Bringing home goats? Congratulations! You are about to develop strong opinions about hay feeders and discover that somehow, you never own enough buckets. Now that I’ve had goats for a while, I know which supplies I reach for constantly and which purchases sounded more exciting before I had to maintain them.
This is my goat supplies checklist for beginners, based on life with my Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats at Bootsy Garden. It includes the basics, my favorite products, and the extra supplies you’ll need for milking and kidding. You do not need an entire farm store before your first goats arrive. But you do want the important things ready before you unload animals who have already started inspecting your fence.
Start Here: Everyday Goat Supplies
☐ Secure goat fencing and gates
Have your fencing finished before pickup day. Check gaps, latches, and places where a small goat could get stuck or squeeze through. Give them a safe area to move around, lounge, and conduct their very important goat business. Plan for compatible goat companions, too.
☐ A dry, secure goat shelter
Look for protection from rain, snow, and wind, with ventilation but no drafts blowing across their sleeping area. I prefer a shelter I can securely close at night, especially without livestock guardian dogs. Here in Chiloquin, Oregon, winter protection is a priority.
☐ Bedding and a place to store extra
☐ Hay feeders
My shopping list includes:
Choose feeders suitable for your goats’ size, with openings that do not create an entrapment risk.
☐ Grain feeders
This is only if you plan to feed grain outside of milking. I do, so I have feeders. I aim for at least one feeding space per two goats. One per goat may work better if you have a small herd or particularly bossy personalities. The goal is for everyone to eat, including the polite goat standing behind the one who thinks she owns the buffet.
☐ A loose mineral feeder
Buy a dedicated container that keeps minerals clean, dry, and accessible. My pick: Sweetlix Meat Maker loose goat mineral.
☐ Water buckets. Then a few more.
You need everyday buckets and extras for cleaning, separating animals, and whatever situation you did not anticipate. I would absolutely buy spare buckets before buying cute barn decorations. And I enjoy cute barn decorations.
☐ Heated livestock water buckets for freezing weather
These are one of my strongest winter recommendations. Protect the cords from chewing and install everything according to the manufacturer’s directions. I do not routinely use goat coats. Heated water buckets, however, earn their place here.
☐ Rodent-proof feed storage bins
Basic Goat Care Tools: The Small Things You’ll Be Glad You Bought
☐ A good pair of hoof trimmers
A tool worth buying before your goats come home. Ask an experienced person to show you how to trim safely.
☐ A digital thermometer
Buy one for the goats and label it. Some household mix-ups deserve to be prevented.
☐ An oral dosing syringe with a drench nozzle
Useful to have ready, but learn safe technique before you need to give anything by mouth. Incorrect administration can send liquid into the lungs.
☐ Plenty of 3 cc syringes
This is one of those little supplies I reach for constantly. Buy more than a couple.
☐ Sterile needles and injection syringes
Keep the sizes appropriate for your veterinarian’s treatment plan. Store them safely and have a proper sharps-disposal container.
☐ Disposable gloves
For cleaning, first aid, kidding, and the many moments when bare hands suddenly seem like a poor choice.
Goat First-Aid Supplies and Barn Products
☐ Vet wrap, gauze, and scissors
Scissors might not be the most urgent purchase, but they are nice to have when you need them. Vet wrap is firmly on my list.
☐ Vetericyn Plus Antimicrobial Wound & Skin Care
One of my regular wound-care supplies.
☐ Chlorhexidine solution
I love this stuff and buy it by the gallon. I use it to clean all my milking equipment daily. Check the concentration and follow the dilution directions for the intended use. More concentrated does not automatically mean more helpful.
☐ Iodine
I use this on udders at any sign of mastasis. I believe it also make them just look really clean and healthy. It’s kind of weird. I also have this ready before kidding. I ran into purchasing requirements (DL and car registration) when buying iodine in Oregon, so check with your local supplier ahead of time about availability and documentation.
☐ BlueLite electrolytes (powdered Gatorade works too!)
A product I keep available as part of my health supplies. I use this on hot summer days or before and during shows.
☐ Liquid Vitamin B-12
I prefer an oral supplement for routine supplementation because my goats readily take it. It is not a substitute for emergency injectable thiamine when that treatment is needed.
☐ Activated charcoal
Something I want available before an emergency. If poisoning is suspected, call your veterinarian immediately for instructions. Charcoal is not appropriate for every toxin or every situation.
☐ Agricultural barn lime
Check that you are buying the intended barn product and follow its label. Caustic hydrated lime and quicklime are different products.
☐ Ultra Boss
This is a product I use in my management routine. Check the label, including any restrictions involving dairy animals, before purchasing or applying it.
☐ Meloxicam (Rx Only)
My veterinarian has prescribed meloxicam for situations including kidding recovery and injuries. Ask your vet what medicines you should keep, when to use them, and what milk or meat withdrawal instructions apply.
For coccidia, please message us for information. :)
I have not personally needed to use a dewormer so far. Your herd may be different, so have a parasite monitoring plan.
☐ CD&T vaccine, when due
Ask the breeder for actual vaccination dates. Kids need their own initial series even if their mother was vaccinated.
Find out what has been given and when the next dose is due. Do not assume buying a vaccinated baby means there is nothing to do until its first birthday.
What to Feed Goats: My Hay and Feed Shopping List
Feeding needs vary with age, body condition, pregnancy, and milk production. Before bringing goats home, ask what they currently eat and plan gradual changes.
Here is what I buy for my herd.
☐ High-quality hay
I look for clean, good-quality hay that I would be comfortable feeding a horse. “Goat hay” is not a convincing sales pitch if the hay itself is poor.
My routine:
When nobody is in milk: Orchard grass.
During the last month of pregnancy: About two bales of orchard grass to one bale of alfalfa.
During show season, usually starting around April: Straight alfalfa for my does.
That is my herd’s routine, rather than a universal ration. Bucks, wethers, growing kids, and producing does can have different needs. Easy keepers also need their body condition watched.
☐ Loose goat minerals
My pick: Sweetlix Meat Maker.
This is a regular purchase for me, not something I remember to offer occasionally.
☐ Goat feed, if appropriate for your animals
My pick: Purina Goat Chow.
My goats freaking love it. They run for it. They get on the milk stand for it. Cooperation you can scoop out of a bag is useful.
I tried several feeds, and this was their favorite. I also felt I got my best production with it, so I stuck with it.
In my current routine, everyone gets about a cup in the morning, and milkers receive additional feed on the stand twice a day. Those amounts describe my animals’ routine, not a serving recommendation for every goat.
☐ Optional additions for milkers
I often buy:
Black oil sunflower seeds
Haystack Naturals Rabbit 16% alfalfa pellets
I add these to my milkers’ feed fairly often, although not consistently. Consider additions as part of the complete ration rather than automatically adding everything to the cart.
☐ Baking soda and a separate container, if part of your care plan
I do not leave baking soda out all the time.
Goat Milking Supplies: Set Up Before the First Milking
Bringing home a doe in milk means you need to be ready that day. She is unlikely to accept “the rest of my order arrives Tuesday.”
☐ A milking stand
An absolute essential in my setup. It also makes hoof trimming and grooming easier.
☐ A feeder attached to the stand
Feed gives my goats a reason to get up there and something to do while I work.
☐ A milking machine or suitable hand-milking pail
I highly recommend a machine when you are milking several does twice a day. You can hand milk. Your hands and schedule get a vote in this purchase.
☐ Milk filters
A must-have.
☐ A funnel or milk strainer
☐ Dairy-appropriate udder wash and clean drying towels
I use a liquid soap to clean udders before milking, then dry them thoroughly. Choose a product suitable for that purpose.
☐ Fight Bac spray
One of my personal must-haves. Follow the label, including any directions concerning udders and milk contact.
☐ Mason jars or other food-safe milk containers
Have enough clean containers for the milk you expect to collect. I also found some cute milk storage bags I want to try. Once I have used them, I’ll share what I think.
☐ Equipment-cleaning and sanitizing supplies
Include the supplies recommended for your particular machine and milk-contact equipment.
Goat Kidding Supplies: What to Buy for a Bred Doe
If you are bringing home a bred doe, have this kit ready before her due date.
☐ Clean, secure kidding pens
A place to keep the doe and newborns together where you can monitor them closely.
☐ Lots of clean towels
Have more than you think you will need.
☐ Disposable exam gloves and long OB gloves
Buy both. Learn when assistance is appropriate and when to call your veterinarian.
☐ Plenty of obstetrical lubricant
This belongs in the kit even if you hope never to need it.
☐ Puppy pads
Lots and lots of puppy pads. This is not where I would practice minimalist shopping.
☐ Iodine
Have your iodine ready for dipping the kids’ umbilical cord strings.
☐ Colostrum replacer labeled for goat kids
Check the package carefully. A colostrum supplement is not the same thing as a complete replacer.
☐ Feeding bottles and nipples
Buy these before you discover someone needs a bottle at midnight.
☐ A scale suitable for newborn kids
Choose one that lets you safely and accurately weigh small kids.
☐ A safe warming setup, if needed
Newborns may need supplemental warmth depending on conditions. If using a heat lamp, secure it properly, protect it from animals, and keep it well away from bedding. Have the setup ready before kidding starts.
☐ Emergency veterinary contact information
Put the number somewhere obvious, along with your kidding records. A well-stocked tote is helpful. Knowing when and whom to call is essential.
Kid Care Equipment
☐ Castration bands and an elastrator, if banding is your chosen method
Get veterinary guidance on timing, pain management, and tetanus protection before using them.
☐ A tattoo kit or an appropriate microchip setup
Check current registry and show requirements before choosing your identification equipment. Confirm that your chosen method will be accepted.
☐ Disbudding arrangements or equipment
I do not own a disbudding iron yet. I have someone experienced do it for me. If you plan to do your own, arrange proper training and a veterinary pain-management plan first.
Goat Grooming and Show Supplies
☐ Goat shampoo
A definite purchase if you plan to show, and useful when someone needs a proper cleanup. Bathe in suitable weather and make sure your goat can dry completely.
☐ Clippers and appropriate blades
If you are showing, good clippers belong on your shopping list.
☐ Clipper oil and maintenance supplies
Buy what your equipment needs so it is ready when you are.
What I Would Skip or Buy Later
These are the things that would not get my money first:
Sprouting equipment. I used to sprout barley, but keeping up with roughly twelve jars became too much. The lids now help rinse rice.
Rain barrel catchment. It did not work out for my setup.
Routine goat coats. I do not generally use them.
Heat lamps for healthy adult goats. I prioritize shelter and dry bedding. Newborns and animals with particular needs are a different situation.
A disbudding iron before arranging training. Hiring someone experienced is a perfectly reasonable plan.
Milking equipment for goats you will not be milking. Buy for the animals coming home now.
My “Buy This First” Goat Shopping List
If you are staring at a very full cart, start here:
Shelter, fencing, gates, and bedding
Hay feeders, water buckets, and mineral feeders
Quality hay, loose goat minerals, and appropriate feed
Rodent-proof feed storage
Hoof trimmers, thermometer, gloves, syringes, and first aid
Heated water buckets if your winters require them
Milking supplies if you are bringing home milkers
Kidding supplies if you are bringing home a bred doe
My most useful purchases are often ordinary things: a feeder that gives everyone room, a bucket that keeps water available, or a thermometer I can actually find.
Get those basics ready. You'll have plenty of time to buy the cute barn sign once the goats have inspected your work.
