A Dairy Goat Production Handbook For Farmers

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A dairy goat production handbook for farmersSource FARM AfricaKeywords Goats, animal production, animals, Kenya, diaryCountry of first practiceKenyaID 6939 and 2010Sustainable Development GoalsNo poverty, zero hunger, decent work and economicgrowth, responsible consumption and production,sustainable cities and communities and life on landSummaryDairy goat rearing is very beneficial forfarming families, apart from the milk whichis very nutritious, goat meat is also a delicacyfor many households. Goats can also be usedto provide manure for the farm and also earnthe farmer more income. With limited capitala farmer can start a dairy goat project and beable to reap benefits from it within a shorttime.Description1. Why keep dairy goats1.1 Goat’s milk is good! Goat’s meat istasty! Goats Milk is easy to drink and is aricher food because it has more calcium,phosphorous and chlorine than cow’smilk. Milk is used at home so that the familyget the best milk - if there is a cow manyfarmers will sell the cow’s milk for cashand make sure the family gets the goatmilk to drink! Tasty Meat! Goat’s meat is very tasty andit is juicy and eaten often by many people More and more people are learning abouthow good goat’s milk, cheese and yoghurtare so there is a growing market Goat’s milk is better for the family as ithas a “High Nutritional Content.” Thismeans it is a very high quality food andvery good for young and old. Some people cannot drink cow’s milk.They have an “allergy” to it. This is whysome children are reared on goat’s milkwhen cow’s milk and all else has failed.Nobody is allergic to goat’s milk!1.2 Make more money Get cash from selling milk; get a higher price for goat milk; get kids every year (twice per year) andsell them easily when ready; kids can be twins/triplets; with small farm sizes it is a better way toearn money and feed the family; in the space and using the same feedyou need to keep a cow you can keep sixgoats; goats do not need big areas to graze likecattle; farmers can pay school fees using incomefrom sale of milk/manure; resulting products are fast and easy tosell; goats sell easily for meat, many people prefer goat cheese; start getting benefits quickly; goats use small doses of drugs - cheapand easy to maintain; good for people who donot have a lot of money tostart with; and goats make very goodTECHNOLOGIESmanure.1/14TECAand PRACTICESfor SMALLAGRICULTURALPRODUCERS

Livestock ProductionFigure 1. Comparison of goat milk, cow milk and human milkcontentSource: FARM Africa 2010Figure 2. Goat waste as manure FAO/TECA1.3. Goats are good for the farm Less feed is needed to keep a goat than acow; goats will eat many different plants - sothey are easier to keep fed through theyear; droppings are used as manure for organicfarming; goats are good at keeping bush undercontrol - they stop too much shrubgrowth; goats will live even where there is adrought as they do not need a lot of waterand can go for quite a long time withoutwater in very dry times.1.4 Goat rearing do not require so muchwork Goats require less labour and time perhead compared to cattle.2/141.5 Important for Social events Goats are used traditionally as payment ofdowry; goats are often eaten during land cases,parties, clan meetings, etc.; goats are important in some rituals, theyare used during circumcision ceremoniesfor example; and

goat horn and bone are used in thetraditional craft industry.budget so construction of a simple housebut comfortable house for the goats isrecommended. The house can be builtusing local materialFigure 3. Goats are used in social eventsFigure 4. Proper housing for the goat: Inside FAO/TECA2.2. Types of HousesAt the beginning of the project it’sassumed the farmer is working on a limited3/14Figure 5. Proper housing for the goat: Outside FAO/TECAIf you build a goat house like the one shownthen you will: make sure Animals do not get sick veryoften; you can make sure that only the animalsyou want to breed do so; make it very easy to feed; stop wasting feed; save the goats wasting energy andincrease the amount of milk you get; and keep goat’s feet dry and clean all the time. FAO/TECA2. Housing the goat2.1 Good goat house will make keepinggoats easierA good goat house should be: rain proof; damp proof; well ventilated; free from direct wind; free from sharp objects that might cut thegoat; pest and wild animal proof; slats on floor for free fall of droppings;and with an area of at least 2 meters peranimal.2.2.1 Mud housesThis is the cheapest house to buildbecause it uses local materials: posts; mud; rafters for floor; nails; and grass for thatch roof.When placing mud, make holes in the wallslanting down so that, the air does notland directly on the goats.

feed trough/water area; place for hanging fodder [feed racks]; floor with slats to let manure fall throughthat keeps feet and animals clean anddry; and place to hang mineral block (placedwhere it cannot be rained on).Figure 6. Mud housing2.2.2 Off-cuts housesThis house costs a little more but it will lastlonger. Materials: posts; off-cut planks; nails; iron sheets or grass for thatching; and wood - rafters or planks for the floor. FAO/TECA FAO/TECAFigure 7. Sleeping area of the house FAO/TECAFigure 8. Off-cut housing2.3. The houseThere are two main areas of the house, thesleeping area and feeding area.2.3.1 Sleeping area Wall right around - with a door; it must be roofed; and lots of air allowed in (well ventilated).2.3.2 Feeding area Open not roofed, goats need some sun; fence right around with a door/gate;4/142.4 The house parts2.4.1 Floor House should be raised 1.5 feet (or justbelow knee height) from the ground. A slatted wooden floor is very important.This has small gaps - about half an inchwide (or the width of a side of a matchbox) between the planks or rafters. Use of local materials means you can useoff cut planks, etc. The floor racks made of rafters should beput where the goats feed and sleep, thisstops foot rot when it is wet, keeps thehouse clean and dry.2.4.2 Feed trough the feeding area, built 1 meter (3 feet)above the platform; make with rafters, must be easy to cleanthrough; floor of trough can be made of off cuts;and must be able to hold hay.

2.4.3 Water trough Be placed 1 foot above the floor in thefeeding area; hang a 5 liter can on the door to thesleeping room; and the door should have a small window sothat goats can have access to water - dayand night.Figure 10. The feeding trough FAO/TECA2.4.4 Kid pen Toggenburgs often give birth to twin kidsso don’t make the pen small! Kid pen should be for at least six kids;and be half the area for the four does, i.e.4 m2.Figure 11. The mineral trough2.4.5 Hay barn/storeTo store fodder, for use during the dryseason, build a store adjacent to the goathouse that is roofed to avoid hay beingrained on. FAO/TECA2.4.6 Mineral trough Should be made where the goats sleep. A 1 foot square box is ideal for thepurpose. A halved long ways plasticcontainer nailed to a board, at least1 foot wide can be useful, or just asgood, hang the salt so the goat has toreach for it.Figure 12. The water troughFigure 9. The floor FAO/TECA FAO/TECA3. Feeding the dairy goat3.1 How does a goat like to eat?A goat does not like to graze on the groundlike a sheep or cow. Goats like feeding atknee height up to head height. So they liketo feed above the ground often standing on5/14

their hind legs and resting their fore legs upon the bush or goat house wall.Goats need to be able to drink fresh waterat all times. FAO/TECAFigure 13. The ground plan3.2 Advantages of stall feeding Does not need a large amount of land andno grazing pastures; can use many farm products, bananaleaves, maize, maize thinning, bean husks,etc.; saves time and labor, do not have to takegoats out of the farm for grazing or spendtime looking for them; less death amongst the kids and all goatsbecause they can be easily looked afterthroughout the day; easier to plan and manage breeding; keeps goats from eating crops anddamaging the farm; makes collecting manure very easy; and helps in controlling diseases.3.3 What do they eat? They eat a lot of different plants/feeds.But they know what they want to eat. They prefer some plants/feeds to others. They even prefer different parts of theplant so they will eat leaves and flowersand not pods or stems, within the sameplant. They get bored when fed the same feedevery day. They can be wasteful. Only eating some of6/14the plant. For example give n un-choppedfeeds like napier grass they pull it out ofthe ground, eat the leaves only and do noteat the stem. Goats are clean feeders, and will not eatdairy feeds which are not fresh nor dirtyfeed e.g. napier with mud splash fromrain. Goats do not like sticky, mouldy, wet dustyfeeds.3.4 The best way to feed goats Feed only clean, fresh and dry fodder; always have fresh water for goats to drinkat any time; clean the feeding trough and water bucketevery day; give lots of different feeds such as grassesand legumes, tree leaves and freshkitchen remains; give chopped mixed feeds to make surethe goats eat everything and do not wastefeed; feed goats at least three times a day andat the same time every day; and put some feed in the feed trough orrack or hang up some feed to be eatenovernight.If you use molasses to make feed tastebetter do not use too much it will makefeed sticky Dusty feeds and concentrates should bewetted a little; provide fresh and clean water daily. Thereshould always be water in the bucket; give mineral Lick [block] always to allgoats; feed desmodium if too much leguminousfeed is fed; mix feeds with grass, hay, straw or napierto balance; and only feed lucerne one-third of the days, asit can poison the goats.

3.5 Feeding different goatsRemember all goats must have fresh waterwhenever they need it.3.5.1 Feeding sick goats Feed goats well when ill as good feedingwill give strength; small, weak, young and sick goats shouldbe fed separately; and follow the best way to feed goatscarefully and handle gently.3.5.2 Feeding mature goatsMature goats hould be fed on whateverfeed there is - enough to keep well andkeep the animals weight.3.5.3 Feeding the buck Feeding should be enough to keep itsweight steady but not too fat as a fatbuck will not be active. Give more feed two months before thebuck has to serve the does as this willimprove the bucks’ sperm and make itmore active. When a buck is being used a lot to servedoes, it should be separated from othergoats for about 2-3 hours per day. Thiswill allow it time to eat as well as servethe does. Lots of fresh and clean water needed allthe time. Must be able to lick the mineral lick atany time.3.5.4 Feeding does Concentrates should be fed to does justbefore the does are served by the buck; increase feed gradually for two monthsup until the doe gives birth; and Continue feeding concentrate while sheis giving milk.The doe needs careful feeding in order to: keep its normal weight up;7/14 be fertile when served so as to get twins(Flushing); carry the kid while it is pregnant; give milk to its kids; and give extra milk for farmers’ use.3.5.5 Feeding the breeding and lactatingdoe One month before mating the doeshould be fed and watered very well soas she is in the best of health. If she is very well she is more likely tohave twins or even triplets Mineral licks hasten coming on heat Give lots of water at all times3.5.6 Feeding during pregnancyDuring the first three months ofpregnancy, the goats need to be fed asnormal and to be sure that she is healthy.During the last two months of pregnancy the goat must be fed well with highquality feed; the “ fetus” or kid inside does nearly allit’s growing in this period; and there may be twins or triplets and theywill need lots of good food to grow.3.5.7 Feeding kidsDuring the first three month: newborn kids should suck colostrumwithin 24 hours and then should be withthe doe and allowed as much as theyneed; at one week, kids should be providedwith small quantities of good clean feede. g . sweet potato vines, tree legumesleaves or natural tree leaves; and kids should continue with milk for thefirst three weeks, and thereafter beallowed milk with fresh mixed fodder upto three to four months.

3.5.8 Feeding young stock Should be fed on fresh, highly nutritiousmixed fodder; give lots of water at all times; provide lots of water; and mineral blocks must be given at thisstage.3.6 What kind of feed should the goat begiven?The dairy goat gives as much milk as it isgiven the right food!! There are many feedsthe goat likes. Here are some good feedsthat can be used.3.6.1 Sweet potato vines This is a very good feed that goats likevery much. It is a good crop to plant because it givestubers for the family to eat and theleaves can be fed to the goats. It can be planted beside river beds, steepparts of the farm and roadside edges. It is useful in feeding kids whose mothersdie early in their life.3.6.2 Napier Plant napier along river beds, along soilterraces, road reserves, etc. Where a farmer has a big farm, thenplant as one crop near the home to savetime and work when taking to the goats. Good napier needs manure and topdressing with a fertilizer, and it needsweeding. Where new fields are being planted,mixed cropping with desmodiumimproves the quality of the fodder. If you plant Napier around your maize, itstops Maize stalk borer! Cut Napier often so it is easy for thegoats to eat and digest8/143.6.3 Fodder trees and legumes These have lots of protein and you needonly feed a little at a time. These are for example: leuceana,calliandra, sesbania and desmodium The trees and legumes, should beplanted along the fences and terraces.For example, leuceana is good in fences Good legumes are potato vines, whichdo not need a lot of work once they aregrowing. Desmodium, when available, should beinter-cropped with Napier Calliandra does better in high altitudes(tea zones) than leuceana. Do not forget that many weeds alsomake good fodder.3.6.4 MaizeWhile maize is grown for farmer’s food,there is a lot of fodder which can be usedfor feeding the goat which will not stopthe farmer getting a good maize yield. Thinning: all the extra maize seedlingsthat grow from the same seed holeshould be thinned and dried a littlebefore feeding to the goats. Remove extra leaves - this should startwith the leaves below the cobs as soonas the cob can be seen. Cutting the tops - this should start afterthe grains have hardened. Stover - these should have sweeteners(molasses) added or sprinkle commonsalt after chopping. Broken grains - these are very nutritiousespecially after a heavy harvest butshould be fed carefully to avoid grainoverload

4. KiddingThis is the birth of young goats - Kids. It takes5 months for a goat to give birth after it hasbeen served, by a male.4.1 Preparation for kiddingThere are three very important rules forkidding.4.1.1 First ruleEnsure the kidding Doe is put in a dry cleanand quiet place at the time of kidding.4.1.2 Second ruleThe kidding place should be under ashelter (in the house) or shade. This is toprotect the kid from too much sun.4.1.3 Third ruleThe Doe must have water as soon as shehas given birth so she can make sure shehas enough to balance the loss of waterfrom giving birth and to have enough milkto feed the new born.Kidding should be done where you can seewhat is happening easily and often.4.2 Signs of kidding Enlarged vulva; restlessness of the doe; doe seeks a quiet place free from goats; udder is enlarged, full and firm; muscles either side of tail will becomesunken and on either side of tail hollowappears; often stand or lie down and stretch herneck pointing her head skyward; and will have a clear discharge from the vulva.4.3 Kidding process Keep the kid in a cool dry place away fromtoo much heat and draught;9/14 disinfect the navel immediately usingdisinfectants e.g. dettol or tincure ofiodine; ensure kid suckles colostrumwithin20‑30 minutes after birth; stimulate mother-kid bond byencouraging mother to lick the kid; and in case of breathing problems,help bytickling the tongue, and removing allmucus from the nostrils4.3.1 Helping the doe during kiddingTry and make sure everything is as clean aspossible. Normally goats do not have problemsgiving birth or kidding but sometimes akid may get stuck during the process ofbirth. If you need to help, then be sure thatbefore doing so, that you wash handswith Dettol, make sure nails are cut andremove any jewelry - like rings. If you can get proper plastic gloves usethese to protect yourself and the goatfrom infections. When helping kids to be delivered begentle and make sure you understandthe problem before exerting any force. Be careful when pulling the kids legs thatthe head is forward and down. Be careful that you are dealing with onekid at a time and not holding one footfrom two kids.4.4 Care of orphans Foster orphans to docile does or bottlefeed with other goat milk or milkreplacers. You may use sweet potato vines to feedorphans.

5. Husbandry techniquesOnce the kid is born there are a number ofthings to be done.5.2.2 Burdizzo B2 Hold the spermatic cord with yourfingers right at the top, one testicle at atime. Clamp the Burdizzo on one cord andpress the levers to snap it.Repeat for the other testicle. Kids should continue with milk for thefirst three weeks, and thereafter beallowed milk with fresh mixed fodder upto 3 - 4 months.5.1 Disbudding This is removal of very young horns thathave not grown. It is usually done first to second week ofage. It should be performed by a vet using ahot iron under general anesthesia using adrug called SAFFAN.Figure 15. Burdizzo5.2.1 Rubber rings A2 Using an applicator, insert the rubber tothe testis as shown, make sure it is ashigh as possible; and make sure the testis are in the scrotumbelow the ring and release carefully. This can be done on farm after a littlepractice. FAO/TECA5.2 Castration Male goats that will not be bred shouldbe castrated early in life (in the first2 months) and kept for meat. Can be done by use of rubber rings,burdizzo castrator, or open methods.5.2.3 Open methods? It’s a complete removal of testis by anoperation. This is an operation that you can requestyour vet to perform for you in cases oftrouble.Figure 14. Application of the rubber ring FAO/TECA5.3 IdentificationFarmers need to be able to identify theiranimals so they can keep records and easilyknow the age, breeding and usefulness ofeach animal. This can be done through: tattooing; ear tags; paint or ink; branding; or other marks or names. Extension staff can demonstrate this tofarmers interested.10/14

6.1.1 Milking shedThe milking shed should be cleaned aftereach milking and disinfected. Useful in feeding kids whose mothers dieearly in their life.5.4 Other managerial practices5.4.1 Weaning - removing kids from itsmother Usually done at two to three months ofage. Let kids try hay and grains early in life tostrengthen their stomachs. When you start to wean young goatsthey will begin to feed on solid food. Sothey will begin to pick up diseases suchas Coccidiosis. When kids start eating fodder they willsuffer high worm infection so they needto be dewormed after exposure. When given concentrates kids are likelyto suffer Enterotoxaemia so you willneed to vaccinate against these diseases Don’t stop feeding milk suddenly but thisshould be gradual to avoid indigestion orbloat.5.4.2 Hoof trimmingDo not let hooves grow longer than shownbelow, cut and trim carefully.Figure 16. Hoof trimming6.1.2 Human infectious diseasesPeople who are ill should not milk.6.1.3 Washing handsBefore starting milking, the milker shouldwash his hands, arms with soap and hotwater, or disinfectant. Also, keep fingernails cut and clean.

iron sheets or grass for thatching; and wood - rafters or planks for the floor. Figure 8. Off-cut housing 2.3. The house There are two main areas of the house, the sleeping area and feeding area. 2.3.1 Sleeping area Wall right around - with a door; it must be roofed; and lots of air allowed in (well ventilated). 2.3.2 .

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