Goats are popular among individuals who live in suburban regions with one or two acres of property since they can be raised in a much smaller area than cattle or horses.
Goat housing and facilities for goats
Before starting your goat-producing business, double-check the zoning restrictions. Goats are classified as livestock in some areas but are considered companion animals in others. This definition can have a significant impact on an operation’s success.
Some goat breeds have a more resonant voice than others. This is something to consider if you’re thinking about raising goats in a suburban setting. When raising goats, you must consider pasture, hay, and grain availability.
Goats require physical activity, food, and shelter. A goat shelter does not have to be expensive, but it must provide appropriate protection from the elements.
You’ll need to think about where you’ll sell your goats. Is there enough demand for the quantity of animals you intend to produce? Is there a market for cull animals in your area? Will you be able to make replacement nannies yourself or will you have to buy them? When it comes to meat goat management, it all starts before you buy your first goat.
Goat shelters don’t have to be costly. Shelters with three sides that shield the goats from the wind and rain are sufficient. Goats require shade and protection from drafts. Goats can be housed in greenhouse barns, calf hutches, and even enormous dog cages. As bedding, straw, shredded paper, shavings, and corn cobs can all be used. To be comfortable, goats require roughly 15 square feet of bedding per goat.
Goats prefer to sleep with their heads upwards and enjoy sleeping on elevated surfaces like shelves or bunks. The most difficult aspect of raising meat goats is keeping them safe from drafts. A bunch of young goats will be decimated faster by cold, moist drafts than by any other single factor.
Drafts should not be confused with fresh air. Goats want fresh air, but it must come from above, where it can mingle with warmer air before coming into contact with the goat. Overnight, drafts blowing beneath doors and across floors can turn healthy children into animals suffering from pneumonia and scours.
The fencing system is the second consideration in goat housing. “If it won’t hold water, it won’t hold goats,” as the saying goes. There are occasions when goat farmers will tell you that this assertion is accurate. Goat fencing can be any number of different schemes or a mix of them. Goats frequently require a two-fence system, with an external perimeter fence and an inner perimeter fence (cross fence). The perimeter fence will keep predators out and your goat in. Popular, but costly, is high-tensile fencing. Most goats can be trained to respect an electric fence.
When frightened, a goat will jump over or run through any fence. Four strands of electric wire should be used in a permanent goat fence. The bottom strand should be only 6 inches above the ground. The next strand should be 12-14 inches off the ground, the third 18-22 inches off the ground, and the fourth 30–34 inches off the ground. To prevent the goat from learning how to escape, many goat owners electrify only two strands and then alternate electrified strands.
Short-term fencing can range from a basic electrified wire strand to a more complicated installation involving cattle panels or net fencing. Remember that goats enjoy climbing. Regardless of the style of fence you select, bear in mind that it must be well-anchored into the ground to prevent the goats from pushing it over.
Many people favor vertical bar fences since goats can’t stand on the bars. Except for small children who have a tendency to walk between the vertical bars, this sort of fence works nicely.
In a goat pen, goat excrement should not be allowed to build to the point of filth. Manure accumulation should not contaminate water or feed. Goat dung is made up of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium in pellet form.
Goat dung is an excellent addition to a compost pile or garden at home. Before you start raising goats on a large scale, make sure your local nutrient management rules will allow you to handle the amount of dung your goats will produce.
Hello, I am Siddartha Reddy . A fulltime farmer and blogger who love to share all his farming experiences. Also, a strong supporter of sustainable farming practices. Thanks for visiting our site, let’s make this world a better place to live. Say No to Chemicals and plastics.
