The Giver

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~by Ken Wall I am 75-years-old. I bought my first goat kid when I was 26-years-old. I’ve owned goats for 49 years of my life. My first love was for horses; due to health issues, my doctor recommended I give up the hobby of caring for horses because of the risk of injury. The first goat I bought was for my young daughter. We both enjoyed raising goats. I’ve learned you can train goats to be as loyal, social, and rewarding as horses.

It takes patience, commitment, and self-confidence. Most goats can be trained, but it won’t happen overnight. Goats need shelter, water, feed, pasture, and all the necessities to live a healthy life. They also need to be monitored for parasites and need human contact.

Repetition is important when it comes to caring for a goat. You must have a day-to-day schedule so the goat will get into the habit of relying on you as the owner. Time spent with your goat will be well worth it. If you call or whistle when you feed, they’ll get into the habit of coming when called for. Soon, they’ll even come without the feed or treats.

Just like people, goats have different personalities, and each breed is different. When choosing a breed, you need to consider how much time you’re going to take out of your daily schedule to spend with your goat. Only you can decide which goat is just right for you. Remember, you get out of life what you put into it. The same is true when raising a goat. Things aren’t going to come easy, but when you have a goal and start working towards it, you’ll eventually get there, and that really does apply when raising goats. Never forget that a goat depends on you for survival. You are “The Giver.”

P.S. I want to thank my granddaughter, Abbey, for editing my article and my daughter, Cathy, for the photos.

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Originally published in the Summer 2024 issue of Goat Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.