Some people prefer to have goats as pets, but for the most part, people have them for meat and milk. The milk and meat ones have a lot of similarities in the way they are raised.
Raising meat goats have an added benefit, as they can also be milked, so an owner gets both milk and meat from one goat.
They are pregnant for 4 months, and can have between one to 5 babies. It is important to know that female goats should not be milked until they turn a year, even though it is OK for them to mate from 7 months.
As with humans, it is best for their babies to be fed milk from the mother. The reason for this is because the baby goats get Colostrum, which contains minerals, vitamins and antibodies which make the baby goat healthy and strong.
Goat farming for meat purposes will require that the goats be fed hay, grain and pasture, until they reach a certain weight. The right weight will differ from goat to goat, but will mostly be between 35 to 90 pounds.
Whether you are raising them as pets, or for milk or meat purposes, you will need to ensure that your goats are protected from predators at all times. Besides the predators getting to your goats, they may also wander off, only to be lost, which would be quite a loss for you, so you want to make sure that they are enclosed and protected.
The fundamental difference in the way you raise meat goats or milk goats, is the food that is fed to them. There are other differences, but there is more common than differences. To ensure you raise the healthiest goats, you must provide effective fencing so they stay protected, clean water, good pasture and last but not least, they must have enough space to walk and run around as well as adequate shelter.