How We Keep Goats
A steady, observation-first approach
Our goat care is built around consistency. We prefer predictable days, stable social groups, and enough space for browsing, resting, and quiet movement. When we change something - feed, pasture access, housing layout, or breeding plans - we do it slowly, because goats notice small differences, and herd dynamics can shift quickly.
Most decisions start with observation rather than a checklist. We watch posture, appetite, movement, coat condition, rumen fill, and social patterns, and we compare what we see against each goat's usual baseline. Notes are plain and practical: what is changing, what is stable, what we can control, and what we cannot. Over time, this has helped us make fewer urgent decisions, and it has made our systems easier to maintain season after season.
What this site is
A descriptive record of what we do, and why, in our own setting. If you use anything here as a starting point, treat it as context rather than instruction, and consult qualified professionals for medical concerns. This site is not veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. It is a record of what we do, and what has worked for us, over time.
The topics are organized the way we experience them: daily routines first, then the physical environment, then
seasonal shifts like breeding and kidding. Pages stay close to "what we do", with enough detail to be clear without
implying that the same choices fit every herd, every climate, or every property.
While this site focuses on goats, we also maintain similar, species-specific records for other livestock on the farm. Those notes are linked in the Other Species menu above.
Relationship to Grey Barn Farm
This site documents goat care as it is practiced within the broader context of The Grey Barn Farm. Land stewardship, pasture management, and long-term farm decisions shape what is possible for goats here, and those constraints are reflected throughout this record. While this site focuses narrowly on goats, it exists alongside the Grey Barn Farm site, which describes the larger farm setting in which this care takes place.