Even though my husband has had more cases of skin cancer than I can remember, it never occurred to me that goats could ever be a victim of that disease. Over the past 20 years, my husband has had it … Read More
It’s not unusual this time of year to see people complaining on social media about infertility in their goats. Some people are quick to start injecting does with hormones, but many cases of infertility are caused by mineral deficiencies. If … Read More
The first year we had goat kids I took them to the vet to be castrated surgically because I read that it was the most humane method. It was the first and last time I ever did that. The vet … Read More
We started using alfalfa pellets years ago when we had goats that could finish all their grain faster than we could milk them. If goats get too much grain, they’ll get diarrhea and a host of other health problems. And … Read More
A lot of people have goats with classic symptoms of copper deficiency, but they’re afraid to supplement their goats with copper because they’ve been told that it could be toxic. I can understand their concern. We thought our goats were … Read More
If a kid is born that is too weak to stand or suckle, and you’ve treated with selenium, but the symptoms don’t improve, the real problem could be vitamin E deficiency. Vitamin E is also important for proper functioning of … Read More
You’ve decided you want your own fresh eggs or goat cheese, so you find a few chickens or goats, bring ’em home and start enjoying the bounty, right? Wrong! Buying livestock is a big responsibility, and it’s different from having … Read More
There is really nothing new about buck aprons, but they are new in the US and Canada, and lots of people are asking about them. Does a buck apron work? Should you buy one or make one? How do you … Read More
Selenium is a micronutrient needed by goats (and lots of other living creatures). Although they only need a little, a deficiency can cause big problems. When goats don’t have enough selenium, does may have trouble getting pregnant, are more likely … Read More
When you decide to start a homestead, whether in the city or country, it can be tempting to buy a few critters of every species that you can afford and that your property or home owner’s association will allow. But … Read More
Thrifty Homesteader was created in 2012 after the publication of my second book, Ecothrifty. The name was coined by one of my followers because I said that I didn’t want anyone to think that they had to be rich to homestead or live a greener life....
