How Long Do Goats Live? Your Guide To A Goat's Lifespan

We run a dairy-goat farm in central Virginia. The information given here is sound, although really it's only a beginning. So is the information that follows. The important thing to know is that goat keeping is quite involved, and not a casual affair. There is a large learning curve. For example, people should know that males cannot be given a protein-rich diet (unlike the does) or they will develop kidney stones and die (very painfully). So, for example, they should not receive alfalfa hay or high-protein goat feed; these are for does only. Fescue hay is fine for the boys. Modest amounts (say, a scoop per male per day) of beet pulp mixed with cracked corn are fine. All goats need access to clean water and horse-quality hay 24/7. The buck yard should be surrounded by a stout 6-foot fence with 6-foot horse gates or a buck may climb over and go mate with the does. Also, if the smells given off by the bucks reach the does too strongly, their milk will taste "goaty" (awful). So the does and the bucks must be separate widely---by at least 50 feet, ideally with the bucks located downwind relative to the prevailing winds. Goats cannot handle wind, cold, rain, or snow without good protection from these elements. Proper barns are essential. The bedding must be kept reasonably clean and dry; we muck out the worst areas every day and cover them with a fresh layer of clean dry straw. Fences should be at least 4 feet high (for does), and preferably 5 feet high, and made of woven wire and posts 8 or 9 feet apart. You will need ample pastures, at least one for the bucks and one for the does. Never keep just a single goat, or it will suffer unbearably from loneliness, and may sicken and even die. You need at least two goats and preferably three. You will need guard dogs or predators will probably kill some of your goats periodically. We have two huge Great Pyrenees (wonderful dogs) for that job. So you also need to know how to raise and keep dogs. The infrastructure for goats is pretty expensive these days, as are supplements and bedding. No one should go into goat keeping casually. These are wonderful, intelligent, affectionate beasts and are well worth the effort and cost for committed, responsible, loving owners. People considering goat keeping should read all they can on the subject and visit farms where goats are kept; many farmers will be glad to show and tell.