30/07/2026
"Oh you have Goats..."
Often I hear that sentence...
People ask how many and that it must be awesome.
Yes it definitely is!
What they don't see are the evenings spent studying breeding charts, comparing pedigrees, researching bloodlines, and carefully choosing the best pairing—not just to produce kids, but to improve the next generation. Every mating is planned with purpose, considering genetics, conformation, temperament, milk production, and the long-term future of the herd. DNA testing helps confirm parentage and ensures the integrity of those breeding decisions.
They don't see the annual disease testing, where every goat in the herd is tested by our veterinarian. It's a significant investment of both time and money, but healthy animals and peace of mind are priceless.
They don't see the breeding diary, where every season, every mating, every treatment, every weight change, every observation, and every tiny detail is carefully recorded. Those notes become the history of each goat's life and help guide future decisions.
They don't see the pregnant does receiving extra care, special nutrition, and daily monitoring. Or the countless times we quietly stand in the barn, watching... waiting... hoping everything is progressing normally.
They certainly don't see the sleepless nights.
The alarm goes off every couple of hours. Out to the barn with a torch. Cameras checked. Ligaments felt. Watching for the first signs of labour. Sometimes kidding is textbook. Sometimes a breeder becomes midwife, nurse, and emergency support all at once.
When healthy kids finally arrive, relief quickly turns back into work.
Has every kid nursed?
Did everyone receive enough colostrum?
Is Mum producing enough milk?
Is everyone warm?
Are they gaining weight?
Every answer matters.
Then begins months of raising confident, healthy goats. Teaching youngsters to trust people. Training them to lead quietly. Standing patiently on the milk stand. Learning that clipping, hoof trimming, and handling are all just part of life.
For dairy goats, kidding also marks the beginning of another daily commitment—milking. Every single day. Early mornings. Late afternoons. Weekends. Holidays. Rain, frost, heatwaves... the goats still need milking.
As the herd grows, management becomes even more complex. Bucks need different housing and nutrition from milking does. Dry does have different requirements again. Yearlings and weaned kids each have their own feeding programs and management. Every group has different needs, and every decision affects their health and wellbeing.
Then there are the shows.
Months beforehand, feeding programs are adjusted to have each goat in peak condition. Weeks beforehand come bathing, clipping, hoof trimming, grooming, practice walks, and countless hours making sure every goat looks and behaves at its very best.
And in between all of that?
Fences break.
Water troughs leak.
Hay needs collecting.
Feed needs mixing.
Minerals need balancing.
Hooves keep growing.
Records need updating.
Pastures change with the seasons.
Vet visits happen.
Plans change.
Weather changes everything.
Through it all, the goats still rely on us.
Goat breeding isn't a hobby you pick up for an hour after work.
It isn't simply putting a buck with a doe and waiting for babies.
It is genetics. Nutrition. Veterinary care. Observation. Record keeping. Patience. Learning. Heartbreak. Joy. Responsibility.
Most of all, it's love.
Because every healthy kid born, every beautiful milking doe, every ribbon won, every family who takes home a healthy goat, and every improvement we make to the next generation is the result of thousands of unseen moments.
So yes...
We "just have a few goats."
But behind those few goats is a lifetime of dedication that most people will never see.
These are the considerations that any goat buyer should be aware of and rightly so also ask of the breeder, to make sure they get what they pay for and are looking for, and are setting themselves up for a successful and loving life with goats 💖
