Keeping goats without grazing. Raising goats

In most cases, stall-pasture keeping of goats in a household farm is considered appropriate. This article will tell you how the correct technology for keeping goats can not only contribute to good animal health, but also help increase milk yield, improve wool quality, and produce healthy offspring.

Stall housing in its pure form is used only in some regions of our country that have a harsh climate. Most often, goats live without grazing only during the cold season, the duration of which depends on the climate of the area. The rules that must be followed if a goat is kept on a farm using the stall method are almost the same.

It is extremely important to remember that keeping goats on a backyard farm without grazing does not mean that the animals should be kept exclusively in a stall. It is necessary to provide the goats with a fenced place for walks, the duration of which depends on the weather. Even in frosty weather, it is advisable to let goats into such a pen for at least an hour. The existing coat will not allow healthy animals to freeze in such a time, but the lack of sunlight and fresh air will have a detrimental effect on health and, as a result, on the quality of wool, milk yield, and the viability of the offspring.

In good weather, walking time can reach 4-5 hours. Unsuitable conditions for walking can only be considered very severe frost, heavy rain or snowfall, hail, as well as the presence of snow cover higher than 10 centimeters. However, keeping a goat at the dacha allows you to clear the snow from the walking area. This is more difficult to do if you have a large herd and an extensive paddock; it will take some time.

For comfortable living in a stall, each animal should be allocated its own fenced-off place, however, goats kept indoors do not need a leash.

The technology for keeping goats is, first of all, providing the animals with adequate nutrition. In this regard, stall housing has its own characteristics. The inability of goats to independently choose the necessary vegetation for food suggests that a balanced diet for the animal should be provided by humans.

So, when kept without grazing, goats must be given hay from legumes and cereals cut during the flowering period. Experts recommend pre-grinding the food for better absorption. In addition to chopping, you can adapt and make the feed more attractive by steaming the hay or mixing it with additives, including calcination.

The diet of goats differs not only depending on the age of the animals, their health status and the time of year. The menu in down and wool goat farming is noticeably different from the diet used in dairy goat farming. This should be taken into account when choosing combined feeds and additives.

Providing a balanced diet that allows goats to receive all the necessary substances and elements, as well as regular walks in the animal pen, can make stall housing no less effective than pasture housing, avoid animal diseases, losses in milk yield and a decrease in other indicators.

• Section title: Domestic goat
• Read: Keeping a goat

Stall housing and feeding of goats

In goat farming in our latitudes, stall-pasture keeping of animals is most common. At the same time, depending on the latitude of the area and the natural and climatic conditions of the year, the duration of the stable and grazing periods can fluctuate greatly in one direction or another.

During the stall period, which is the cold season of the year, goats are kept in a base (stall) on a straw bedding, preferably without a leash. There should be open access from the stall to the premises with access to the walking yard. In good weather and sunny days, goats are allowed to walk during the day for 4...5 hours, and on frosty days - for 1...2 hours. Walking goats in the fresh air helps to increase metabolism and the body's resistance to disease. This, accordingly, helps to increase the shearing of wool and fluff, as well as improve their quality. But in bad weather: in severe frost, snowfall and wind, as well as in deep snow cover (more than 10 cm), animals are kept only indoors.

During the period of stall keeping in the diet of goats, a significant proportion is occupied by hay and humic feed, i.e. straw and chaff. Particularly valuable for feeding goats is fine-stemmed hay from legumes and cereal grasses, cut during the flowering period, well preserved during the harvesting period. The hay should be dry, but not dry (humidity up to 17%). The approximate daily rate of hay for queens is 1.8...2.2 kg, for goats - 2.5...3, and for kids under one year of age - 0.8...1 kg. The share of hay in diets should account for at least 30% of the total nutritional value of the feed.

The best humidified feeds are pea, lentil, legume, bean straw, as well as straw of spring cereals. But the straw of winter grains is poorly eaten by goats. For better palatability and digestibility of straw, it is advisable to chop it, calcinate it, steam it, and also flavor it with concentrates.

Chopping is the most common method of processing straw for feeding. Then the straw cuttings 2...3 cm long are moistened with warm salt water (at the rate of 50 g of salt per 1 bucket of water) and kept in a container (for example, a wooden trough) for up to 18 hours, after which they are flavored with concentrates or tubers. As a result of this procedure, the palatability, as well as the nutritional value and digestibility of such straw increase sharply. It is not recommended to store soaked cuttings for future use.

The amount and types of feed used to feed goats differ somewhat in dairy and down-wool goat breeding. Thus, in down and wool goat breeding during the stall period, the following approximate daily norms for the distribution of feed are guided:
Young one-year-old goats are fed at the rate of: 2 kg of hay (of which 1 kg is cereal-legume), in addition, goats are given 0.5 concentrates, and female goats - 0.3 kg. Goat kids, from the age of one month until culling when kept in stalls and on poor pastures, are given concentrates at the rate of 0.1...0.2 kg per day, or grain-legume hay ad libitum.
Adult goats should receive 2.5 kg of hay (of which 1 kg is cereal and legume), and 1.5...2 kg of silage. For early spring goatling, in addition, 0.2 kg per day of concentrated feed is added to the daily norm for two months before goatling and 0.4 kg during suckling.
Adult goats are fed hay - 2.5 kg (of which 1 kg of cereals and legumes), concentrates (0.5 kg) and succulent feed (1.5...2 kg). For breeding goats during the pre-breeding and mating periods, the rate of distribution of concentrates should be increased to 1.5 kg per day.

The diet of dairy goats in the autumn and winter consists mainly of hay, concentrated and succulent feed, as well as mineral supplements. In this case, the daily rate of feed for adult goats should consist of the following set: 1.2...1.4 kg of cereal or forb hay, 0.5...0.7 kg of bean hay, 1.5...2 .5 kg of succulent feed, as well as concentrates in the form of rolled oats or rolled oats (from 0.3...0.5 to 0.8 kg). In addition, goats are given table salt (13...15 g per day) and disodium phosphate (12...15 g).

Below are some approximate daily rates of feed for goats with a live weight of approximately 40...45 kg for the period of stall keeping.

So, in the first half of pregnancy, a dry goat is given about 1.6 kg of meadow hay. In the second half of pregnancy, a dry goat is given 1 kg of meadow hay, spring straw - 0.5 kg, rye bran - 0.3 kg. The second diet option: 0.8 kg of alfalfa hay, 0.7 kg of oat chaff and 0.4 kg of boiled potatoes.

A goat with a milk yield of 1.5 kg of milk is given 1.5 kg of meadow hay, 2 birch brooms with leaves, corn silage - 0.8 kg, rye bran - 0.5 kg. The second diet option: meadow hay - 1 kg, spring straw - 0.5 kg, wheat bran - 0.25 kg, flaxseed cake - 0.2 kg.

A goat with a milk yield of 3 kg is given 1.5 kg of meadow hay, 3 birch or poplar brooms with leaves, corn silage - 1.2 kg, wheat bran - 0.3 kg, flaxseed cake - 0.3, oats - 0.3 kg.

A goat with a milk yield of 5 kg of milk: 1.5 kg of meadow or clover hay, 2 brooms with leaves, fodder beets or carrots - 3 kg, wheat bran - 0.5 kg, sunflower cake - 0.4 kg, oats - 0.3 kg.

Since goats are considered one of the most unpretentious animals, almost any pasture is suitable for them. The only exceptions are lowland, swampy areas and water meadows. With increased humidity, helminthiasis begins in individuals, hoof diseases may appear, and the nutritional value of the grass in such areas is low and not sufficient for normal development and productive lactation (Figure 1).

Often, a transhumance system is used in pasture management. This is especially true for mountainous regions, where different climatic conditions can be found in the same geographical area due to differences in meadows and fields in altitude relative to sea level.

The presence of a flock on pastures is often seasonal, and the use of certain areas for grazing is determined by the time of year.
In autumn and winter, the herd is transferred to flat and lowland pastures. During this period, animals feed mainly on wormwood, saltworts, and near rivers – small trees and shrubs. In some pastures there are also cereal plants. Irrigation canals and natural reservoirs are used for watering.
Winter pastures, where wormwood mainly grows, are not able to fully satisfy the body's need for nutrients. Therefore, even with grazing, in winter artificial feed is included in the diet: rough and juicy, as well as concentrated.

Winter grazing is complicated by weather conditions. In case of severe frosts and snows, when it is impossible to find food on your own, there must be a supply of food. In addition, for individuals who are on pastures in winter, it is necessary to create shelters from strong winds or frost. They are called bases, and are built from panels, which are covered with straw for insulation.
In spring, winter pastures quickly restore vegetation, and animals begin to rapidly gain weight. This is extremely important, since it is in the spring that many farm owners begin the brood campaign. As the amount of feed on pastures decreases, queens and young animals are driven higher into the mountains.
Summer grazing allows you to quickly increase the weight of animals, since such areas have excellent food and water conditions. It is on summer pastures high in the mountains that castration is carried out, cubs are separated from their mothers and groups are selected for mating
It is worth noting that in some farms only newborn males are separated from their mothers, and females are left until the next season. This helps the females get stronger and survive frosts and cold, preparing for mating in the new season.

The speed of translation directly depends on weather and climatic conditions.
Mating in this case takes place already in October, after which the livestock is distributed among winter pastures.
An interesting technology was developed in Gorny Altai. In summer, the flocks are grazed in valleys covered with rich vegetation, and in winter they are transferred to the southern slopes of the mountains, where the thickness of the snow cover is thin, so much less complementary feeding is required. For overnight stays, special light pens are erected.
An important element of pasture maintenance is daily watering. The exception is pastures with lush grass and cool weather. In such conditions, animals can be given water only once a day.

Watering is best done early in the morning, before grazing, and in the afternoon, after a break before evening grazing. On hot summer days, watering should be done every one and a half to two hours. Water from stagnant bodies of water should not be given, as this can lead to helminth infection and gastrointestinal disorders. In addition, when eating succulent green food, the need for salt increases significantly. Large pieces (licks) are laid out at the sites where they stop and spend the night so that all individuals can restore the salt balance if necessary.

This is an exclusively stall housing method, which is used in regions with harsh winters, severe frosts and thick snow cover. Animals are transferred from open pastures to pens gradually, over seven to ten days.
For proper transfer to pens, they begin to gradually reduce the amount of succulent feed and increase the time the animals spend at the bases. An approximate feeding regime in winter pens is as follows:

From 6 to 9 am, provide dry roughage (hay or straw);
From 9 to 11 o'clock the feed is given again;
At 11-12 o'clock there is a watering place;
After this, the daily norm of concentrated feed is given;
From 16 to 18 hours the last distribution of dry food is carried out.

When setting a diet, it is important to consider that it will need to be strictly followed in the future. Deviation from the regime can lead to metabolic disorders, gum production and impair fertility.

Keeping and caring for dairy goats is no different from usual, with the only difference being that for high milk productivity the animals need a complete and balanced diet.
The main part of lactation occurs in the summer, so most of the diet consists of pasture from pastures, which is supplemented with root crops, hay, food waste and grain.
Maintenance without grazing

This type is most common in regions with long winters, during which animals simply cannot find food on their own in open pastures.
With this type of housing, the flock is kept on open pastures in the summer, and in winter or in bad weather it is transferred to pens (camps) equipped with special feeders. The best place to set up a camp will be a site located near a well and food supplies.
In the summer, goats kept in stalls and pastures eat succulent green food. In winter, they are switched to rough, succulent and concentrated feed. The daily consumption rate of a particular feed depends on climatic conditions and the characteristics of the animal breed.

Stall housing

To keep animals in stalls, it is necessary to equip a special room where they will stay all year round. The inside of the building should be dry and light. These animals prefer well-lit stalls, and for rest it is better to equip them with low wooden beds.

When kept in stalls, individuals are not kept on a leash, as this reduces the amount of milk. The housing area is equipped with feeders and drinkers, where fresh hay and clean water should always be available. Salt licks are also laid out on the floor. Feeding is carried out 3-4 times a day, alternating succulent and green food with hay, concentrates and compound feed.

Despite the fact that goats are considered unpretentious animals, to maintain their milk yield in winter it is necessary to properly maintain them.
If it is not possible to install heating in the room where the individuals will be located, the building is additionally insulated.
The shed for winter maintenance is insulated with any heat-insulating materials. Not only do they insulate walls, floors and ceilings, but they also insulate doors and windows. In this case, it is necessary to leave the possibility of ventilating the room, since for normal development animals require a constant flow of fresh air. When keeping goats in winter in rooms without heating, special attention is paid to feeding and watering the animals. Feed is given out up to 5 times a day, and water for drinking must be heated.

Goat housing

Although goats are quite unpretentious in feeding and maintenance, they need to be properly equipped with pens and premises.

In pastures, it is imperative to build camps from light shields so that animals can shelter from bad weather.
Winter pens and premises must be strong, dry and draft-free. These animals do not tolerate moisture well and can easily become ill in a cold, damp pen.
When housing in stalls, it is necessary to provide the function of lighting and darkening the room. Additional lighting will help animals accumulate vitamin D, and optional darkening will artificially reduce the length of daylight and stimulate hunting.
In pens, you need to regularly change the litter, clearing it of manure. Dirty bedding can cause hoof diseases, and if there is a lack of certain vitamins and microelements, animals can begin to chew dirty straw, causing gastrointestinal disorders.
It is recommended to equip separate rooms for mating and goatling. They should always be warm, clean and dry.
When kept in pens in winter, animals should be regularly taken out for walks, maintaining physical activity and stimulating the production of vitamin D.
In each pen or shed, you need to equip a separate place for animals to rest with deeper and softer bedding.
On average, each pen should have approximately four square meters of area per individual.

Feeders and mangers for food

When housing in stalls, it is necessary to stock up on special equipment for feeding. Basically, roughage is given to animals in special bases located in pens. Feeding indoors is possible only in very severe frosts. Before each feed distribution, the flock must be dispersed to the sides.

The following are the most common types of goat feeders.

1 Manger without bottom;
2 Manger in the form of bars attached to the walls;
3 nurseries-feeders with special troughs at the bottom for concentrated feed.

You should also take care of proper watering. In the warm season, it can be carried out using ordinary troughs, filling them with running water. In winter, it is necessary to equip special heated feeders, since drinking cold water can cause colds, diarrhea, and, in pregnant females, miscarriages.

When drinking, animals should be divided into groups and allowed to approach the water trough in small batches.

Stall dimensions

Goats can be kept in the same room as cattle, but if you plan to only breed goats, a separate barn is built for them. It is placed in a dry place with a slight elevation, and a closed paddock for walking is set up next to the room.
The size of the goat's rue depends on the number of individuals. The optimal ceiling height is 2 meters and the length is 4.5 meters. You can build a building from any materials (logs, boards or bricks), but there should be no cracks or drafts inside.

It is better to arrange separate stalls for each individual, where they are kept without a leash. The width of the stall is 2 meters and the length is about 1.8 meters. If the barn area allows, the stalls can be made wider so that the animals feel free and do not reduce milk yield. A small door (about a meter high) is made in the front part. You can hang a feeder on it.

Care equipment

Caring for goats requires the use of certain equipment. First of all, we need feeders, nurseries and drinking bowls. But they are not enough to fully support animals. Since these are quite active animals, a fenced paddock is set up next to the barn, in which feeders can also be placed or salt licks can be laid out.

Newborn goats are highly resilient, grow quickly and are ready for grazing on pastures within a month after birth. Basic care is required immediately after birth. It is necessary to clear the baby's airways of mucus, let the mother lick him and give him colostrum to drink.

Newborn goats can be raised under the uterus or without it. In the first case, they drink mother's milk to their heart's content, so it will not be possible to obtain milk products from the female in the first two months after birth. If breeding is carried out for profit, the kids are separated from the females and given milk from a nipple or bowl. From the age of one month, the diet is supplemented with concentrated feed and mineral supplements. Gradually, the dose of feed increases, and the amount of milk consumed decreases, and by three months of life, the kid can completely switch to an adult diet.

To maintain milk production and mating ability, the room must be warm and dry. In addition to feeding, mating and milking, a key focus when caring for goats should be hoof trimming, as they are very sensitive to hoof diseases (such as foot rot).

In summer, you need to choose the right pasture for goats. There should be trees or a specially equipped canopy on its territory so that animals can rest in the shade. In addition, the pasture must have a pond with clean water or special drinking bowls.

To monitor the health of the male, he is regularly shown to the veterinarian, but in general, the maintenance of females and males is no different.

Goat hygiene

It is impossible to imagine keeping a goat in a household without observing certain hygiene rules. The holding area should be bright and clean. Since goats do not sleep on the floor, small elevations made of boards are built for them. You can lay out bedding inside, which should be changed daily. They also keep the area clean by regularly removing manure and dirt.

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Technology of keeping and raising goats “Goat - Dereza”.

We will talk about the technology for producing a highly productive goat herd in one year, for the next season. The technology is based on the simultaneous use of prebiotic and probiotic feeds “Russian Miracle” when raising goats, which make a simple outbred goat a highly productive goat with an increase in milk yield 2-3 times higher than that of its mother. Prebiotic feed from straw or hay with grain and probiotics “Russian Miracle” are produced on the farm independently, which allows reducing not only the cost of producing a highly productive goat herd, but also reducing the cost of feed. Goats are kept in stalls all year round, which allows you to keep a large herd in the suburbs or near a village, without pastures.

Goat- one of the first domesticated animals, it was domesticated in the Middle East, approximately 9,000 years ago. The ancestor of the domestic goat was the wild bezoar goat (Capra hircus aegagrus), which to this day is found from the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea through Asia Minor, the Armenian Highlands and Western Asia to Central Asia.

Goats feed on grass and young shoots of trees and shrubs. They quickly absorb large amounts of food, and chew cud in between meals. Like other ruminants, swallowed food accumulates in one of the sections of the stomach - the rumen, where it is partially digested and forms a lump of cud, which is regurgitated and chewed in the mouth. The goat is very unpretentious and is capable of not only living on pasture, but also being a stable animal.

Mating usually takes place once a year, and one goat can cover a herd of 30-50 females. After a pregnancy lasting 21-23 weeks, a pair of kids is usually born, although a larger number of kids in a litter (up to five) is often found. They are born sighted, with well-developed fur, and after a few hours they are already jumping briskly. All this allows you to increase the herd several times in a short period.

Gastrointestinal tract of a goat.

Goats are considered herbivores due to the fact that their food consists mainly of plants. Most herbivores are also ruminants. Ruminants are easy to distinguish from other animals because they often chew even when they are not eating. This chewing activity is called rumination and is an integral part of the digestive process that allows ruminants to obtain energy from plant cell walls, also called fiber.

Fiber acts as a substance that gives rigidity and strength to plants, and is a major component in the stems of cereals and other plants. Complex sugars (cellulose and hemicellulose) found inside plant cell walls remain inaccessible to non-ruminant animals. However, the population of microbes (microorganisms) inhabiting the mesh and rumen allows the goat to obtain the energy contained in the fiber.

The goat obtains the nitrogen it needs in its diet from protein amino acids and other sources of non-protein nitrogen. Non-protein nitrogen is not absorbed by non-ruminant animals, but can be used by rumen bacteria for protein synthesis. The goat obtains most of its available amino acids from bacterial protein synthesized in the rumen. The mesh and rumen are the first two stomachs of a goat. The contents of the mesh are almost constantly (almost every minute) mixed with the contents of the rumen during the digestion process. Both of these stomachs, often collectively called the reticular stomach, are densely populated by a population of microorganisms (bacteria, protozoa, fungi). The rumen acts as a large vessel for the fermentation of the digestible substance. When prebiotic feed gets into the rumen, the microflora begins to develop several times faster than usual: this is facilitated by the feed that has already been partially processed in the extruder, as well as a stimulant that is synthesized in the prebiotic feed from the lignin of hay or straw. Microbial fermentation produces: 1) volatile fatty acids (VFA) as the end product of the fermentation of cellulose and other sugars; 2) microbial mass, rich in protein and high quality vitamins. Volatile fatty acids are used as the main source of energy, as well as for the synthesis of milk fat (triglyceride) and milk sugar (lactose).

The third section of the stomach is called the book. The book is a small organ with excellent absorption capacity. This property allows for the recycling of water and minerals such as sodium and phosphorus, which are then returned to the rumen through saliva. Since the processes of digestion in the rumen and abomasum are significantly different, the book acts as an adapter between these two organs.

The fourth section of the stomach is called the abomasum. This section bears close resemblance to the stomach of non-ruminant animals. Inside the rennet, many acids and other digestive enzymes are secreted. Substances entering the abomasum of ruminants consist mainly of undigested feed particles and some end products of biological fermentation and microbes that have multiplied in the rumen. Strong acids and digestive enzymes are released. Feed fractions that are undigested in the rumen (some proteins and lipids) are digested. Digestion of bacterial protein occurs.

The conditions existing in the rumen of ruminants provide an optimal environment for the growth and development of microbiological fauna. The lack of oxygen in the rumen also favors the development of some special types of bacteria, for example those that are responsible for the decomposition of plant cell walls (cellulose) into simple sugars (glucose). Microbes ferment glucose to obtain the energy needed for their growth, producing volatile fatty acids (the end product of fermentation) as a result. Volatile fatty acids are absorbed through the rumen walls and are the main source of energy for the goat.

During the growth process, rumen microorganisms (microbes) synthesize amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein (protein). Bacteria use ammonia and urea as sources of nitrogen for the synthesis of amino acids. Without bacterial treatment, ammonia and urea would have no nutritional value for the goat. Bacterial protein (protein) synthesized in the rumen is digested in the small intestine and constitutes the goat's main source of amino acids.

Chewing gum reduces the size of fiber particles and exposes sugars to microbiological fermentation.

When chewing gum, saliva is released. Buffers in saliva (bicarbonates and phosphates) neutralize the acids produced by microbial fermentation, thereby maintaining a neutral acidic environment that favors fiber digestion and microbial growth in the stomach. When there is an excess of concentrates in the feed, chewing stimulation decreases and saliva production is two to three times less.

Digestive enzymes are secreted by the small intestine, liver and pancreas. Enzymatic digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids occurs. In the small and large intestines, a certain amount of water, minerals and digestive products are absorbed: glucose, amino acids, volatile fatty acids.

Cecum (fermentation) and large intestine. Typically a small population of bacteria ferments unabsorbed digestive products. Water is absorbed and feces are formed. The feces of ruminant animals are rich in organic (undigested bacterial residues) and inorganic substances (nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur), which are an excellent fertilizer.

Increasing the milk yield of the future goat. Raising goats.

Unfortunately, no dairy goat breeds have been developed in Russia. Most common are simple Russian goats, which once, even before the revolution, were slightly improved by crossing with imported animals of foreign breeds - Saanen and Toggenburg. Such goats are popularly called Russian dairy goats; they do not have an official name, since they are not some established breed, but simply local cattle with very different body structure, productivity, color and thickness of wool. Such goats are bred by the population of cities, suburbs, towns and summer residents. These animals are usually strong and hardy. Queens weigh 38-45 kg, less often 50 kg, males - 50-60 kg, the best - up to 70 kg. Early maturity is average. At 7-8 months of age, female goats weigh 20-25 kg, female goats 25-30 kg. Where care is better, they are larger. In places where young animals were not fed enough or were allowed to mate early, the goats were ground up.

In order to create a modern dairy herd, today there is no need to import high-yielding goats; this is a very expensive pleasure. The Russian Miracle technology allows you to raise a high-yielding goat yourself. The technology and instructions for using the technology are sent at the request of the farm in writing and only to Russian farmers. You can leave your email address for your request on our website.

Dairy goats are not raised under mothers. They are fed with whole milk (if there is a shortage of goat milk, you can use cow milk or milk replacer) until the age of 50-60 days, at the same time they begin to be fed with prebiotic feeds and watered with the use of “Russian Miracle” probiotics. It is important that the baby goat receives colostrum from its mother on time. The probiotic “Russian Miracle” is given along with colostrum.

Replacement milk replacer. Whole milk substitute.

The technology for using milk replacer is standard, dilution is standard. Before dilution, the extrudate (technology for extruding milk replacer at the end of the text) is passed into a crusher and then diluted with water.

					Rapeseed cake			Meat and bone meal	Hay sown		Monocalcium phosphate
Metabolic energy
Dry matter
Crude protein
Fiber
Crude fat
Methionine+cystine
Tryptophan
Manganese
Vitamin D-thousand
Vitamin E
Table salt.

The “Russian Miracle” probiotic is prepared independently using the chewing gum of a high-yielding goat. This technology sent free of charge upon request farmer or farm. The probiotic is given to the goat every day, at every feeding. It is important that the goat gets it for the first time along with the first colostrum. In this case, the goat develops microflora in the gastrointestinal tract, similar to the structure of the microflora of a high-yielding goat. Gradually, there is a restructuring of the microflora structure, and then a change in metabolism in the animal’s gastrointestinal tract. The animal consumes more feed, processes it faster, and produces more milk. The process is based on the fact that the DNA of an animal remembers all its states, and if the states are long-lasting, then the DNA begins to support new states of the body, so not only the goat’s metabolism changes towards a high-yielding goat, but the digestion of food, the processes of the cells of tissues, glands, changes occur in the production of hormones. The first kids, when they grow up, will already produce twice as much milk as the mothers of these kids. In the future, after two or three generations, a new, high-yielding breed will gain a foothold, and the kids will already produce higher milk yields than the mother breed. But it is better to continue giving the “Russian Miracle” probiotic, because the probiotic itself, together with prebiotic feeds, helps to increase the microbial mass in the rumen and, subsequently, to increase milk yield. The newly formed microbial mass provides not only crude protein, but also a lot of vitamins necessary for the life of the goat. When using probiotics, feed conversion occurs more fully; there is no need to buy vitamins, protein supplements, or veterinary drugs, since the probiotic improves the immune status of the animal’s body.

Prebiotic food "Prestarter" for goats from 2 weeks to 2 months. Rationing of feed according to reference books.

					Rapeseed cake	Meat and bone meal	Hay is chopped		Monocalcium phosphate
Metabolic energy
Dry matter
Crude protein
Fiber
Crude fat
Manganese
Vitamin D-thousand
Vitamin E
Table salt.

Prebiotic food “Starter” for goats from 2 to 8 months. Rationing of feed according to reference books.

					Rapeseed cake	Meat and bone meal	Meadow hay		Monocalcium phosphate
Metabolic energy
Dry matter
Crude protein
Fiber
Crude fat
Manganese
Vitamin D-thousand
Vitamin E
Table salt.

The type of goat keeping is stable year-round. Animals are fed according to the principle of a feeding table, and not from feeders. They drink from special automatic glasses that are attached to the wall at a certain height. The room must be equipped with forced ventilation and have good lighting. If all these conditions are met, the cost of human labor will be minimized. Thus, even one person can care for the animals.

Stall type of housing

The animal bedding is replenished with new straw as needed. Biothermal processes produce heat. Thus, there is a reduction in the cost of heating the room in cold weather. Such a room is cleaned at least twice a year.

Feeding goats

Feeding goats is done by pouring granulated or crushed prebiotic feed with special feed additives from a feed dispenser onto the feeding table. Prebiotic feeds are used in feeding animals, and to improve the quality of milk, goats are fed slightly dried grass or hay in unlimited quantities. Prebiotic feeds are produced on ETR extruders; these extruders are the only ones in Russia capable of producing feed from grain and straw (hay).

It is better to feed food at the same time as the probiotic; this is when the animals will receive a balanced diet enriched with vitamins and microelements.

Prebiotic food for goats from 8 months. Rationing of feed according to reference books.

Rye

Barley

Rapeseed cake

Oats

Meat and bone meal

Hay sown

Salt

Monocalcium phosphate

norm

Actual(kg)

Metabolic energy

Dry matter

Crude protein

Fiber

Crude fat

Methionine+cystine

Tryptophan

Manganese

Vitamin D-thousand

Vitamin E

Table salt.

Milking goats

The milking process is automated and is performed in milking parlors of various designs. Milking is carried out twice a day using equipment from well-known companies.

Herringbone milking parlor with automatic removal

The use of herringbone and carousel milking parlors in livestock farming, where the milking area is equipped with milk meters, a movable panel and automatic removal, allows even one person to control the process. Servicing of all this equipment is carried out by the supplier. For greater convenience, the milking parlor is connected through passages and runs to the room in which the animals are kept.

Herd reproduction

As a rule, goats are inseminated 180-200 days after the birth of their kids, through manual or harem mating. Producer goats are raised on special farms or purchased from special breeders and kept in separate pens. Sometimes artificial insemination is used using deep-frozen sperm.

Sometimes, in order to increase milk production, goats are not inseminated. In this case, high-yielding females can milk for more than two years.

On average, the exploitation of young livestock using industrial technologies for their maintenance is about five years. The first insemination takes place between 10 and 12 months of age, and the birth of offspring takes place in the same pen where the herd is kept.

The average milk yield of a goat for the entire lactation period, using industrial technologies on the farm, is about 1200 - 1600 liters of milk. Feed consumption for the production of 1 quintal of goat milk is 1.75 times less than for the production of 1 quintal of cow milk (0.6 and 1.05 quintal feed units, respectively). Labor costs for 1 liter of goat milk are 2.5 times less than for the production of cow milk (3 and 7.5 man hours, respectively).

Goat's milk is on average 0.4% fattier than cow's milk (4.1 and 3.7%, respectively), which gives a large monetary increase when milk is converted to base fat content. A goat produces 18.2 centners of milk per 1 centner of live weight, and a cow -8 centners.

The given data shows only the main advantages of goat's milk compared to cow's milk. At the same time, it is known that goat milk is also better absorbed. It does not cause a negative reaction even in people with allergies. Goat's milk contains less aglutinin, which causes cream to separate, and its milk curd is much softer than cow's, which makes it easier for humans to digest. Thanks to the unique structure of the curd obtained by curdling milk and its aroma, goat's milk is included in the best cheeses.

Comparing all the above data, it becomes clear that it is more economically profitable to obtain goat milk than cow milk. It follows that its cost is almost 2 times lower than that of a cow, and its profitability is much higher. Farms engaged in the production and sale of milk will receive more profit when keeping dairy goats than cows, i.e. a goat is more competitive than a cow.

Today, there are no industrial-type goat breeding farms in Russia. But due to the high economic efficiency of production, fully mechanized farms should appear in the country in the near future.

About prebiotic feeds

This is a new generation multifunctional prebiotic feed, which is used for raising goats using the “Goat-dereza” technology:

• Prebiotic food contains substances that are not all digested in the stomach, but are food for the microflora of the small and large intestines.
• Prebiotic food begins to nourish the goat's microflora immediately, since it contains glucose and disaccharides, which are absorbed directly, this is important, since the microflora produced in the goat's rumen is several times greater than with normal feeding, and since the conversion of sugars occurs quickly , it does not reduce the chewing reflex. The rest of the composition: starch has undergone the process of saccharification into dextrins, and protein into proteins and an amino acid mixture, while the goat spends a minimum of its energy on digesting the feed.
• It is a stimulator of life processes and the development of microflora in the gastrointestinal tract; it contains humates of mono and divalent metals, which are processed throughout the gastrointestinal tract.
• An accelerator of enzymatic processes, since by its presence it creates a huge specific surface area from crushed hay, several tens of times larger than the surface of the intestines, for nutrition and accelerated development of microflora, this is also facilitated by humic stimulant substances.
• This is a sorbent that is produced using the latest technology in the process of producing prebiotics from ligno-cutin substances in hay or straw. It belongs to the filled sorbents, as it contains polysaccharides that are digested in the goat’s large intestine and release the sorbent, which collects toxic substances in its pores. In addition, the sorbent, like a scraper, cleanses the intestinal walls from adhering feces and unprocessed food.
• Anti-stress - prebiotic food works as an anti-stress drug; it contains calcium salts of various organic acids, including humic acids, chelates, a set of amino acids produced during the extrusion of protein substances (hydrolysis process). The absorption of calcium is facilitated by the balance of phosphorus, as well as the accelerated growth of microflora in the gastrointestinal tract of the goat, which, when digested, provides all B vitamins, as well as C, D, E, K.
• Prebiotic feed is a sterile feed that prevents mycotoxicosis during feed digestion and helps to unlock the genetic potential of the animal.

Accelerated technology for raising goats « Goat-dereza" using extruded prebiotic feed provides for fattening goats of any breed, coverage for 10-12 months and doubling milk yield. Prebiotic feeds are used in conjunction with technology and the Russian Miracle probiotic. The cost of a probiotic is no more than 20 - 30 kopecks per 1 liter of milk.

Technology for the production of granulated complete prebiotic feeds.

Hay in rolls is fed into the IRS - a roll straw (hay) chopper, or manually into the IM-200 crusher, or into the “Shmel”. The hay is crushed to a size of no more than 1-10 mm and enters the SSh-2 mixer (twin-screw mixer). Grain or grain mixture is fed into the mixer through the crusher; later, cake and vitamins are supplied; tricalcium phosphate is introduced through the mixer pocket. The mixture is mixed during feeding and then unloaded into a storage hopper above the ETR extruder; from the storage hopper the feed mixture enters the extruder. Extrusion occurs at a temperature of 120-170 degrees Celsius and a pressure of up to 60 atmospheres. The chips are transported from the extruder to the granulator via a conveyor. Then the resulting prebiotic feed is sent to the feed shop or goat feeders. This technology uses the SSh-2 mixer, it allows you to mix coarse fibers with grain, while mixing does not lead to natural separation, stratification of the mixture and clogging of the augers; mixing occurs evenly throughout the entire volume of the mixer, which speeds up the mixing process by 3-4 times. The uniqueness of the technology is that the ETR extruder processes coarse fibers with grain (the only one in Russia), which makes it possible to obtain cheap prebiotic feed, reduce the cost of feed and increase the speed of growing goats and abandon antibiotics due to the presence of humic compounds in the feed after extrusion of the mixture.

Keeping goats is profitable. These animals produce healthy, tasty milk that you can drink yourself or sell. They also produce wool, meat and kids. But is it difficult to keep these animals? It all depends on the breeder and the breed - not everyone is able to care for animals, and exotic breeds are more capricious than simple, local ones. The article will describe how to keep goats at home for beginning breeders, what they need for normal life.

What should a goat's rue be like?

The size of the room directly depends on the number of goats. But in any case, it should be spacious so that it is convenient to move around it, take the animals for walks, milk them, and inspect them. If there are more than 5 goats, it is worth taking care of separate stalls for them, because individuals often fight, and this can protect them from possible problems.

There are 1-2 animals in each stall. The exception is a female with cubs. If the kids have not been weaned, there may be 3-4 or even more animals in the stall - a female and all her offspring. This is how the goat and kids will be kept until the latter learn to live independently and eat simple food, and not mother’s milk.

It is important to note that males are always kept separate from females, as the milk may carry a strong odor from the goat.

The recommended stall dimensions for one individual are 1x2 meters. Of course, if the goats are large breeds or dwarf, then the sizes are adjusted. These are suitable for the simplest ones, like Russian White. A separate stall is built for the female and her cub - spacious, approximately 2-2.5 meters square. It is important to note that the kids, after they grow up and are separated from their mother, need to be placed in one common stall measuring 2-2.5 m/sq. There they must live until they become completely independent and adults. This is done to save space and to allow the animals to socialize.

Now about the technical side of the goat's rue.

1. Cold, lack or abundance of sunlight are not terrible for goats, but drafts can greatly harm their health. If a goat is always in a draft, it begins to have problems with its legs, hooves, ears, and eyes. The problem is difficult to notice right away, and over time it may be too late to treat it, so when arranging a goat's rue it is worth making it as protected from drafts as possible.
2. Dampness also has a bad effect on goats, bucks and kids. It occurs if the room is not ventilated or is ventilated, but poorly. Due to the fact that air stagnates, condensation occurs, which leads to high humidity. Humidity provokes respiratory diseases and lung problems in these animals. But it’s easy to solve the problem by making the most basic and primitive, but adjustable, ventilation system in the room.
3. Temperature is also very important. In the southern regions, low temperatures are rare, so goats are often kept there even on the street, but in more northern cities you need to worry about insulating the walls and floor of the goat shed. In winter, the temperature inside should not fall below +6 degrees Celsius, and if the breeder also has kids, then not below +8 degrees.
4. The windows are placed at a height of 1.5 meters so that animals do not break them in a fit of play.

How to set up a goat house?

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After building the main premises, you need to think about how to arrange the goat shed so that keeping goats is simple and not troublesome.

• It is advisable to make feeders in a common room, and not in each individual stall. They are usually long troughs. They are hung at such a level that it is convenient for the animals to eat, but it is not recommended to place them on the floor so that the animals do not walk on the troughs and contaminate the food. The length and height of installation of troughs depends on the number and age of animals.
• Water bowls are another matter; they can be placed in every stall, especially since there should be water in the stall with a pregnant or lactating female. Sometimes water is simply poured into buckets, but kids can turn them over, so it’s easier to make special mechanical drinkers or pour water into hanging buckets.
• Goats love to sleep on high places. If you put bales of straw in the goat's coop, they will certainly climb on them and sleep there. To make things easier for them, it is worth placing a small bale in each stall so that they can sleep comfortably. Such fraud will also protect them from illness - sleeping on soft straw is much more pleasant than on a cold floor, even with a bedding.
• To keep the air in the goat's coop clean and free from unpleasant odors, the floor is made on a slope and a drain is installed below so that all the liquid pours out there. This will significantly improve the appearance and condition of the goat house, and keeping goats will become a much more enjoyable process.
• It is worth worrying about the bedding. Usually it is placed only in stalls, since it is not required in the common room - goats do not sleep there. It is made from coarse, cheap straw that animals will not eat.

How and what to feed goats?

In the summer, in addition to greens on the range, you need to give goats feed or bran with vitamin and mineral supplements, hay, and root vegetables. Whole grain is never given to goats! You can also feed tops of garden crops (potatoes, carrots, beets). But it is important to note that when feeding beet tops, chalk is added to it to neutralize the acidity of the leaves!

In winter, the diet is made up of hay, silage, brooms, dried branches, and fresh spruce branches. It is important to add vitamins and minerals to the food all the time, which can be purchased in stores. Root vegetables and vegetables (boiled potatoes, beets, carrots, fresh cabbage) play a large role in the diet of goats in winter. Each goat needs to be fed 2-4 kg of root vegetables per day.

It is worth storing hay for the winter for future use. You can buy it in winter, but it is expensive, especially since in the cold months the prices for hay are greatly inflated, but this is understandable, because storing it is not so easy. When keeping goats all year round, hay should be harvested at the rate of 500 kg of hay per goat. Young animals from 6 to 12 months need a little less - 320 kg.

An adult can eat from 1 to 3 kg of food per day. Food should always be fresh, like water, not exotic, simple and familiar to animals. Any innovations are introduced gradually and very carefully! It is also worth installing a salt lick in the goat barn near the food or water trough so that the animals can replenish the mineral balance in the body when they need it.

It is strictly forbidden to give goats wormwood, tansy, mustard, chamomile, poisonous black nightshade, horsetail, daffodil leaves and bulbs, wild rosemary branches, and tobacco leaves. They can affect the decrease in milk yield, make the milk bitter and lead to gastrointestinal problems in the animal.

Features of walking for goats

Keeping goats at home involves regular walks of animals in the fresh air; a novice breeder must remember this. There is no way to do without this. Usually they walk goats in meadows and fields, where there is a lot of healthy, tasty grass, but if there is no time to walk the animal and you cannot hire an assistant, you can make a kind of pen or enclosure for the goats.

The aviary is very simple to make. A certain amount of territory (the more, the better) is fenced off with a fence 1.5 meters high. The goats will not be able to jump over it, and the breeder will release them at any time of the day, morning or evening, so that they can graze for their own pleasure. Beneficial herbs of various types are sown inside (similar mixtures are sold in any pet store).

It is important to warn that walking in the fresh air is beneficial, but the animal should not eat exclusively forbs or walk in the rain and slush - this can lead to health problems and even the death of the animal. They don’t walk goats in winter either because of the low temperatures. Only on the hottest, sunny winter days can you let them outside, but only if they go on their own!

Frequent and long walks can improve the condition of the goat's skin, coat, milk, and health. But in order to avoid problems, artificial shade is made during walking if there is no natural one. You can plant a tree, put up a canopy, or a decorative wall so that during extreme heat the goats can hide from the scorching sun.

Routine vaccinations, vaccinations and examinations

It is simply impossible to bypass the point about vaccinations and vaccinations, because keeping goats is indispensable without this. Like all animals, goats are vaccinated against rabies and anthrax. All other vaccinations depend on the region, country, local rules and conditions, which are constantly changing.

Goats are examined annually to identify possible problems with their health, double-check tests, and vaccinations (some of them are done annually). The doctor should ideally be present during the birth of the goat so that everything is done correctly! For any problems, suspicions, or symptoms, you should contact your local veterinary service, because the life of the animal depends on the breeder.

It is worth understanding that if a breeder wants to sell goat milk or meat, he must have all the necessary papers stating that the animals are healthy and have all the appropriate vaccinations.