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How Many Goats Should I Have?

how many goats should i get

You want to bring home another goat to the herd. But you ask yourself, how many goats should I have?

If you have to ask yourself this question, then this article is just for you. You will learn how many goats are too many and how many are just right.

Raising goats for beginners can be a handful and challenging. One of the few things to consider is how many goats a beginner should start with.

How many goats should be in a herd if you already have existing goats? This guide will show the suitable number of does and bucks to keep on your farm.

how many goats should I have

How Many Goats Should I Get in General?

The quantity of goats is an essential element on your goat starter list. Most people make a mistake by getting only one goat.

Raising goats for beginners may be overwhelming at first, but this doesn’t mean you should only get one goat. They are social animals and can thrive in the company of other goats.

If you only buy a single goat, they will get lonely and noisy, hoping to call out other goats in the area. Knowing how to get started with goats includes obtaining at least two goats on your purchase.

It keeps your goats happy and healthy. However, when having two or more goats, you need to start looking at the expense and needed space to take care of them.

Best to prepare 20-30 square feet per adult-sized goat. The outdoor range may be more extensive since goats love to explore.

How Many Goats Should I Have

Number of Does

When people are still starting with goat farming, they ask, “how many goats should I buy?” It would depend on the purpose of having them.

Farmers prefer having does because of their ability to produce milk and kids. You can have 3 to 5 does as a start. 

With that number of does, you will have enough milk for the entire year. In this case, you can alternate their breeding and kidding so that you will always have a supply of milk.

Does get pregnant for five months and start feeding their young two months since birth. You can milk them during their gestation period and resume breeding after their milk is dried up.

During their first pregnancy, female goats often give birth to one kid. On the second pregnancy, they’re likely to give birth to twins or triplets.

The downside about having does is when they only have one kid.

This means the doe only produces enough milk for a single kid where you also need to keep up with the milking process.

If you need to know how many goats I should buy to maintain the supply of milk, you can start with not more than five.

These will have kids who are extra mouths to feed and potential milkers in the future.

ALSO READ: Complete Guide on Dairy Goat Breeds

how many goats should i buy for pastureland

Number of Bucks

When it comes to the number of bucks, you may be asking, “how many goats should I get?” A typical goat starter list would suggest starting from 0 to 2 bucks.

The number of bucks would also depend on how many does you have. How many goats should be kept together if you want to start breeding them?

The average buck to doe ratio is 1:5. However, it differs depending on the herd size and breed type.

The ratio observed for a herd of about 20-30 goats is 1:10. If you only have 20 goats, the ideal buck to doe ratio is 1:3.

Some farmers would prefer having only does and would breed their goats to a buck from another farmer. They would pay a stud fee instead of breeding any male goats.

Getting Ready for Kids

If you already have several does, you expect kids pretty soon. Knowing how many goats should be kept together will help you determine the estimated number of kids to expect.

Raising goats for beginners, especially kids, poses many factors. You won’t have any problem with their food yet since they’ll get it from their mother.

However, as the time comes to need goat feeds like the adults, it may require an extra cost to your budget.

Also, remember that a single goat can produce two to three kids every pregnancy. 

One important thing you need to consider is their kidding pen and outdoor space. A kid usually needs a 4 by 5 square feet kidding pen.

So, if you only have minimal space, you should think about the number of does to get and how you can fit all of them once they start having kids. 

how many goats should be kept together

How Many Goats Should a Beginner Start With

Goats are versatile animals that require only minimal care needs.

If you give them sufficient space and clean food, they can be happy and healthy animals.

If you raise goats for beginners, then asking how many goats a beginner should start with is the first on your list.

Fortunately, you don’t need to go overboard with your first set of goats.

The average herd of a beginner consists of at least two goats. As mentioned, they are social animals and must not be raised alone.

Some farmers raise 5 to 10 goats for breeding and milking purposes. Goat kidding can happen every 7 months, depending on the health and breed type.

How Many Goats Can Experienced Farmers Have

Tenured farmers have the upper hand when it comes to raising goats. They wouldn’t have to question themselves about how many goats I should get.

Instead, they would be focusing on properly taking care of their goat to reach optimal health and harvest the best products.

Still, one factor that reigns over a farmer’s experience is the size of the pasture.

No matter how proficient a farmer is, he can’t precisely raise hundreds of goats without sufficient land.

That’s why some farmers would acquire homesteads or acres of land to provide enough space for their livestock.

You can house around 6 to 8 goats in one acre of land. Experienced farmers tend to build goat farms that consist of hundreds of goats. 

Small-scale goat operations are farms with fewer than 500 goats.

These operations tend to be the most significant contributor to local goat production among U.S. livestock agriculture.

How Many Goats Should I Have

How Much Space Do Goats Need for Sleep

Goats like to sleep together. All curled up in one corner in the shelter. They often gather themselves in smaller groups to share body warmth.

So, the sleeping space will be one of your considerations when asking how many you should keep goats together.

In most cases, you don’t need a large area for their sleeping quarters.

An adult goat would need about 20 square feet for resting and sleeping.

If you want to create separate pens for your goats, make sure that the doors are always open to make them accessible to all goats.

If you plan to breed goats, you must prepare a separate pen for pregnant does and newborn kids. A kidding pen is often built as a nursery for kids to play, rest, and feed.

How Much Fenced Pasture Do You Need For Goats

Goats are clever and mischievous animals. They have a knack for climbing over fences, trucks, and other elevated platforms in their explorations. 

Because of this, you must keep these goats in a fenced area. However, this becomes a problem for some farmers. 

Setting up a fence takes extra space, which is an issue for farmers who already have minimal area for goat farming.

Goats need a large room to explore, or they’ll get cranky and sickly if they are cramped. 

An adult goat would need about 30 square feet of fenced pastureland to roam around. They also need about 10 square feet to rest on a shelter. 

how many goats is too many

How Many Goats is Too Many

One of the many mistakes of those raising goats is getting too many of them for the first time. These novice farmers often ignore how many goats a beginner should start with.

Most experienced farmers recommend starting slow and purchasing at least two goats first. Others would feel overwhelmed and buy 10 goats right away. 

There is nothing wrong with buying too many goats. However, it would help if you remembered that your does and bucks would soon have kids who add to the herd.

Some goat farms may grow big so fast that some farmers have difficulty keeping up. You need to feed and shelter these animals, and sometimes, your profits won’t always be able to meet this demand.

According to National Geographic, if it is your dream to establish a herd, it takes about 20 goats. To achieve that, you can start with 2 to 5 goats and reach the ideal number of goats through breeding. 

After all, if you have too many goats, it affects you and your goats. They are more prone to sickness, lethargy, or aggressive behavior if the farm becomes too crowded.

Check the Law About Having Goats

Before even asking how many goats is too many or how to get started with goats, you should know about the local regulations in keeping goats. You don’t want all that effort to be put to waste after knowing that you can’t raise them in the first place.

So, check with regulating authorities before purchasing any goat and bringing them home. It will depend on the state or city you live in. 

The regulations in urban areas are quite different and more strict. Aside from asking whether raising goats is allowed, it would help if you also inquired about which farm equipment is permitted. 

Double-check with your property if it belongs to the residential or agricultural zone. Once you pass these legal matters, you should also prepare to handle neighbor issues regardless of how many goats you should get.

ALSO READ: All You Need To Know About Goat Farming

laws about how many goats should i get

Goat Starter List: How to Get Started with Goats

Once you have determined how many goats should be kept together on your farm, start making the entire area suitable for a new herd. Goats thrive best in a clean, well-ventilated environment with easy access to food and water.

Goats are considered more as browsers than grazers. They love to nibble on shrubs, leaves, and any high-growing wood plant. 

They are contrary to sheep and cattle that snack on low-lying grass. So, it’s essential to have a few shrubs and brush in the area to keep your goats entertained and well-fed.

The goat pen is also another matter to consider since it’s the place where your goats are going to rest. Some farmers prefer putting them on separate pens to prepare for breeding, and pregnant does.

Others would have a large shelter where goats can roam around and find their spot to rest. Whatever your choice may be, make sure that each goat has enough space for himself.

How Many Goats Should I Get: Conclusion

Starting your goat farming with a question about how many goats I should get is the right first step. Many farmers make the mistake of getting either one goat or too many.

The number of goats to raise should be at the top of your goat starter list, and choosing the appropriate quantity is the proper way to get started with goats.

Determining how many goats a beginner should start with would depend on the available space. If you have a sufficient area on your farm, it would be best to start with two goats.

When you get a doe and a buck, you can initiate goat breeding and start raising kids as well. This way, you can slowly grow your herd without getting overwhelmed by introducing too many goats. 

It also allows you to observe and adjust the cost of feeds, care needs, and maintenance. Having more does give you the chance to earn more profit while continuously growing your herd.

If you are still reluctant and the question about how many goats I should buy still lingers, then the safest answer would be to get two goats.

Raising Goats

READ NEXT: Raising Goats – The Complete How-To Guide

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