Episode 126 For the Love of Goats Who wouldn’t love free food for your goats? But before you call your local brewer or distiller and ask if you can pick up their spent grain, listen to this episode with Dr. Robert VanSaun, vet professor and ruminant nutritionist at Pennsylvania State University. Spent brewers grain and distillers grain are popular feed for cattle, but are less commonly used to feed goats. We’ve used brew grain to feed our pigs and chickens for about ten years, but have shied away from feeding it to our goats because it doesn’t come with a guaranteed nutritional analysis or ev ..read more

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. When it comes to raising backyard chickens, one of the first decisions a new owner must make is whether to build or buy a chicken coop. Both options have advantages and disadvantages and ultimately depends on the individual’s needs and preferences. Building a chicken coop from scratch allows for complete customization and control over the design and materials used. For those who enjoy woodworking and construction, it can also be a fun and rewarding DIY project. However, building a coop can be time-consuming and requires some skill and ..read more

Miniature cows are a popular livestock option for small farms and homesteads. They are smaller in size than traditional breeds, making them easier to handle and requiring less space and feed. Despite their smaller stature, miniature cows still provide milk, meat, and even companionship for their owners. While there are many breeds of miniature cows, some of the most popular include the Irish Dexter, Kerry, Shetland, Miniature Hereford, and Miniature Jersey. These breeds typically weigh between 500-1000 pounds and stand at around 36-48 inches tall. Compared to traditional breeds, which can wei ..read more

Episode 125 For the Love of Goats If you’ve been looking for a smaller breed of goat that’s parasite resistant, has excellent mothering skills, and comes in a variety of colors, the Arapawa goat from New Zealand might be a good fit, especially if you are interested in conserving rare breeds. In this episode, we are joined by Emily Nyman, Arapawa Goat Breeders Association President and Livestock Coordinator at Conner Prairie in Indiana, a living history farm museum that has a herd of Arapawa. Their feral history means that this breed is very hardy, but there are also challenges for those who w ..read more

Episode 124 For the Love of Goats Can goats threaten your health if you’re a pregnant woman? If you are a woman, there are some specific precautions you should be taking with goats giving birth and also when using drugs for synchronization. Dr. Jamie Stewart, Assistant Professor at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and a reproductive specialist, is talking about zoonotic diseases that are of special concern to pregnant women, including toxoplasmosis, chlamydia, campylobacter, brucellosis, and q-fever. We talk about wearing gloves, a face mask, and even eye protection to pro ..read more

By Tammy Churchill A thrifty way of handling your homestead’s waste products is composting without a bin, just like Mother Nature does it. By using a method outlined below, you can speed up the natural decomposition process. Not only does that mean you will have nutrient-rich material to enrich your soil faster, more importantly for those of you with livestock, it decreases the volume of animal waste. NOTE: Before you start on your composting journey, particularly if you would like to compost without a bin, please be sure to check your local ordinances to see if you are allowed open piles. Th ..read more

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Hatching chicks can be an exciting and rewarding experience for those interested in raising chickens. However, the process of hatching chicken eggs can seem daunting for beginners. In this article, we will explore the basics of hatching chicks and provide step-by-step instructions on how to hatch chicken eggs in an incubator. Understanding the Basics of Egg Incubation Understanding the basics of egg incubation is essential to ensure a successful hatch. This section will cover the types of incubators, incubation period, and conditions n ..read more

Pygmy goats are a miniature breed of domestic goat that originated in Africa. They are a popular choice as pets due to their manageable size, friendly demeanor, and low maintenance requirements. Despite their small size, pygmy goats are hardy and adaptable animals that can thrive in a variety of climates and environments. History and Origin of Pygmy Goats Pygmy goats are a breed of domestic goats that originated in West Africa, specifically in the Cameroon Valley. They are also known as African Pygmy. These goats were primarily kept by the Bantu tribe in Cameroon for their meat and milk. They ..read more

Episode 123 For the Love of Goats If you’ve ever had a goat with wonky knees, today’s episode will shed some light on the problem. When a goat has carpal hyperextension, it means that the knees bend backwards rather than being straight. We are joined today by Dr. Erica McKenzie, Professor of Large Animal Medicine, Oregon State University and Dr. Leah Streb, 3rd year Laboratory Animal Medicine Resident, UC Davis, who are just putting the finishing touches on the first study ever to look at this disease. They are talking about how it is diagnosed and the possible genetic link that they are seei ..read more

Episode 122 For the Love of Goats Have you ever had a goat get an udder even though you are 100% sure she has not been anywhere close to a buck so could not possibly be pregnant? Normally, goats have to go through pregnancy and have a baby before they produce milk, but it’s not impossible for a doe to start making milk without getting pregnant. A precocious udder is one that fills up with milk even though the doe has not been bred. Most of these will just go away as mysteriously as they appeared with no intervention needed. However, that is not always the case. In this episode, we are talking ..read more