Get Goating! is a practical introduction to dairy goat care for beginners and growing goat owners. Learn how to choose breeds, understand registries, manage nutrition, prevent parasites, handle health issues, and build a healthy herd. This course combines science-based information with real farm experience so you can care for goats with confidence, avoid common mistakes, and enjoy the wonderful, sometimes chaotic world of goat keeping.

This course introduces the fundamentals of dairy goat husbandry and what makes goats unique among livestock. You will learn how goats think, how herd dynamics influence behavior, and what daily life with goats realistically looks like. Understanding these basics helps new owners build better management systems, reduce stress for their animals, and start their goat journey with realistic expectations and confidence.

This lesson introduces the major dairy goat breeds raised in the United States. You’ll learn what makes each breed unique and how their traits influence milk production, temperament, and herd management.

Selecting the right goats is one of the most important decisions a new owner makes. In this section, we explore how breed, temperament, production goals, and herd structure influence your choices. You will learn how to evaluate goats realistically, avoid common beginner mistakes, and choose animals that match your farm, your goals, and your sanity.

Before goats arrive, your farm needs to be ready for them. Proper fencing, shelter, feed systems, and basic health planning prevent many of the problems new goat owners encounter. This section walks through the practical steps to prepare your property so your goats arrive to a safe, functional environment.

The first month with new goats sets the tone for everything that follows. This course walks you through the critical early weeks after bringing goats home, including helping them adjust to a new environment, transitioning feed safely, building trust through handling, and learning how to observe normal behavior. Strong routines and careful observation during this period help prevent health problems and create a stable, confident herd.

This section teaches goat owners how to understand, prevent, and respond to common health problems. It builds on basic observation skills and introduces the systems that keep goats functioning properly.