Cheryl K. Smith

Goats are mammals and are similar to other mammals in some ways. But they also have unique features that indicate whether they are healthy, tell you how old they are, and even give clues about their parents. © Milya Shaykh / Shutterstock.com Parts of the body You can own goats and not know the names of parts of their bodies.

The average length of time that a person owns goats is only around five years. One reason is that they have unrealistic expectations of what owning goats requires. So what exactly do you need to understand before becoming a goat owner, and what are some of the common missteps you can avoid? © lakov Filimonov / Shutterstock.

Goats make great pets. And as more and more people look for ways to live sustainably and grow their own food, goats are a wonderful option for raising meat and milk. You can harvest their fleece, as well. Whether you want to raise goats for food or as the smart, lovable pets they can be, you need to know what questions to ask.

Grooming a goat is pretty basic, and keeping a goat's hooves trimmed is one of the easiest, least expensive, and most important parts of goat care. Regular trimming takes very little time and cuts down on health care expenses in the long term. How often you trim depends on each goat and the conditions it lives in.

Before you bring your goats home, you need to build them a shelter. Goatkeepers have come up with a lot of different ideas for goat shelters. These can range from a "Taj Mahal," if you have space and a lot of money to spend, to a very simple shelter when you don't have land or money. Before you build your shelter, find a flat, dry area where the shelter will sit level.

Many goat owners keep livestock guardian dogs, donkeys, llamas, or alpacas with goats as full-time guard animals. Guardian animals can add a substantial cost in terms of training and upkeep, but they may be well worth the effort and time if they work out. Try to get a guardian animal from a breeder who has used the animals for this purpose and can vouch for (but not guarantee) their pedigree, training, and temperament.

Goats will eat almost anything, but you must guard against your goats eating poisonous plants. Goats ignore poisonous plants most of the time, but because of their need to browse, they may try them just for variety.Whether a goat that eats a poisonous plant shows signs of poisoning depends on how much of the plant it eats, what part of the plant it eats, the condition of the plant (fresh or dried), the time of year, and the size and health of the goat.

Whether you are raising goats as part of a sustainable lifestyle or because you like to keep them as pets, they need a consistent supply of fresh, clean water to grow properly, stay healthy, and do their best in milk production. Pregnant and lactating does have the highest water needs, and when the weather is hot and dry, all goats need more water.