The children chased the chickens. They couldn’t understand why the chickens didn’t want to cuddle. Last week was the first week of Nature’s Farm Camp on our homestead, and I had to explain farm animal psychology to the children. I … Read More
Parasites are the leading cause of death in goats. Although people usually think of intestinal worms immediately, coccidia are intestinal protozoa that can cause death in kids, as well as diarrhea and overall poor body condition. Just as over-reliance on … Read More
If you are new to goats, you probably have dozens of questions about kidding, which is when goats give birth to kids. Here are a few resources for you to help you understand the process and know what to expect. … Read More
When you raise goats, it’s easy to forget that bucks have needs too. Since does are the ones producing the kids and the milk, it’s obvious that they need special attention. Because bucks are only producing sperm, it seems like … Read More
A lot of people new to goats think a kid is “fat” when it has a big belly. However, a big belly — sometimes called “hay belly” — is a sign of malnutrition, either from a parasite overload or not … Read More
There is no shortage of forums and Internet groups where you can sign on and start asking questions or posting comments about goat keeping. This can be a wonderful way to learn and share information, but there is also the … Read More
Over the past few years, I’ve noticed an increasing amount of advice directing goat breeders to routinely intervene in the births of every goat. Not only is this unwarranted, but the risks far outweigh the benefits because it can result … Read More
If fighting internal parasites with dewormers is ultimately a losing battle, what can you do to keep your goats healthy and productive? There are a number of environmental controls that can be utilized to eliminate parasite problems almost entirely. If … Read More
Internal Parasites It is a well-known fact that internal parasites are the leading cause of death among goats. Unfortunately, it is a problem of our own making. You have probably heard of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, which resulted from the overuse of … Read More
I started my herd with three does and a buck. Knowing that goats are herd animals and need company, I was buying my buck from a breeder who was going to give me a wether for company. However, after driving … 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....
