goat nutrition

In the middle of an especially cold January in 2010 with temperatures falling below zero most nights, my bucks began losing large chunks of hair. There were bare patches of skin as large as two or three inches across in … 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

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

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

Knowledge of goat nutrition has changed drastically in the last two decades. Twenty years ago, goats were lumped into the same category as sheep, and most people believed they didn’t need copper. Ten years ago, most vets realized goats needed … Read More

More than ten years ago when my goats had severe fertility problems, and my bucks all died before the age of three, an experienced breeder suggested that we might have a problem with copper deficiency. My teenage daughter did a … Read More