Goat Podcasts: Learn by Listening

Goat Podcasts: Learn by Listening

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Starting when I was a tween, I listened to talk radio. I had an old radio in my bedroom that I turned on when I had to go to bed. The programming ran the gamut from Dreadful Mysteries and Dragnet to KGO’s Ira Blue interviewing people. As television took over, many of these shows moved to that medium or were discontinued. In the 1990s, sports shows seemed to dominate, but some, mostly small local stations still interviewed people on various topics. 

I mostly forgot about, or avoided talk radio as I got older and the content devolved into combativeness. But then in 2004, podcasts came on the scene. Since then their number and subject matter have increased exponentially. In 2018, goat-themed podcasts began to appear.  

Below are some of the most useful ones. (They can be found on whatever podcast app you use.) They are a great way to keep up on the goat world and learn more about these delightful creatures. You can listen while driving, doing chores, taking a bath, and more. 

Goat-specific Podcasts 

For the Love of Goats 

Deborah Niemann is the host of this podcast. You may know her from the various books she has authored, including Goats Giving Birth, Raising Goats Naturally, and The Thrifty Homesteader, among others. 

The podcast addresses many subjects relevant to raising goats, including parasites, the use of antibiotics, predators, pregnancy issues, various illnesses, and different breeds. Deborah interviews veterinarians and other guests, as well as sharing some of the latest research. Each episode is packed with information. 

Deborah is all about educating people to be better goat owners by sharing her experiences. She also has a membership group called Goats 365 that offers 6 different courses, Zoom calls and more. She offers two membership levels: Basic for $19 a month, or Premium for $29/month. Her personal Facebook page is www.facebook.com/deborahwrites

Goat Gab 

Goat Gab is billed as “two friends with a microphone talking about goats.” It is a biweekly podcast about all things dairy goat: shows, production, management, breeding, ADGA politics, youth, and much more. The podcast is a little less formal than For the Love of Goats, but it is comprehensive in subjects covered. Each episode averages about an hour in length. 

Topics previously addressed have included the ADGA Convention, farm insurance, breeding season, marketing, breed clubs, and focus on breeders and farms. Invited guest include breeders and veterinarians. 

They have a companion Facebook page.

Mini Dairy Goat Podcast 

This podcast is hosted by Kerry O’Neal and its tagline is “All thing miniature dairy goat. Not too big … not too small … just right!” While release of the episodes is hit or miss (only three have come out this year), it is worth looking at back episodes if you are raising or thinking about raising minis

The premier episode, which came out in October 2021, discusses the history of minis with Jeanne Carson and Pat Fountain Fields, two of the originators of the miniature goat breeds. 

Each episode is 1 to 1-1/2 hours long and Kerry talks about some of the same issues as the other podcasts, but from a mini perspective. These include breeds and their origins, registries, and conformation, among other topics. The website is https://raftero.com/podcast/history-of-mini-dairy-goats/

Ringside: An American Dairy Goat Podcast 

Every Monday (or sometimes more frequently), an episode of Ringside is released. The podcast came out of the pandemic in 2020, when goat events screeched to a halt around the United States. The hosts are Jon Kain and Danielle Carolei. Each episode is 1 to 1-1/2 hours long (these two are dedicated!). 

Recent episodes dealt with the Spotlight Sale at the ADGA National Show, breeders and their farms, purchasing goats, linear appraisal, and milk test. The hosts have good rapport with each other. If you love goat talk, this is the podcast for you. 

The Facebook page for The Ringside is www.facebook.com/RingsideHosts/

Other Podcasts Related to Goats 

Animal Health Insights 

The goal of the podcast, according to their website is “to further share information of interest to veterinarians and producers, and engage and strengthen connections between stakeholders.” The podcast is sponsored by the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System. While directed to Canadians, there are episodes that are relevant to anyone wanting to learn more about goat and other farm animal health. The website is https://cahss.ca/cahss-tools/cahss-podcasts

Baas and Bleats 

Baas and Bleats is sponsored by the American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners (AASRP). It was started in July 2022 and covers goats and other small ruminants. This year, 2023, has focused on leaders and students in AASRP. Prior year episodes have discussed milk quality, drugs in dairy goats, antimicrobial resistance related to food animals, feeding kids, and more. The AASRP website is www.aasrp.org

Goat Talk with the Goat Doc 

The content on this podcast is educational and comes from the perspective of a veterinarian—Dr Cara Sammons-Shepard, DVM, who has a mobile practice in Maine and New Hampshire. The podcast, which began in 2018, hasn’t had a new episode for a year. However, much of the information is health-related and still accurate. There are 81 episodes

Purdue Sheep and Goat Topics 

With only 12 episodes from this podcast that began in 2018, it isn’t one you can count on for continuing content. However, each of the episodes is narrated by veterinarian Mike Neary and at less than 15 minutes, they pack in a lot of useful information. 


Cheryl K. Smith is a retired attorney who has raised mini dairy goats in the Coast Range of Oregon since 1998. She is the owner of karmadillo Press, and author of Raising Goats for Dummies, Goat Health Care, Goat Midwifery, and Shed Boy, the first in a series of cozy mysteries set on a goat farm. www.goathealthcare.com 

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