Feeding
 
Contrary to popular belief, goats do NOT eat everything - including tin cans!  I've found my goats to be quite finicky critters.   Many people feed alfalfa, but we've found our goats eat the leaf off the alfalfa and leave the stems, which leads to alot of waste!  And alot of it locally is very high in protein for dairy cattle and led to some very fat goats one winter.  We've gone to free choice feeding local good quality mixed second crop mostly grass hay, which has hardly any waste, and supplementing with alfalfa pellets.  Our goats seem to do quite well on this plan and look and act healthy.  We also allow our goats access to pasture when the weather is permitting.  UPDATE - Alfalfa pellets are so pricey in our area now ($13 per 50 lbs) and alfalfa hay so much cheaper that we went the way of alfalfa hay this year and free choice grass hay.  However, they sure do waste a lot of stems and we end up feeding this "waste" to the donkeys and steer.  Still searching for the perfect hay...
 
Our bucks, growing retained kids and does are separated into groups.  Everyone receives the same hay, mineral and fresh water daily, but their grain (a/k/a concentrate) depends on the goat's life stage and "job" (breeding, growing, milking, etc.).  We feed a pelleted goat specific concentrate, 16% for milking does and 16% medicated for coccidia prevention and Ammonium Chloride for urinary calculi for bucks and growing kids.  The feed we use does NOT contain Urea or animal by-products, which are not utilized properly by goats.
 
We feed a quality free choice loose goat specific mineral mixed with kelp and Diamond V Yeast.  The mineral is high in copper (which is necessary for proper goat health, they are NOT copper sensitive like sheep).  Our goats also get Bo-Se (selenium) shots prior to breeding, kidding and at birth.
 
Health Care
 
Our adult goats are tested annually for CAE at WSU.  We have never had symptoms nor a positive.  Our goats also come from herds that practice prevention and are "clean" as well.  Our last testing was February 2010, all negative again!   We tested in 2010 for CAE, CL and Johnes with all being negative.  Also, no symptoms of any nor any positives in our herd, ever.
 
We have never had an abcess of any kind in our herd.  Nor have any of the herds we have purchased from.

 
 
Our kids receive CD&T shots at 8 & 12 weeks of age and Pasturella (Pneumonia) vaccine at 6 months.  Our does are vaccinated one month prior to kidding and bucks are vaccinated annually with CD&T and Pasturella vaccines.
 
We trim hooves 4-6 times a year.  Some goats have hooves that grow quite fast and some hardly grow at all.  But in a pasture situation as we have with no rocks and other fun things for goats to climb on, hoof trimming is necessary.
 
We currently use chemical dewormers in our goats, about 4 times a year.  We rotate between Ivermectin (Ivomec injectible orally)and Moxidectin (horse Quest Plus - gets tapeworms as well - orally).  There are herbal deworming products available, but with my busy schedule, I would forget to keep up with the rigorous schedule of doing this.
 
Kids are almost always dam raised and receive 5 day oral coccidia prevention starting at 20 days and every 20 days after until weaned (they are then eating their pelleted feed with prevention in it).
 
Housing
 
We do not lock our goats inside ever, even in the cold Wisconsin winters.  We use (and totally love them!) Poly-Dome calf hutches for the goats.  Each paddock has Poly-Domes in it for the goats to come and go as they please.  We do have a large insulated/heated area to kid does in if the weather isn't cooperating or if I forget how much the electric bill is and breed for February kiddings.
 
We have large 3 sided run in sheds where we feed hay.  Kids also get dog houses to cuddle up in on those chilly nights.
 
Our does and their nursing kids have access to 3 acres of pasture.  The bucks have a pen approximately 75x75 and there are a couple "holding pens" we use for weaning or birthing that are 20x50.  All our fencing is hog panels or field fencing.
 
We firmly believe that goats need space, are healthier and happier when they have space.  We also build them goat play lands to help them enrich their minds (LOL!) and keep them out of trouble.
 
This is just a summary of how we do things on our farm and what we recommend to purchasers.  It is by no means perfect, but it works for us and seems to give us a happy and healthy herd!