Managements practices for goat

Tethering:

When grazing facilities are limited and one or two goats are to be kept then tethering is convenient.

Method:

• Animal is tied with a rope of 3 to 5 m length with a slip knots to a peg of 35 to 50 cm long.
• Peg is driven into the ground over a grazing area which permit the goat to brows over a limited area depending upon the length of rope.
• Change the location whenever necessary so that goats may get sufficient grass to meet the requirement.
• Provide a temporary or preferably portable shelter close by within reach of animal so that it may turn to it in the event of extreme heat or heavy rains.

Note:

• Goats have a strong dislike for rain and for getting wet.
• Goat should be tethered both in the morning and evening.
• Goat should be kept in the shed during the day.

Advantages:

• It helps to keep the goat out of doors.
• Feeding goat is convenient.
• Utilization of grass properly.

Precaution:

• Graze animal on a plot which is definitely known to be free from parasites.

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Determining age of goats:

Age of goat is judged from the incisors teeth which are found in lower jaw only. The eruption of permanent incisors are as follows:

Pairs of incisors Age of kid in months

First-central 24-26 months

Second-middle 36-38 months

Third-lateral 48-50 months

Fourth-corner 12-14 months

Note:

• Once all the incisors have erupted the degree of gear and wear gives a very rough indication of age.
• Teeth start wearing out 5 to 6 weeks after eruption depending upon type of feed, system of feeding and care given to animals.

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Disbudding:

• Under group management in loose housing system (extensive and semi-intensive system) the horns of goats are nuisance.

Age of disbudding:

• Male kids= 4 to 5 days
• Female kids= 10 to 12 days

Procedure:

• Hairs around the horn buds are clipped
• This area covered with Vaseline to protect from burning when caustic is used.
• Rub the caustic potash stick on the horn bud to cauterize it and put some dusting (ZnO) powder.
• Electric dehorner can also be used at 539⁰C for 8 seconds.

Precaution:

• Use hand gloves to protect skin when caustic is used.
• Protect the eyes of kid from the contact of caustic.

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Castration:

All male kids except those to be kept for breeding purposes in future must be castrated by Burdizzo’s castrator at an age of 2 to 4 weeks.

Purpose

• Prevents indiscriminate breeding
• Make kid more docile
• Male kids can be raised together with female kids.
• Produces more desirable edible chivon
• Rapid gain in weight
• Makes skin of superior quality
• Profit per goat is more

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Exercise:

• Animal kept in group management on free range in extensive and semi-intensive system receive sufficient exercise.
• Stock kept in stalls need exercise for the following:
• Removes stiffness of limbs due to confining too long.
• Removes extra growth of hoof by wear and tear of hoof.
• Prevents foot aliment like foot rot, lameness, etc.

Method:

• Goat should be let loose in group in a large padlock for at least 3-4 hours daily.
• Permit the flock to roam about house near the stalls by taking them through a foot bath.

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Hoof trimming:

• Purposes:
• Prevents over growth of hoof.
• Keeps animal fit for walk.
• Prevents weakness of leg.
• Prevents foot rot and other aliments which ruin the feet and lowers milk production.
• Necessary for general well being.

Materials:

• Sharp pen knives, curved hand pruning shears, hoof knife, Hoof rasp, Turpentine oil.

Method:

• Secure the goat. Make it lie down on one side or back. Trim the hoof as necessary to remove over growth. Rasp it to level and apply turpentine to disinfect.

Frequency:

• 3 to 4 times a year for goats reared in confinement.

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Determining physiological norms:

Purposes:

1. To know the state of health condition.
2. Diagnosis of diseases.
1. Goat’s normal body temperature is 39 to 40⁰C (102-104⁰F)
2. Normal respiration rate per minute is 12 to 20
3. Normal pulse rate per minute is 70 to 80

Method:

• Body temperature may be recorded with the help of clinical thermometer by placing it in anus.
• Respiration rate may be recorded by movements of flank.
• Pulse rate may be taken by placing the fingers on an artery lying near the surface of lower jaw (near the angle) or by placing the hand over the heart.

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Clean milk production:

Following measures be adopted:

1. Keep goats healthy, free from mastitis, udder and teat troubles.
2. Keep surrounding clean,
3. Keep bucks away form band of does.
4. Dry full hand method of milking be followed.
5. Milk goats completely in clean milking pail.
6. Strain the milk after milking.
7. Cooling and chilling of milk.
8. All these measures will help in production of clean whole-some milk free from goaty smell as well.

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Precautions:

1. Udder and teats should be wipped off with a damp piece of cloth dipped in antiseptic solution.
2. When milking is to be done on kuchcha floor the place should be cleaned, sprinkled with water to settle the dust.
3. Always use clean hands and make dry by wiping off with towel.
4. Keep utensils clean by rinsing with cold water as first step, scrubbling with hot soda solution as second step and finally placed in contact of boiling water/ steam/ chlorine solution.

Method of milking:

1. Use full hand method of milking.
2. Make the milking doe stand on raised platform of 0.6 m above ground. Sit on a low stool and carry out milking rapidly.

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Culling the animals:

It is best means of improvement of the bands of goats. Following categories needs to be culled;

• Undesirable animals
• Low producers
• Repeat breeders
• Animals of stunted growth
• All males except future breeding bucks at 16-18 kg wt. in 4 to 5 months.
• Low prolificacy animals.
• Problem breeders.
• Does of longer interkidding period.
• Does of longer dry period.
• Paralysis affected animals
• Goats suffering from incurable disease
• Goats with lame or deformed bone fractures
• History of abortion, distokia and other kidding problems
• Goats suffering from contagious disease

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Protection from cold draught:

• Goats specially kids are highly susceptible to cold. They usually suffer from fatal pneumonia, enteritis under cold and wet housing-conditions.
• Cold winds are very injurious to general health of goats. Give protection by providing covering of a coarse cloth on body, bedding material on floor, planting wind beakers, exposure to sunlight, etc.

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Care of breeding buck:

1. Buck is half of the band therefore select pure bred buck of good breeding ability.
2. Breeding males should not be tethered.
3. Bucks should be housed separately to have enough movement and exercise. A single stall measuring 2.5X2 m with usual fittings for food and water is suitable for the buck.
4. Two bucks should not be kept together, particularly during breeding season because they may fight causing injury to each other.
5. Buck should be taken to does for breeding only when needed.
6. Ensure proper nutrition for bucks specially during breeding season.
7. Give enough exercise to prevent them becoming sluggish.
8. Buck should neither be overfed nor underfed otherwise health break down may occur. Good pasture alone will maintain them healthy. Also provide enough salt, minerals and vitamins in diet.
9. Cleanliness and feeding plenty of greens will help to reduce “goaty smell”. Average green fodder per buck/day is 7 to 8 kg.
10. Carry out grooming/ brushing every day to keep them clean, free of parasites and to make them docile.
11. Young buck up to 1 year age be used for not more than 25-30 does, but those of age 18-24 months may be used for 50 does.
12. Periodical trimming of hoofs to prevent lameness and drenching with vermifuge (an agent that destroys or expels parasitic worm) be carried out to keep them free of parasites.

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Care of pregnant and lactating does:

Pregnant does:

1. Diagnose pregnancy as explained earlier.
2. About 6-8 weeks before kidding doe should be dried off for developing healthy unborn kid, keep good health and maintain high milk yield during lactation.
3. Feed laxative, leguminous and nutritious rations along with 450 g concentrates daily.
4. If they are permitted to go on range then separate pasture be used for these does.
5. Avoid overfeeding and underfeeding to prevent metabolic disorders. Unduly thin goat prior to kidding is likely to have kidding problems leading to birth of weak kids, whereas over fat goats are likely have increased incidences of difficult kiddings.

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6. Avoid sudden changes in ration of does.
7. provide ration with enough protein and minerals as per requirements according to body weight and stage of pregnancy.
8. Water be made available at all times.
9. House the pregnant doe in separate pen to avoid accidents, injuries from other animals and also to give better care.
10. Make provision of clean soft bedding material in maternity pens for pregnant goats in last 15 days of gestation.
11. Reduce the concentrate mixture for goat @ 100gm/day in last week of geatation before kidding.

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Care of doe after kidding

1. Clean the place of kidding, disinfect and dispose of the placenta.
2. Wash the hind quarters of goat with antiseptic solution.
3. Protect the doe against the inclement weather specially cold
4. Give a warm bran mash containing a small amount of oat meal, ginger, a pinch of salt, mineral mixture and jaggery.
5. Two days after kidding provide ration of her choice.
6. The concentrate amount per day should not be mor than 500g/days.
7. Doe may return to heat after about a month but breed only 40 days after kidding.

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8. Provide warm bran mash with small amount of oat meal, ginger, pinch of salt mineral mixture with jaggery.

9. After two days give ration of choice of goat ad lib.

10 Give concentrate mixture of 15% DCP and 60% TDN @ gm/day.

11. Doe may return to heat after 4 weeks but do not breed until 40 days have passed.

Kidding and litter size:

• The average litter size should be 1.5. More than 60% kidding takes place during day time.
• Abortion and still birth between first to fourth kidding ranges between 10 to 30% of which highest number is in second followed by 3^rd and 4^th kidding.
• The sex ratio is nearly 1:1 for male and female kids.
• Single births are common in first and second kidding.
• Twins and triplet birth gradually increase with advancing age and these occur more in third and fourth kidding.

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Average age at first kidding: Season, age at first conception, breed and feed are the major factors affecting age at first kidding ranging between 70 to 75 weeks.

Average service period: 160 to 220 days depending up on breed prolificacy.

Average dry period: 110 to 150 days depending up on breed prolificacy.

Average kidding interval in milk breeds: 310 to 350 days

Care of lactating doe:

1. Give good quality greens and concentrate 450 gm/liter milk production.
2. Wash the udder with 5% Dettol solution.
3. milk the doe completely with dry hand
4. Clip off the hair from hind quarters.
5. Carry out measures of clean milking.
6. Daily grooming of milking doe makes them docile, clean body, increase circulation, eradicates parasites, keep them in good health and is advantageous in making close observation of body. �

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