplify tax prep
✅ Profit Calculator – Track earnings
✅ Hay Calculator – Plan livestock feed
✅ Garden Journal – Digital & printable
✅ Herd Health Tracker – Monitor animal care
✅ Simple Budget – Manage finances
✅ Backyard Homestead eBook – Essential tips

$99 value – now just $47! Start your homesteading journey today!

Buy Now

Why Social Media Is a Powerful Tool for Homesteaders

As a homesteader, you already have what most content creators spend hours trying to fake—real life, real experience, and real value. People are hungry for authentic content: how to raise chickens, grow tomatoes, can green beans, make herbal salves, or balance motherhood with chores. You’re doing all that and more.

When you start sharing your journey, you:

Build community and trust
Establish yourself as an expert
Drive traffic to your blog, shop, or YouTube
Open doors to partnerships, sponsorships, and sales

The best part? You don’t need millions of followers to make money. With a clear homestead social media plan, even a small but loyal audience can create reliable income streams.

Are you getting overwhelmed in the garden? Stressed? Or just not enjoying the garden like you used to? Check out our garden prompts! We send out weekly emails that get you back in the garden and out of your head! Turn the garden back into a place of love and joy instead of frustration and headache!

Subscribe Now!

Step 1: Choose Your Social Media Platforms

You don’t have to be everywhere. The best platform is the one you’ll actually use consistently. Focus on 1–2 platforms that match your content style and target audience.

Here’s a breakdown of the most effective platforms for homesteaders:

Instagram
Great for visuals (gardens, animals, DIYs) and reels. Ideal for building community and growing quickly with daily posts and stories.

TikTok
Short-form video works well for quick tips, farm humor, or before-and-after projects. Viral potential is huge even with a small account.

YouTube
Perfect for long-form tutorials, project breakdowns, and vlogs. A great way to establish yourself as an expert and generate passive ad revenue.

Pinterest
Drives traffic to blogs, Etsy shops, and YouTube videos. Best for evergreen content like recipes, how-tos, and printables.

Facebook
Useful for joining homesteading groups, selling locally, and building a Facebook page or group for your audience.

Step 2: Define Your Niche and Audience

Before posting anything, get crystal clear on who you’re talking to. Not every homesteader has the same goals or challenges. Think about your ideal follower:

Are they beginner homesteaders looking to learn?
Moms trying to balance family and farm life?
Off-grid or self-sufficiency enthusiasts?
Gardeners wanting to grow food in small spaces?

Then, ask yourself what problems you can help solve. Your homestead social media plan should revolve around service, not just aesthetics.

Examples of niche focuses:

Raising goats for milk or meat
Canning and food preservation
Frugal and debt-free homesteading
Gardening in small spaces
Off-grid cooking and DIYs

The more specific you are, the easier it is to grow a loyal, engaged audience.

Step 3: Plan Your Content Strategy

Now it’s time to map out your content. The best strategy combines three types of posts:

1. Educational Content
Teach your audience something useful:

How to start seeds indoors
5 mistakes new chicken owners make
How to use comfrey salve for wounds

2. Inspirational Content
Share your story, successes, and daily life:

A sunrise over your garden
A quote about simplicity
“Why we started homesteading”

3. Promotional Content
Invite your followers to buy or click:

Check out your blog post
Buy your ebook or course
Visit your Etsy shop

Use a monthly calendar to balance all three types. Pinterest-friendly posts and keyword-rich descriptions can dramatically increase traffic to monetized links.

Step 4: Create and Schedule Content Consistently

You don’t need to post every day, but you do need to be consistent. Pick a posting schedule you can stick to, like:

Instagram: 3 reels per week, 2 story days
TikTok: 1–2 videos daily
YouTube: 1 video every 1–2 weeks
Pinterest: 3–5 pins per blog post

Use tools like Later, Tailwind, Metricool, or Canva’s content planner to schedule your posts ahead of time. I use Metricool and have really enjoyed it and the ease of use. Plus, their free option is pretty robust.

Batch your content creation by filming or photographing multiple things at once—like your weekly chores, a harvest day, or a DIY project. Then break that footage into multiple reels, TikToks, or blog tutorials.

Step 5: Monetize Your Content

This is where your homestead social media plan turns into a paycheck. There are several ways homesteaders earn money from their content, even with small audiences.

1. Affiliate Marketing

Share your favorite tools, seeds, gear, or books and earn a commission.
Examples:

Amazon Associates
Homesteading toolkits or digital bundles
Seed companies or gardening supplies

2. Ad Revenue

Once you hit enough views or traffic, platforms pay you to run ads.

YouTube Partner Program (1,000 subs + 4,000 watch hours)
Pinterest (via blog traffic → Mediavine or Raptive ad networks)
TikTok Creator Fund (availability varies)

3. Digital Products

Sell printables, guides, planners, or courses.
Ideas:

Garden planning workbook
Monthly homestead checklist
Goat care guide or feed calculator
Online course on canning or microgreens

4. Brand Sponsorships

Once you build trust and engagement, brands may pay you for sponsored posts, product features, or reviews.

Start by tagging brands in your posts and writing honest reviews. As you grow, reach out with a media kit showing your audience size, engagement, and services offered.

5. Physical Products

Promote products you already make:

Goat milk soap
Farm-fresh eggs
Preserved foods or herbal remedies

Use your social media to drive traffic to your Shopify store, Etsy shop, or local pickup days.

Step 6: Build Your Funnel

To create consistent income, you need a funnel—a clear path from your social media post to a purchase.

Here’s an example funnel:

Instagram reel shows you trimming goat hooves
Caption links to your blog post on goat care
Blog post offers a free goat health checklist in exchange for email
Email series pitches your beginner goat-raising ebook

That’s how you turn a 30-second video into a $27 sale (or more).

Create content that leads people to:

Join your email list
Read your blog
Buy your product
Watch your YouTube channel

Step 7: Track What’s Working

Every platform gives you analytics—use them. Review each month:

Which posts got the most views or saves?
What drove the most traffic to your blog?
Which links got clicked the most?

Focus on what’s working and do more of it. Your homestead social media plan should evolve as you learn what your audience responds to best.

Tools like Google Analytics, Pinterest Analytics, and social media insights will guide your strategy.

Step 8: Stay Authentic and Serve First

People follow you for you. Don’t try to copy influencers with perfectly polished lives. Show your mud boots, garden fails, and behind-the-scenes struggles. That authenticity is your superpower.

When you focus on serving your audience—educating, inspiring, and connecting—the income naturally follows.

Be honest. Be consistent. Be kind. And the right followers (and opportunities) will come.

Final Thoughts on Creating a Homestead Social Media Plan

If you’re living the homestead life, you already have content worth sharing—and monetizing. Whether you want to supplement your income or create a full-time business, a solid homestead social media plan can turn your skills and stories into a steady source of income.

Start simple. Choose one platform. Create helpful content. Build your audience and serve them well. In time, you’ll grow a digital income stream that supports your homestead dreams.

If you like the content I put out, feel free to buy us a coffee! It helps keep this site running, marketing and the goats in grain!

Buy me a coffee

If you like this post, feel free to share it and follow us below on our social media accounts!

How to Sell Goat Meat: Best Markets and Pricing Strategies

April 22, 2025 by Leigh Leave a Comment

If you’re raising goats and want to turn your herd into a sustainable income stream, learning how to sell goat meat effectively is essential. Whether you raise Boer, Kiko, Spanish, or TexMaster goats, the key to profitability lies in choosing the right markets and setting the right prices. This guide breaks down the most important selling goat meat tips, from market types to pricing strategies that actually work.

Why Goat Meat Is in High Demand

Goat meat—also known as chevon or cabrito—is the most consumed red meat globally. Its lean profile, unique flavor, and adaptability to cultural cuisines make it a top choice for many communities. In the U.S., demand continues to rise due to increased immigrant populations and growing interest in grass-fed, sustainable meat sources. This makes it a prime time to get into the goat meat business—especially if you’re raising goats on pasture with humane practices and clean feed. But to profit, you need to understand where and how to sell.

1. Understand Your Market First

Before diving into pricing, you need to determine who your ideal customer is. Are they local families? Restaurants? Ethnic grocery stores? Butchers? Or are you selling directly off the farm?

Here are a few potential customer segments for goat meat:

Ethnic communities (e.g., Hispanic, Middle Eastern, African, Caribbean, Indian)
Farm-to-table restaurants
Butcher shops and halal meat markets
Health-conscious consumers
Homesteaders or rural families looking to buy in bulk

Pro tip: Visit local markets, speak with potential buyers, and explore online homesteading and farming groups to discover local demand. Use this research to guide your sales strategy.

2. Choose the Right Selling Channels

Different selling methods work better depending on your location, meat processing setup, and target customers. Below are the top ways to sell goat meat effectively.

A. Direct-to-Consumer Sales

Selling directly from your farm or through a website cuts out the middleman and maximizes profit.

Benefits:

Full control of pricing
Build customer loyalty
Easier to upsell cuts or add-on products

Selling tips:

Set up a simple farm stand or pickup point
Create a basic website or Shopify store
Offer bulk options (whole, half, or quarter goat)

B. Farmers Markets

If you already sell eggs, veggies, or goat milk, adding packaged meat can boost your revenue per customer.

What to know:

You’ll need proper licensing, cold storage, and a mobile freezer
Offer recipe cards and samples if local laws allow
Display USDA or state inspection information clearly

C. Ethnic Grocery Stores and Restaurants

Restaurants and ethnic grocers often buy goat meat in bulk or on a recurring basis. This creates consistent income, but margins are tighter.

Tips for success:

Contact chefs or buyers with a clear price list
Offer samples or a test order
Be flexible with delivery or pickup schedules

D. Livestock Auctions (Live Sales)

Some producers sell goats live at auction instead of processing them. While it’s easier, you lose out on meat markup.

This is not ideal both for the goat’s sake as well as your bottom line. This would be my very last option… I would rather keep the goat for my own freezers.

3. Know Your Processing Options

One of the most important selling goat meat tips is understanding how processing affects your legality, pricing, and market access.

A. USDA-Inspected Facilities

If you want to sell by the cut (e.g., leg, shoulder, ground goat), your meat must be processed at a USDA-inspected facility.

Pros:

Can sell meat retail
Ideal for stores, restaurants, and direct-to-consumer

Cons:

Limited availability in some areas
Higher processing costs

B. State-Inspected Facilities (If Your State Allows)

Some states allow in-state meat sales under state inspection. Check your state’s department of agriculture for details.

C. Custom Exempt (For Personal Use or Farm Gate Sales)

If you’re selling whole animals and letting the buyer process it themselves or through a custom-exempt facility, you’re not selling “meat”—you’re selling a live animal. This is legally simpler in many areas.

Popular with:

Homesteaders
Families who want to fill their freezer

Example Script:
“We sell our goats live, and once purchased, you’re welcome to take them to the custom processor of your choice. We can recommend one nearby.”

Be careful with doing this because there are a lot of people who will try and slaughter the animal on your property before leaving. Be sure to explain clearly, and if necessary in their language, that this is not okay.

4. Set Your Pricing: What to Charge for Goat Meat

Now let’s talk numbers. Pricing your goat meat depends on your costs, your market, and your sales channel. Here are the most effective ways to price it:

A. Price Per Pound Hanging Weight

This is the most common method for bulk goat meat sales.

Example:

Goat live weight: 80 lbs
Hanging weight (after slaughter): 40 lbs
Price per pound: $7
Total sale: $280

Key tip: Always clarify if your pricing is based on live weight, hanging weight, or packaged weight. Transparency builds trust.

B. Price Per Cut (Retail)

Retail cuts are the most profitable but require USDA processing and attractive packaging.

Example prices:

Ground goat: $10–$14/lb
Shoulder roast: $12–$15/lb
Rack or chops: $16–$20/lb
Organ meats (liver, heart, kidney): $5–$8/lb

Offer bundled boxes like:

Griller’s Box (chops, ground, ribs)
Family Box (shoulder, ground, stew meat)

C. Whole or Half Goat Sales

This is popular for farm pickup or holiday demand (e.g., Eid, Easter, or family feasts). Set a flat rate or use per-pound pricing.

Example:

Whole goat: $250–$400 depending on breed and weight
Half goat: $125–$200

5. Seasonal Demand: Timing Your Sales for Max Profit

Certain times of year have much higher demand for goat meat. Here are peak times to plan around:

Holiday/Event – Communities – Goat Type

Eid al-Adha – Muslim – Whole bucks
Easter – Christian/Greek – Young kids
Christmas/New Year – Hispanic/Caribbean – Various
Ramadan – Muslim – Cuts or whole

Plan your breeding schedule so kids are at ideal weights around these peak times. For example, Eid demand often focuses on bucks around 6–9 months old and 60–100 lbs.

6. Add Value with Branding and Storytelling

If you want to charge premium prices, build a brand your customers can trust. This works especially well if you’re using regenerative practices, rotating pasture, or raising rare breeds.

Ideas to showcase your value:

Create labels with breed info, how they were raised, and your farm name
Share behind-the-scenes videos on Instagram and Pinterest
Offer cooking guides or storage tips with every order
Use the keyword “grass-fed,” “pasture-raised,” and “locally raised” in your marketing copy

Pinterest tip: Post infographics showing “How to Butcher a Goat,” “Goat Meat Nutrition,” or “Cuts of Goat Meat.” These drive traffic and educate your audience. However, this can often insight rude, mean or nasty responses from those that aren’t educated on the practice of raising animals for slaughter.

7. Legal Considerations for Selling Goat Meat

This is one of the most crucial selling goat meat tips—don’t skip the legal stuff.

Check:

Your state’s meat sales regulations
Licensing required for retail or farmers markets
Processing facility inspections and labeling guidelines
Zoning laws for farm sales or events

Start by contacting your State Department of Agriculture, USDA Food Safety Inspection Service, and local extension office. Each state varies.

8. Track Your Costs and Profits

Profitable goat meat sales don’t just depend on pricing—they depend on knowing your numbers.

Track:

Feed and hay costs per animal
Breeding expenses
Processing and transport costs
Sales income per goat (live vs. processed)

Use a profit-first model to allocate income. An example of profit-first would be like below:

50% profit
30% expenses
10% taxes
10% reinvestment

Knowing your true profit margin helps you scale smart.

Final Thoughts: Sell Smart, Not Just Fast

Selling goat meat is more than just raising animals—it’s about building systems, pricing smart, and understanding your market. Whether you’re just starting with a handful of does or running a full-time meat operation, these selling goat meat tips can help you boost your revenue, build loyal customers, and create a business that supports your homestead goals.

Ready to start selling goat meat?

Here’s a quick checklist:

✅ Define your market
✅ Choose your selling channel
✅ Find a legal processor
✅ Price your products clearly
✅ Build a brand and tell your story
✅ Track costs and profits

You’ve got this. With careful planning and consistent marketing, your goats can feed your community—and your bank account.

If you like the content I put out, feel free to buy us a coffee! It helps keep this site running, marketing and the goats in grain!

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How To Choose The Best Goat Breeds For Homesteading

April 1, 2025 by Leigh Leave a Comment

So, you’re thinking about adding goats to your homestead? These little (or not-so-little) creatures can bring a ton of benefits, whether you’re looking for fresh milk every morning or a steady supply of high-quality meat. But with so many breeds out there, how do you pick the right one? Let’s break it down in a way that actually makes sense, so you can make the best choice for your farm.

Before we get too far into this, I have a great course on the basics of goat care. I call it Goat Crash Course: Goat 101. In this course, I explain things like types of shelter, types of feeds and hays, basic assessments and so much more! Check it out!

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Choosing The Best Goat Breeds For Homesteading

If you’ve ever wanted livestock that doesn’t take up as much space as a cow but still brings a lot to the table (literally), goats are the way to go. They’re low-maintenance, great at clearing brush, and give you either delicious milk or top-notch meat—or both! Plus, they have a lot of personality, which makes them fun to have around.

I want to point out before we get too far into this post that you don’t have to run separate herds. If you want meat and milk, you can always have dairy does (girls) and meat bucks (boys). That way you have milk from mommas and the kids can be for meat. At the end of the day, you have to make the right decision for YOUR farm.

The big question is: do you want goats for milk, meat, or both? The answer will determine which breed is right for you.

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Dairy vs. Meat Goats: What’s the Difference?

Before we dive into specific breeds, let’s cover the basics.

Dairy goats are all about milk. They produce a lot of it, and some breeds have milk that’s perfect for cheese, butter, or just drinking straight from the jar.
Meat goats are built for, well, meat. They grow fast, have a good amount of muscle, and give you a solid return on your investment.
Fiber goats are great for fiber… duh. But you have to be very careful with your climate and if you can shear them. There is a lot of money in goat fiber, but it can be a pain to get that fiber.

Because we live in the south, we don’t, and probably never will, have fiber goats. It is simply too hot and humid for me to feel comfortable putting an animal through that level of discomfort.

Alright, let’s get into the good stuff—our top picks for each category!

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Best Meat Goat for Homesteaders: TexMaster

If your goal is to raise goats for meat, TexMaster goats should be at the top of your list. These guys are a mix of Tennessee Meat Goats™ and Boer goats, meaning they’ve got the best of both worlds—fast growth and hardy genetics.

Why We Chose TexMaster Goats

They grow fast. TexMasters put on weight quickly, which means you don’t have to wait forever before they’re ready for processing. Usually you can get a kid to market weight in 5-8 months depending on how big you want that kid.
Less hassle. They’re super hardy and don’t require a ton of maintenance, which is great if you don’t want to spend all your time babying your herd. This comes in really handy when you live in a parasite heavy area… like the south.
Great feed efficiency. These goats don’t need fancy grain-heavy diets. They thrive on pasture and forage, saving you money.
Easygoing temperament. Some goats are escape artists or just plain annoying. TexMasters are known for being pretty chill and easy to handle. Which is great because these goats can reach 300+ pounds when fully mature.

Raising TexMasters: A Few Quick Tips

Give them plenty of space to graze—happy goats mean better meat!
Keep an eye on parasites, but overall, they’re a pretty low-maintenance breed.
Make sure your fencing is solid because goats love to test boundaries.

If meat production is your goal, TexMasters are hands-down one of the best breeds to have on your farm.

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Best Dairy Goat for Homesteaders: Full-Size Nubians

If you’re more interested in fresh, creamy milk, then Nubians are your best bet. With their long floppy ears and social personalities, they’re pretty hard not to love. Plus, their milk is packed with butterfat, making it ideal for homemade cheese, butter, and yogurt.

Why Nubian Goats Are the Best for Dairy

Creamy, high-fat milk. If you want milk that’s rich and perfect for making dairy products, Nubians are your goats.
Good milk production. They aren’t the absolute top producers, but they still give you a solid 1-2 gallons per day.
They handle heat well. If you live somewhere warm, Nubians will do just fine, unlike some other dairy breeds that struggle in the heat.
They’re super friendly. Nubians are basically the golden retrievers of the goat world—social, affectionate, and a little noisy (okay, sometimes a lot noisy).

Taking Care of Nubians: What You Need to Know

Make sure they have a cozy shelter to keep them safe from extreme weather.
Milking is a commitment—once you start, you have to keep up with it! I have a blog post here about my thoughts on the milking machines.
Feed them well! Good hay, grains, and minerals make a huge difference in milk quality.
They do best in pairs or small herds—lonely goats are unhappy goats.
Nubians can struggle with parasites, so make sure that you are checking them regularly.

If you love the idea of fresh milk every day, Nubians are the way to go.

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Other Things to Think About Before You Get Goats

Now that you’ve got an idea of which breeds are best, here are a few other things to consider before you dive in.

1. Do You Have the Right Setup?

Goats can be escape artists, so good fencing is non-negotiable. Also, make sure you have enough space for them to roam and forage.

2. What’s Your Climate Like?

Nubians handle heat well, while TexMasters are hardy in a variety of conditions. Make sure the breed you choose can thrive where you live.

3. How Much Time Can You Commit?

Meat goats require less daily attention than dairy goats since milking is an everyday job. Be realistic about what fits your lifestyle.

4. Is There a Market for Goat Products in Your Area?

If you’re thinking about selling milk or meat, check out the demand in your local area first. Nubian milk is amazing for cheesemaking, while TexMaster meat is known for its quality.

The Final Verdict: Which Goat Breed is Right for You?

At the end of the day, it all comes down to what you want from your goats.

If you’re all about easy-to-raise, fast-growing meat goats, TexMasters are the perfect fit.
If fresh, creamy milk is more your style, full-size Nubians will be your best friends.

Both breeds bring a ton of value to a homestead, and honestly, you can’t go wrong with either. Some homesteaders even keep both to have the best of both worlds!

Are you thinking about getting goats? Already have some? Drop a comment below and let’s chat about it!

Happy homesteading!

If you like the content I put out, feel free to buy us a coffee! It helps keep this site running, marketing and the goats in grain!

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Homestead Flexibility: The Key to Success When Plans Go Awry

March 29, 2025 by Leigh Leave a Comment

When it comes to homesteading, there are countless essential skills to master—gardening, animal care, food preservation, and efficient time management, to name a few. However, the most valuable skill of all might be homestead flexibility: the ability to adapt, adjust, and pivot when things don’t go as planned.

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What Is Homestead Flexibility?

Homestead flexibility is the art of adjusting to unexpected changes while maintaining progress toward your goals. My husband, Jared, used to say that the Army’s real motto should be Semper Gumby—“Always Flexible.” This phrase became even more relevant when I worked in EMS, where situations could change in an instant. But nowhere has Semper Gumby been more applicable than on our homestead.

Homestead Flexibility in Action

A perfect example happened just yesterday. I was deep into meal prep, making breakfast tacos in bulk for Jared. While handling pounds of meat, eggs, and potatoes, a nagging thought told me to check on Jade, one of our goats. She wasn’t due for another few days, but something felt off.

I planned to check on her after hanging laundry, but before I could finish, I heard a scream—one unlike her usual noisy calls. Rushing to the pasture, we found Jade mid-labor. Within moments, we were in full-on kidding mode. My carefully planned day was out the window, but instead of stressing, we adapted. By the end of it, we welcomed two new kids: Onyx and Amethyst.

This is homestead flexibility at work—knowing that sometimes, your schedule will take a backseat to what truly matters in the moment.

The Reality of Homestead Challenges

Many homesteaders start with an ideal vision of self-sufficiency, but reality often paints a different picture. Equipment breaks down, livestock gets sick, and the weather doesn’t always cooperate. Learning to work with what you have rather than becoming frustrated with what you can’t control is a crucial part of long-term success.

Take, for example, the unpredictability of animal births. Even with calculated due dates, animals often surprise you. The key is having supplies ready and being mentally prepared to pivot at a moment’s notice. The same goes for your garden—some crops may fail due to unexpected frosts or pests, and you’ll need to replant or find alternative solutions. The more you can embrace the unexpected, the more sustainable your homesteading journey will be.

Structuring Your Goals While Staying Flexible

We started the year with clear homesteading goals: fencing the garden, building chicken tractors, and clearing the basement. But then came the rain. In our part of Georgia, February was the rainiest I’ve ever seen. Mud pits replaced pastures, barns flooded, and outdoor projects became impossible.

Had we been rigid in our plans, we would have felt defeated. Instead, we shifted gears. Jared focused on splitting firewood, something that needed doing anyway. Rather than forcing progress on the flooded garden, we redirected our efforts to indoor tasks. Flexibility saved our momentum.

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How to Build Flexibility Into Your Homestead Plans

Give Yourself Time
Unexpected events will arise—ill animals, bad weather, or surprise births. When setting goals, allow extra time so that delays don’t completely derail your progress.
Accept That Not Everything Will Happen on Time
Some projects will need to be pushed back. If rain ruins your February planting plans, move them to March. If the basement isn’t cleared, reevaluate your approach. Adaptation is key.
Prioritize Your Goals
Not all tasks are equally urgent. Structure your to-do list based on necessity. For example, as we plan for the next quarter, our priorities are:
- Seed and plant the garden (critical for food supply)
- Improve our butchering space
- Stack and split firewood
- Clear the basement (helps with storage and future projects)
- Build the firepit (a lower-priority, nice-to-have project)
- Work on the greenhouse (can be gathered gradually)
Have Backup Plans
Flexibility isn’t just about shifting schedules—it’s about having alternatives. This year, we opted for a slower-growing meat bird breed to allow for unexpected butchering delays without compromising meat quality. This kind of foresight makes all the difference.
Give Yourself and Your Family Grace
Homesteading is demanding, and sometimes, despite your best efforts, things won’t go as planned. That’s okay. Giving yourself and your family grace means understanding that delays, setbacks, and mistakes are part of the process. Instead of frustration, practice patience. Celebrate progress, no matter how small, and remember that each challenge is a learning opportunity.
Stay Organized and Track Your Progress
One of the best ways to maintain flexibility while staying productive is by keeping detailed records of your projects, goals, and setbacks. A homestead journal can help you track planting schedules, livestock health, weather patterns, and completed projects. By reviewing past records, you can make better decisions moving forward and quickly adapt when unexpected challenges arise.
Lean on Your Community
Homesteading isn’t just about self-sufficiency—it’s also about community. Whether it’s neighbors, fellow homesteaders, or online support groups, having a network to rely on can make a huge difference. Sharing advice, bartering resources, and lending a hand during tough times can ease some of the burdens and help you stay adaptable.

The Power of Switching Gears

On any given day, weather, emergencies, or surprise animal births can throw a wrench into our plans. But instead of losing an entire day to frustration, we ask: What can we do instead?

Today, for instance, it’s raining again. That means no gardening, no firewood stacking, and no firepit building. But it’s the perfect day to clean out the basement—a task we can tackle indoors.

Beyond switching gears for productivity, it’s also important to recognize when you need rest. Homesteading can be physically and mentally exhausting. Building flexibility into your routine also means knowing when to take a step back, recharge, and return with fresh energy.

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Get the tools you need to stay organized, track profits, and manage your homestead with ease!

$99 value – now just $47! Start your homesteading journey today!

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The Bottom Line: Flexibility Fuels Success

A successful homestead is built on vision, adaptability, and hard work. Without a clear vision, you’ll struggle to stay on course. Without flexibility, unexpected challenges will leave you feeling overwhelmed. But when you combine vision, flexibility, and a willingness to pivot when needed, your homestead will thrive—rain or shine.

If you like the content I put out, feel free to buy us a coffee! It helps keep this site running, marketing and the goats in grain!

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How To Raise Goat Bottle Babies

March 15, 2025 by Leigh Leave a Comment

If you are purchasing a bottle baby, have a momma who rejected a kid, or are planning to sell a bottle baby, there are some things you should know and be prepared for. Bottle babies are not for the faint of heart, there is a lot of involvement with them. You become their momma and in turn you end up with a creature that is so attached to you, it’s almost like your own kid. But to raise goat bottle babies, there are a few things you should know.

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First, let me preface this with: I am not a vet. I am simply a goat farmer that has done a ton of research and “experimented” on my herd. There has been a lot of trial and error…. and a lot of error. This information is from my vet and from my experience, as well as the experience of other goat farmers. I encourage you to speak with a vet or find a goat mentor local to you.

How To Raise Goat Bottle Babies

There are a lot of reasons that you may find yourself with a bottle baby. Some are fine, others are sad or scary. Regardless, here are somethings you should be aware of. If you bought bottle babies from a reputable breeder, there should be nothing “wrong” with them. This should be the easiest bottle baby you have. But unfortunately, there are a fair amount of situations where you may end up with a bottle baby that are not ideal.

Momma Rejected Or Died

While it’s a very sad situation, when momma doesn’t want to or can’t take care of her babies, you may have to pull the baby from her. Or on the other side of the spectrum momma has died and you now have babies to raise.

It’s Just Too Cold Outside

Sometimes, you have to make the decision to bottle a baby based on weather. Which is weird, I know. This late winter/ early spring has been extremely rainy. We are having weeks of rain with a day or two of sun. That means that our barn and pastures are a muddy mess. Not a great environment to raise babies in.

We are also in this weird weather pattern of cool/cold nights and 75* days. Because of that, we had to bring Bailey inside after she kidded triplets, because it was just so dang cold and wet. We seriously considered raising one of her kids inside just to give her some relief and to ensure that she could care for the other two better.

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Momma Had Too Many

Bailey gave us triplets this last season. If this had happened to almost any other goat, we probably would have been okay. But Bailey has tiny udders and doesn’t produce a ton of milk. We had to supplement with milk we had put up. If your doe birthed quads, quints, or sextuplets? Be ready to bottle raise some of them.

A First Time Freshener

Another reason you may have to raise goat bottle babies is because momma is a first time freshener and doesn’t have a clue what she is doing. Jade is struggling a little bit with her kids because she is really unsure how to handle them. She’s away from her sister for the first time and these things are smashing their face into her udders for milk. We had to catch/pull and then clean the babies because she was totally unprepared. This is all totally fine and normal, but you do need to be prepared.

We ended up having to pull Jade’s kids because she just wouldn’t take care of them. It was unfortunate, but we ended up selling one and keeping the other.

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How To Raise Goat Bottle Babies

Now to the meat and potatoes of this post. Raising goat bottle babies is probably no different than sheep and maybe cows. But I don’t have those creatures so I can really only speak about goats.

Dam Raised or True Bottle Baby

The first thing you have to decide is whether you are going to pull the baby from momma completely or supplement feedings. Our goal is to keep kids with mommas for as long as possible. With Bailey, we “let” her be momma and we just supplemented. We started with 3x a day feedings and then dropped to one “big” bottle at night. If we had taken one of her babies to raise inside, it would have been a true bottle baby.

Bottles

There are some people that think the red teat nipple is the way to go. Others think a cheap baby bottle will work. Personally, I think fed is best, so do what you’ve got to do to get that baby to eat. We have the red teat nipples and our goats just don’t like them. We use cheap baby bottles and they work fantastic. If you are purchasing a bottle baby from a breeder, that breeder should be able to tell you exactly what bottle they are using and you can purchase that.

Replacer vs Whole Cows Milk

Whole cows milk is the replacement of choice for goat kids. Period. Actually, the replacement of choice would be goats milk. But if you can’t get that, cows milk is the best. There is a ton of research out there on the milk replacers vs whole cows milk but at the end of the day, cows milk is easier for your goat kid to digest. Whole cow milk is an animal milk but milk replacer is usually a bunch of different additives that may be too hard for your kid to digest and use.

But again, fed is best. So whatever you can afford and your kid will eat, is the way to go here.

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How Much To Feed

There is a TON of information about how much to feed your bottle baby and how often. But first you have to start with a weight. The ratio is about 1#= 2.5oz. So if your goat kid weighs about 5# you would feed approximately 12.5oz per day.

Also the age of your kid factors into how many times per day to feed it. A kid that is just born and is 3# would get 7.5oz of colostrum over 12 bottles.

Week 1: 6 Bottles

Week 2- 4: 4 Bottles

Week 5-8: 3 Bottles

Week 9-10: 2 Bottles

Week 11-12: 1 Bottle (start weaning)

****Weaning would be giving 1 bottle per day with less and less milk. I usually start reducing the bottles by 3oz and see how the kid does****

For example: Your goat kid is 3 weeks old and weighs 8# you would feed approximately 20oz over 4 bottles. Each bottle would contain 5oz.

Also, you should be weighing your kids at least once a week. This not only ensures that they are gaining weight but also making sure that you are adjusting your feeding amount as appropriate.

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Over Feeding vs Underfeeding

Goat kids will absolutely over eat if you let them. Momma’s have this instinct that tells them when the kid is done eating. But if you are momma, you may think that your kiddo is starving. They’re not. Trust me. If you are using the formula above and they are gaining weight steadily, they are just fine.

The biggest thing to watch for after a feeding is done, their belly should feel full-ish. It shouldn’t feel hard and it shouldn’t be sunken in. My suggestion is this: feed like the formula says for the first couple of days and feel their stomach. If it’s hard or rounded? Back off the milk just an ounce or so. If it’s sunken or they aren’t gaining weight? Up it an ounce or so.

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Temperatures: Milk and Kid

When it comes to goats of all ages, temperature is probably the most important thing you can master. If your goat is too cold or too hot, bad things can happen. Kids are no different and in fact it’s probably more important. When kids get too cold, they cannot digest the milk. If they can’t digest the milk? It will rot in their stomach. So make sure you are checking their temps before feeding. Before feeding, their temps should be between 101-103. If they are not warm enough, bring them inside to get warm and then feed them when they are at least 101*.

When it comes to milk, the temperature should be 103*. This is about the temperature that momma’s milk would be. Too cold and the kid could become hypothermic (cold). Too hot and the kid could scald their mouths. We check on the inside of our wrists, if it’s warm to hot (not burning) it’s the right temp. If it burns us? It will burn them.

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Tips and Hacks To Raise Goat Bottle Babies

Transitioning

If you are getting your bottle baby from a breeder, the kid should already be on either milk replacer or whole cow milk. If they aren’t, that breeder should send goat milk home with you to transition. When I sell our bottle babies, we send goat milk with them to start transitioning if we haven’t already transitioned them to whole cows milk. When we sold Bailey’s triplets, we were not anticipating selling them that quickly. But we sent a gallon of goat milk with the buyer. Then we dropped off another gallon and a half gallon because we wanted to make sure the transition was as smooth as possible.

Preparing For A Bottle Baby…. Just In Case

After our does kid, and depending on how many she gave us, we bring a pint mason jar with us every time we go outside. When we get singles, we milk out the colostrum of ONE teat over the next 24hrs. We do this so we have back up colostrum and a couple of times it has saved our babies. If we have twins or trips? We still bring out that jar and a bottle just in case one of the babies isn’t nursing great. Sometimes we do it at night to ensure that the kids go to bed with a full belly. But being prepared is key.

Enjoy It

Much like raising human children, raising bottle babies flies by. Next thing you know, they are jumping off the roof of your car… the goat kid not the human one. Unless you have a Jaxson, then it may be the house and not the car. Regardless, it is such a cool experience.

That kid will become a pocket pet for you and watching them get so excited to see you is pretty cool too. Not to mention when you are feeding them and that little tail is going a million miles a minute? Ridiculously cute. And while it’s a TON of work, it’s so worth it.

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Is Homesteading Hard

March 1, 2025 by Leigh Leave a Comment

I should probably wait to write this, maybe when I’m not quite so raw. But the cold hard reality is that homesteading is hard. Out of all the things I have done in my life, I think homesteading is the hardest. I have had multiple miscarriages. Sent my husband off to war twice and raise two babies while he was gone. I have stood over bleeding and mangled bodies and said, “I’ve got you.” I’ve had a mom hand me her infant and say, “Save her.” Is homesteading hard? It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

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Be sure to read till the end

Why Is Homesteading Hard?

The constant life and death decisions will wear you down. The constant checking on feed, hay, and medication levels. Hauling sick animals into the house or into the vet. Checking finances to make sure you can cover the feed, vet or light bill. Worrying about the garden producing not only your food but your animals. Prepping firewood and praying you’ve got enough. Constant research to find another way to possibly save money or a life. Frustration when a product doesn’t work. It’s enough to drive you insane. Homesteading is hard.

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Life and Death Decisions

When you live a “normal” life, maybe you really only worry about your dogs or cats, maybe an “exotic”. But when you homestead (even small scale), you have to be constantly aware of your house pets and livestock, their safety and wellbeing, their health, laboring or egg/ hatching rates and so much more. You have to worry about predators.

You order chicks and realize that one just isn’t doing well, and you have to make the decision to cull. A duck breaks a leg? Is it worth the pain they will go through to see if you can set it, splint it and keep them confined? Actively warming a goat kid till the wee hours of the morning. Only to have them die a couple days later, anyways.

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Running Out Of Feed

Sometimes you run out of feed, and can’t get more. The supply chain shortages were a thing and usually the small farmer is who suffers. You’ve got to get creative with how you are going to feed your chickens, ducks, pigs and goats with no access to feed. Sometimes it’s taking 5gal buckets to work and asking coworkers to fill it with their food scraps, just to feed your pigs or chickens. Or begging neighbors for a couple bales of hay.

The reality of caring for so many animals on the homestead is overwhelming sometimes.

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Sick Animals

Sometimes, your living room turns into an infirmary. Sometimes, your really nice SUV turns into a litter box because you’ve got to haul the pigs to the vet. Then despite all of your very best efforts, your animal dies anyways.

It’s pulling goats because momma is too tired to push, only to realize the kid is stuck and you can’t get it out. Praying to forces you don’t even believe in to save this baby.

It’s a cemetery on your property because you just couldn’t save them.

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Financial Impact

Sometimes life and death decisions are made because of finances and that feels worse. When you have to cull an animal, especially a favorite, because you don’t have the money for medicine or a vet visit. Or it’s feeding the pigs out of your pantry or fridge because you don’t have anything else.

Other times, it’s using your emergency fund to cover hay because you ran out.

Working Your Gardens

Whether you are praying for rain, or praying for rain to stop, your life revolves around your gardens in spring and summer. Since you’ve decided to grow as much fodder for your livestock as possible, you are stressing over it’s growth. You are simply hoping to reduce the strain on your wallet.

You are constantly checking for pests and weeds. Thinking about next years garden and what you will do differently. Pouring over notes, blog posts, and more trying to get a leg up.

Before we get too far into this post, I wanted to give a suggestion about keeping a garden journal. A digital garden journal is a fantastic way to keep track of past, present and future gardens. Our Digital Garden Journal is a great way to keep up with everything without getting too overwhelmed.

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Firewood

When you make the decision to heat solely with your wood stove, you spend hours, days and weeks building that firewood stack. One cord down, seven more to go. Only to realize mid winter, seven wasn’t enough either. So you’re back out there, cutting down trees or finding your stacks you had put back for the next year.

It’s hauling huge rounds of wood up hills. It’s the pure manual labor that feels back breaking, but isn’t.

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Is Homesteading Hard?

Yes, but it is worth it. Every single time and every single way, it is worth it. The good outweighs the bad, every single time.

The pure joy of harvesting peppers, dehydrating them, grinding them, and then using them in your dinner? It’s a feeling of pure satisfaction.

Seeing that firewood stack go from empty at the beginning of spring and full at the end of summer? Knowing that you are going to be warm and snuggly? It’s hard to describe the feeling of accomplishment.

It’s cleaning eggs, putting them in a jar to waterglass, and putting them on shelves in your basement, knowing you will have eggs this winter.

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Watching your garden bloom and grow. Eating beans fresh from the garden, while harvesting peppers and tomatoes. Canning your tomatoes, knowing that when you are buttoning up everything for the winter, you have succeeded in your goal of providing for your family and livestock.

It’s watching that goat kid thrive after a traumatic birth. Knowing that you would do it again and again, just to see that baby come out alive and hear those first cries. And crying when you bury her sisters and listening to that momma goat cry for her other babies.

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It’s waking up before the sun breaks the horizon to milk the goats. Softly talking to your most skittish goat and thanking her for her milk. Watching the sunrise with her as her kid jumps and plays with the other kids. Listening for her call her kid and the kid call back.

Planning a bigger, better garden because you learned from your mistakes last year or the year before.

Is homesteading hard? Yes, but you should absolutely do it. There is no better feeling in the world than watching all of your hard work pay off. No amount of money or promotions, or follows, likes and shares compares to feeling of being self reliant, self sufficient, and earning through blood, sweat and tears the bounty.

Because when you homestead, it’s real. And in a world full of slight of hand, disinformation, division, and mistrust, your homestead is a living breathing thing that YOU created.

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Has Free Ranging The Goats Worked?

February 22, 2025 by Leigh Leave a Comment

We officially started free ranging our goats on August 1, 2022. This was an experiment and, I would say that THIS year, it has gone pretty well. We have had some hiccups in the matrix, but nothing that was so bad that I wouldn’t free range them again. But I wanted to discuss the how’s, why’s and maybe do this next year if you are thinking about free ranging goats on your homestead.

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The Real Side Of Free Ranging Goats

There are a lot of good things that have come out of free ranging the goats on our 8.5 acres. But there has also been some bad. And while the good definitely out weigh the bad for us, it may not be the case on your homestead.

Our first full year goating, we spent thousands of dollars on hay, alfalfa and grain for the goats. We battled high parasite loads and constant diarrhea. The amount of money we wasted on pasture seed is incredible. But when we started allowing them to free range there were some fantastic results.

Finances

I mentioned above that we have spent thousands of dollars on hay and such. But that’s only a part of it. Not only have we spent money on food, we have also spent a lot on vet bills, fencing, and feed troughs. While that is definitely part of raising any livestock, this has been a lot higher than we want it to be.

Free ranging the goats allows them to do what goats do best, search for their food. It keeps them from eating food off the ground and picking up more parasites. By eating the browse, they are helping us not have to rent bush hogs and other equipment to clear these areas. Which was their original purpose according to Jared.

Body Condition

Champ, who has never had a FAMACHA better than a 3, is now at a 1 and has stayed there. Her body condition, that we could NEVER get better than a 2, is now a 4-4.5.

They have an established herd queen now (Champ) who is actually looking after her girls. By not having them fenced in, we are allowing their natural instincts to kick in and they are actually looking out for each other. This really helps because when we need to put hands on them, we just have to find Champ.

We also noticed that the babies were better able to fight off various infections, parasites, etc, simply because they were allowed to be free. This is in essence the process of rotational grazing…. just without fencing.

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Predator Control

Yard clean up is virtually non existent. We were trying to figure out how to battle the weeds, brambles, and briars when we first moved in. Now? The goats move through the property and eat all of it down. How does this help with predator control? Well, by having the goats free range, they have eaten down a lot of the areas that the predators would live in. And when we see them running back to the house or their barn, we know somethings up and we start looking.

We now have a clear line of sight to the various areas of the property because they have come through and eaten everything.

We do worry about the goats and the babies coming across a fox or coyote den, we only free range them during the day when someone is home. This minimizes the risks. Since we really only free range between spring, summer and fall, we are almost always outside anyways.

Parasite Control

Parasites are pretty much cured…. Well, kinda. It is totally normal, and completely fine for your livestock to have worms. In fact, we want them to have some worms because it aids in digestion and other good things for the goats. But you should never have an uncontrolled parasite problem. When you don’t utilize pasture rotation, you will have parasite blooms and your livestock will suffer.

Since we refuse to deworm monthly, we have to make sure that we are on our game with pasture rotation. Deworming every month as a preventative causes resistance and they aren’t making new dewormers.

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Cons?

Well, there is poop everywhere. While it doesn’t stink, it is a pain when you step in it and don’t realize it.

They’ve eaten the house plants on my front porch. ALL OF THEM.

They broke a board on the back deck and think the flight of stairs is a great place to jump from.

They have eaten ALL of my fruit trees.

Bucks chase does, so they have to stay penned up.

They will break into your gardens. The good news is that they will find the weak spot for you to fix. Just ask them.

As you can see, there aren’t many deal breaker cons for me. The trees sucked and I will be fencing in the area so that the goats won’t eat them next time. The poop is easily swept up too. Overall, we will free range them again and again. They are much healthier and happier.

Free Ranging Goats: Update 2023

As we move into fall this year, I wanted to give you guys some latest updates on how free ranging is working for us. We still absolutely free range the goats. But there are some new concerns this year that we didn’t have last year and I wanted you to be aware of them.

The coolest part of free ranging is that we have successfully trained all the goats, including this year’s kids, to come when they are called. All I have to do is yell, “Come here, girls!” and they come running.

Lack Of Browse

When we first moved onto this property, there were a ton of briars, weeds, etc. Out of 8.5 acres there was probably only about 1 or 2 acres that weren’t completely covered in weeds/ brush. Since the goats have been doing an excellent job of clearing it out, it’s not coming back as hardy. Next year, it probably won’t come back at all.

If you are only getting goats to clear land and have every intention on selling them after their job is done, then this doesn’t really apply to you. If you have fallen in love with these creatures, you are going to have a bit of a problem. There are a couple options that we are exploring for this winter but they are expanding their nom nom zones and that can be a problem. The goats have migrated to the neighbors property and up the mountain. Neither of those are a problem…. yet.

Injuries

We have noticed an increase in injuries since free ranging. While only one of them have been severe injuries, they have still gotten hurt so I think it’s worth mentioning. In their search for food, they become a little more pushy when it comes to food. This makes sense because all animals do this. But when they ram each other and one falls? They are going to limp for a minute.

Or in the case of Stella, she was so hellbent that she was going to break into the chicken tractors that she got herself wedge between 2 of them…. were the tin roofing is. She sliced all 4 of her legs and it was pretty nasty. But she actually did herself and her babies a favor because she got put into the kidding stall for a couple days to allow the blukote to work. Now she is paying more attention to her babies and letting them nurse soooooooo.

Getting Into Trouble

These goats are testing my patience this year and while that is fine, I still want to throttle them. I said before that they will find the weak spot in the fences. Well, I wasn’t aware that potato leaves were considered toxic to goats….. in large quantities. I’ve given them potato leaves and never had a problem. But when they break into a garden and gorge themselves? Apparently that is a problem.

They have found every single hole in the yard and hurt themselves.

Or that time they pulled all my clothes off the clothesline and the pigs rolled all over them.

And then there was the time that the broke into the brooding/nursery were they stepped on 6 out of 10 chicks and caused the mommas to “attack” the goats.

So while free ranging goats is worth it for their health. It can be frustrating to deal with.

If you like the content I put out, feel free to buy us a coffee! It helps keep this site running, marketing and the goats in grain!

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