How to Build Muscle on Goats

Goats have been a fixture of human society for hundreds of years. Valued for their milk, meat and hides, goats have been raised in the same manner for centuries. It is especially important that goats sold for meat have a considerable amount of muscle, as the amount of muscle dictates how much they are worth. Building muscle on goats is a fairly straightforward process, but must be done consistently for best results.

Things You'll Need

  • Livestock scale
  • Hay
  • Goat feed
  • Wormer
  • Halter and lead
  • Treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Weigh your goat on a livestock scale. Keep track of how much he is gaining as the lean muscle weight of market goats indicate how much they will sell for.

    • 2

      Feed your goat a healthy diet. It is a popular misconception that goats will eat anything under the sun, but in reality they need a diet of fresh, clean hay supplemented with a commercially produced goat feed.

    • 3

      Worm your goats on a regular schedule. Intestinal parasites will draw nutrients away from your goat and will prevent him from getting the most out of his feed, so dose him with a goat wormer purchased at your veterinarian's office or local farm supply store.

    • 4

      Move your goat to a large enclosure. The simplest way to build lean muscle in your goats is to allow him plenty of room to exercise, so the larger his pen, the more opportunity to move around. Place food pans on one side of the pen and water tubs on the other side to maximize activity throughout the day.

    • 5

      Fit your goat with a halter and lead to get him used to being handled. Many goats resist wearing a halter, so work with him slowly, leaving the halter on him for a few minutes at a time and offer one or two of his favorite treats. Increase the duration he wears the halter until he stops paying attention to it.

    • 6

      Attach a lead rope to your goat's halter and take him for a daily jog. Slow, steady running will stretch the individual muscle fibers and increase his bulk, quickly building muscle tone. Run with him until he starts to breathe hard, taking care not to run him into exhaustion.