Top Advice from my mentors that I always try to pass on:
1)be patient - you won’t make your best goats in your first years… and it takes a few generations to find your style
2) cull hard - the top 10% are breeding stock, sell the rest as pets and/or meat
3) build your numbers from the inside - bringing in new stock every year isn’t sustainable, you can still grow while being picky, if you have to bring in new genes, choose carefully and do your research
4) communicate - you’re going to learn more if you talk about what you see, what you want and what you’re worried about
5) keep them healthy - herd health protocols, good nutrition and a good relationship with your veterinary team will set you further ahead in the long term
6) be proud of yourself - they’re a hell of a lot of work and longevity in farming takes a special kind of stubborn
Written by Robyn from Campbell Land & Livestock, Home of the Kidnapped Dairy Goats.
