Remember that every goatkeeper has their own way of doing things, and goats appreciate a routine. I have been raising nigerian dwarf goats for over 11 years, and have developed my own way of doing things. Over time I have learned that these goats are fairly low-maintenance and many of the issues that you could be very serious about are actually not as complex as they are made out to be. Here is a brief synopsis on how I manage my herd- UPDATED 8/12/15

First off, I made sure I bought stock from CAE-negative sources. We are whole herd CAE negative as of 05/08/07 through ELISA testing. We obviously haven't tested in awhile and need to catch up. However, I have continued to be extremely careful whenever adding a new goat to the herd, making sure they tested negative before purchase or coming from a negative herd. I have never had a goat I sold to anyone ever test positive.

Feeding:

I feed my goats Purina Goat Chow. It is a 16% protein dairy goat sweet feed. I have been feeding them Purina Goat chow for several years now with great results. In the past I had used a feed from the local mill, and I had issues with kidding problems and stillbirths. Since I switched to a higher quality feed, these issues have disappeared. I HIGHLY recommend this feed or something else of a higher quality. You can also add a small amount of black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS) to the grain. Other breeders also add an alfalfa pellet and/or beet pulp etc depending on what their goals are. The lower quality the base grain ration is, the more necessary additional ingredients become. Also if you are raising your goats for higher milk production these additions are beneficial.
I always recommend feeding 1 cup of feed of per day per goat. The exceptions are wethers (who do not need/should not have grain after becoming full grown at age 1-2) and pregnant/lactating does, who get about 2 cups per day. This of course can be adjusted for each individual's body condition. You can feel the bones along the spine at the back near the rump, if it feels very bony there the goat us under conditioned. If you cannot feel the bones there they are too fat. It should feel like knuckles.
My hay is a high-quality second cutting of a timothy/clover mix, fed twice a day, not free choice. If you can afford to feed free choice then feel free to do so, but if not, twice a day is sufficient. They will eat or throw on the floor whatever you give them.
Another very important key to managing goats is providing a free choice loose mineral. I offer ONYX or Purina goat minerals in loose form for does, and "Billy-block" minerals for the bucks, and baking soda free choice. Finally and most obviously, provide clean water twice daily. The goats enjoy their water warm in cold weather.

In fall '07 I began copper bolusing the herd, and have seen nice results in coat color and texture, although there are 2 does I still struggle with, who seem to have bad skin issues when close to kidding no matter what. I have also recently learned that I have a selenium deficiency. Bolusing and giving twice annual selenium injections has helped. BO-SE is only available by a vet prescription.

Another habit I like is providing my goats fresh browse from the property, such as pine and tree branches of various types, either by me cutting them and putting them in their pen or by grazing the property. They also enjoy wild rose bushes and brambles. (IMPORTANT: Do some research before giving your goats plant matter- some things are poisonous and fatal to them, like rhododendrons.)

Housing:

My goats are housed in a small (well-ventilated but draft free) barn building with wood floors. The doe barn has seperate smaller pens for use as kidding pens. Minimum floor space per goat should be 4'x 4'. The goat barn also has my milking and grain/hay storage areas, segregated from the goats with livestock panels. They have free access to their yard during the day. I like to use wood shavings topped with straw for bedding, and clean it out frequently. The goat bedding makes great compost to fertilize for my organic garden! The boys are housed away from the girls in a smaller "buck shack" across from the barn. I selectively hand breed and get them together for "dates."

Health:

I try to provide optimum conditions for good health, but in case a goat becomes ill I don’t hesitate to treat them. I keep a close eye on each one and this helps catch things early. I have a wonderful farm vet I can call. Most importantly I have some great goatkeeper friends that can offer me practical advice and wisdom, which I have found to be more valuable than any book. Items I have found useful to keep on hand are:
syringes and needles (I buy 3 cc syringes and 20G or 22G, 1/2 inch needles,) a digital thermometer (normal goat temp is around 101,) Bo-Se injectable, Vitamin B complex, Pen-G antibiotic, CD&T vaccine, iodine and alcohol, electrolyte mix for drinking water, bloodstop powder or cornstarch, "Blue Kote" topical antiseptic spray, "Sheep and Goat Spray" for lice, Goat Nutri-Drench, Probios, and Sulmet liquid for cocci.
I worm the herd on a regular basis, usually with Ivermectin. I also give them Probios during times of stress or after antibiotic use to promote rumen health.

Another important duty is trimming their hooves, which isn’t our favorite! However it is a necessity.

Kidding:

In preparation for kidding, at 5 weeks before the due date I do a final hoof trimming on the expectant mother, and also give a dose of selenium/E gel or a shot of Bo-Se. At 4 weeks before the due date, I give a CD&T injection. Also at this time I start increasing the grain ration, working up to around 2 cups a day by kidding. At two weeks before the due date I worm the doe, and worm again the day after kidding. Late pregnancy and after giving birth is a time when worms can get out of hand, so I try and prevent that. Then I just continue to closely monitor the doe, checking for anything unusual and keeping tabs on their tail ligaments. So far I've been successful at gauging when the doe is ready to kid and have attended most births, which the does were grateful for.
After kidding, I help dry and clean the kids, look them over, and get them nursing quickly. Then I dip the umbilical cords in strong iodine. After hanging out with mom and kids for awhile, I offer the doe some grain, clean up, and then I leave the new family to let them get aquainted. Depending on when the next batches of kids are due, they get to stay in the kidding pen with their mom for a week or more before joining the general population to "learn how to be a goat."
For kids, I disbud them within the first month, sometimes longer for does. I have a Rhinehart 50 disbudding iron. When they start to nibble hay and grain usually around 2 weeks of age, I give them some Probios to help the rumen get going. I give them their CD&T injection around 4-6 weeks of age. Usually somewhere around age 5 weeks I give them a coccidiosis treatment using Sulmet. At 6-8 weeks of age the boys will be wethered, and sometime around this point I do their first hoof trimming and worming. Then usually at 8 weeks of age they're ready to go to their new homes.

A word about vaccinations: I come from a natural health mindset, being vegetarian and having worked in healthfood stores and seeing the health benefits produced by homeopathy and herbals in myself and my family in the past. Therefore it comes naturally to me to apply the same thoughts to our animals. I strive to provide the best environment to encourage optimum health, as well as vitamin/mineral/probiotic therapy, and high quality feed and hay and clean water. There is a lot of controversy about the safety, efficiency, and long-term effects of vaccines on humans as well as in animals of all breeds. Studies have suggested that over-use of vaccines can be linked to auto-immune diseases and an overall weakening of the natural immune system response. I am not a veterinarian, but I give merit to these expert opinions. I therefore hesitate to overuse vaccines. I believe yearly boosters MAY be unnecessary and harmful, and studies have failed to prove that they actually do booster immunity. I also bear in mind that vaccines contain preservatives, foreign animal DNA, and other potentially harmful substances that are injected directly into the system in a way that the body normally would not encounter. There is so much information on both sides to consider, so please inform yourself as much as possible. My kids will be given shots once, since some available information suggests that a shot or two early in life may be enough to provide lifelong immunity- in this case the benefits would outweigh the risks. And also because I sell my kids to the public, I feel a certain responsibility as a breeder to vaccinate. I also give booster shots to pregnant does before they kid, in theory to pass immunity on to the babies. This method allows me to wait until the kids are 4-6 weeks old before vaccinating them.

PLEASE NOTE: I am not a veterinarian or an expert opinion- Please do your own research. I do not accept any liability for the use of this information, it is offered for informational purposes only. These are management techniques that I am developing to suit my own herd.

I recommend visiting the Fias Co Farm website
This site contains a wealth of information pertaining to goatkeeping, milking, and cheesemaking.