Goat Nutrition, Health and Predator Protection
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To get the best quality milk
The new dairy goat raiser must learn about goat feeds and nutrition, about bucks and breeding and raising kids, all for one purpose: to get milk. Milking, therefore, is at the apex of the pyramid of all goat keeping skills.
Nutrition
No aspect of goat raising is more important than feeding. you can start out with the very finest stock, housed in the most modern and sanitary building, but without proper feeding, your animals will be worthless. the feed is the goat owner's biggest expense, but well worth the return in the quality and quantity of the milk reaped. A discussion of feeds can be very long or very short.
The easiest way for feeding is to buy hay and prepared rations. However, some people will desire to grow their own hay and mix their own concentrates. This requires at least an awareness of the elements of nutrition, physiology, bacteriology, and math. It also demands that you understand your soils and anticipated rainfall intervals for your given location.
In addition to the special needs of the goat relative to rumination, it's important to feed her as a dairy animal. For example, production of milk requires more protein than would be needed just for body maintenance. Therefore, a milking doe is fed a ration of at least 16 percent protein, while a dry mature doe or buck will do well on 12 percent. Protein is expensive, and any excess is just wasted. you want to make sure the diet has enough, but not too much. Dairy animals also have a greater need for calcium and certain trace minerals as well.
It is also important to understand that goats are browsers. This means utilizing feeding mechanisms that will allow them to consume forage as naturally as possible while simultaneously protecting things you don't want them consuming - or at a minimum, chewing on. Learn more about feed and nutrition here.
The easiest way for feeding is to buy hay and prepared rations. However, some people will desire to grow their own hay and mix their own concentrates. This requires at least an awareness of the elements of nutrition, physiology, bacteriology, and math. It also demands that you understand your soils and anticipated rainfall intervals for your given location.
In addition to the special needs of the goat relative to rumination, it's important to feed her as a dairy animal. For example, production of milk requires more protein than would be needed just for body maintenance. Therefore, a milking doe is fed a ration of at least 16 percent protein, while a dry mature doe or buck will do well on 12 percent. Protein is expensive, and any excess is just wasted. you want to make sure the diet has enough, but not too much. Dairy animals also have a greater need for calcium and certain trace minerals as well.
It is also important to understand that goats are browsers. This means utilizing feeding mechanisms that will allow them to consume forage as naturally as possible while simultaneously protecting things you don't want them consuming - or at a minimum, chewing on. Learn more about feed and nutrition here.
Health
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Goats are among the healthiest and hardiest of domestic animals. If you pay close attention to the proper feeding and other mangement details, you're likely to have very few health problems with your goats.
One of the most important early steps for new goat owners is to identify and build a relationship with a veterinarian that treats goats. Not all vets are willing to treat goats, and even of those that do, some may not have the necessary in-depth knowledge that may be needed. If you have an emergency, having a vet you can call is invaluable. In addition, if you prefer to not handle some tasks such as disbudding and vaccinations, a vet can alleviate in from these functions, and in some instances, over time, at about the same costs as doing it yourself if you only have a few goats. Tips for maintaining healthy goats, common problems and thoughts on worming and vaccinations, can be found here. Basic physiological data Common health problems |
Horn buds on a baby goat
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Protection from PredatorsOne of the most overlooked aspects of goat keeping is protection from predators. Most people think of goats as being fairly large animals that can fend for themselves, but adults will often fall prey to larger predators and predators that hunt in packs such as wild dogs and coyotes.
Kids are suspectible to those same predators, plus many more, even including large birds of prey. it is important to make sure all goats are safely sheltered indoors from dawn to dusk and have good fencing during the day, preferrably with trees to help shelter them from overhead predators. Guard animals are highly recommended. Learn more about protection from predators. |
A bobcat keeps a watchful distance
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