5 Tips on How to Raise Grass-Based Dairy Goats

If you clicked on this, you are probably already familiar with the amazing health benefits of grass-fed dairy and meats.  If you're not, click each of those links to learn just a little bit about why pastured animal products are so much better than the typical grain fed foods you find on most grocery shelves. Once you've got that out of the way, you can come back here and learn how to implement a pasture-based system for your own dairy goats! These tips can be applied to other animals, too.

First of all, while most sources will say that 100% grass fed is the way to go, it's really not a feasible system for most small livestock growers. My own animals are not 100% grass fed. However, it is extremely possible to have grass be the basis of your dairy goat's diet while allowing good quality grain -- preferably without soy -- to take up only a very small percentage.

So, without further ado, here are my tips for transitioning your goats to a pasture based system:


1. Find good quality hay. Outside of the growing season, hay will be the main ingredient of your goats' diets. Your hay will essentially be the pasture for your goats, so it is important to find a good source of hay. Your producer should be able to consistently provide you with hay that is not overly dry (and therefore nutritionally dead) or too wet (wet hay will mold or even catch fire). It should also not contain too many unpalatable, stalky pieces or undesirable weeds and should be free from toxic plants or leaves. Your best bet is to build a rapport with a reputable hay provider and purchase from the same person year after year. Many of the best producers, particularly during dry years, will have a waiting list or sell out quickly, so stay on top of this and reserve your hay early in the season.

2. Rotate your pastures. A rotational grazing system is the best way to make optimal use of your land and to keep your goats healthy. The ideal system will actually employ two unrelated livestock species, one of which will graze after the other. For example, you may run horses or pigs on pasture after goats (more on that in the next paragraph). Regardless of whether your system is multi-species, you will need enough pasture areas to allow the land to lay empty between uses. Allowing the land to rest in between periods of grazing allows the grass to grow back to its ideal height -- above 4" -- before its next use. This also prevents your land from becoming bare and washing away into gullies, and it helps prevent your livestock from becoming reinfected with internal parasites.

As your goats browse, they shed parasite eggs and larvae onto the ground. The majority of these little nasties stay below 4" (which is as high as the barber pole worm larvae -- the most common internal parasite in adult goats -- can climb). By rotating your goats off of pasture that has been mostly consumed to or below 4", you prevent them from picking up more parasites. It also helps to graze a different family of livestock species behind your goats, such as pigs or horses. These species do not share many parasites with goats and will be able to "clean" the field. They will also eat down the grass that your goats likely ignored in favor of juicy weeds.

How long you are able to graze your goats in each field and let your other field(s) rest depends on the number of goats you are grazing. A low stocking number will be able to stay on one field longer, while a higher stocking rate will mean rotating them through faster (and may also require more fields through which to rotate them). A good beginning rule of thumb is to allow at least a month for fields to rest in between use. This book by Carol Ekarius is an excellent resource for learning more about rotational grazing practices:

3. Give your goats proper mineral supplementation. Mineral deficiencies can cause all sorts of problems for goats. Goats should always have free choice access to a high quality loose mineral formulated specifically for goats. Do not buy sheep/goat mineral, as sheep cannot have additional copper without suffering from toxicity, while goats absolutely need copper to have a healthy reproductive system, parasite resistance, healthy hair coat, and overall good health and immunity. I prefer to use Sweetlix Meat Maker (non-medicated, and yes, it works just fine for milking animals, too!). Goats have soft tongues and no upper teeth, so a loose mineral is necessary for them to consume enough, and the mineral should be the only source of salt or minerals available. 

Many areas of the country are also either low in copper or high in another element that binds with copper and prevents its appropriate absorption. For this reason, many goat breeders must supplement copper specifically, typically by administering a copper bolus every 4-6 months. It is also a common practice to supplement selenium through selenium/vit e gel. In my own herd, I administer copper boli every four months and selenium/vit e gel to prior to breeding and one month before kidding in pregnant does. This system works very well for me, and the results from the copper supplementation are incredible. Signs of copper deficiency include "fish tail" (balding of the tip of the tail); dull, faded, or rough coats; failure to shed the winter coat; failure to conceive or carry pregnancy to term; low birth rates; difficulty resisting parasite infestation; and, in severe cases, continual decline resulting in death. Selenium deficiency causes white muscle disease, failure to conceive, low birth rates, impaired vision, weight loss, and kids born with weak legs that may fold under at the pasterns and/or an inability to stand. 

To learn if your area is deficient in copper or selenium, check out these mineral maps, ask reputable breeders or livestock veterinarians in your area, and watch for the signs of deficiency. You can also have your forage and water checked for mineral levels (check for both the minerals you need and the minerals that will bind with them and prevent absorption, such as sulfur) and, in a worst case scenario, have your deceased goat's liver biopsied for mineral levels.

This is a map of copper levels in the US. Remember that other minerals also bind with copper to prevent absorption. Where your hay or pellets come from matters as well. My location is in the blue, but I still have to supplement copper regularly.

4. Choose your feed wisely. Lactating does and does in late pregnancy have higher nutritional needs that dry does, wethers, or bucks. They will need supplemental feed beyond grass hay and browse in order to maintain their body condition and produce milk. Alfalfa, which is technically a legume and not a grass, is needed for them to meet their bodies' high demand for calcium. Some areas of the country can find alfalfa hay, but it can be difficult to find in some locations. In my location, the best source for alfalfa is in pellet form, and this is what I feed my girls when they are producing. Choose a brand with pellets that have a low dust amount and a good green color (not a dull brownish shade). 

In most cases, producing does also need some amount of grain. Grain will be a small portion of the diet, because while the does will only receive grain once or twice a day on the milk stand, they will be eating browse or grass hay all day long. Appropriate amounts of grain are not evil! Supplementing an animal with grain when it makes sense and is necessary is not going to be detrimental to the animal or to you; in fact, it will be beneficial because it will keep the animal in good condition and support a higher level of production. This is not the same as sticking your goats on dry lot and feeding them nothing but grain, which will definitely impact the health of the animal and the quality of the milk.

You should still choose good sources of grain. I prefer to stay away from soy, and so I have transitioned my girls from a premade goat pellet to a hand made mix. I am following the recipe #3 on the Land of Havilah website. I recommend staying away from soy for a number of reasons, but if mixing your own is out of the question for you, you can look for organic livestock feeds or soy-free brands. If this is also impossible for you, avoid sweet feeds with high molasses contents and provide a pellet formulated for goats. Grain of any kind in too high of quantities is bad for the rumen and can cause excess weight gain and acidosis. Grain should also not be fed to bucks or wethers in order to prevent urinary calculi. The generally recommended ratio of alfalfa to grain is 3:1. A good rule of thumb for feeding grain is to feed 1lb for every 3lbs of milk your doe is producing. This should be adjusted to how well your doe is maintaining her body condition. If she is dropping weight (and is not suffering from a parasite overload or illness), she needs more; if she is getting fat, she needs less. Be very careful not to start giving grain too early or too much in pregnancy as this can lead to over-sized kids and ketosis and/or hypocalcemia. 

I personally start giving very small amounts of grain in the last week or two of pregnancy and then gradually increase after the doe gives birth. While milking, I allow my does to eat as much alfalfa pellets as they want on the stand (unless they're really going overboard or gaining too much weight) alongside the appropriate amount of grain. 

Browsing is fun for all ages! 

5. Make changes slowly. All dietary changes for goats (or any animal) should be made slowly. Goats have a delicate digestive system and can suffer from dangerous and potentially deadly bloat is they are transitioned from one diet to another too quickly. If your goats have not previously been on pasture, introduce them gradually by allowing them to be out for 30 minutes to an hour the first day and increasing that time by 30 minutes to an hour each day until they are spending the entire day on pasture. At that point you can continue to lock them in the barn at night for increased safety or you can allow them to remain out 24/7 as long as they have appropriate shelter available. Always provide your goats with free choice baking soda to settle their rumen if it becomes upset. They will eat baking soda instinctively if they need to alter their rumen ph. Also know the signs of bloat and be prepared to treat it. If your goats seem a little off after a change in feed but aren't showing signs of bloat yet, massage their left side (the location of the rumen) until they begin to burp and pass gas. Some loose stool after the introduction to new, rich forage is not something to be concerned about unless it is excessive or does not go away. Just limit their time out a little and increase it more slowly and their stool should return to normal within a day.

Goats will eat many weeds that other species, like horses, typically will not. 

Bonus! 

6. Check your pastures for toxic plants. The toxicity of many plants for goats is debated. Many, including myself, believe that the level of exposure greatly impacts whether or not some types of plants thought to be toxic will harm your goats. However, you should be aware of toxic plants in your area and know that some -- like Yew or the leaves of stone fruit trees (cherry, peach, plum) -- are deadly even in small amounts. Watch out for these plants and do not graze goats in areas that contain them. Also beware of leaving your goats on pasture too long, because the plants they might have avoided eating at first -- which may or may not be toxic to them -- will become more appetizing as the other options diminish. Fiasco Farms website has a good article on toxic plants. You can check with your extension office or do a search to find what toxic plants are native to your particular area. Do not allow people to feed your goats clippings (and avoid doing so yourself) unless you are absolutely sure that the plant is safe.

Having pasture-based goats is very simple once you are set up for it. It's truly a natural lifestyle for the goats, and they will be very content when eating browse. Even though you should provide grass hay during the summer for them to munch during barn rest or rain (goats need to eat frequently to keep their rumen going), they will eat very little when they have ample browse. You may even be surprised to find that your milking does voluntarily eat less grain when they are on pasture! :)