DAIRY GOAT FARMING

How to examine a dairy goat before you buy

The health of your herd depends upon buying sound dairy goats. Prior to buying a dairy goat it is important to examine them to eliminate doubts about their health, breed and performance.  Get in the goat pen and ask the seller to help hold the goats while you examine them.  It is cost effective to go slowly and being careful.

1. The goat from the top.

Body shape

A dairy goat should have a triangular shape. This ensures that there is enough room for feed in the rumen, even when the doe is pregnant with multiple kids.

Body condition

Feel along her spine and then let your hand slide down the side until you hit the big groove in her side. Feel along the rib bones at the top of the groove. There should be some meat there but it should not be too fatty. If you can't see the groove in her side at all, she is very obese. Don't buy a goat that is way too thin or way too fat.

Hair

The hair should be free of lice and mites.  Little white or brown spots that move indicate infestation. The hair should be shiny and not dull and dry.

Skin

The skin should be free of scales, sores, lumps, and bald patches.

2.  The goat from the front

General attitude

A healthy goat is alert and energetic.

The Legs

The legs should be straight.  They should not bow in or bow out. Reject those with enlarged knee joints, with the skin worn off from walking on the knees.

The Eyes

The goat's eyes should be shiny and clear.  Redness or drainage indicates pinkeye or other eye irritations.

The Mouth

The jaws should match in size and shape so that the goat can chew well.  Reject the "parrot mouth" where the bottom jaw is shorter than the top jaw, "monkey mouth" where the bottom teeth extend out beyond the top front teeth and "bottle jaw" which is a sack-like enlargement below the jaw due to worms or liver flukes.  The lips should be free of sores.

The teeth

The teeth should be whole, spaced so the jaw can shut properly, and appropriate for age. "Broken mouth" indicates the goat is old and cannot chew well.
Teeth that are worn down on a younger goat indicates that they are eating so close to the ground wearing their teeth away, and that they are probably malnourished and full of parasites..  This is very common where grazing is not controlled and there is not enough grass to support the number of goats grazing.

The Nose

The nose should be dry and should not be draining. The goat should breathe quietly and easily.  Noisy breathing and runny nose can mean pneumonia, which is highly contagious.

The Skin

Check for any abscesses on her face, neck or body.

Body condition of the chest area

Reach under the goat's front chest area and feel the breast bone for fat and meat.  There should be meat there, but not a lot of fat.

3.  The goat from the back

The udder

The udder should be full, well attached at the top, with two distinct halves.
Teats should be of the same size and hang straight down or slightly out to the side. Confirm that there are no sores, lumps or deformities in the udder or teats.

Udder size

The size of the udder depends on the age of the goat and milking time. If the goat is a first milker her udder will not be as large as an older goat udder and that is perfectly normal. Udder size reduces on a goat that has recently been milked, and increase greatly as you approach the next milking time.

Rectal area

The back end of the goat should be clean.  If there are liquid feces in the hair, the goat has diarrhea and is sick.

Vagina

The vagina should not discharge except when the goat has recently given birth which might continue for up to three weeks. However the discharge should not smell bad. The goat may also have a clear discharge if it is on heat.

Back Legs

The back legs should be wide apart and straight up and down, not bowed in or out.

4.  The goat from the sides

Check both sides of the goat. She should stand square on all four legs and walk freely, without pain or limping.

Hooves

Pick up her hooves and check for foot rot or scald. Does the hoof smell bad?  Is there a white patch, or sores between the hooves?   Reject goats from a herd that has even one case of foot rot or foot scald because once you get it in your farm, you can't get it out.  Even a goat without symptoms now, carries the disease, if other goats in the herd have had it.
The last thing to do is to feel the lymph nodes and make sure there is no swelling in any of them.  If there is swelling, do not buy the goat, as swelling indicates illness.

Practical steps towards starting dairy goats farming in Kenya

Unlike local goats, dairy goats are bred for milk production and can produce up to 10 times that of the locals. They multiply fast, kidding twice a year often producing twins or triplets. The quality of milk and the prices are higher than a cow’s milk. You require only a half hectare of Elephant (nappier) grass (penisetum puperum) grass to support five dairy goats. Establish a source of fodder by planting or buying fodder locally. Fodder should make the bulk of goat feed. Supplement feeds such as legume species commonly used as pasture or fodder in Kenya like Calliandra, Leucaena, Desmodium, grains and milling by-products, minerals, and molasses provide essential nutrients, such as protein, energy and minerals, to support milk production. If possible grow fodder shrubs around the edges of the plot. The fodder should be able to last a whole year. Other feeds include maize stover, sweet potato vines, banana peels and weeds. Preserve feeds when in surplus in form of hay, dried fodder legumes, leaves and maize stover.

Before buying and moving your goats, consult with the nearest veterinary or livestock office for suitable breed of dairy goats to your area and information on vaccinations against contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), pulpy kidney, tetanus and orf.

Construct a good house with raised slatted floor, good ventilation, feed and water troughs.

A sample goat house for 10 to15 does and 1 buck

A good goat house will make it easy to keep goats and should therefore be:

• Rain proof
  
  
  

  Dairy goat house
• Damp proof
• Well ventilated
• Free from direct wind
• Free from sharp objects that might cut the goat
• Pest and wild animal proof
• Slats on floor for free fall of droppings
• With an area of at least 2 square meters per animal

The benefits of such a goat house are that you will:

• Prevent the animals from much disease.
• Ensure controlled breeding and eliminate many instances of breeding
• Feed the animals very easily and minimize feed wastage
• Save the goat from wasting energy and increase the amount of milk you get
• Keep the goat’s feet dry and clean all the time

There are two main areas of the goat house, the sleeping area and the feeding area.

Sleeping area

• Have walls all around with a door to allow the goats in and out
• Should be roofed to prevent rain
• Should be well ventilated with lots of air allowed in

Feeding area

• This is an open compartment without a roof for the goats to get some sun
• It is fenced right around with a door or gate
• Feed and water trough are placed here
• Feed racks for hanging fodder
• Slatted floor to let manure fall through helps to keep the feet and animals clean and dry
• Mineral blocks are placed where rainfall cannot reach but easily accessible to the goats

The house parts

Floor

The house should be raised 1.5 feet above the ground
A slatted wooden floor is very important with small gaps about half an inch wide (or the width of a slide of a match box between the planks or rafters
Local materials like off-cut planks can be used. Floor racks made of rafters should be put where the goats feed and sleep to stop foot rot when it is wet. This helps to keep the house and dry.

Feed Trough

This is placed in the feeding area built 1 meter (3 feet) above the floor. It can be made with rafters and the floor can be made of off cuts. However the troughs must be easy to clean and be able to hold hay.

Water Trough

This should be placed 1 foot above the floor in the feeding area. Hang a 5 litre can on the door to the sleeping room. The door should have a small window so that goats can have access to water – day and night.

Kid Pen

Toggenburg often give birth to twin kids so don’t make the pen small. Kid pen should be constructed for at least 6 kids and should take half the area of the does.

Hay Barn/Store

The barn is used to store fodder for use during the dry season. Build a roofed store adjacent to the goat house to keep hay away from rained.

Mineral Trough

Should be constructed where the goat sleep. A one foot square box is ideal for the purpose.  Alternatively a plastic container divided into a half longitudinally and nailed to a board, at least 1 foot wide can also be useful. Or just hang the salt so the goat has to reach for it.

Feeding the goats

Ensure you are feeding sufficient forage and supplements for high level of milk production.

Provide roughages (like Napier grass) and supplements. Napier grass should be chopped into approximately 3-cm-long pieces. Energy supplements include molasses, cereals or milling by-products (bran, pollard). Protein supplements include cotton seed cake, Calliandra leaves, Leucaena leaves, sweet potato vines, Desmodium, fishmeal and dairy meal.

A simple supplement can be made at home. For every 6 scoops of whole cereal grains, add half a scoop of fishmeal or any of the following: cotton seed cake, Calliandra leaves, Leucaena leaves, sweet potato vines or Desmodium. Finally add a tablespoonful of mineral mixture. Mix well before feeding.

Increase supplement by ½ kg per day during the last month of pregnancy. When in milk, allow ½ kg of supplement for every 3 litres of milk produced.

In formulating a ration for dairy goats it is important to note the best way to feed goats and that the rations will be presented to the animals in the stalls. There are advantages of stall feeding because:-

• You do not need a large amount of land or grazing pastures
• You can use many farm products, banana leaves, maize, maize thinnings, bean husks, etc.
• It saves time and labor, you do not have to take goats out of the shamba for grazing or spend time looking for them
• There are less death amongst the kids and all goats because they can be easily looked after throughout the day
• It is easier to plan and manage breeding
• It keeps goats from eating crops and damaging the shamba
• It makes collecting manure very easy
• It helps in controlling pests and diseases.

• What is the best way to feed goats?

• Feed only clean, fresh and dry fodder.
• Always have fresh water for goats to drink at any time.
• Clean the feeding trough and water bucket every day.
• Give lots of different feeds such as grasses and legumes, tree leaves and fresh kitchen remains.
• Give chopped mixed feeds to make sure the goats eat everything and do not waste feed.
• Feed goats at least 3 times a day and at the same time every day.
• Put some feed in the feed trough or rack or hang up some feed to be eaten overnight.
• If you use molasses to make feed taste better do not use too much it will make feed sticky.
• Dusty feeds and concentrates should be wetted a little.
• Provide fresh and clean water daily.  There should always be water in the bucket.
• Provide a Mineral Lick (block) always to all goats.
• Do not feed too much leguminous feed such as Desmodium.
• Mix feeds with grass, hay, straw or Napier to balance.
• Only 1/3 of the days feed can be leucaenia, do not feed too much leucaenia, it can poison the goats.

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SAMPLE RATION

Common dairy goat feeds

Pasture & Fodder

• Napier grass - ¼ acre per goat per year
• desmodium – interplanted with Napier grass or pure stand
• Calliandra – Feed green or hay, 20 trees per goat
• Leucaenia spp
• Sweet potato vines
• Sesbania spp
• Pigeon peas plant
• Natural grass

 Crops residues

• Maize stover
• Rice bran
• Sorghum stover
• Bean straws
• Ground nut straws

Concentrates

• Dairy meal
• Jassey sugar
• Cakes e.g. sunflower cake

 Minerals
Maclick super
Unga high phosphorous (powder 20g per day)

Water

At least 8 liters of clean water

A sample ration

Dairy goats rations are formulated from roughages mainly sourced from forages, water, minerals and concentrates. Dairy goats should be fed according to body weight and physiological requirements.  Dry matter amount is critical in feeding dairy goats.  The dry matter requirement is 6% of the body weight.
A goat weighing 30Kg will require 1.8Kg of dry matter (DM). Here is an example of an ideal daily ration for dairy goat

• 5Kg of Napier
• 0.5Kg sweet potato vines
• 0.7 kg of Calliandra
• 0.5kg of Desmodium
• 40g of very high phosphorous
• 8 liters of clean water

Breeding

Identify a good breeding male goat which has no deformities, with two well-developed testicles, strong feet and legs, good body condition and high libido. Libido is observed by the ability of the male to vigorously detect and mate with females on heat. These qualities will ensure successful mating.

One male is needed for every 25 females. This male can be communally owned provided sexually transmitted diseases and other communicable diseases such as brucellosis are controlled.

Mate females two months after kidding. Introduce a male and leave it with the female goats for 2 to 3 weeks. If possible mate all your female goats at the same time to ensure kids are born at the same time and therefore ease management.

Breed females when in good body condition. Select those with a soft udder, two functional teats and strong teeth and legs. Manage reproduction in goats ensuring that first mating should be about 16 months of age because breeding too early can result in weak kids and stunted females.

On average birth occurs 150 days after mating. Watch your goat closely one week before kidding in case of any problems.

Replace breeding animals at 9 years of age or earlier if they fail to become pregnant. Organize for a periodic male exchange program to prevent inbreeding.

Which breed of dairy goats should I keep?

Although there are many breeds of dairy goats in Kenya, only three are the most common and therefore important. Your choice of dairy goat breed will by and large depend on your locality because each breed is suited to certain climatic conditions. The three important breeds are Saanen, Alpines and Toggenburg.

Saanen

White to pale cream in color, they have black spots on the nose and udders and the skin is black spotted. They are usually polled, meaning they are not horned. The ears are normally pointed facing forward.

Mature male weigh about 75 Kg and females 50 – 65 Kg. The breed is used to upgrade local goats.

The highest recorded milk yield in the tropics is 800 Kg in 205 days lactation or 3.9 Kg/day. The current world record 3430 Kg per lactation in temperate regions. Butter Fat (BF) content is around 4%.

Problems associated with Saanen are:

• Sensitive to strong sunlight therefore skin cancer
• Sensitive to high temperatures
• Hermaphrodites are very common

Alpines

These breed of dairy goat adapt in the tropics better than the Saanen. German Alpines are more widespread and the color is variable but can be grouped i.e.

• White front quarter and black hind
• Grayish front and black hind
• Black neck and white hind

Female weigh 60 Kg and male 65 Kg at maturity. Milk yield averages 922.5 Kg per lactation or 4.5 Kg per day and BF content is at 3.6%. The current milk record 2194 kg/lactation.

Toggenburg

This is the least successful exotic breeds in the tropics. Togs have white legs, white stripe from nose to eyes and a characteristic white triangle at the back.

Mature males weigh 65Kg and females 45 Kg.

Milk production is about 3 liters/day and the world record 2613 kg/lactation or 12.5 kg/day. They can produce milk for a long time if not served and are good for upgrading local breeds.

These three breeds are adaptable to a wide range of climate. Alpines and Saanen are hardy and can do well in hot areas. Toggenburg do well in cold areas.

Other than the breeds, the other very important factor is how well you are prepared in terms of management. These goats are high producers and demand a high management level in terms of feeding, husbandry, housing and health.

Rearing the kids

Ensure the newborn kid suckles immediately after birth. The goat’s first milk helps protect the kid from diseases, gets its digestive system working and is especially nutritious. Disinfect the umbilical cord immediately after birth with iodine solution or diluted disinfectant to avoid infection. House both mother and kid in a dry, well-ventilated and secure house.

Allow half to one litre of milk per day for the kid, depending on size. Wean at 3 months.

Introduce kids to roughage (chopped Napier grass, maize stover) by the second week and supplements (0.25 kg per day) by the fourth week.

Controlling internal and external parasites

Deworm all adults before mating, all females 2 weeks before kidding, kids at weaning (3 months of age), and all animals before the start of the rainy season.

Use recommended sprays, pour-ons and powders to control external parasites such as Fleas, ticks, mites and lice.

Vaccinations

Vaccinate goats against the highly contagious disease goat pneumonia (CCPP),  pregnant females against pulpy kidney and tetanus 2 to 3 weeks before kidding and vaccinate kids at 6 months of age. Vaccinate against orf (scabby mouth disease) at 2 months of age. Orf can affect goat handlers therefore wear protective clothing, such as overalls, when handling your goats and wash your hands well with soap and water afterwards.

Marketing

Local markets are readily available for goat’s milk. Obtain market information on demand for goat’s milk or create demand by telling people about benefits of goat’s milk. Try local hospitals, children’s homes and individual households. You can make added-value products such as cheese,  maziwa mala or yoghurt.

You can also sell goats for profits which are currently very marketable and high in demand.