How to Take Care of a Goat
It is always a lot of fun and very enjoyable to get a new pet. A goat is considered as much a pet as a cat or dog by a lot of people. Goats are very low maintenance animals and you need very little to keep your goat healthy and happy.
The first thing you need is a shelter of some sort. I have a miniature goat so what I use for his shelter is a large, wooden dog house. He is able to go in and out as he pleases. You want to make sure to put something down as bedding for your goat. I just pull grass and put it on the bottom of his house. Or you can just purchase straw to use as bedding. You want to change it out once a week.
As for what goats like to eat, grass. I got my goat as a baby, so he has been trained to be on a leash. So every morning I just take him to a different area of the yard and he is there for the majority of the day. If it rains or is really cold outside, I do not take him out. I bought feed for goats for $7 for a 50 lb. bag and put it in a large storage container with a lid. So he gets the feed when he can't go out and eat during the day. I usually give him some as a treat in the evenings as well, but just a small amount.
What to Feed a Goat
The other thing you can get for your goat(s) is some hay to eat when it is cold or rainy out. Although, when goats are used to eating green grass, they will most likely not eat the hay unless they are really, really hungry.
Of course, make sure you goat has water.
Goats also like what is called a salt lick. You can buy these for cheap and besides goats liking them, there is actually minerals that goats need in them.
Goats in a Pen
If you have larger goats, or just prefer to put them into a pen. You want to make sure that it is secure. Goats like to jump around and males like to "butt" things. So chances are your goat(s) will be hitting your fencing or stakes. You want to put grass or straw on the bottom, and make sure there is a section that they can go that is completely dry for when it rains.
Make sure to clean out the pen once a week. You don't want the goats walking around on their feces because this can lead to diseases.
Goat manure is great for plants and gardens. So you may want to save it and put in in your pots for plants or add it to your garden and you'll have fabulous vegetables and fruits !
