Listeriosis can strike fear into the hearts of goats owners, not only because it needs prompt treatment to increase the odds of survival, and because it can be difficult to diagnose due to the fact that it shares symptoms with several other serious illnesses, but also because Listeria bacteria exist everywhere.

Today, Dr. Melissa Holahan, a postdoctoral researcher from the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, is joining us to talk about listeriosis and how we can prevent these zoonotic bacteria from sickening both our goats and us. She details the symptoms to watch for, the most common approach to treatment, and the medications you should have available on your farm in order to offer swift treatment.

Dr. Holahan also touches on popular fermented hays, such as Alfahay and Chaffhaye, and whether or not they are putting your herd at risk of listeriosis. She also stresses the importance of proper hay storage to reduce mold and keeping feeding areas clean.

See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/listeriosis-in-goats/

To see the most recent episodes, visit ForTheLoveOfGoats.com

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No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. Click here to learn more about our Goats 365 membership.

Or see my other goat courses in Thrifty Homesteader Academy.

Have you ever thought about hosting guests on your farm for additional income, but were too unsure about the logistics to take the first step? Today’s podcast will offer clarity and may even inspire you to finally venture into the world of agritourism.

We are talking to Scottie Jones, co-owner of Leaping Lamb Farm in Oregon and the founder of FarmStay USA, a national marketing and referral website for working farms that offer agritourism opportunities.

Agritourism has been growing in popularity for some time. First it was glamping, and now Airbnb has added a “farm stay” category. It is obvious that agritourism could help many farms not only survive, but thrive.

Agritourism is also an essential educational tool in bridging the gaping divide between urban and rural life, especially in a time when many no longer understand where their food comes from or how hard it can be to produce it.

In this episode, Scottie discusses the necessary insurance requirements, how FarmStay farms differ from other “farm stays” offered on sites such as Airbnb and VRBO, how to offer a true experience rather than just “a place to stay,” how to effectively market your farm, and her top tip for those looking to get into agritourism. Scottie also addresses the most asked questions: how much should I charge, and how much can I expect to make?

See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/farm-stays/

To see the most recent episodes, visit ForTheLoveOfGoats.com

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Thanks for listening!

No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. Click here to learn more about our Goats 365 membership.

Or see my other goat courses in Thrifty Homesteader Academy.

If you ever wondered about the benefits of milk testing, today’s episode contains an abundance of valuable information. Today we are talking to Jeremy Leather, a field technician at Dairy One, a milk testing lab in New York State. While Dairy One offers multiple services, including forage and soil testing, we are focusing on their excellent milk testing services and how milk testing can have a major positive impact on the health of your herd.

Jeremy discusses the basics of milk testing and the most common things goat owners test for and why. He also explains the usefulness of the data that comes from each test and how testing could even help your veterinarian provide more effective treatment to a goat suffering from mastitis. Speaking of data, one benefit of milk testing is that you will always have access to it. No more losing binders containing years of collected data on your herd. Replacement data is always available online.

Finally, Jeremy touches on the added perk of testing for pregnancy through milk testing and the many reasons you should begin milk testing in your herd right away.

See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/milk-test-reports/

To see the most recent episodes, visit ForTheLoveOfGoats.com

Want to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jar

Thanks for listening!

No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. Click here to learn more about our Goats 365 membership.

Or see my other goat courses in Thrifty Homesteader Academy.

Have you ever wanted to try raw milk, lauded for its health benefits, but were concerned about the safety? Like all raw foods from lettuce to oysters, there is a risk of contamination, but there’s a lot we can do to be sure that all of our raw food, including milk, is as safe as possible.

We are talking to Mark McAfee, the chairman of the Raw Milk Institute, which was founded in 2011 to help meet the growing demand for safe raw milk and to educate consumers on raw milk safety. He is also the founder of Raw Farm, the largest producer of raw milk in the world.

Raw milk has been a controversial topic for some time. The debate rages between those who praise its health benefits and the regulators who insist that consuming raw milk holds far more risk than benefit. So, what is the truth? And if we choose to consume raw milk, how can we be certain that it has been handled properly – from the milk stand to cold storage – and is safe to drink?

In this episode, Mark discusses common pathogens present in raw milk, the basics of what makes raw milk more beneficial than pasteurized, the historical reasoning behind the pasteurization of milk, and how we can ensure that the raw milk we drink is clean and safe. He also touches on the process behind commercial dairy-to-store pasteurized milk.

See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/raw-milk-safety/

To see the most recent episodes, visit ForTheLoveOfGoats.com

Want to support the content you love?
Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jar

Thanks for listening!

No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. Click here to learn more about our Goats 365 membership.

Or see my other goat courses in Thrifty Homesteader Academy.

Every goat owner has heard that goats don't do well with anesthesia, so we are always understandably nervous when our goats need to be sedated. Dr. Kelly Chen, Veterinary Anesthesiology Resident at Cornell University, joins us in this episode to talk about why goats are so challenging when it comes to anesthesia.

First, we discuss the difference between anesthesia and analgesia and then we talk about some of the common procedures where anesthesia is used.

Dr. Chen talks about pain associated with disbudding and what the options are for veterinarians who disbud, as well as owners who do their own disbudding.

For c-sections, there are three different anesthesia and analgesia options, and Dr. Chen talks about why general anesthesia is no longer preferred.

In severe cases of urinary calculi, anesthesia is required for a couple of the different treatment options.

Dr. Chen also talks briefly about other surgical procedures being done on livestock now, such as joint replacement, pacemaker placement, and mastectomy, which require anesthesia.

See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/anesthesia-in-goats/

To see the most recent episodes, visit ForTheLoveOfGoats.com

Want to support the content you love?
Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jar

Thanks for listening!

No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. Click here to learn more about our Goats 365 membership.

Or see my other goat courses in Thrifty Homesteader Academy.

New goat breeders frequently ask where and how they can sell their goat kids. When I started with goats in 2002, I bought goats from breeders who had websites, so I assumed I would also need a website for selling my goats. That has been the only sales channel for my goats forever.

In this episode, Emily Nyman and I discuss what information you need on your website, such as an about page, health history of your herd, photos of your breeding stock, pedigrees, and terms of sale.

We also talk about user-friendly options for building your website, so you don't have to hire a web designer.

Because the cornerstone of every good goat breeder website is the photos, we spend a lot of time talking about the time of day, shadows, lighting, position of the goat, where to take photos, and more, including equipment.

In addition to breeding goats, Emily is also a professional photographer. You can see her photography at her website Emily Nyman.

See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/creating-a-website-for-your-goats/

To see the most recent episodes, visit ForTheLoveOfGoats.com

Want to support the content you love?
Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jar

Thanks for listening!

No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. Click here to learn more about our Goats 365 membership.

Or see my other goat courses in Thrifty Homesteader Academy.

If you've ever thought about starting a business with your dairy goats, today's episode will give you a lot of valuable information. We are talking to PJ Jonas, founder of Goat Milk Stuff, which sells all sorts of products made from goat milk. Although they focus on soap and body care products today, they also sold cheese, yogurt, gelato, and caramels before the pandemic.

PJ talks about why she started making soap and how it got turned into a business. She explains how she scaled the business from making batches of 28 bars in her kitchen to one of her sons making 415 bars per batch today. You'll also hear what it was like when her soap was featured in major media outlets like The Today Show and Oprah magazine.

We also discuss the potential downsides of owning a business, such as liability and taxes, and what it's like dealing with some members of the public who make life challenging.

See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/success-with-dairy-goats/

To see the most recent episodes, visit ForTheLoveOfGoats.com

Want to support the content you love?
Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jar

Thanks for listening!

No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. Click here to learn more about our Goats 365 membership.

Or see my other goat courses in Thrifty Homesteader Academy.

Who wouldn't love free food for your goats? But before you call your local brewer or distiller and ask if you can pick up their spent grain, listen to this episode with Dr. Robert VanSaun, vet professor and ruminant nutritionist at Pennsylvania State University.

Spent brewers grain and distillers grain are popular feed for cattle, but are less commonly used to feed goats. We've used brew grain to feed our pigs and chickens for about ten years, but have shied away from feeding it to our goats because it doesn't come with a guaranteed nutritional analysis or even an ingredient list.

In this episode, Dr. VanSaun discusses the nutrients we know are in brewer's and distiller's grains and what may or may not be in them, including potentially harmful substances such as sulfur and mycotoxins. We talk about what questions you need to ask the brewmaster before picking up grain, as well as other sources of spent grains.

Many thanks to our listener, Doris, who requested this episode.

See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/brewers-grain-for-goats/

To see the most recent episodes, visit ForTheLoveOfGoats.com

Want to support the content you love?
Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jar

Thanks for listening!

No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. Click here to learn more about our Goats 365 membership.

Or see my other goat courses in Thrifty Homesteader Academy.