For the Love of Goats

If you ever thought about starting a commercial dairy, today's episode is for you. I am talking to a couple of New Yorkers who moved to Vermont to start a goat dairy selling gelato! Michael and Lisa Davis talk about the realities of having a goat dairy, from both the perspective of raising goats, as well as making gelato.Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/gelato-with-nigerian-dwarf-goat-milk/To see the most recent episodes, visit FortheLoveofGoats.com3:20 the decision to start a herd of Nigerian Dwarf goats for the dairy6:22 finances8:00 growing a herd and selling goats13:08 unusual expenses of having a dairy (cleaning agents, nutritional info on labeling, daily testing, and more!)18:29 cost of infrastructure, budgeting, working with state inspectors26:25 graduating from making personal ice cream in your home kitchen to creating a business selling gelato30:16 why not sell ice cream or cheese?34:40 the difference between gelato and ice creamWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. 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! 🐐

The San Clemente Island Goat originally came from off the coast of California where they had become so invasive that the government started an eradication program in the late 1970s. Today less than a thousand of these goats are found in small herds around the US and Canada. In this episode I'm talking to Erin Link, who raises them and helped to start the new breeders association. In addition to having a goat meat CSA, Erin also milks her goats and sells goat milk soap to raise awareness about the breed.Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/rare-san-clemente-island-goats/ To see the most recent episodes, visit FortheLoveofGoats.com 5:30 making soap7:15 milk production15:00 size of the goats17:00 selling goat meat through a CSA20:18 history of the breed23:00 San Clemente Island Goat Breeders Association26:00 registering goatsCIG Breeders Association websiteSCIG Breeders Facebook pageSCIG Breeders Association Facebook pageEB Ranch LLC websiteEB Ranch LLC Facebook pageEB Ranch LLC InstagramWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarStandlee Premium Western ForageWe've been using and loving hay pellets from Standlee Premium Western Forage for more than 10 years!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Thanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. 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! 🐐

Learn about your responsibilities and liabilities as a goat owner with Eva Moss, Farmer and Partner Development Manager at Farm Commons, which is a non-profit specializing in legal education for farmers.Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/goat-law/ To see the most recent episodes, visit  FortheLoveofGoats.com 2:50 zoning6:20 goat yoga7:20 liability8:30 signed waivers10:00 agritourism liability statutes11:56 insurance17:40 incorporation20:49 types of business entitities24:00 liability for goat bite and rabies31:22 product liabilityFor more information about farming and legal issues, visit Farm Commons. Want to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. 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! 🐐

Steve Hart, Ph.D., of Langston University talks about roundworms in goats, including the infamous barber pole worm, which causes a lot of heartache and financial loss for goat owners every summer. Did you know ...?a barber pole worm can lay 2000-6000 eggs per day can consume a pint of blood per week from your goatthe larvae survives on pasture by eating the e.coli in the fecal pelletsthe larvae can survive on pasture for up to three months if temperatures are in the 50sDr. Hart explains why this worm is such a problem for goats and their owners, as well as what you can do about them. We also talk about other roundworms and how they cause different symptoms than the barber pole worm. Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/roundworms-and-goats/To see the most recent episodes, visit FortheLoveofGoats.com2:54 barber pole worm9:50 risk factors for goats10:55 dewormer resistance12:14 integrated pest (parasite) management14:00 FAMACHA15:11 5-point check17:20 using dewormers21:35 Bioworma23:12 creating a parasite management planWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. 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! 🐐

Do you want dairy goats but don't have a farm in the countryside? It is possible to have goats in many cities, but there are a few unique challenges. In today's episode, I'm talking to Glenna Rose of Vancouver, Washington about the Nigerian dwarf dairy goats that live in her backyard and provide her with milk that she uses to make ice cream, cheese, and more. We talk about fencing, housing, milking, birthing, and how to handle neighbors who want to feed your goats or who may worry about your screaming goat in heat. Today's episode is sponsored by Standlee Premium Western Forage, maker of my goats' favorite alfalfa pellets. Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/dairy-goats-in-the-city/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-jarStandlee Premium Western ForageWe've been using and loving hay pellets from Standlee Premium Western Forage for more than 10 years!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Thanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. 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! 🐐

Today I'm talking to Matt Ruben who has two pet wethers in Chicago. If you live in the city and wonder if pet goats are right for you, here's what we're talking about:choosing does (female goats) or wethers (castrated males)dealing with noise and being a good neighborlegalities of having goats in the citydealing with poopbuying and storing haychallenges of finding a goat vetand more!Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/pet-goats-in-the-city/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! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. 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! 🐐

Have you ever wished you could attend a few goat births with a mentor? That's the idea behind my newest book, Goats Giving Birth! In today's episode I'm reading the introduction, as well as the first birth story in the first chapter. The book includes more than 20 birth stories from normal to complicated to tragic. Each birth includes two parts -- the original blog post that I wrote when the birth occurred and then my thoughts on the birth today. It also includes dozens of full-color photographs of births.Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/goats-giving-birth/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! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. 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! 🐐

If you are thinking of getting goats, this is the episode for you. I'm busting myths and telling you about things you need to think about before buying your first goats. And yes, that's goats with an s at the end. Goats are herd animals, which means they need at least one other goat friend. You can't have just one, and I explain why.This is also a good episode for breeders to share with potential buyers!I talk about the need for goats to give birth before making milk, as well as the need for them to give birth again to continue making milk. I explain why you can't just tie a goat out in the yard and why you need good fencing and housing to keep your goats safe and healthy. And if you were thinking about keeping a goat in your house, I'll share some stories from my youngest daughter's teen years when she thought she needed to have at least one baby goat in the house every spring. If you live in an urban area, you'll definitely need to hear about the unique challenges faced by people who keep goats in a city. Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/thinking-of-getting-goats/ To see the most recent episodes, visit FortheLoveofGoats.com For more information check out the following episodes that I talk about during the show:Forage and Feeding GoatsElectric FencingHousing and EquipmentWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarStandlee Premium Western ForageWe've been using and loving hay pellets from Standlee Premium Western Forage for more than 10 years!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Thanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. 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! 🐐

If you own goats, you only get one chance to get fencing right. One of the first things I learned about goats was that they were too smart for me to use a sub-standard fencing option. When people say that goats are hard to keep fenced in, that's because they're not using the right kind of fencing. Any animal is hard to keep fenced in if you use the wrong kind of fencing. In this episode I'm talking to Joe Putnam of Premier 1 Supplies, the company that  makes my favorite brand of electric fencing. I've been using it since at least 2004 or so. He talks about everything you need to know to get your fencing right -- the first time. We're talking about pulse, joules, volts, amps, and ohms, as well as energizers, conductors, and insulators. This information will be helpful to anyone who wants to use electric fencing, regardless of whether or not it's from Premier 1. Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/electric-fencing/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! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. 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! 🐐

This episode includes a basic equipment list for goats, as well as what goats need for housing. You'll learn what you need -- and what you don't. We'll answer these questions:Why do you need a hay feeder?Why do you need a mineral feeder for loose minerals rather than just getting a mineral block?Why is a water bucket is better than a water trough -- and why are two 2-gallon buckets better than a 5-gallon bucket?What's the best kind of feed pan to use?Why do you need hoof trimmers? (Who trims a goat's hooves in nature?)Why do you need a thermometer?What can you use a milk stand for (other than milking a goat)?Why should your barn NOT be insulated or heated?This is a must-listen episode for anyone new to goats. And if you breed goats, this is a good one to recommend to buyers so that you can be sure they have what they need before taking home your babies.The full show notes include links to information on what goats eat and what minerals they need, as well as photos of housing, feeders, and other equipment and a hoof trimming video.Full show notes here --- https://thriftyhomesteader.com/equipment-and-housing-for-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-jarStandlee Premium Western ForageWe've been using and loving hay pellets from Standlee Premium Western Forage for more than 10 years!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Thanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. 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! 🐐