Come along as I share how to raise goats in your backyard-suburban homesteading style! I share all about raising backyard goats, pen inspiration and more.
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Is it legal to have backyard goats?
Before you dive into the world of backyard goat keeping, you will need to check your towns ordinance to see if it is even legal to have backyard goats in your area. This is crucial! There would be nothing worse than to bring home your adorable baby goat then have to give it away.
Most towns have regulations regarding livestock. Even raising backyard chickens can vary from city to city! So, make sure to check on your towns local ordinance on raising goats to make sure you are following the rules.
Now, on to the fun stuff!
How to raise goats in your backyard-suburban homesteading!
What is suburban homesteading?
Suburban Homesteading is about taking the core values of homesteading-self-sufficiency, sustainability and simplicity and applying that to your way of life (small property/home, apartment balcony, etc) and somewhere along the way, you may fall in love with slow days, baking bread, backyard DIY projects, and BABY GOATS!
About my suburban homestead
Our little blue homestead is a 900 sqft house in the middle of a small town, on less than half an acre. We raise chickens, goats, ducks, have a small vegetable garden and grow our own cut flowers. We hope to add bees to our suburban backyard farm next.
We believe in doing what you can, with what you have. We truly believe anyone can be a homesteader, no matter where you live (even an apartment!) If you can’t do it on a smaller scale, how will you ever be able to do it on a larger scale?
How to raise backyard goats
When we first decided to add goats to our backyard homestead, I read a book called ‘little house in the suburbs’ that mentioned mini goats (or dwarf goats) making great backyard pets.
There are a few things to think about when you are ready to purchase your goats and a few things to consider!
Goats can’t be alone. They need a friend! Goats are herd animals, so being left alone would be detrimental to their overall health.
What breed of goat is best for backyards?
When deciding what type of goats you want to get, you need to first decide the reason you want the goat. Is it for milk production, cheesemaking, or simply because they are cute? Their are also meat goats.
I’ll be honest! At the time, we got our goats simply because they were cute. My children had begged for baby goats for months, and I wasn’t sure If I was ready to commit to milking a goat everyday. I figured if we got two healthy goats and enjoyed them, we could always add dairy goats later. They really do make good pets.
There are many different breeds of goats. Most backyard goat keepers tend to lean toward dwarf breeds of goats like Pygmy goats or Nigerian dwarf goats simply because they stay small. They also can produce milk. You can use goat milk to make soaps, lotions, and even cheese.
Garlic and chive goat cheese, anyone? Yummm.
Just make sure you choose the right breed when picking out a goat to add to your backyard suburban homestead.
Will you start with bottle fed baby goats, young goats that have already been weaned or adult goats?
There are benefits to either option you choose.
Bottle fed babies usually have better personalities and make better pets since they depended on you to feed them. It creates a bond between you and the goat. But, it is a lot of work and requires feeding your baby goat every 2-4 hrs, even in the rain! Is there anything else cuter than watching a baby goat take a bottle?! Yes actually, 2 baby goats taking a bottle!
A young goat that has already been weaned is a great option as well. They are still small enough to put in baby pajamas and tote around, but without the added inconvenience of bottle feeding around the clock. Also, still plenty of time to bond!
Buying an adult goat is still a great option, just make sure their personality aligns with what you are wanting out of the animal. Otherwise, you could end up with what was once somebody else’s problem. Be extra mindful of getting an adult goat if you have young kids.
What supplies do you need to care for backyard goats?
Goats are escape artist so you will need secure fencing like cattle panel to keep them in. The most obvious thing you will need for your backyard goats is fresh water, quality hay and goat feed (pellets). Goats also love to forage and graze on grass or other shrubs, if you let them. Goats love a balanced diet! They also love a good mineral supplement or mineral block.
Backyard goats also need a pen and a shelter to stay out of the weather and a few things to climb on so they don’t get bored!
Don’t forget water containers, feeding troughs, and something to hold your hay!
Goats will make anything a playground. Old tractor tires, kiddy playgrounds and slides will do the trick to keep them out of trouble. Most of the time, goats don’t escape unless they are lacking something. Happy goats=easier goats.
How big of a backyard do you need for a goat?
Goats need at least 200 square feet of space per adult goat to live comfortably and happily!
A fenced in area with climbing structures or a pasture for free-ranging is ideal for their well-being. Goats are active climbers and explorers, so a good amount of space and climbing platforms are essential.
Don’t forget to add a shelter to your backyard goat pen. This will keep them out of the weather, the sun, etc.
How to build a fence for backyard goats
When building a fence or a pen for your backyard goats, keep in mind how much space you will need and just how tall you will need to make your fencing to ensure your goats can’t jump over it.
By the way, Just because you have a dwarf goat does not mean they can’t jump as high! I am speaking from experience. Our smallest goat, Goose, jumps the highest and is our escape artist. I don’t think our pgmy goat has ever escaped.
You may even consider electric fencing or a chain-link fence. Another good idea is creating a small farm type fencing using cattle panel and post. This is what we did. I’ll share the details of how we made our backyard goat pen and shelter below.
For the goat housing, or shelter, we got lucky and scored what was listed on Facebook marketplace as a ‘dog house’ for $100 (it was HUGE) and exactly what we were going to build. It had proper ventilation and the perfect amount of space. Score!
How we built our backyard goat pen
First, we started by adding our post into the ground with concrete. We let them dry overnight then proceeded to install the rest of the fencing the next day.
The next day, we added cattle fencing and the railing. PSA, we should have use something stronger for the rails! It wasn’t long before they knocked my pretty fence rails down. Go with the good stuff.
Next, I built the goats an adorable little gate! I don’t have exact plans for this because I just winged it. But, I have included some step by step pictures below.
I used the edge of a tin can lid to trace a circle shape onto my gate, then cut the wood with a jig saw. My husband added hinges and we attached it to the fencing.
TIP: When buying the cattle fencing, I strongly suggest getting 2×4’s instead of 4×4 or 6×6 squares. The baby goats can fit through those squares (believe it or not!) or worse, they can get stuck and injure themselves. We had to end up going back and buying another cattle panel to make our squares smaller because our goats would walk straight through them.
How to keep your backyard goat pen clean
The best way to keep the goat pen clean that I have found is by laying wood shavings and walking through with a rake twice a week or as needed to pick up the poo.
All about our backyard baby goats!
Our backyard goats are named Goose and Frankie. Goose is a Nigerian dwarf goat and Frankie is pgmy dwarf breed. Nigerian dwarf goats tend to stay smaller than pgmy goats so even at a 2 months older, Goose was always the little guy.
Our goats were bottle babies. We brought them bottles all through out the day and scheduled our days around their feeds. It was fun and absolutely adorable, but now that that is out of our system, next time I will get a young goat that has already been weaned just for the ease of it.
Goose even lived in the house for a week or so until our other baby goat was ready to bring home. We kept him in a diaper and baby pajamas. It was the sweetest thing EVER!!
Both of our goats are wethers (male goats that have been castrated) This is to help keep that billy goat smell down.
Male goats that are not fixed, will pee on themselves in order to attract the ladies (yuck) Plus, I have heard wethers make better pets than female goats do. Again, all depends on what your goats purpose is! Milk production, meat production, pet, etc.
Raising backyard Goats on a suburban homestead FAQ
Are goats loud? Will my neighbors hear them?
They can definitely be loud, but I would say no louder than a dog barking. The only time my goats are lou is when they are hungry! As long as I feed them at their usual times, you would never know they were back there!
How much do goats cost?
I think this would depend on your area and breed of goat. But in our area, a healthy backyard goat costed around $150-$200.
Are goats trouble?
They can be! Without proper fencing, entertainment and feed, they can definitely be trouble. Goats are like toddlers, always ready for a snack and playtime. As long as you have good fencing and feed them, they are no trouble at all! Almost like a cat.
Do backyard goats eat everything?
They will! If they escape out of their pen, they will 100% eat your shrubs, garden or any other plant you love. Speaking from experience. Make sure they can not escape!
Do you get milk from the goats?
We do not milk our goats, but I would consider a bred doe for milking in the future, for sure!
TIPS:
Did you know goats have no top teeth, no claws, and are weather hardy?
One benefit of keeping goats is you can use the goat manure for compost piles!
You get your goats debudded. This is to remove the horns. It is usually done for safety of the goat and yourself (escepially if you have young kids) or other animals. For backyard goats, this is totally a preference. Ours were debudded already when we bought them. Goose’s ended up growing back anyway.
and that’s how you raise backyard goats on a suburban homestead!
If you have any more questions about suburban homesteading or how to raise backyard goats, I’d be happy to answer them! Just leave me a comment below. See you later, friends!
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