Feeding And Goat Care

In the minds of some people, goat care is so easy you simply put hay in front of the animals. They are of the belief that feeding is all the care goats need at all. This, plus what was thought of goats before – that they can eat anything from cans, to cartoons and paper, to fabric and even scraps of plastic.

All these are not true, indeed.



Nutrition

Goat care is not that simple, and this is most evident in their nutritional feeding needs. Goats need year-round provisions of roughage like pasture, browser grass leaves or well-cured hay.

Young animals with inadequate nutrition in their diets are prone to diseases and will not reach their growth potential.

Those that are milking (does), the growing stocks (kids) and those used for breeding (bucks) need their daily rations of legume hay like alfalfa. For goat meat raisers, nutritious feeds for the herd take up the largest chunk of their expenses.

Goats need proteins, vitamins and minerals for energy, just like any other animal. Calorie-giving foods are the most limited while proteins are the most expensive.

Nutritional deficiencies as well as excesses (and other food imbalances) limit the goat’s growth and development and can lead to various health problems. They also need a lot of fiber for digestive well-being and plenty of water.

The nutritional requirements of goats also depend on several factors: present growth rate (kids), maintenance, lactation (for does), activity and the environment (cold or hot weather, etc).

Feeds

Generally, food consumption of goats is equivalent to about 3% of their body weight. The exact amount varies according to the animal’s size.

Pasture and browse food are the most economical source of food (and nutrients) for the animals. Pasture is high in energy and protein content. However, it has high moisture content and the animals have to eat enough to meet their needs.

 In cold season, hay is the primary nutrient source food. Legume hays (alfalfa, clover) have higher proteins, vitamins and minerals than grass hays. The nutritional content, however, depends on the maturity of the foliage when it was cut for storage.

Silage (from forage or grain crops) are also fed to goats. Care is needed to check on the quality of silage when feeding the animals. (Molds cause ‘circling disease’ in goats.)

Raisers usually provide additional food supplements to their animals in the form of grain concentrates. This is to provide additional nutrients that forage alone cannot give.

These protein supplements are derived from both animal and plant sources: soybean meals, cottonseed, and fish meal. Proteins are not stored in goats but burned or eliminated by the kidneys.

Some companies now offer feeds in pellet forms, marketing them as “complete” goat food. These are advantageous because goats who are very selective eaters cannot sort the feed ingredients in pellets.

Salt, calcium and phosphorus are the most important minerals needed by goats. They also need vitamins A, D, and E. Some grain rations already incorporate these vitamin-mineral pre-mixes.

Access to clean, fresh water is necessary for the animals. A mature goat drinks almost a gallon and a half every day. Inadequate water intake causes health problems.

Goat care is almost like that of other animals, including pets, even humans. All our nutritional needs are different only in quantities, but everything is the same.

Getting Started on a Goat Farm with Proper Goat Care

Getting started on a goat farm is not that complicated, but with an idea about proper goat care, all you need is a bit of passion and know some trivia about goats.

Here is a hodge podge of information about goats that could help motivate and inspire you more with your goat farm venture.

Goats generally eat grass, but in order for them to be more healthy, your local veterinary supply store sells vitamins and mineral supplements intended for goats, as well as goat feed that are fortified with essential nutrients that can help keep your goats in tip top shape.

For those that are just starting out in goat farming and would like to know how to make goats eat more to be more productive, always keep your goats in suitable pens and avoid crowding them too much in one space.

Always make sure to maintain an average temperature within your goat pens, to avoid agitating your goats that may hamper in their productivity and prevent you from getting the optimum results that you expect from your animals.

Although many people believe that goats do not always need water, they actually do. So always have a steady supply of clean water available, especially during the warmer months since drinking water is one way for goats to keep cool and avoid getting disrupted from their usual productivity, like for breeding, milk produce or wool production.

Avoid feeding goats with rotting food or contaminated grains or feeds, since this could cause goats to get sick or even die, especially if the contaminated food is ingested right away.
 
This is also true in keeping or storing goat feed inside rodent –free containers. This is to keep the food from getting contaminated by rats, especially those that usually forage garbage and trash, since they are common carriers of disease and getting your goats contaminated by these pests could potentially be dangerous to your entire herd.

It is also best to keep your haystack on a haystand or a platform, which will keep the hay off the ground, to avoid it from getting wet and may become moldy or may serve to potentially become a habitat for ground -dwelling insects or rodents.

Goats are also the picky type, since they will not drink water from a dirty container or bucket, so always make it a point to keep their water containers for drinking always clean and replaced with fresh water regularly, lest they suffer from dehydration and eventually die.

Always make it a point to have immediate contact with a veterinarian at any given time, since goats are generally susceptible to common farm animal diseases and although there are available treatments available for most of these common diseases, having a veterinarian administer treatment right away will prevent one from incurring further losses due to infestation of the whole herd.

It is also best advised to feed the goats more during colder seasons, since more food digested by the goats allow for more heat being generated in their bodies.

Do take heed of these ideas and you can be on your way to getting started on a goat farm  with proper goat care and be able do it with confidence.

Getting Rid of Illnesses with Proper Goat Care

Goats are generally healthy animals and will remain to be healthy if properly cared for, but there will be times when this becomes inevitable, but surely it will just be easy getting rid of goat illnesses with proper goat care.

It may seem a bit costly to have your animals vaccinated, especially in partnering with a local veterinarian to keep your animals in check, but surely it will mean just a fraction of the cost you can jack up if your herd starts to get ill and leave you spending thousands of dollars in treatment cost, that’s exclusive of costs you may incur due to loss of production.

There are numerous conditions that can affect goats, however, we hope to mention some of the most common ones that can be addressed with proper care, treatment and even prevention.

One of the most common disease that has affected goats in the past is Caprine Arthritis and Encephalitis Virus (CAEV), which is a widespread condition among dairy – producing goats, which most of the time, is also transmitted to goat kids by infected does, but can surely be prevented with proper precautionary measures through the administration of vaccines.

At the onset, the effects of Caprine Arthritis is not always visible, since it is a retrovirus that generally infects young goats or kids and do not usually exhibit the symptoms of the disease unless they get older in age.

However, as it starts to afflict older goats, it is indicative of common symptoms like swollen knees or hocks, but the best possible way to identify the disease is through blood tests, but also sometimes has a way of deceiving the blood test since it may sometimes not show up in the blood, making it a less accurate way to determine the disease.

The encephalitis virus, on the other hand, also affects goats of any age, which is characterized by symptoms similar to that of white muscle disease.

It begins with the young kid not able to move their hindlegs, which eventually moves over to progress towards the front legs and so on.

This makes the kid lose appetite and will eventually be unable to eat and drink regardless of the compulsion to do so.

The virus commonly ends in death resulting from seizures.

Technically, there is still no known vaccines or treatment for this virus, but can be prevented though, by isolating the infected animal from the rest of the herd, as well as direct treatment of the symptoms affecting the animals.

As a natural prevention method, it is highly advised that kids of CAEV infected does must be separated from infected does and should be fed with heat –treated colostrums.

Among the other common disorders are ketosis, which is neither a virus nor bacteria, but is simply a deficiency in vital nutrients commonly affecting pregnant does that if left untreated, will cause does to weaken, resist food and water and eventually die.

Another one is selenium deficiency, which can lead to white muscle disease, with effects similar to that of CAEV, characterized by weak muscles and causes tremors in the hind and front legs.

Selenium is a mineral found in the earth and is usually acquired through feeding of fresh grass, but can also be administered as a mineral infusion by veterinarians called Bo –se shots or vaccines.

So it would be best to take very good case of your goats and ensure good health by getting rid of goat illnesses with proper goat care and knowledge.

Health Alerts And Goat Care

Every goat-raiser should always be on the alert regarding their goat’s health. Preventive goat care is still the best defense against diseases that are expensive to treat or control.
Health issues are a daily occurrence in a farm.

Bad signs

Pay attention to goats that stay away from the main herd. Check if he is not eating at all and has an abnormal body posture (head hanging down, slow strained gait). Goats separate themselves from the herd only if they are about to give birth or, worse, is sick.

Goat droppings (feces) always show the state of health of the owner. If the droppings are clumping together, or if the goat is scouring, the signs could point to diarrhea. If they are very hard, there could also be another thing wrong.

Then there is the goat that is lagging behind and cannot keep up with the herd. Are the goat’s feet and legs swollen?

Is there an animal in your herd that has suddenly and inexplicably lost weight?

Have you noticed any signs of swelling underneath the chin? It could point out to internal parasites in his system. If the swelling is in the throat, it might be goiter.

Do you have a goat with an abnormal gait? Is it staggering, limping? You may have a case of tetanus.

Are the fur of your animals dull and rough? If they are, it could mean some nutritional deficiencies or some other underlying disease.

Are there fluid discharges (pus, mucus, blood) from any of the body orifices of your animals? Fluid discharges are usually results of the ongoing battle of the body and some internal illness. 

Some identified diseases

Since your animals are free-ranging, they can collect parasites. These vermin feed on the animal’s system that hinders growth, degrades health, and sometimes can be fatal.

Coccidia are intestinal worms that slow down or stop the growth of kids. It takes time to notice this parasite. Young kids are at highest risk.

Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Syndrome (CAE) is caused by a virus and is transmitted from adults to young kids. Symptoms include a weakness in the rear legs that gradually lose muscle strength and kills. 

Adults have swollen joints, mostly in the knees. The afflicted goat never recovers from the arthritis.

Mastitis is an inflammation caused by bacteria. There is discoloration of the udder tissues and the milk is abnormal.

Hygienic practices during milking are the best defense. (Wash your hands and the udders before and after milking, and during transfer from doe to doe.)

Ketosis (pregnancy toxemia) attacks pregnant does. This disease is actually triggered by the sudden demand of the body for extra energy (caused by the developing fetus) and the inability of the doe to eat enough to provide this.

The doe’s body will then metabolize her own store of fat, producing ketone bodies. The doe becomes weak, lose muscle control and balance, and could die.

For prevention, do not allow the doe to get fat in pregnancy and provide an extra pound or two of grains in the last month.

As goat raisers, it is good policy to be always on health alert. Even ticks can become a major pest. Goat care is not that difficult, but vigilance is a good practice.

Goat Care And Behavior Problems

Aside from getting to know the usual disease problems, goat care has other problems that are sometimes hard to deal with. This is very true for beginning herd owners (or plain owners who own some animals only for recreation) and their goats with behavior problems.

Although by nature they are not aggressive, some goats (bucks and does alike) develop behavioral problems that need to be solved in time. Here’s a random list. Some have solutions; the rest have only suggestions for actions.

Buck problems

Never play with buck kids or they will continue to do so as adults and can cause injuries. Also, dehorn your buck kids. With horns, bucks tend to be naturally aggressive.

Here’s an anecdote. A buck might stop butting you if you hit it with water between the eyes from a squirt gun (or a water bottle) coupled with saying a firm “No!”

Buck odors are reduced by de-scenting him. This can be done while he is dehorned. (This is usually done when the buck is about two weeks old.)

Fighting does

Depending on individual behavior, some does seem more disposed to fighting than the others. Unless they are pregnant, the worst injuries are bruised heads with some bleeding. (These might cause some infections, if not treated.) 

Some milking troubles

Individual does have individual attitudes in showing their dislike of milking. Have a milk stand and use it before her first freshening. (You can use it for hoof trimming, worming and other activities.)

Frequently handle their udders when they are young. Hopefully, they will get used to it until they become milk producers.

Have the does get used to set routines of regimented activities that include feed presentations, washing, and drying. This way, they will be trained to stand still while being milked.

Some does are kickers. Some like men to milk them. Some resent being milked by someone they are not familiar with.

Some can be tricked into being milked by having one of their kids work on the other teat while you milk the other.

Aggressions

Some does simply do the unthinkable: they attack their own newborns. They butt them ferociously especially when the kid tries to nurse. They tend to go after their first-born, and let the others nurse freely. 

One solution (though not foolproof) is to separate the kid, but letting it nurse off her (several times a day) while she is being restrained. You may have to do this until weaning.

Another way is to feed the kid yourself and raise him on a bottle. (At milking time, fill a bottle for the kid’s share. Feed it straight away to avoid heating up the bottle.)

Some suggestions include rubbing some of the birthing fluids from the favored kid all over the rejected one to confuse her. There had been some sporadic success with this technique. Sometimes, she will unexplainably accept the kid after some time.

The bleater

Some Nubians will associate your presence with food, and they will show their impatience with so much noise. One way of breaking this is to show up in the barn and not feeding them, just breaking up the routine.

Other behavioral problems

Goat care differs from goat to goat. You simply have to pack enough patience in dealing with them. Sometimes you get lucky.

Goat Care And Diseases

For centuries, goats had been one of man’s hardiest domesticated animals. Supplying man its milk and meat, the goats had thrived even in the most hostile environments on earth. However, this dependable animal also has to have proper goat care.

Like all animals, goats also suffer a variety of diseases, some of which are dangerous and fatal to them. As their caretaker, you must at least be in the know about their most common health enemies.

Coccidia

These are intestinal parasites that cause foamy, bloody diarrhea and dull dry coats. A goat with coccidiosis (coccidia infestation) sometimes has no obvious symptoms at all.

Young kids at four months are at their highest risk and should be treated at least once. The most obvious symptom is that they are not growing as well as they should.

There are medications specific to this disease. If in doubt, you can take a stool sample to a veterinarian who specializes in ruminant animals.

Ketosis

Also known as pregnancy toxemia, ketosis happens late in a doe’s pregnancy. Symptoms include depression, disinterest in food, poor muscle control and balance.

Ketosis sometimes occurs when the doe is carrying two or more kids, or is very fat. The disease is caused by the sudden extra demand for energy by the unborn kids and the inability of the doe to eat enough to provide this energy.

Many does test positive for ketone bodies in their urine. This is a toxic by-product when the doe rapidly metabolizes fat in her body.

Propylene glycol at 2 to 3 ounces twice a day can help. To prevent this, do not let the doe get fat in pregnancy. In the last month of pregnancy, provide her with 1 to 2 pounds of grain in addition to hay.

Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Syndrome (CAE)

This is a viral disease, usually transmitted by adults to young kids through contact or milk from an infected doe to her kid.

Symptoms include weakness in the rear legs, without fever or loss of appetite. However, the unused legs lose muscle strength and the kid eventually dies.

In older goats, symptoms are seen in swollen joints, especially the knees. The disease develops slowly. After 2 years, the animal has difficulty using its legs.

There are no corrective procedures or treatments. Preventive measures include isolating the kids at birth and raising them on pasteurized goat milk to prevent the spread.

During purchase, make sure a goat is free from CAE. Unfortunately, blood tests only checks for antibodies. A kid might be infected but is not yet producing antibodies.

Mastitis

This is an inflammation of the mammary gland of the animals caused by bacteria. Symptoms include swelling, heat, pain, tissue discoloration and abnormal milk.

The most common causes include rough treatment and unclean milking practices.

For preventive measures, wash the goat’s udders before milking. Spray the teats with a teat dip after milking. Wash your hands before and after milking each goat to prevent spreading the disease.

It is important to consult a vet since there are different strains of bacteria that cause mastitis. If left untreated, the doe may die or lose the udder.

Other diseases

There are minor illnesses that can strike your herd, but these four are the most virulent among all others. Goat care also means being extra alert to spot these deadly four.

Getting Started on a Goat Farm with Proper Goat Care

Getting started on a goat farm is not that complicated, but with an idea about proper goat care, all you need is a bit of passion and know some trivia about goats.

Here is a hodge podge of information about goats that could help motivate and inspire you more with your goat farm venture.

Goats generally eat grass, but in order for them to be more healthy, your local veterinary supply store sells vitamins and mineral supplements intended for goats, as well as goat feed that are fortified with essential nutrients that can help keep your goats in tip top shape.

For those that are just starting out in goat farming and would like to know how to make goats eat more to be more productive, always keep your goats in suitable pens and avoid crowding them too much in one space.

Always make sure to maintain an average temperature within your goat pens, to avoid agitating your goats that may hamper in their productivity and prevent you from getting the optimum results that you expect from your animals.

Although many people believe that goats do not always need water, they actually do. So always have a steady supply of clean water available, especially during the warmer months since drinking water is one way for goats to keep cool and avoid getting disrupted from their usual productivity, like for breeding, milk produce or wool production.

Avoid feeding goats with rotting food or contaminated grains or feeds, since this could cause goats to get sick or even die, especially if the contaminated food is ingested right away.
 
This is also true in keeping or storing goat feed inside rodent –free containers. This is to keep the food from getting contaminated by rats, especially those that usually forage garbage and trash, since they are common carriers of disease and getting your goats contaminated by these pests could potentially be dangerous to your entire herd.

It is also best to keep your haystack on a haystand or a platform, which will keep the hay off the ground, to avoid it from getting wet and may become moldy or may serve to potentially become a habitat for ground -dwelling insects or rodents.

Goats are also the picky type, since they will not drink water from a dirty container or bucket, so always make it a point to keep their water containers for drinking always clean and replaced with fresh water regularly, lest they suffer from dehydration and eventually die.

Always make it a point to have immediate contact with a veterinarian at any given time, since goats are generally susceptible to common farm animal diseases and although there are available treatments available for most of these common diseases, having a veterinarian administer treatment right away will prevent one from incurring further losses due to infestation of the whole herd.

It is also best advised to feed the goats more during colder seasons, since more food digested by the goats allow for more heat being generated in their bodies.

Do take heed of these ideas and you can be on your way to getting started on a goat farm  with proper goat care and be able do it with confidence.

Proper Goat Care is Also Important in Goat Farming

There’s more to goat farming than just allowing your herd to graze the grass by themselves, but proper goat care is also important in goat farming.

In fact, proper care for goats is a big responsibility, which demands time and effort, in order for one to maximize productivity.

Whether just keeping a few for a hobby or having a lot for a farm, goat keeping is a science that needs basic yet serious knowledge on how to take care of your goats on a regular step –by –step process that needs to be carefully considered to make one confident that he or she is actually taking care of their herd correctly and appropriately.

One should seriously understand that although it is not impossible to have goats and delegate the task of caring for them with a trained or qualified person, but definitely one cannot just go ahead and purchase a single goat, then leave them alone to graze in a field all by themselves and think that it is all that needs to be done.

There are actually quite a number of advantages and benefits one can get from caring goats, like some species can be cared for to produce fine quality goat wool like cashmere, other species regularly produce milk, which is fit for human consumption and loaded with nutritional elements needed by the body, among others.

Here are some tips to consider which can prove helpful in goat keeping.

Goats must be kept in a habitat where it can be protected from sudden or even continuous drafts or strong wind currents, as well as one that can also protect the animals from rain and the sun.

A three –sided corral or shelter would be appropriate and one that will provide good air ventilation and access to the sun and grazing area.

One should have at least two goats, especially for those who may want to care for goats as a hobby, since goats can also be considered social animals and would need to have a companion.

Make sure that the goat shelter is not readily accessible to other animals or pets like dogs or cats, as well as wild animals for those maintaining a goat farm, which may subject the animals as easy prey for wild animals.

Goats are also easily bothered by flies, especially during warmer months, so it would be appropriate to also protect them from these insects. Here are currently a lot of fly traps that are ecologically and environmentally- friendly, which you may use to ward files away from your goats.

Regardless of whether the climate is cold or warm, always make it a point to maintain a clean and sanitary goat pen, since it will not just prevent flies from bothering your goats, it will also avoid germs or dangerous bacteria from getting into contact with your goats.

Keep goat food away from sources of contamination like rotting grass or a moist container, which are the primary cause for bacteria and deadly microbes to propagate and can cause illnesses to your goats one contaminated food is ingested.

A haystack should also be prevented from getting wet and may be stocked in a barn or a shed that will keep it warm and dry.

So these are some of the basic information you may need to make you ore aware that proper goat care is also important in goat farming.

Simple Facts and Truths about Goat Care

You are the kind of person who keeps on challenging yourself, and this time, you want to try goat care. If you are clueless about this, then go ahead and proceed with the research part before you begin with the task. Yes, you want to be challenged, but these animals need to be looked after quite well if you don't want to lose them soon or cause them any harm.

Where do you start your research about this topic? Do not worry because there are many materials that can help you with this. You can look into published books at your local library about the matter, or you can opt to buy the books at certain stores. You can also find similar stories and list of facts about the topic at various websites on the internet. At this venue, you will likely find many pictures that will make it easier for you to understand the terms and everything else that is being talked about. You can also search for public forums online that deal with this topic where you can find and meet people that can give you essential tips and advices.

To help you with this quest, here are some basic facts that you must be ware of about this venture that you are going to take.

1. For grazing purposes, a goat needs about one to two acres for ample pasture. You have to make sure that they are eating because they tend to be picky about what they eat. You can avoid problems that may roots from this fact by giving them special grains and fresh green hays every day. You must make sure that you can provide them with enough food, especially when the weather condition is bad and they cannot come out from their shelter. You also have to provide them with ample water every day. This is very essential for your goats to live happy and healthy. You can place the water on a simple bucket, trough or an automatic water station. The latter is the best choice if you cannot often check if the water on your goats is clean and if they are still drinking it.
2. Goats hate it when they get wet, which is why you need to make sure that they have good shelter with dry bedding that they can use during rainy and winter seasons.
3. You need to be very attentive about fencing. This may be one of the most expensive aspects that you have to look into, but once you have built strong and sturdy kind of fence, you are assured that this will last a long time. The recommended height for your fence is four feet.

If you are still up to the challenge of the basic things that you need to look into and consider when it comes to goat care, then go ahead and proceed with it while you still have the passion and determination to succeed with it. This way, you will be persistent in doing the right things because the feeling to triumph with it is still quite new.

Simple Peek and Overview about Goat Care

Suddenly, you want to get your hands into the task of goat care. There are many other people who venture into this for different reasons. The most common reason that they have is they want to raise these animals to be able to collect milk from them in the future. You may also want to gather cashmere, mohair or meat, which is why you are so interested with this. There are other people who would want to touch this animal's meat and even the milk because it tastes different from what most people have already been accustomed to. There are actually about seven million goats that are now being raised throughout the world. Most of this kind of activity happens in developing countries because their people utilize such task basically for milk production.

It is very easy to take care of goats, you just have to pay lots of attention in times when it is raining hard and during winter season. You do not have to provide them with specific housing requirements. You just need to place them where there are enough plants or grass, water and space where they can move about.  When the season is cold or wet, you have to make sure that you give the goats dry bedding. They hate it when they get wet, so you need to allot some shelter that they can use at times when the weather is not that good.

You should also make sure that you give your pet goat a companion. Do not take care of only one animal and leave them often alone in their shelter. They tend to get lonely, bored and depressed. No matter how lonely your life is, do not share such state with the goat. They need companions so that they will feel happy most of the time.

Make sure that you take care of the fence in the area where you want your goats to be placed. It doesn't matter if they will try to escape every once in a while. This is part of the excitement of owning a goat. If you live in a busy neighborhood, le them know about your plans or if you already have the goats on your backyard, tell your neighbors about it. Make sure that you have managed everything to make sure that your animals won't create so many disturbances around town.

Goats are also easy to feed because you can leave them at places with plants and they will begin to eat. But these animals are also picky when it comes to the quality of hays that they eat, so look at them if they are really eating. You need to introduce them to freshly cut green hay or new pasture whenever you see that they do not want to chew on anything.

To make sure that they are getting right amount of nutrients, you should buy quality hay and grains and give these to them every day. Supply the animals with clean water all the time. To avoid letting the hay on the ground for too long, you can buy or create a wooden hay stand that can be placed on the ground.

If you can provide everything that has been mention here about goat care, then go ahead and proceed with your plan.