Idiot tethers goat with fatal result

The killing of a tethered goat in Forest Grove, Oregon, was reported in that local paper. A judgment regarding the inhumanity of tethering goats was not mentioned. Instead, it was reported that the bear will be killed if it comes back, because of its crime of killing livestock.

Please, people, DO NOT tether your goats! Tethered goats are bait for predators--including bears, cougars, and even domestic dogs. They can become tangled, hang themselves or suffer other mishaps. This goat should not have been tethered and the bear doesn't deserve to die.

A responsible goat owner will make sure that goats have fencing and an appropriate and safe shelter, and if they live in an isolated area, a guardian animal for protection. Tethering is cruel and inhumane and so is leaving a goat without a herd to interact with. The owner should be fined for doing this in the first place.

Goat Health Care Freeby for the Day

In order to provide good goat health care, it's important to track problems and routine treatments. I have created a Goat Health Record form for this purpose and just added it to my website so goat owners can download a pdf for their own use. You can use it for tracking kidding, injections, hoof trimming, or any other health-related activity and keep one for each goat in a notebook in the barn.

You can also use it to compare for patterns (e.g., what time of day or night did a doe previously kid?) or to remind yourself that a certain goat seems prone to overeating and getting bloat. I know I sometimes forget from year to year that a goat was sick, once she recovers.

Happy Goating!

Raising Goats for Dummies

It's finally on store shelves and even at goathealthcare.com! Raising Goats for Dummies is a fantastic resource for goat owners. It covers all the basics for any kind of goat and also has information on milking, clicker training, cart training, clipping fiber goats and tanning goat hides.

If you are looking for just a few basic books for raising goats, we currently have a sale of both books for $40, with a $5.00 after purchase rebate for Raising Goats for Dummies if you buy it by the end of the month.

If you are thinking about getting goats, read this book first. It will teach you about all the different goats and help you decide what breed you want, as well as help you get your farm or urban setting prepared for your goats. Goat Health Care takes it a step further, with drug dosages for goats, herbal remedies, troubleshooting health problems and even dealing with the death of a goat.

Raising Goats for Dummies

I have finished writing Raising Goats for Dummies and am working on the edits now! The book will be out in February. It's a great book for anyone who is new to goats. It tells you how to choose your goats, what you need to take care of them, basic ailments, goat behavior and even how to tan a hide, process fleece into yarn, milk a goat and turn it into cheese and become more self-sustaining with goats.

Between the "Dummies" book and Goat Health Care you have most all the reference materials you need for taking care of your goats. Both cover all types of goats.

Little Goat (owners) Beats Big Business

Here's a story about Jamaican goat owners who had been promised forage for their goats as part of an exchange that let Alcoa mine their land. Alcoa decided to cut and run - probably figuring the little guys wouldn't/couldn't do anything about it. For their unethical actions they now will pay. Hooray! One for the little guy!

Three Tasty Treats for a Goat Garden

It’s not too late to plan a garden for your goats. The goats will even help you grow it with their composted manure! Three essentials for the goat garden are pumpkins , sunflowers, and carrots.

Goats can eat the pumpkin plant and also the seeds, which are full of protein, iron, phosphorus and B vitamins. You can simply crack them open and put them around the pasture for goats. They will store well for 2-3 months for a winter supply.

Sunflowers are a favorite of goats and chickens. When the seeds are still soft, you can take the whole plant down and put it in the pasture. The goats will eat the stem, leaves and the tasty flower. Another option is to dry the seeds and add them to grain or use them as a treat. Sunflowers contain phosphorus, iron, zinc, magnesium, vitamins A,D, and E, lecithin and lots of protein. The seeds contain are also rich in vitamin E and B vitamins.

Goats love carrots. Carrots are full of vitamin A. They are also known to help control expel worms, fight acid in the stomach and aid in liver function. The juice is believed to have anti-cancer activity. Finally, carrots provide good roughage for goats.

Mother Nature Got Their Goat

A news story in the Chicago Sun Times reminded me of the phrase "got your goat," which allegedly refers to someone stealing the goat friend of a racehorse, causing it to lose the race:

The quintessential old goat: Oscar, the Arlington Park racetrack goat known for his calming effect on skittish horses, died peacefully in the arms of his owner, Dee Poulos, last Thursday.

Goat gab: Oscar, who loved children and Tostitos tortilla chips with a hint of lime, was 15.

A goat note: The day before he died, Oscar visited each horse in the barn. "He'd never done anything like that before," said Poulos. "We figured out later that he was just making his farewell tour of the barn to say 'See you later, guys.'"