Foundational Goat Health and Husbandry

This unit develops practical skills in everyday goat care, health maintenance, and basic management practices. Students will learn safe housing and shelter design, body-condition scoring, hoof care, disease recognition, kidding and milking assistance, basic training and handling, first-aid, sourcing and breeding options, and preparing animals and products for market or show.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze housing, shelter and facility needs and design compliant, safe bunks and outdoor shelters that promote goat comfort, biosecurity, and animal welfare
• Apply body-condition scoring, feeding adjustments, hoof care routines, and first-aid protocols to maintain herd health and address feed-related and disability-related management needs
• Demonstrate basic handling and training techniques, hand-milking, assistance with kidding, and effective collaboration with a veterinarian to prevent and respond to common goat diseases and infections
• Evaluate sourcing, breeding and selling strategies — including managing does-only breeding and preparing animals for shows or markets — against welfare standards and production goals