

For the Love of Goats
Deborah Niemann
We are talking about everything goats! Whether you're an owner, a breeder, or just a fan of these wonderful creatures, we've got you covered. Join host and author Deborah Niemann as she interviews experts and goat lovers so we can all learn more about how to improve the health and production of our goats, improve our relationships, and possibly even start a goat business.Happy anniversary to us! FTLOG is five years old! As we enter our sixth year, you can continue to expect to hear from more goat experts like vet professors and researchers who are on the leading edge of goat research. You’ll also hear from goat owners who have turned their love of goats into a successful business. And this year, you’ll hear more stories about goats and the people who love them. Learn more on our website, fortheloveofgoats.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 17, 2021 • 36min
Copper Deficiency and Toxicity
If you're confused by everything you've heard about copper needs in goats, then hopefully this episode will clear things up.We are joined again by Dr. Robert VanSaun who teaches veterinary science at Pennsylvania State University and specializes in ruminant nutrition, and he debunks common myths while explaining symptoms of deficiency and toxicity, and how they are different, as well as where to start in your copper supplementation program. He also drives home the idea that all nutrition is local, and you can't simply copy what someone is doing on another farm. Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/copper-deficiency-and-toxicity-in-goats/To see the most recent episodes, visit FortheLoveofGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

Mar 10, 2021 • 35min
Worms During Kidding Season
Although we are finally getting the word out that current research shows that you should not routinely deworm goats or deworm the whole herd at one time, one of the last old-fashioned ideas about dewormers is still hanging on -- the idea that you must deworm all does after kidding (or within a week or two before kidding). The fact that does have often have an increase in their fecal egg counts around the time of kidding has caused people to believe that deworming is necessary. However, this comes from a misunderstanding of how correlation in this case does not mean there is a cause and effect.Most people are not aware that worms do NOT hatch inside the goat, so more eggs in a fecal does not equal more worms in the goat. Worms need oxygen to hatch, so they only hatch on pasture. That means that the increase in fecal egg count does not cause the poor body condition that you may see in some does after kidding. In this episode, I am once again talking to Susan Schoenian, a sheep and goat specialist at the University of Maryland Research Center, as we talk about how kidding affects a doe's immune system, as well as what we need to do about it -- or not. And what can we do other than administer a dewormer? Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/worms-during-kidding-season/To see the most recent episodes, visit FortheLoveofGoats.comFor more informationCopper Oxide as a Dewormer Using Dewormers CorrectlyNatural Parasite Control with Sericea LespedezaAmerican Association of Small Ruminant Parasite ControlWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

Mar 3, 2021 • 38min
Colostrum for Baby Goats
I've always referred to colostrum as liquid gold. Whenever someone asks me what they should give a kid when it's born, the answer is short and simple -- colostrum. When a kid is born, the number one goal is to get colostrum into it as soon as possible. After recording this episode, I am even more appreciative of this amazing food that mama goats make for their babies.Dr. Robert Van Saun, a professor of veterinary science at Pennsylvania State University, returns to talk about all of the amazing properties of colostrum, as well as how much kids need, when they need it, and what can mess things up. (Hint: do not milk your goat before she kids!) Dr. Van Saun also talks about how you can tell if colostrum is higher or lower quality, including recent research and how to test colostrum. Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/colostrum-for-baby-goats/To see the most recent episodes, visit FortheLoveofGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

Feb 24, 2021 • 41min
Kidding in Cold Weather
Whether you live in Florida or Canada, odds are good that you will be worried about your goats giving birth when it is cold out. However, the definition of cold can vary dramatically between those two places. When I'm talking to people in southern states, they are worried when temperatures are dipping below 50. Whereas those of us in Illinois and other northern states don't worry too much until it looks like temperatures will be dipping into the single digits or below zero.We've had more kiddings below zero than I can recall at this point, and personally, I'd be happy if it never happened again. There are so many things to worry about at those temperatures, which are not a concern at warmer temperatures. In this episode, I am talking to Lisa and Michael Davis of Sweet Doe Dairy, whom you first met in Episode 18, which was about their gelato dairy in Vermont. Since they have temperatures that are similar to Illinois in winter, I thought it would be interesting to compare stories and experiences about goats giving birth in cold weather. You can follow Sweet Doe Dairy on Facebook and Instagram. Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/kidding-in-cold-weather/To see the most recent episodes, visit FortheLoveofGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

Feb 16, 2021 • 50min
Selenium Deficiency and Toxicity in Goats
Selenium is a very important mineral in a goat's diet. However, since most soil in the U.S. is deficient in selenium, and the U.S. government limits the amount of selenium that can be added to goat feeds and minerals, it's not that easy to make sure your goats get enough selenium. In this episode, I'm talking to veterinary and ruminant nutritionist, Dr. Robert Van Saun, a professor of veterinary science at Pennsylvania State University. He talks about the notorious history of selenium, as well as symptoms of deficiency. You'll learn how much selenium goats need in their diet and how to make sure they are getting it. We also talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly in terms of selenium supplements. (Spoiler alert: So-called "selenium gel" does not actually have enough selenium in it to be helpful for a goat that is actually deficient in selenium.)If you are listening to this episode while driving or milking goats, and you have an urge to start taking notes, remember that the transcript is on the Thrifty Homesteader website, so you can review all of the numbers that Dr. Van Saun shares.Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/selenium-deficiency-and-toxicity-in-goats/To see the most recent episodes, visit FortheLoveofGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

Feb 10, 2021 • 29min
Basics of Goat Research
What is the difference between a controlled study and observations that you make on your farm? In this episode, I’m talking to Joan Burke, Ph.D., who has been researching alternative dewormers in small ruminants for about two decades.In addition to talking about some of her parasite research, we also are debunking some myths that you may have heard. Plus we are talking about the importance of randomly assigning goats to a control group (that receives nothing) to compare to a treatment group, as well as a few others important factors involved in figuring out what treatment caused what response. Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/basics-of-goat-research/To see the most recent episodes, visit FortheLoveofGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

Feb 3, 2021 • 33min
Extended Lactations and "Impromptu" Cheeses
In addition to being the author of the newly released book, Grow Your Own Spices, Tasha Greer is also a homesteader and goat owner. Today we are talking about extended lactations in Nigerian dwarf goats, as well as making cheese without a recipe.Although most people only milk their goats for a few months or a year at most, many goats are capable of continuing to produce milk for two to three years. This is something we've been doing on our farm for awhile, so I was excited to learn that Tasha milks her does for an extended period without rebreeding.Tasha uses her goat milk to make homemade cheese for her family, and we also talk about how she doesn't let her cheesemaking be defined by recipes. Instead, she has created her own unique cheeses.Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/extended-lactations-and-impromptu-cheeses/To see the most recent episodes, visit FortheLoveofGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

Jan 27, 2021 • 36min
Deer Worms in Goats
Meningeal worm, also known as deer worm, is a worm that is normally found in white tail deer, but goats can become infected. In this episode Dr. Tatiana Stanton, a goat and sheep specialist with Cornell University Extension, is talking about how deer worm is different than intestinal worms that goats have, symptoms of an infection, and treatment. Although deer worm is not nearly as common as intestinal worms, they can be much more deadly. While a goat can walk around with thousands of roundworms in its digestive tract, a single deer worm in the spinal column or brain stem can paralyze a goat and even kill it, if it is not treated. Getting treatment started as quickly as possible also plays a big role in a successful outcome.Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/deer-worm-in-goats/To see the most recent episodes, visit FortheLoveofGoats.comFor more information:Deer Worm Factsheet for goat and sheep producers, Cornell UniversityDeer Worm Treatment Protocols, Small Ruminant Parasite Research, Cornell UniversityMeningeal Worm (Deer, Brain Worm) by Dr. Mary Smith, DVM, and Dr. Tatiana Stanton (PowerPoint presentation)Want to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

Jan 6, 2021 • 26min
Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery
If you've had friends taste your cheese and tell you that you should go pro and start selling it, this is the episode for you. Years ago when that happened to me, I visited Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery in Illinois for a two-day workshop to learn more about turning my passion into a business. Unlike most of my guests whom I've only known online, I've personally known Leslie Cooperband and Wes Jarrell for more than a decade, so this is an especially fun episode for me. Leslie tells the story of why they decided to build a creamery and how they got started, as well as some of the lessons learned along the way. Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/prairie-fruits-farm-and-creamery/ To see the most recent episodes, visit FortheLoveofGoats.com Want to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

Dec 30, 2020 • 36min
Meat Goat Genetic Research
If you ask any goat breeder what is their favorite breed, they will most likely tell you it's the breed they are raising. However, there is no perfect breed. Each one has its own pros and cons. In the world of meat goats it is not uncommon to hear people say that boers provide more meat, whereas kikos have better parasite resistance — and the discussion usually ends with those two breeds.Richard Browning, Ph.D., of Tennessee State University, has been studying the genetic differences between boer, kiko, Spanish, and myotonic goats since 2001. In this episode he talks about the differences that they have found in their research herd, which numbers about 250 head.Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/meat-goat-genetic-research/To see the most recent episodes, visit FortheLoveofGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐