GOAT CARING

7/27/2019 GOAT CARING

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hen a person has decided to go into the business of raising goats after researching the other factors, which standto affect the success of their operation, consideration must be given to containing the animals. Goats are one ofthe more difficult species of livestock to contain. The natural curiosity and inquisitive nature must beconsidered. An effective fence that will safely and effectively contain goats in their designated area over thelong term is an important factor in fence construction.

The costs of construction must be taken into consideration. In most situations the perimeter fences of a propertywill be of a permanent nature. Division and cross fences lend themselves to adjustable modes of construction.There are many fencing material and construction options available, and some will be mentioned in terms oftheir effectiveness.

Conventional fencing

The conventional fencing for goats is a fence constructed of net, woven, or mesh wire.The work skills required to build a suitable net wire fence are greater than thoserequired for other types; however, the expected service life of a net wire fence is longerthan that of other types of fencing. Construction cost, are higher due to the materialsneeded and the time required for construction.

Variables to be taken into consideration are materials cost, and construction skills of theproducer. Consideration may be given to the availability of local fencing contractorsand their rates. Conventional fences are generally permanent so extensive planningneeds to go into their route and location prior to starting construction.

Guidelines and materials for constructing conventional fencing

Wood, steel pipe, or T-posts may be used for the construction of the corner H-braces, line or stretch braces, andfor line posts, respectively. Materials, which are available in the producers home area at the most economicalcost, should be considered. Producers may have access to resources such as timber they might harvest for posts,or possibly pipe available for use as fence posts at salvage rates on their property. Staples for attaching wire towooden posts, and tie wire or pre-formed clips to attach the net to steel posts are also needed.

Permanent corner braces should be of the H-brace type of construction.Additional bracing in the form of a jake leg or angle brace may be used forgreater strength. A minimum post installation depth of 30 inches isrecommended in dirt holes, and a 12 inch minimum post hole depth when

building fencing in rock is recommended. When building in rocky areas wheredigging depth is limited the use of concrete to securely anchor the post isrecommended.
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Stretch braces will be needed at regular intervals onlonger sections of a fence line. A good guideline is to set abrace for each 990 (3 X 330 rolls), or at 1320 (4 X 330rolls) maximum. On shorter sections of a fence line, thecorner braces will provide sufficient strength. Stretchbraces of the A brace type of construction can be used.The purpose of a stretch brace is to relieve strain on cornerbraces on these longer stretches of fencing. As with thecorner braces, a minimum post installation depth of 30inches is recommended in dirt. When building in solidrock, this depth may be reduced to as little as one footprovided the post is securely anchored.

Line posts will need to be set at regular intervals in order to support the net wire between the corner braces.They are also needed between the stretch braces on the longer sections of a fence line. Post spacing and thematerial used for the posts will depend upon the desired strength and purpose of the fence. Wood or pipe lineposts set at 60 foot intervals, with T-posts for support set at 15 or 20 foot intervals will be adequate under most

conditions.

Woven or mesh wire

The type ofwoven or mesh wire to be used in construction, whether regular or high tensile, is anotherconsideration. Regular steel woven wire is of sufficient strength under most conditions. The high tensile wovenwire now available, in addition to being stronger, has a thicker galvanized coating. High tensile net wirenormally comes with a Class III galvanized coating compared to a Class I for regular steel net wire. In highrainfall areas, areas in close proximity to salt water, or where heavy mineralized soils occur, the additional costof high tensile net wire may be justified due to its durability.

The height of the mesh wire and the spacing of the vertical stay wires are important factors to consider. It isaccepted that a fence of 48 in height will contain goats except under extreme circumstances. For horned goats,a 12 vertical stay wire spacing is preferred to a 6 stay wire spacing. The wider spacing allows a goat theopportunity to work its head and free its horns after putting them through the net. The 6 stay wire spacing usedin some net wire has the capability catch the horns and trap a goat.

Woven wire classification and identification is simple once a producer understands the numbers present onthe tag of a roll of wire. As an example consider a tag with the numbers 11-47-6-9. The first number, 11,designates the number of horizontal wires on the net. The second number designates the height of the wire ininches; 47 means the wire is 47 inches tall. The third number designates spacing of the vertical or stay wires.In this example, the 6 means six inch spacing between stay wires. The last number on the tag designates thegauge or thickness of the wire. In this instance 9 means the net is constructed of nine gauge wire.

Net wire comes with expansion kinks on each horizontal wire between thevertical wires. Stretching the wire to the point of flattening out of the kinks toapproximately 2/3 of their original height provides adequate tension. Thepurpose of these expansion kinks is to provide for expansion and contractionduring periods of cold or hot weather. Tightening of the mesh to the pointwhere these kinks are completely straightened out is not recommended.


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8- to 10-strand barbed wire fence

Another type of non-electric fence, which may appeal to some producers, is an 8 to 10strand barbed wire fence. This type of fence uses individual strands of barbed wirespaced in a graduated manner with the bottom strands being closer together than the topstrands. The bottom strand is placed 3 inches above ground level. The second strand isplaced 4 inches above. The third strand is place 4 more inches up with the fourth strandplaced 4 inches above the third. The next two strands (fifth and sixth) are set on 5 inch

spacing. The seventh strand is set at 6 inches above the sixth with the top two wires(eighth and ninth) set at 8 inch spacing. This provides a nine-strand barbed wire fencewith bottom wire spacing close enough to hold in kid goats and the recommended 47inches in height.

One of the advantages of this type of fence is that barbed wire normally comes in 80-rod rolls whereas net wirecomes in 20-rod rolls. One rod equals 16.5 feet meaning the barbed wire rolls are 1320 feet in length and the netwire rolls 330 feet in length. Thus, with barded wire, there are no splices in a quarter mile length. Incomparison, three splices will be needed to create a quarter mile (1320) of net wire. Using barbed wire reducesconstruction time since some wire splices are eliminated. Wire costs normally run less for the multi-strandbarbed wire fence than mesh or net wire, but the need to stretch and tie each individual strand remains.

Producers again have the option of using wire constructed of either regular or high tensile steel. The high tensilesteel barbed wire provides greater strength, and when properly stretched, needs less work to maintain since itdoes not loosen up and sag over time as will the softer steel wire.

The same key construction components used for net or woven wire are needed for barbed wire fences, i.e.,strong corner braces, stretch braces, line posts, and support posts between the line posts. These may already bein place along with 3 to 5 strands of existing barbed wire if the property had previously been used for livestockproduction, typically cattle. This existing fence will serve to further reduce construction cost, as 30 to 50% ofthe wire needed may already be in place. As a caution, if equine animals are to be housed on the same propertywith goats, the use of this type of fencing is not recommended.

Electric fencing

The least expensive and most portable type of fencing used for goats is electricfencing. This type of fencing lends itself particularly well to interior fences. Sturdycorner or stretch braces of similar construction to those used for conventional fencingare essential to bear the tension placed on the wire. Line posts for electric fencingmay be placed at longer intervals than other fencing and are often constructed ofmaterials whose cost is considerably less than the T-posts or wood posts used in netwire or multi-strand barbed wire fences. Steel T-posts with insulators or fiberglassrod posts, are the most commonly used line posts. Wooden battens are sometimesused for supporting the wires between the wooden line posts.


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When fence portability is a consideration, step-in poly posts are commonly used. Ease of installationand removal for moving fences are two main advantages of these posts. A main reason for using amovable fencing system is to more effectively graze selected areas of a property. The ability to setup a strip or cell grazing system is easier with this type of fencing. Other advantages of a movablefence are the ability to defer grazing on certain sections of a property to allow for re-growth offorage, and to control the concentration of animals in brushy areas to reduce vegetation density.Electric fencing does require regular checks with a voltage meter to be sure that adequate current isflowing through the wires. Heavy vegetation growth contacting the hot wires can interfere withvoltage transfer along the electric fence rendering it ineffective. Thus, vegetation control along thefence line is more of a consideration with electric fencing than with the net or barbed wire fences.

Another type of electric fence that serves well in some situations is a roll-up type of electric net fencing thatcomes with posts in one package. It is primarily used is when a high concentration of animals is needed inheavy grazing situations, or as a temporary holding pen for contract grazers. The cost of this pre-packaged fenceis considerably higher than most other types of fence. It does, however, fit situations where portability is ofmore importance than permanence.

Training goats to an electric fence

Animals that have not been exposed to electric fencing will require a training period to become familiar with theconsequence of touching the electric fence. Shiny objects attached to the wires arouse a goats natural curiositycausing them to investigate the fence. Some producers feed near an electric fence. An additional form oftraining is moving goats in a slow and gentle manner until they come into contact with the charged wires. Inmost cases, one or two contacts with an electrified wire will instill respect within the animals and cause futureavoidance of this type of fencing.

The number of wires used in most electric fences varies from a 3- to a 7-wire system. A 5-wire system creates a

more effective barrier for animals unfamiliar with electric fencing. A 3-wire system could be used with trainedanimals. Once goats have become familiar with electric fencing a single hot wire fence placed approximately 24inches off the ground may serve as an effective containment barrier for adult animals.

For trained goats, electric fences are a cheap and effective alternative to the more expensive net or barbed wirefences. Keep in mind though that an electric fence creates more of a psychological than physical barrier. Intimes of fear, or when heavily pressured, goats may pass through an electrified fence

Converting existing cattle fence to a goat containment fence

Many farms or ranches have existing fences that were designed to hold cattle. Thesemay be either 3- or 5-strand barbed wire or electric fence. The adaptation of theseexisting fences into a fence that will contain goats is a simple procedure. The beautyof this situation is that the necessary corner braces, line posts, and stretch braces arealready in place eliminating much of the labor involved in comparison to new fenceconstruction.


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The simple addition of a few more strands of barbed wire at appropriate spacing willquickly solve the problem at less than one-fourth the cost of constructing a new fence.Another alternative is to use stand outs attached to existing fence posts to build acombination conventional/barbed wire and electric fence. Stand outs are V-shaped,heavy gauge wire devices with an insulator at the apex or point of the V. Stand outsmay be attached to either wire or posts, and provide a non-grounded means ofsupporting a strand of electric fencing wire. A producer may also use this add more

strands of wire to adapt an existing electric cattle fence to create a goat proof fence.

Equipment needed for fence installation

The equipment needed for construction, repair and installation of goat fencing is not an extensive list. Thepurchase or lease of equipment and tools listed below are recommended as necessary for ease of installation.Special tools are often required when working with high tensile wire. These tools may seem non-essential, butthey will often make working with high tensile wire easier and much less frustrating.

1. A powered posthole digger will make digging the holes for corners and brace posts an easierproposition. These holes can be dug by hand but much more sweat equity and time will be required.With a mechanical digger each hole will be the same diameter and depth. A variety of different diameteraugers are available making it easy to select one for the size of posts being set. If the fencing is to beconstructed in rock, then an air compressor and a rock drill or jackhammer will be needed to excavatethe holes. As with the mechanical, auger-type diggers there are differing size bits for rock drills allowinga producer to choose the most appropriate size for the posts to be set.

2. Important hand tools include a good pair of fencing or linesman pliers to cut and twist tie wire and assistin making splices, a hammer to drive fencing staples into wooden posts, and a commercial or homemadeT-post driver. Do not use a sledgehammer to drive T-posts into the ground as it can lead to personal

injury.

3. If using wooden posts a chainsaw or hand saw will be useful in constructing braces. If working withpipe post, a cutting torch, cutoff wheel, and welding machine are needed equipment.

4. Stretching equipment of some type is needed for net or barbed wire since they do not utilizepermanently installed line tensioners. In order to achieve proper wire tension, a stretcher bar ofcommercial or homemade design is recommended for net wire. A regular two-ton pull Come-alongwill provide sufficient tension for stretches up to 1320 long. One Come-along will work for barbedwire or single strand high tensile electric fence wire. When stretching net wire, it is recommended thatone stretcher be attached at the top and one at the bottom to allow for more even tensioning of the wire.

5. For an electric fence, a good voltmeter ($50 - $60) will be needed to check the voltage and allow fortrouble-shooting. Other supplies for an electric fence include, post insulators of some type, and a fenceenergizer of sufficient strength to maintain adequate current flow. Comparing the output of variousenergizers on the market is not a simple matter. The key unit for measuring output or shocking power
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is called a joule. The other tools needed for electric fence construction would be similar to thoserequired for any other fence.

Feed Storage and Use

One of the primary considerations in meat goat production is where feed will be stored until it is needed. Thefeed storage facility needs to be weather proof and rodent proof. Feed that has gotten damp and moldy will notbe eaten and may lead to attendant health problems. Feed contaminated by rodent pellets is also unlikely to be

consumed and may transfer pathogens. The type and size of feed troughs or feeders needed vary depending onsize and type of goat operation.

Troughs

When choosing troughs, one of the most important aspects should be its design. The design should prevent (orat least discourage) goats from climbing, standing, or sleeping in feed troughs to prevent contamination by fecesor urine. This contamination is not only unsanitary, it also wastes feed due through the necessity of removingand disposing of dirty feed. Feed discarded due to contamination is money out of your pocket and adds upquickly.

Freestanding troughs

There are many commercially designed stand-alone feed troughs available. Acommon aspect of the more successful designs is the presence of a center bar,approximately 8 12 above the edge of the trough, running horizontally downthe length of the feed trough. This type of design may be incorporated intohomemade feeders. The bar serves the purpose of preventing goats fromstanding in the trough and provides a convenient handle when moving thetrough to another location. Feed trough portability is important because if onefeeds in the same location for an extended period of time there will a pawedout wallow around the trough area. A depression will form that holds water,

forcing goats to stand in mud while feeding. This unsanitary condition is a prime source of possible bacterialcontamination. Regular movement of feed troughs within the enclosure is recommended when feasible.

Most commercial troughs available are made of steel with a V bottom design. Producers may construct feedertroughs from larger diameter PVC pipe in the 6 to 8 inner diameter range with a wooden support frame. Theseround bottom troughs are recommended over flat bottomed troughs due to more efficient draining accumulatedmoisture. Scrap material of this type is often available from your local municipality at an affordable pricefollowing water main construction or replacement. The presence of several small drain holes along the length ofthe trough, as well as each end is recommended for moisture drainage.

Trough lengths should allow for ease of pickup and movement by a single person. An adequate number of

troughs should be available to provide sufficient feeding space per animal. A guideline is to provide at least 12trough space per adult animal. Observation at feeding time will tell if the producer has provided enough troughspace. One dominate animal can control one whole side of a trough.

It is not recommended using buckets or other containers at ground level for feeding. They are frequently used asbedding places for kids, and are susceptible to fecal contamination.

Hanging troughs


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In addition to freestanding troughs, others are designed to hang on a gate or fence. These troughs are generallyshorter and lighter. They can be easily moved and are useful for smaller herds. They do have a tendency to beknocked off the fence and are prone to wasting feed.

Large capacity feeders

Large capacity feeders, which operate on gravity feed principle, are another possible feeder type. This type offeeder is available in various sizes with bin capacities ranging from 150 to 3,000 pounds. These are normally

used when larger numbers of goats are being fed. Feeders of this type specifically designed for goats should beused. Self-feeders on the market that are designed for cattle often have large enough troughs to allow the goatsto enter and lie down in, again leading to feed contamination by goat feces and urine. If this type of self-feederis to be placed in a fixed location for goats, a concrete skirt extending out a minimum of six feet in front of thetrough area is recommended. This will prevent the creation of a wallow in front of the troughs as describedearlier.

Hay feeders

Hay feeders that suspend the hay off the ground are recommended. Feeding hay on the ground leads toexcessive waste due to contamination as well as the increased chance of picking up worm larvae and eggs. A

suitable hay feeder can easily be constructed by using 4 4 welded wire panels attached to a fence andslanted out at a height appropriate to the size of goats. The panel should be wired solid against the fence acrossthe bottom, with the top laying out further from the fence creating a V type of appearance when viewed fromthe side. The 4 4 mesh provides adequate size openings for a goats muzzle while at the same time beingsmall enough to effectively hold loose hay with minimum waste. A set of bolt cutters to cut the panels to thedesired length, and a set of pliers to tie the panel to an existing fence with baling wire are the only toolsrequired.

This V type design has proven to be effective and is one that a producer can construct. It is economical interms of material and labor requirements. Another option includes a V-type hay holder included as part of afeed trough with a horizontal crossbar running the length of the trough. For this option it would be necessary to

cut the 4 4 mesh into two pieces the length of the feed trough and then wire the bottom of the cut panelstightly together below the horizontal bar, lay out the tops into the desired V shape, and then wire or brace thepanels to the cross bar. In this situation all hay that fell out of the holder would remain in the trough and reducewaste.

When feeding large round bales it is also possible to use this same 4 4 material or a combination-type wirepanel to construct a wraparound barrier/container surrounding the bale to help prevent waste. Holes can be cutstrategically in the panel allowing goats to put their heads in to eat. As the goats eat the bale, the mesh can bepulled tighter and tighter to allow continued access to the bale. It is also possible to cut panels in half and wirethe ends together to act as a hinge that can be pushed together by the goats as the bale is consumed. If access tothe large bales is not restricted, considerable waste will occur that in some instances may reach 50%.

It is better to stand the bale on its end rather than side. This reduces hay bale surface area that is in contact withthe ground and the subsequent loss due to moisture absorption and mold growth. Commercially manufacturedhay rings of the type used in cattle operations may be used to help prevent waste.

The waste of feed, whether a pellet type of feed or hay, is one of the major obstacles to overcome when feedinggoats. Proper trough design and construction of a simple hay feeder as described above can go a long waytoward eliminating unnecessary waste and expense.


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Mineral feeders

Most mineral supplement mixes available for livestock have 10 to 25% salt included as an intake limiter toprevent over consumption. Salt is corrosive to many materials. When considering suitable mineral feeders, theability to resist corrosion is of utmost importance. Another important aspect in selecting a mineral supplementcontainer is to recognize that for goats a loose mineral is generally preferred over a block type of mineralsupplement. Therefore, a trough or container of some type will be needed. Some of the more useful materialsused in mineral feeder construction are rubber, wood, plastic, and stainless steel. All of these materials exhibit

excellent resistance to the corrosive effects of salt and are durable.

As with feed trough design, the holding capacity of a mineral feeder should be adequate for the number ofanimals in each group. The most common mineral feeders used by goat producers are those that can be hung ona wall or fence at an appropriate height. There are several companies that manufacture these out of plastic, soavailability is of little concern. A producer may also manufacture mineral feeders out of PVC pipe material bysplitting it lengthwise and putting wooden ends on it. Hooks can then be added to the side for hanging on afence or wall at the correct height. PVC pipe at least 6 in diameter is recommended with larger sizes better ifavailable. Some trial and error may be needed to determine the correct height when hanging feeders on a fenceor gate. This design lends itself well to portability.

Another type of mineral feeder that can be constructed out of PVC is one that consists of an upright tube, a Ytype or clean out plug PVC connection, and one plug and a cap for sealing the top and bottom of the feeder.Four-inch or greater diameter pipe is recommended for this type of mineral feeder to allow the goats enoughroom for their muzzle. The Y type of connection is plugged at the bottom with a screw type clean out plug withthe Y facing up. An upright tube 3 4 in length is glued into the straight run of the connection. This will leavethe other opening of the Y jutting out at an angle. When the upright tube is filled with a granular or loosemineral supplement it will gravity feed down into the Y and the goats can access it through the opening. A capplaced over the top of the tube is recommended. Since loose mineral with salt is subject to moisture absorption,mineral feeders of a trough type design need to be covered when possible with a small overhang or roof. Mostcommercial mineral feeders available will provide adequate protection from the elements by merit of theirdesign.

Shelter

In times of inclement weather goats will seek out shelter of their liking for protection from the elements. Theweather may be too hot, too wet, or too windy for their comfort. Livestock producers have the responsibility toprovide humane living conditions for their livestock and this includes appropriate shelter. Shelter should meetthe needs of the goats and not the perceived needs of the owner. Although adult goats do not like to be wet, itdoes little harm to them unless the temperature is cold as well. Newborns and young kids need additionalprotection from the elements. Shade in hot weather is useful for goats.

Shade

One of the most often overlooked aspects of pen design is provision of a shade, wind break, or shed for theability to stay warm and dry. When pens or corrals are used only for short-term confinement of livestock priorto working or sorting them, shelter is not a primary consideration. However, when goats are confined to pensfor extended periods of time, shade of some type should be provided to allow goats the ability to utilize it whenneeded. Trees provide the most economical form of shade and must be located where they provide the neededshade at appropriate times of the day. Those located along a fence line may not provide any shade in the penduring the morning hours or in the afternoon or evening hours. Shade trees located within a pen are most ideal.These trees will need their trunks protected by some type of covering to prevent goats from stripping the lowerbark leading to subsequent death of the tree.


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Where there are no existing trees to provide shade, a commercially available fabric type of shade material isavailable from nursery supply houses. This material must be placed out of reach of goats. The frame constructedfor support of this fabric will need to be strong enough to withstand local winds. In terms of cost, trees or othernatural shade is the cheapest. The fabric type of shade would rank second.

It is possible to build a small roof-only shed inside a pen to provide needed shade for your animals. This type ofshade will lack portability. Further, the site for its placement should be carefully considered in order to preventinterference with animal movement through the corral system. A roofed shed will provide protection not only

from the sun but from rain as well, except in strong wind. This being the case, a permanent, roofed shed issuperior to either the natural shade provided by trees or even the protection offered by the fabric type ofmaterial.

Portable skid, or wheel mounted sheds are another consideration when movement to other pastures or areas of aproperty may be required. Old flat bed or cotton trailers can easily be adapted for use as portable shelters.

Windbreaks

The natural hair covering of goats will, in most cases, provide enough protection from the wind except duringthe coldest times of winter. There are major geographic differences in the extent to which cold is a major

challenge. Windbreaks need not be elaborate in their construction as the only goal is to block the wind. Theyalso do not need to be any higher than the goats. It is recommended that windbreaks be located on the north ornorthwest sides of the pen. It is also suggested that the windbreaks be constructed of some type of material thatwill not be destroyed by the animals.

To prevent the goats from damaging your windbreaks, placement along the outside of the pens fence line is awise choice. If feasible, the build up of a small pad higher than the surrounding terrain along the downwind sideof the windbreak inside the pen is recommended. Goats, before they bed down, will often paw out a bed and if araised area is not built up there will soon be depressions running the length of your windbreak area rendering itunsuitable for use should rainfall accompany the wind. Goats will not bed down in a mud puddle rendering thewindbreak useless.

Innovation, creative thinking, and use of materials already on hand, can reduce the cost of windbreakconstruction. Materials for consideration in construction of a wind break range from plywood, sheets of metalroofing, or even old round bales of hay placed lengthwise along the suggested north fence line. Metal of somevariety would be first choice. Plywood would be a good second choice but it must be placed where it isinaccessible to goats otherwise it will get eaten. The use of round bales placed along the outside of the fenceline is effective if they are on hand. The use of poly tarps tied along a fence line is not recommended forwindbreaks. Goats will chew the poly tarps and ingest some material leading to possible rumen impaction andsubsequent death. Regardless of what material you chose to use in constructing a windbreak, keep in mind thatit does not need to exceed four feet in height. An example of a low cost windbreak is one constructed out of themetal siding off of an old mobile home.

Barns and sheds

If you should wish to construct more elaborate housing for your goats due to particularly wet or cold conditions,then a modest barn or enclosed shed may be in order. The protection offered by a barn or shed will surpass thatprovided by either shade or windbreaks.

Shed design

When producers are building a new barn or shed specifically to house goats, a common mistake is building astructure with too high a roof. In order for a goat shed to be the most effective and efficient, the roof need not


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be higher than four feet or less in the rear, and six feet or less in the front. The low ceiling allows the goatsbody heat to accumulate and warm the air to a higher temperature than would occur with a higher roof. Enteringor cleaning a shed of this height will not be convenient for the producer, but this height is ideal for goats.Commonly, producers make their sheds portable so when manure accumulates the shed can be pulled or carriedto a different location. If the shed is to be permanent, then a higher roof should be considered for convenienceof the owner. The biggest drawback when working in a properly designed goat shed is the low height and headclearance.

An existing barn may be converted into housing for goats by place a supporting a framework and plywoodceiling at the ideal four-foot height. With adequate support, this new rooftop may also be used for storage offeed and water buckets keeping them handy when needed. This may not look pretty, but functionality should beof greater consideration.

An ideal goat shed is long, has a low roof, and is shallow. The shed does notneed to be any deeper than eight feet as animals are more prone to pile on topof each other in deeper sheds. This creates the danger of suffocating kids or theweaker animals in the herd because they are often on the bottom of the pile.This shallower depth also allows for good ventilation which is important since,along with manure, urine will be deposited under the sheds. Inadequate

ventilation can lead to high ammonia concentrations in the shed that can createrespiratory problems, especially in young kids whose lungs have not fullydeveloped.

There is debate as to the type of floor most suited for goat barns. A compacted dirt floor with sand, woodshavings, or other bedding material is recommended for the main barn area. A cement floor can be used in thework area and wash rack if desired. The sand or shavings will absorb most fluids and will be easy to clean outand replace periodically as well as providing surer footing for both producer and goats. Concrete floor barns canbecome slick when wet and if too rough a finish is used the floors will be difficult to clean satisfactorily.

The shed should face southwest to effectively utilize the winter sun as a source of heat. This also allows the

back of the shed to shield animals from cold north winds. A water supply should be near or inside the barn.Having a convenient water source to fill water buckets or wash something is of great benefit. If possible,installation of an on-demand hot water heater is a nice addition as well. If designing or building a new structure,be sure to plumb adequate water pipes and drains. Wire electricity into the barn for lighting and electricaloutlets.

Size

A good guideline for floor space requirements for goats is to allow ten square feet per adult animal with fivesquare feet being a minimum requirement. A shed 30 long, by 8 deep, by 4 tall providing 240 sq. ft. floorspace would shelter twenty to twenty five adult animals using the ten square feet guideline. More space per

animal is better but smaller sheds can be used. Particularly in winter the close proximity of goats to each otherhelps them stay warmer from body heat alone. If kids are present in the group be sure to include five square feetof space for each set of kids. As with feeding space, observation on the dynamics of individuals in the herd willdetermine if adequate space has been provided.

The producer may also wish to build stalls to house individual animals for various reasons such as a doe thatdoes not want her kids. Placing the doe and kids in a small stall for a period of time allows dam and kids tobond, increasing kid survival. A stall or jug for bonding does to their kids should be approximately 5 5allowing plenty of room for feed and water buckets as well as the goats. Stalls are also easily heated with heatlamps during extreme low temperatures such as those seen in more northern climates. If building (housing)sheds or stalls inside an existing barn the roof sections can be made removable for ease of cleaning.


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Water and Water Quality

The single most important nutrient for support of plant or animal life is water. Water, along with its availability,accessibility, and quality is a number one priority yet less consideration is given to it compared to many otheraspects of a goat operation.

Source and quality

If a natural water source is available, be it a pond, spring, or stream, goats will utilize it as their first choice, aslong as the water is not stagnant. Goats should have easy access to these natural watering holes. A firm bankleading to the water will encourage greater use of the resource than a soft bank. A load of crushed rock or gravelto make an all-weather trail is one way to provide a firm, all-weather access trail. Preventing the loss of onegoat from inadequate water intake or from becoming mired in mud while trying to get a drink will help pay forthe materials used.

When the naturally occurring water source is a spring, developing the spring and piping the water to a trough orpond is recommended. Allowing livestock to trample the immediate area surrounding the spring will lead tocreation of a mud hole at the minimum, and can damage the spring outlet lessening or ceasing its flow. The bestcourse of action is to fence off the area around the spring and invest in some PVC pipe to transport the water,

even if only a short distance away, into a suitable watering container.

When natural sources of water are not available, water must be providedthrough a well or county water source. In these situations, some form ofwatering system is required. The two most popular forms of water containersfor goat operations are troughs or buckets. Both require more constantmonitoring than do natural watering sources. Buckets are fine for smalloperations but for larger herds and for those in more remote locations, a troughis preferred. Where a constant inflow of water is maintained through a pipelineor hose, a float controlled, flow-regulating valve to maintain the correct water level in the trough can be used. Ifthe troughs are in a location where they can be easily monitored daily, the expense of a float valve system can

be avoided and the troughs filled as needed with a water hose.

Do not let automatic watering devices prevent regular checks of water cleanliness. Whether buckets or troughsare used for watering, regular cleaning to ensure constant availability of fresh, clear water will encouragesufficient intake. If the water is not clean enough for human consumption, the troughs need to be cleaned.

Water requirements

A goat requires one to three gallons of water per day depending on diet, intake, and environmental conditions.Water depth in troughs should not exceed 12 to 14 to allow access by kids and to prevent kids from falling inand drowning. Kids can easily climb out of shallow troughs. Existing water troughs designed for cattle or horses

that may be two feet in height can be adapted for use by goats through a ramp or step placed beside the troughallowing younger, smaller animals to drink. Cinder blocks or rocks can be put in these troughs to reduce waterdepth and prevent accidental drowning.

Water consumption rate will remain fairly constant throughout the year regardless of the temperature; therefore,keep the supply constant. If bucket, or trough heaters of some type are not used in the colder climates, dailychecks to remove surface ice and allow the animal access to water will be necessary.


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Working Facilities

In any goat operation regardless of size, there exists the need for a set of corrals to assist in working andmanaging the herd. One single large pen or pasture will not allow effective herd management.

At some time it will become necessary to work your animals, whether for inspection, de-worming, sorting, orother reasons. A catch pen or corral is preferred to a large pasture for performing these operations. The size ofcorral and number of pens needed are dependent primarily upon herd size. When working animals, crowding is

preferred to an oversized pen. Pens will need strong construction as animals will be crowded and underpressure. A central location with easy access to the corrals from all areas of the property is the ideal site. Selecta well-drained site, if available, for corral construction. A producer should visit other goat operations and viewtheir corral setups prior to beginning construction of a corral system.

Working pens

A single pen of enough size to accommodate the entire herd to be worked, with a series of smaller pens feedingoff of it is preferred. The animals can then be funneled into progressively smaller pen areas. Pen dimensionsneeded are undefined as there is no one size fits all, (see above statement regarding herd size). The biggestfactor for consideration in overall pen size is; in how large of a pen do you want to chase goats? This is where

labor availability and the producers physical condition becomes a consideration. If a producer has adequatelabor, can rope well, or likes to run, a 100 100 pen will work fine for a five goat herd. Ideally, the smallestpen or working area will be small enough to easily grab a goat from practically any location in it, or about 10 10 maximum size.

In a single pasture situation, placement of corrals in a corner will make pen construction simpler. Two sidefences will already be in place as well as a fence line to use as a wing to assist herding the animals into theenclosure. Gate placement for animal entry and exit is an important consideration with corners of pens preferredto a gate located in the center.

A narrow chute leading off of or integrated into a pen compound is a valuable asset for administering medicines

or loading animals for transport. Most livestock trailers are six feet in width and a maximum width of six feetshould be considered for a combination loading/working chute. This size allows room for both producer andgoats inside the chute, yet is not so oversized as to prevent easily catching animals. Orienting the chute on aneast-west axis will reduce shadows that can cause goats to balk at entering a working, sorting, or loading chute.

There are several companies that manufacture and sell component style corral systems. These systems lendthemselves well to new, as well as smaller, operations due to their portability and the capability to add onvarious system components as needed. Component systems are more flexible in that they can be easilyreconfigured as compared to permanent corral pens. This allows a producer to experiment with various sizedesigns and configurations while searching for an ideal pen setup. An additional advantage of componentsystems is that the system or individual components can be sold should a producer decide to construct corrals of

a permanent nature, or discover they have purchased components not needed in their operation. The onedisadvantage of these systems is their initial high cost. However, when this initial high purchase price iscompared to the cost of building permanent pens that dont funnel animals effectively or that are not producerfriendly, component systems may be a bargain.

Breeding pen

In many of todays goat operations, controlled mating is an important consideration. Construction of a mating orbreeding pen can assist a producer in breeding management. A mating pen should provide enough space foranimals to move about freely. A 150 150 pen will comfortably serve 30 up to 50 head of goats in a breeding


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scenario. Confinement breeding can decrease the length of the kidding season leading to a more uniform set ofkids at market time. Confinement breeding also allows for the use of a single buck to breed a large number ofdoes. Pen mating is a recognized short-term confinement situation, and these pen dimensions should not beconsidered adequate for long-term animal confinement. A breeding pen should have adequate room for watercontainers, mineral feeders, shelter, and feed troughs as well as the goats.

Kidding pen

For producers of high value stock, or for smaller producers, dedicating a pen not needed for day-to-dayoperations as a kidding pen can improve kid survival rates. A kidding pen is not a necessity but is an option formore intensively managed operations. Placing pregnant does in the pen one week prior to kidding and holdingthe doe and kid(s) in the pen for a week or so post- parturition can significantly increase kid survival. This isdue largely to closer observation of doe and kid, but also by reduced predation losses as well.

Another tool that can aid kid survival is placement of a jump board approximately 14 in height across thepens gate. This allows does to exit the pens and graze if they desire while containing smaller kids safely insidethe enclosure. Once the kids have reached sufficient size to climb over this board, they are usually large enoughto follow their dams out into a pasture and return safely.

Weaning pen

A pen for confining kid goats upon weaning is another important aspect to be considered. Kid goats need to beweaned and separated from their dams in order to allow the does to dry up and regain body condition inpreparation for their next breeding. It is especially important to house buck kids separately at weaning toprevent unwanted matings as the buck kids enter puberty. A weaning pen also allows a producer to feed kids amore nutritious diet to increase growth rate. As with any pen designed for long confinement periods, mineralfeeders, water containers, shelter, and feed troughs must be provided.

Quarantine pen

A quarantine pen for newly acquired animals should be constructed. When animals are acquired from anysource it is a good idea to keep them separated from the main herd for a quarantine period of a minimum of 2weeks and usually for 30 days or longer. Quarantining newly acquired animals allows producers to observe andtest animals for diseases before co-mingling them with animals already on the farm. This will help avoidintroducing new diseases, or parasites, into the established herd. The quarantine pen needs to be a dedicatedquarantine area that is used every time new animals are brought onto the premises. Since most acquisitions aresmall in nature, such as a single buck or small number of does, the pen need not be large in size but maintainingit as your dedicated quarantine area is important. If possible an easily cleaned or disinfected flooring surface isrecommended for the quarantine area.

How to raise a healthy goat

A doe yields more than milk, of course . . . each year she'll birth from one to three kids. The youngsters canpresent the beginning goatkeeper with a problem becausesince they're about the cutest and most lovableanimals on this earthyou may get so attached to the furry little newcomers that you'll end up surrounded byhordes offull-grown nannies and billies.

To avoid that problem, you must be prepared to sell or butcher some of your home-raised goats. Actually, anyfemale offspring are relatively easy to deal with. One of your best doelings can be saved to replace its mommaon the milk line when the old gal reaches five or six years of age . . . and you'll generally find a good market foryour other young does.


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Buck kids, however, are another matter. In order to ensure that the best possible male genes go into the makeupof your future herds, you should save only one out of every hundredb illies to be a breeding sire. The manymales that don'tmeet such a rigid standard of excellence should be castrated when they're less than three weeksof age and, ultimately, butchered. Since there's nothing tastier than chevon (its flavor resembles that of lamb),most folks don't mind at all that about half of their nanny's kids will be bucks.

The meat can be harvested shortly after the males are born (prepare it much as you would rabbit) or when theyoungsters are weaned at 8 to 12 weeks of age. Then again, you might want to keep the animals until they reach

their mature weight of 60 pounds . . . at around six months. (Don't wait any longer, though . . . a goat doesn'tgrow much after it reaches maturity.)

KNOW WHAT A NORMALANIMAL LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE

When you decide to purchase a herdstarting doe (or two), you'll immediately be faced with the decision of whatbreed to invest in. In the U.S., the five most popular purebred goats are Toggenburg, French Alpine, Saanen, LaMancha, and Nubian. (The last two varieties could be called the "Jersey cows" of goats: Although they giveslightly less milk than do their three "cousins", their product is high in butterfat.) Any of the five breeds can besuccessfully raised in all parts of North America, but in most cases the best breed for you will be the one that ismost common in your area . . . since their offspring will be the easiest to sell to other folks

Grade (crossbred) goats will often yield just as much milk asor even more thantheir purebred sisters do,and will usually cost less to buy. But the offspring from such animals will almost never sell at as high a price asdo purebred kids. Therefore, it's probably better to buy a higher-priced purebred doe at the outset, and then payyourself back for that purchase later . . . through the sale of the kids.

Another decision you'll have to make is how olda goat to buy. (You can judge the age of any horned ruminantby examining its teeth: A young goat, for example, has a set of small baby teeth. These are replaced by larger,adult teethat the rate of one pair a yearover a four-year period.) Kids will be the least expensive purchases,

but they'll also be the riskiest buys, since only a professional goat breeder can judge whether or not a spindly-legged youngster will eventually mature into a high-quality milker.

Older nannies are not always the most practical purchases, either. . . because udder production usually (but notalways) tapers off after an animal is four or five years old. The best way to be sure of what you're getting, then,is to purchase a productive two- or three-year-old doe, even though such premium creatures are, naturallyenough, the most expensive.

Regardless of what breedand what ageyour herd-starter is, you should be absolutely sure you're buying anormalgoat. If you've read my other livestock articles in MOTHER, you already know that a healthy crittershould be bright-eyed and alert, walk with an easy-going gait, and have no abscess-indicating lumps on its body

(check especially along the beast's neck, legs, and udder). And the animal's droppings should be firm (ratherthan runny).

BUY THE BESTGOAT YOU CAN FIND

Your first doe will, of course, have a determining influence on the future herd, soin addition to buying ahealthy goat you should take home only the bestspecimen you can locate. Now you may at first find that allgoats look pretty much alike to you, but with a little practice and experience (which can be most easily obtainedby watching from the stands of a local goat show or county fair), you'll be able to discern the differencebetween a topnotch pail filler and an inferior bottom-of-the-bucket milker.


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For openers, a smart buyerdoesn'tmea sure the quality of a goat by the amount of meat a doe will make, sodon't look for a thick, chunky critter that resembles a prime steer, pig, or lamb. Instead, buy an animal with"dairy character" .. . a lean, angular ruminant that's blessed with plenty of body and udder capacity. A goodplace to start inspecting your prospective milker is right at the animal's midsection. Size up the beast's belly:The rounder and deeper it is, the better. Next, examine her chest. If you can lay the flat of your hand betweenthe doe's front legs, and if two fingers will fit between each pair of ribs, the goat's heart and lungs have a goodamount of working space.

Now, eyeball your doe from the rear. The top of her back area, from the hips to the shoulders, should resemble along triangle. The critter should also be wide at the hip bones and look broad-bellied enough to "store a barrelfull of feed". Her back limbs should be placed well apart, and the udder should fill the open space betweenthose legs. The body of the milk sack should also extend well back toward the animal's tail, the back face of theudder should appear to be flat, and its teats should point straight down (rather than out or in).

If all of the foregoing features look good, mosey around to the side of your prospective purchase and examinethe animal's udder from this new angle. The sack should extend well forward and fill up most of the flank area.The "floor" of the udder should, again, appear flat and should also lie below, or level with, the animal's hocks.Andwhen seen from this lateral viewpointthe teats should seem to be aimed slightly forward. These"handles" should also have a size and shape that will just fit into the palms of your hands.

Finally, don't actually buy the goatno matter how fine the critter looksuntil you've tried milking her! Somespoiled does are so cantankerous that they're almost impossible to work with . . . and in a few others the tubes inthe teats (the passages that the milk squirts through) are so tiny that you'll tucker out your fingers before youever milk the nannies dry.

CULL THE WORST ANIMALS

The other side of goat purchasing and raisingand one that every owner must sooner or later face up toisculling the herd's least productive animals. Unless you want to keep an ever-increasing stock of caprine pets,you shouldeach yearselect the stingiest milkers, poorest mothers, and least valuable kids (even if one of

them is your favorite animal companion) and add them to a neighbor's herd or your own dinner table.

The gleaning process will hold especially true for male goats because, as I said before, you should keep onlyone out of every 100 young bucks. And how did I pick that particular number? Well, if you assume that anaverage buck can breed 20 does a year for five years and if each of those mothers bears two kids per litter, onebuck can father 200 offspring, and 100 of those offspring will be males. It follows that only onethe very bestoneof those young bucks will be needed to replace his aging sire.

BUILD YOUR GOAT HOUSE AND FENCING WELL

When it comes to goat shelter, most caprine caretakers adhere to the rule of K.I.S.S. "Keep It Simple, Stupid!"

The animals do notneed elaborate homes, so any three-sided shed that'll keep out the wind, rain, or sun will beadequate. Allow 16 square feet of inside space per adult goat, and face the structure south to avoid theprevailing winter winds (while letting in some of that cold season's sunlight). In addition, plan your shelter'sconstruction so the shed will be easy to clean.

Buildingfencing forgoats, however, is nota simple undertaking at all ... because the animals are incrediblyskillful escape artists. A nimble-footed nanny can jump a four-foot-high obstacle, squiggle through a tiny hole,shove a fencepost with her head until the pole collapses, and even knock against the top of a fence wire with herfront hoofs until she mashes the barrier down and can leap out.


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So unless you're hoping to get even with a neighbor whose stray cow just punctured your prize pumpkin,enclose your goat yard as sturdily as possible. One good approach is to use welded wirewith no more than sixinches between staysand mount the material on the in side of firmly placed posts. Be sure the finished fenceis at least 4-1/2 or 5 feet high, and add a hoof-resistant top, built out of boards, to the enclosure.

If you're willing to spend $18 to $22 a section, you'll find that commercially available 4-1/2' X 16' fence panelsmade out of quarter-inch galvanized steelare pretty nearly goatproof. Or you might construct a three-stranded electric barrier (with the wires placed 10, 20, and 40 inches above the ground) to contain your critters.

Either of these preventive measures should effectively keep most of your caprine livestock at home. Bucks,though, are notorious fence-jumpers ... especially during breeding season. You'll often need to run an electric orbarbed wire strand above, and ten inches inside, a five-foot fence to keep the randy animals from roaming.

FEED THE CRITTERS CORRECTLY

One of the most important advantages of goat raisingfor the economy-minded farmsteaderis that themilkmakers will function perfectly well on inexpensive hay or foraged food ... with a little grain thrown in tostep up their milk or breeding output.

Actually, idle bucks and nonpregnant dry does can be kept in tiptop shape on goodquality hay or some other

forage crop alone . . . because the ruminants' internal bacteria can use that food source to produce all the proteincarbohydrates, fats, and vitamins the goats need. Even though bucks and does do love their greens, however,they are not naturally grass-grazers. (So don't buy a billy to replace your lawn mower . . . the picky chewer willstrip your fruit treesor a favorite rose bushbefore it starts cutting the grass!)

The grain you feed to your goats should be supplied only to meet the extra protein needs of milk- or kid-producing animals. A pregnant doe, for instance, will do best if given a one-pound scoop of grain daily ... andtwo pounds a day during the last three weeks of pregnancy. During the breeding season, a buck can also begiven one to two pounds of grain a day. (Both animals should, of course, also have access to plenty of good-quality hay or pasture.)

The amount of extra protein a milkingdoe needs will depend upon how much of the liquid she gives each dayand on the butterfat content of that milk. (A county extension agent or area dairy farmer can show you how todetermine butterfat levels.) In general, you should feed the dam one-half pound of grain daily for each pound of3% butterfat milk she produces. If the butterfat content is 5.5%, though, you should give the doe three-quartersof a pound of grain a day per pound of milk. (If you're caretaking an excellent producer that yields as much as12 pounds of milk daily ... count your blessings and give that remarkable nanny all the grain she wants.)

Remember, too, that any goat's daily dinner won't be complete unless you've added a few "garnishes" ... namelya free choice supply of both table salt and a good mineral mix (provide both substances in a feed bunk that'sprotected from the weather). And one more thing: PleaseNEVER forget to keep clean, fresh water available toyour animals at all times.

UNDERSTAND YOUR GOATS' CYCLES

A good understanding of your caprine critters' growth and breeding patterns will help keep you prepared for alltheir annual natural events. You should know, for instance, that goats can begin their reproductive lives at anearly age. Doelings are mature enough for mating when they're only six months old (or reach a weight of 60pounds), which means that they normally canand shouldbe bred during their first fall. And bucks mayreach fertile maturity by the time they're just three months old.

A female goat commences her yearly heat cycles when the hours of daylight begin to decrease significantly (inmost states, this will occur around August or September). The doe will be in estrus for one to three days at a


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time, and have an 18-to 21-day "rest" between heats. This pattern will continue (only if the animal's not bred, ofcourse) through March.

Nearly every female goat will let you know when she's in heat by acting more than normally affectionate towardyou, bleating and crying frequently, continually wagging her tail, and (perhaps) urinating often. You may alsonotice some swelling around the animal's vulva and/or a small amount of clear or bloody vaginal discharge.(Now and then you will run across a shy gal that's secretive about her heat periods, but don't worry ... any buckin the area will know exactly what's going on.)

After a successful mating, the doe will be pregnant for 150 days before she gives birth (or, as most dairy folksay, "freshens"). The milk flow of a lactating mother will be strongest during the first two or three months afterdelivery, gradually taper off, and finally end around 305 days after it begins.

A doe can be rebred for the next year's kid crop while she's still producing milk from last season's. However, theanimal should definitely be given a two-month vacation between the end of one milking period and the start ofthe next. You can calculate when to begin this dry spell by counting backward 60 days from the expectedbirthday of the next batch of kids .. . or forward 90 days from the anniversary of the doe's fall breeding. On thedetermined day, simply stop milking the female and put her on a low-calcium, milk-fever-preventing diet. (Seethe sidebar, "Preventing Ketosis and Milk Fever in the Pregnant Doe", which accompanies this article.)

The best way to "dry up" a goat is to let the pressure of a full udder stop further production. So don'tbecauseyou feel sorry for a large-uddered crittermilk the sack out every so often . . . you'd just be prolonging thedoe's agony.

KEEP ACCURATE AND MEANINGFUL RECORDS

If you've been reading closely so far, you'll understand how important it is for a goat owner to keep track ofbirthdays, breeding dates, heat cycles, and dry periods. In addition to such bits of record keeping, you shouldalso list the kinds of medication you use on your milkersand the dates you administer the remediesandmaintain a daily record of your doe's milk yield throughout her lactation period. (This last statistic can give you

a good idea of what each doe's offspring should be worth to a prospective buyer.)

CODDLE THE YOUNGSTERS

The best way to ensure that each of your goats will have a long and productive life is to make sure everynewborn starts off on the right hoof. So you should prepare for "kiddings" by gathering up clean rags, filling awide-mouth plastic bottle with tincture of iodine, and making sure you've plenty of clean bedding on hand.

Newborn goat care consists of paying attention to Dr. Kidd's Three C's: Cleanliness, Cord Care, and Colostrum.Cleanliness is vital . . . the kid nursery should be well ventilated (a three-sided, south-facing shed should dofine) and have a deep bed of absolutely dry and clean bedding for the young'uns to curl up in. As long as you

maintain such a nest, you will almost never have to provide any supplemental warmth for the hardy tots . . . infact, you should probably avoid doing so. Enclosed, heated sheds are almost always too damp (if you can feelmoisture on the nursery wall, increase the structure's ventilation or remove some of its inhabitants) and are idealbreeding grounds for all sorts of disease-carrying organisms.

When the youngsters are born, give each one a vigorous and stimulating rubdown with a clean rag until theanimal is dry (the nanny can also accomplish this task with her tongue). Then soak each youngster's navel iniodine by dipping its cord stub into your tincture-filled bottle, pressing the container firmly against the kid'sbelly, and then turning both goat and bottle upside down.


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Each babe will also need an early dose of colostrum ... that special antibody, nutrient, and vitamin loaded milkthat mothers produce for a day or two after birth. (You might even want to milk out and freeze some colostrum,to save for any orphaned newborns of future litters.) The easiest way to make sure the new arrivals get theirshare of the precious fluid, of course, would be simply to let the youngsters nurse. Most goat breeders will startthe little milkers off on a bottle or pail, though, because suckling kids are difficult to wean (and can be prettyrough on udders), and nursing mothers tend to produce less and dry up sooner than dams whose milk ishandexpressed.

So if you want to promote productivity in your doe, bottle-feed the kidsright from the startwith four dailydoses of 4 to 6 ounces of milk each. You can then change to three 8- to 10-ounce diurnal feedings by the timethe youngsters are one week old ... gradually increase the quantity of milk per serving to 12-14 ounces (again,fed three times a day)... and start to decrease the amount per feeding when the youngsters reach eight weeks ofage.

And don't make the all-too-common mistake of overfeeding those new kids, or your little slurpers will developcases of the runs faster'n you can fetch a pitchfork. Instead, encourage the young'uns to munch on hay and grainat an early age by having plenty of the solid foods around for them to nibble. Rumen development, you see, isstimulated by eating grain and hay (milk, on the other hand, passes right by the ruminant chamber of a goat'sfour stomachs and goes directly to the last digester, the abomasum), and the sooner that cud-chewing organ

begins its work, the faster the kids will grow. If you do encourage such a vegetarian diet, your kids should startsampling grain and greens by the time they're three or four weeks old . . . and be ready to be completely weanedwhen they're from 10 to 14 weeks of age.

There are two other caretaking chores you should be sure to attend to before your kids are three weeks old:disbudding elf the young critters, and castrating any males you don't expect to breed. The horns on baby goats'heads are mere buttons that can be easily removed, but if you allow the appendages to grow, you'll end up eitherwith a horned adult that's a potential menace to other livestock (and to you), or with an extremely difficultdehorning chore.

To disbud a kid, you first need to get hold of a disbudding iron (some folks use a caustic bovine d isbudding

paste for this job, but I've seen too many goats' ears and other hairy parts injured with that substance . . . so inmy opinion, the disbudder is the only way to go). You'll also need to build or buy an appropriately sizedwooden restraining box that has a porthole for the youngster's head.

Once you've got the kid securely immobilized, heat the disbudding iron until the searing tool will quickly burn ablack ring in wood and then press the iron over a horn bud for six seconds . . . rotating the disbudder slightly asyou hold it to ensure good contact with the nodule. Repeat this process on the first hornlet, and then perform thesame double operation on the other bud . . . to ensure a total of 10 to 15 seconds burning time on each hornsurface. When you're finished, the seared ring around the bud will be slick and copper-colored.

On the same day that you disbud your kids, you should castrate the young, nonbreeder bucks. For this

procedure, first disinfect your hands and each animal's scrotum. Then, using a sterile knife or scalpel blade,slice off the entire bottom third of the male's testicular sack. Now grasp each testicle and gently pull itand itscordout until it breaks off. Follow up this surgery by applying some antibiotic powder (and a protectivedressing during fly season) and administering a dose of tetanus antitoxin.

Most novice goalkeepers will be sorely upset by the kids' agonized bleatings while the animals are beingcastrated or disbudded. Don't let such carrying-on worry you, though, because immediately after the operationsare over, the youngsters will quietly amble off to look for a tasty patch of forage to nibble on . . . just as ifnothing had ever happened.

Preventing Ketosis and Milk Fever in the Pregnant Doe


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Not only should a pregnant doe's diet provide enough protein, energy, minerals, and vitamins to feed both thedam andher unborn kids, but the animal's menu should also be carefully managed to help avoid two relativelycommon caprine ailments: ketosis and milk fever.

Ketosis, or pregnancy toxemia, affects expectant does shortly before they're due to give birth. A beast soafflicted may go off its feed, grind its teeth, have a peculiar odor, andif the problem is allowed to progressuncheckedeventually go into convulsions and die. You can detect the ailment by checking the critter's urinewith a test powder or paper strip available in drugstores. You should, though, be able to preventketosis from

becoming a problem in the first place, by making sure every expectant doe has a high-energy diet that's loadedwith carbohydrates. Give your pregnant goats one to two pounds of grain daily (along with their regular hay orpasture feedings, of course) . . . especially during the last three weeks before she's due to kid.

Milk feweron the other handoccurs most frequently aftera doe gives birth. This disease may causerestlessness, excitability, and lack of coordination. Eventually the weakened animal may fail down and beunable to get back up.

This deficiency disease can strike when a goat is using all the calcium circulating through her bloodstream tomake milk for the offspring. To prevent the problem, give the milking mother a diet high in calcium andmakesurebeforehandthat the darn will be ready to utilize the mineral fully. You can accomplish the latter task by

first feeding the goat a diet that's low in the bone-building nutrient during its two-month dry period. (Goodfeeds for this purpose are grass haystimothy and prairie, for exampleand such grains as corn, wheat, milo,and oats. Be certain, also, that the animal's mineral mix contains no calcium.)

Then, when the doe freshens, start feeding her a high-calcium diet that includes legume hays, and grains such assoybean, cottonseed, and linseed meal. In that way, not only will the dam have a high level of calcium in herdaily menu, but her body will have been primed to use every bit of the vital mineral.

HELP YOUR GOATSFIGHT THEIR OWN DISEASES

The old saw, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", holds especially true for goats. So along with

the proper caretaking discussed in the rest of this article, you should regularly administer some preventivemedical treatments to your caprine companions.

All goats should be given vaccines for tetanus and for enterotoxemia, or overeating disease (caused byClostridium perfringens bacteria, types C and D). Start your prevention program at theprenatalstage bytreating each expectant mother, forboth diseases, during her last month of pregnancy (use vaccines that yourvet can assure you will not harm the developing fetuses). Then give both medications to the offspring when thekids are 8 to 12 weeks old, and again 4 to 6 weeks later.

Adult goats ought to be revaccinated yearly, and a precautionary dose of tetanus antitoxin is a good safeguardany time one of your animals gets a deep scratch or has surgery. (In addition, check with your local veterinarian

to see if there are any other vaccines recommendedspecifically for your area.)

Internal parasites are another problem you'll have to fight. In fact, unless you work pretty Banged hard toeliminate the hidden bandits, they can be the worst livestock "rustlers" on your farm. You'd be wise to worm allyour goats each spring and fall (or once a month if you've got a large herd). A local vet can recommend the bestvermicide to use in your location.

Goats are also afflicted by such external parasites as lice and ticks, so you should treat your stockin the springand fallto control the blood-sucking varmints. (Rotenone is a good organic duster for this job.)

GOAT TO IT


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Well, you've now read all the basics of caretaking caprine milkmakers, from choosing your stock to keepingthem disease-free. So if you like goat's milk as much as I doand think you'd enjoy sitting next to a nanny in astraw-smelling barn twice each day while you stroke her spigotsit's time for you to get a goat for yourbarnyard. You'll never find a more agreeable (or more profitable, when you consider how little the milk willcost you) companion.

HOOF TRIMMING

Unless your goats spend a lot of time foraging in hard, tacky places, each of the animals will need periodic hooftrimming (otherwise the toe areas can growlike unclipped fingernailsand will eventually cripple the critter)Most owners perform the task about once a month. The job should take only a few minutes, and can be donewith a sharp packet or roofing knife . . . or even with a pair of good garden pruning shears.

First off, securely restrain the goat (an assistant, or a sturdy milking stand, can be a big help). Nextstandingwith your back to the animal's rearlift one of the goat's hind legs. Clean out the foot, and then start trimmingoff any curled-under edges or obviously excess growth. (By the way, suet hoofs are a lot easier to trim than aredry ones.) After that, carefully cut thin layers off the bottom surface of the animal's footthe toe will probablyneed more pruning than the heeluntil you begin to approach the pinkish, blood-filled layers. Check your workby seeing how squarely the goat can stand, and then repeat the procedure on the buck or doe's other hind foot.

Finish up by crouching along the beast's side and trimming the goat's front hoofs. (And don't worry if youaccidentally cut a little too deeply and the pad starts to bleed. Simply apply some pressure with a clean rag tothe injury to help stop the blood flow.)

EDITOR'S NOTE: You can learn more about raising goats on the homestead level from the following resources

Why Invest in Goats?

Goats are very popular among Filipinos because they require low initial capital investment, fit the smallholdfarm conditions, and multiply fast. Culturally, goats are integral to every special occasion such as birthdays,baptisms, weddings, and fiestas. Hence, they command a higher price compared with other meats in the market.

Goats require low maintenance because they eat tree leaves, weeds, grasses, and agricultural by-products. Theyare not only a source of protein for Filipinos, but they also provide the much-needed income. In fact, goatsprovide livelihood to about 15 million Filipinos across the country today.

As goat production requires low initial investment and small risks compared to other livestock species, it is thusan attractive undertaking among resource-poor families. Moreover, women and children can raise the species,making it a sound option to augment the countrys programs on livelihood.

At the moment, there is an increase in demand for goats. Although total goat inventory in the country is steadilyincreasing at 2% per year, still there is not enough supply to meet current demands. It is expected that thisincreased demand will last to 2020, the year when supply is projected to meet demand.

Considering these, goat production is indeed a promising venture and anyone interested to go into this businessis expected to reap positive rewards.

What products do I get from goats?


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The following table briefly discusses the possible business enterprises one can focus on, the requiredinvestment, the final product and estimated income, and the potential market for the products (figures based on2006 data):

Business Investment Product Market

Sale ofbreeders

Pure or upgradedNubian,

Toggenburg, orBoer buck(P7,500 to

12,500/hd) +Native or

upgraded does(P1,500 to4,000/hd)

Pure or upgradedbreeders for sale

(P3,000-12,500/hd)

Private multiplierfarms and

governmentinstitutions

Sale of goatmeat or live

slaughter goats

1 upgraded Boerfor every 25females +

100 does forevery 1 slaughtergoat for sale perday; 200 does for2 goats/day sale;and 300 does for3 goats/day sale

Live animal forsale (P120 to

180/kiloor minimum of

4,500/hd per day)Processed meat

like tapa,tocino or

satey kambing

Meat vendors inthe wet

marketKambinganrestaurants, hotels

Supermarkets

Buck-for-hirePure or

upgraded buck

Buck service(P50 to

150/service)

Goat raisers in thevillage

Sale ofproducts from

goats milk

Pure orupgraded goats

of the AngloNubian (AN) or

SaanenbreedTools and

equipment forpasteurization of

milk

Goat milk (0.7-2kg in 215-250

days ofmilking)Yogurt,

cheese

Soap, lotion

Market where freshmilk is

soldCosmeticmanufacturing

companies

How do I start my goat business?

To start a profitable goat business, one has to have th following production inputs:

For backyard operation

a. Investment

Goat house

Breeding stocks


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b. Operating expenses

Veterinary medicines

Vaccines

Concentrates

Additional feed supplements For commercial or large-scale operation

c. Fixed investment

Land

Goat house

Fences

Pasture area

Water pump

Feeding trough

Spade

Wheelbarrow

Ropes

d. Stocks

Breeding does

Breeding bucks

e. Operating expenses

Veterinary medicines, drugs, and vaccines

Feed supplements and goat rations

Labor: fixed and seasonal

Repair and maintenance of goat house fences, equipment, and pasture

How much initial investment is needed and how much profit will I get?

Goat raising is highly profitable. With minimal initial capital investment of P 67,250 for 25-doe level; P174,500 for 50-doe level; or P 349,000 for 100-doe-level, positive net income and retum-on-investment (ROI)are realized, even as early as the first year. The ROI for 5 years is 67% from a 25-doe level operation undersemi-confinement scheme and 60% from 50- and 100-doe level operations under pure confinement system.Payback period is 2 years.

The projected income statement by type of operation is plotted below (figures based on 2006 data):

5-Year Range (in Pesos)25-DoeLevel

50-DoeLevel

100-DoeLevel

Total expenses 373,262 762,002 1,524,004

Total income (sale ofstocks + stock inventory

value623,750

1,219,500

2,439.000

Net income 250,000 457,498 914,996


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ROI (%) 67 60 60

When it rains, it likewise pours diseases.

The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD)said that goats, for instance, may continually be infected with worms throughout the year, but clinicallyapparent signs occur mainly during the wet season.

Goats, especially growing kids, the PCARRD explained, succumb to respiratory diseases, diarrhea and worminfestation during the rainy season. Worms reduce the production of meat and milk, and reduce the animalsresistance to infections. Infected animals excrete worms.

The council noted that it is during the rainy season that eggs of worms transform into infective larvae in 3.5days, since eggs survive only in an environment that is warm and moist. During rainy months, these eggsmature into infective larvae and travel to moist leaves of grasses and shrubs. When goats are let loose ortethered just after the rain or early in the morning when grasses are still moist with dew, they are able to eat theleaves laden with infective larvae. These larvae then mature into full-grown worms in the stomach of theanimals, the council explained.

To alleviate this goat health problem, PCARRD advises farmers not to graze their goats during rainy days oreven during very early hours of the morning when the sun has not yet dried up the dew. Farmers can confinetheir goats in pens during the wet season, do strategic drenching with chemical de-wormers or go into rapidrotational grazing.

More farmers are now implementing these technology options through the International Livestock ResearchInstitute (ILRI), Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the PCARRD projectsustainable endoparasite control for small ruminants, likewise of ILRI, PCARRD and the International Fund forAgricultural Development (IFAD).

PCARRD suggests that farmers use the rapid rotational grazing (RRG) since the method is an effective strategyto control worms.

RRG is a scheme originally intended for farmers with access to large grazing areas. It involves subdividing allthe available and possible pasture areas into 10 grazing areas and allowing goats to graze in each paddock forthree to four days before moving on to the next paddock. The goats should not be returned to the same areawithin five weeks after rotation. In dividing pasture into paddocks, it is more important to consider the amountof available forage more than the size area.

However, the scheme also works for smallholder farms. This can be done through rotational tethering or tyingthe animals to different grazing spots every three to four days.

Tethered animals are transferred to nine to 10 different areas in a month. Other animals are not allowed likewiseto graze the previous areas for 30 days. The objective is not just to improve the condition of the pasture but alsoto minimize parasitic infection by avoiding the infective stages of the parasites left in the grazed areas.

Eggs begin to be infective only after the fourth day. If goats can avoid ingesting them at this stage, the parasiteswill be left in the soil without a host. Without the proper environment, they will eventually die and their lifecycle ended.

RRG is successfully used for goats in regions I and III. It is also adopted at the small ruminant center of theCentral Luzon State University (CLSU) as well as in the San Miguel breeding farm in Leyte.


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Farmers and farm caretakers attest to the fact that rotationally grazed animals have lower worm count than thosethat freely graze the pastures. Further RRG reduces the frequency of drenching by using chemical dewormers;hence production cost is reduced.

Goats can be reared in the pastureland, but rearing them in cages has more advantages such as:

1. Cage-reared goats are less exposed to parasites.2. They are better fed, and so the mother goat gives more milk.

3. Less field space is necessary for growing fodder and grass. For every six (6) females and one male goat,one-fourth (1/4) hectare of land would be enough.

4. The caged goats are easier tended and controlled.

However, more capital is necessary, and needs a worker to gather fodder to feed the goats and clean the cages.

As preparation for the pasteur, plant such grasses and plants that the goats will need, like paragrass, napier,madre de cacao (kakawate), alibangbang and ipil-ipil. Apply as fertilizer for these plants the dried goat manureso as to make them flourish.

Cage

1. Wooden house, bamboo floor, with roof and open sides.2. The floor is about 1.5 meters high from the ground so as to facilitate cleaning the manure.3. At the sides of the house, provide food and drinking water.4. Provide space outside to allow roaming around.5. The nursing mothers and the weaning kids should have a separate house. One side must have a divider

to separate the small ones from the mother at night.6. Six (6) male goats are housed together.

Food

1. The aforementioned plants are feed for goats.2. Do not give too much for each meal, of fresh forage.3. Goats do not like dirty grass or acidic (spoiled) food.4. They like variety of grasses for each meal.

Alternative Feeds

As regards the cost and return of investment, it was found that it is more profitable to raise goats given with60% rice straw and 40% paragrass with 10% molasses supplementation.

Breeding

1. When the goats are about 6-8 months old, select good breeder and milker females and aggressive males.2. A female goat may be mated at age 10-12 months. A male goat is ready to mate at age12 months. At the

start, let him mate only a few, but as it grows older, the male goat can mate as many as 25 at age one anda half years.

3. A female goats fertile period lasts 2-3 days. The signs are:o a. it begins to bleat (me-e-eh) and wags its tail.

o b. it urinates often.

o c. the genital is inflamed and secretes mucous


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o d. the goat rides on other goats.

4. Mating should be once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and repeat next morning to be sure thatthere was fertilization.

5. Then separate the mated females. These will be pregnant in three (3) weeks if they would not manifestflirting.

Parturition (Delivery)

1. The goats gestation period is 145-155 days. Thus, the day of mating should be recorded.2. When the time of delivery is near, the mother goat bleats (cries me-e-eh), discharges mucous from the

genital, is cranky and scratches her bed.3. At delivery, her mucous discharge is yellowish.4. When the kid is coming out of its mother, help the delivery by pulling out the kid, but make sure that the

hands of the helper are clean. Apply alcohol on the hands to avoid infection. Normally, the head comesout first. The kids are often two, rarely three.

5. Wipe the nose of the newly born kid to enable it to breathe freely.6. Apply iodine at the end of the umbilical cord, and put a knot or tie it.7. When the kids are four (4) days old, remove the newly growing horns to keep them from hurting one

another. Only a veterinarian or one with experience should undertake this.

8. Others are: putting of mark on the ear one week after birth; cut off the nails once a month, and castrationfrom one to four months old.

Milking

1. Milk the mother goat five (5) days after delivery. Continue milking up to 3-5 months until the kids areweaned, or 60 days before another delivery.

2. Milk the goat in the early morning before the kids suck.3. If the mother goat has abundant milk, she can be milked again toward afternoon.4. Give the mother goat 200 to 300 gm concentrate daily to increase her milk.

Weaning

If the goat is raised to milk, do not totally wean the kid from the mother when this is 3-5 days old. Separate thekid from the mother at night. If milk production is only secondary, separate the kid totally when this is 3 monthsold. Make sure the kids are fed and given water while they are separated from the mother. In this way, the kidswill quickly learn to eat and drink even while still young.

Care

1. Allow the goats to exercise themselves 3-4 hours outside their cage.2. Give them regular vaccination against disease.

3. Separate the sick and call for a veterinarian.

The common sicknesses of the goat are pneumonia and parasites.

Pneumonia:

Usually affects the goat with the onset and toward the end of the rainy season. Do not allow them to be exposedto rain or draft. Signs of pneumonia are difficult and fast breathing. Give the goat liquamycin, Tylan 200 orCombiotic injection.


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Parasites:

Give the goat tetrazole or thixbenzole every six months.

Bathe the Goat

A goat raiser from Miag-ao, Iloilo, made a study on the effect of giving a bath to his goats. Giving the samefood, one group was given a bath once a week, and the other not. It was observed that the goats given a weekly

bath grew and gained weight faster than those not given a bath. They were weighed every two weeks. The goatswere slaughtered after three months. It was also seen that the meat of those given baths were more acceptable intaste and color and had less odor than those not given baths.

Manner of bathing the goats

1. Pour about two (2) liters water on each goat.2. Then follow with a liter of water with a tablespoon soap. Let this stay on the goats body for about 3

minutes.3. Rinse with about seven liters water.4. Let them get dry before bringing them back to the cage.

Return of Investment

This ROI is a few years old, and this is for a 25 doe level under semi confinement, 50 doe level underconfinement, 100 doe level under confinement.I think its for a native slaughter goat enterprise.

25 doe level,under semi confinement:

capital investment=P67,250

expenses for 5 years=P373,262

total income for 5 years,sale of stocks and stock inventory value=P623,750

net income for 5 years=P250,489 ROI %=67

payback period= 2 years

50 doe level,under confinement:

capital investment=P174,500

expenses for 5 years=P762.002

total income for 5 years,sale of stocks and stock inventory value=P1,219,500

net income for 5 years=P457,498

ROI %=60

payback period= 2 years

100 doe level,under confinement:

capital investments=P349,000

expenses for 5 years=P1,524,004

total income for 5 years,sale of stocks and stock inventory value=P2,439,000

net income for 5 years=

GOAT CARING

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