Goats make great pets and many horse owners keep a goat to
provide companionship for their horses. They are very social animals, so it’s
best to keep two together or make sure that your horse and goat get along.
While goats are relatively low maintenance animals, there are a few things that
you should know:
Housing- Goats need shelter from wind, rain and snow, but
should not be housed in an air tight barn. In general they have the same housing
requirements as your horse.
Feed- Pet goat diets should primarily consist of forage.
During the summer this may be entirely pasture, but in the winter a good
quality grass or grass/alfalfa mix hay is best. This can be the same hay that
your horses get and should be clean, free of mold and fed in a hay rack off the
ground. Goats like to climb into their feeders! Since goats are “browsers”
instead of “grazers”, they also enjoy eating leaves, flowers, and shrubs. So,
if you don’t want it eaten, keep the goats fenced away! Your discarded
Christmas tree makes a nice winter treat as well as trimmed branches from trees
or shrubs. But be careful not to feed trimmings from Japanese yew, Azaleas,
Rhododendron, Oleander, potatoes, or
rhubarb. A general horse grain mix is OK to feed to your goat, but should be in
very limited amounts up to 1 lb. per day. Obesity is a problem and most pet
adult goats need little to no grain. A small amount as a daily treat is
acceptable. Your goat should also have free choice access to a trace mineral
block or loose mineral. Again, a horse mineral block is OK.
Health Care- Pet goats require little in the way of
preventative health care. Hooves should be checked and trimmed at least every
other month. A yearly vaccination to protect against Enterotoxemia and tetanus
should be given. Internal parasites can be a problem for young goats, but in
general a single or pair of adult goats will have few problems. A yearly fecal
exam in the spring, done at the same time as your horse, will check the level
of infestation. Horses and goats do not share any internal parasites. A common
problem for castrated male goats (whethers) is urolithiasis or urinary stones.
This is most often caused by feeding a diet too rich in phosphorus. To help
prevent this problem, keep the feeding of grain and rich alfalfa hay to a minimum,
keep plenty of clean unfrozen water available and offer free choice white salt
to encourage water consumption. Ammonium chloride fed at a rate of ¼ oz. per
day can be used as a preventative, but is very unpalatable.
If you have any questions or concerns about your goat contact us at 619-659-1180.
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