WORKSHOP ON SMALL SCALE

GOAT PRODUCTION ORGANIZED

BY
WOMEN OF HOPE GOAT PROJECT,
SONG LGA CHAPTER
PRESENTED BY MR. NEXSON EDAN
A G R I C U LT U R A L S K I L L S D E V E L O P M E N T C E N T E R , D A M A R E
H E A D O F F I C E : T E C H N I C A L T R A I N I N G S E RV I C E S ( T T S ) N O . 11 N A M I B I A C L O S E D ,
K A R E WA J I M E TA Y O L A A D A M AWA S TAT E
 INTRODUCTION
In several countries, small stock has become of interest in particular goat production due

to compounded effect of recurrent drought years especially in Africa. This has been

intensified due to its shorter production cycle, low feed requirements and higher survival

rates as compared to cattle, in drier parts of the continent. Furthermore cattle have a

relatively heavy investment with big risks as compared with goats. Goats are also

versatile animals and can be valuable and enjoyable additions to many farms.
 INTRODUCTION Cont.
In developing countries goats are traditionally kept under more or less extensive

management systems, with little attention to the individual animal. Under these

conditions the goats are usually converting otherwise useless browse plants into meat

(and some milk) and they do this better than any other domestic animal. Foraging on

grass, and utilising a wide range of browsable tree species and shrubs, goats deserve

their place in a mixed farming system.

 INTRODUCTION Cont.
In most cases breeding takes place throughout the year because the bucks are permanently with the (female)

flock. The level of production is low because nutritional management is poor and because mortality is high due

to the diseases and parasites.

In many countries the demand for goat meat is relatively high and is likely to increase with time. It is not likely

that the number of goats will increase considerably in the future. So, to increase the meat supply it is rather the

feeding and management which can and which must be improved. All this is easier said than put into practice

and requires education and appropriate support services.

 IMPORTANCE OF GOATS
Goat production provides different products to the family: meat, milk, fibres and skin. The

importance of each of these products depends on the kind of goat that is kept and on the

management system. However, the goat is valued mainly for its meat and milk and the milk is an

excellent source of protein. Goats are also a source of manure and by-products such as horns,

hooves, blood for serum and bone meal.

Goat meat is almost fully utilized in every household in which goats are kept. This meat has a

relatively low energy and high protein content compared with other meats.
 IMPORTANCE OF GOATS Cont.
The skin and the fibres of goats are important products in the economy of many families.

Goatskin can make good leather. However, although the goats are highly valued by those who

own them, many people blame the goat for destroying nutrition gardens especially in communal

areas. But it is not the goat, which is to blame for that, but the owners who do not control their

goats. Despite the above anomaly, goats kept under controlled conditions, in small herds often

together with other animals, will by their browsing habits discourage weeds, shrubs and bushes

and favour the growth of grass.

 WHY GOAT PRODUCTION
 Source of employment
Source of food
Source of income
Source of Women & Youth empowernment
Source of raw material for industries
Prestige
Source of clothing and shelter
Revenue generation
Source of manure
 GOAT BREEDS FOUND IN
NIGERIA
Domestic goats can be classified according to origin as well as to body size, ear shape

and ear length, and function. Each of these criteria has its special merits and limitations.

In the following classification the origin is taken into account. The breeds listed are

believed capable of making a special genetic contribution to the improvement of goats

under tropical and subtropical conditions. There are other potentially valuable breeds or

types, which are not mentioned here.

1. SAHEL
 This is a small framed breed and found in many parts of the country
 It is highly productive and reared primarily for meat.
 The mature buck live weight is 35kg and 35 kg for females
 Its colours also ranges from white, mixed to black
2. WEST AFRICAN DWARF
Mostly found in the Southern parts of the country.
This is a medium to large framed goat which is well adapted to these
environments
The average mature buck live weight is 45kg and for does ranges from between
30
–35kg
This goat is kept for both meat and milk production.
It has colours varying from white, black, brown and can be mixed.
Is able to give birth to singles, twins and triplets
Gestation period is between 145 to 154days
Sokoto Red
3. Exotic Goat breeds

Boer Goat

Its origin is from South Africa, has adapted well to the southern parts of the country.
These conditions are similar to the northern parts of South Africa.

This is a large framed breed, with a white body and a brown neck and head.

Adult female can grow up to 60kg and males up to 70kg.

It is kept mainly for meat production.

 GOAT SELECTION
The goat business will be much more enjoyable and successful if you begin with healthy

animals with proper conformation. When selecting stock look for the following

conformations,
 wide, deep and long loin,
 level rump,
 well muscled leg
 level top,
deep body,

long, trim neck,

smooth shoulders,

adequate bone (not frail),

strong, straight pastern

wide set front legs

feet and legs set squarely under animal

Animals with good conformation are: strong in structure, deep bodied, wide- chest, able
to walk squarely on feet and legs. Avoid animals with signs of poor health. Animals in
good health are:
Robust
Alert
Bright eyed
Lively
Healthy goats are shiny with a smooth coat and are free of abscesses. Does and ewes should

have a well-balanced udder with two functional teats. Avoid animals with really small or really

large teats. Other udders to avoid are too bulbous and one-sided.

Select animals with good teeth and a proper bite. Dentition is often used to determine the ages

of goats. Goats have no teeth in the upper jaw but have eight front teeth (incisors) in the lower

jaw. Towards the back of the mouth goats have large teeth called molars used for chewing.
 TEETH CONDITION YEAR OF LIFE
Milk (Baby teeth) Front teeth small and sharp Kid
Two-tooth Centre of teeth drop and new ones grow Yearling
Four tooth Two small teeth drop out 2 years old
Six tooth Two large ones emerge 3 years old
Eight tooth Last milk teeth drop and have eight permanent 4 years old

Broken mouth Teeth start to wear off, spread apart Over 5 years old
Gummy No teeth Aged
 NUTRITION
There has been little documented work on goat nutrition in Nigeria. It has been based on

the premise that goat production, will remain dependent on veld grazing that is extensive

production. Common belief is that goats require very little by way of nutrients. What is

not appreciated is that the unique survival ability of the goat under rangeland conditions

lies in its being able to utilize a broad range of forage species and to select from among

them material with the highest nutrient concentration.

During the dry season goats may be unable to eat enough herbage to supply their

nutrient requirements, resulting in problems in impaired productivity. Therefore nutrition

is one of the important factors limiting production in the smallholder sector. Poor nutrition

results in:

Poor reproduction through:

◦ Late puberty

◦ Irregular oestrus cycle

 ◦ When pregnant they abort or give birth t o weak kids

◦ Low twinning rates

◦ Fail to produce enough milk for the kids, resulting in high kid mortalities

◦ Low birth rates.

Poor growth rates

Poor milk yields
High disease incidence
Low slaughter mass
It therefore becomes critical to know what goats eat in different seasons. There is feed that can be fed

to maintain the body condition of the animals (maintenance feed) or fed to make the animal

gain weight (fattening feed)

A goat diet should provide adequate quantities of:

Protein
Carbohydrates (Energy)
Vitamins
Minerals
Fats and oils
Water
Feed resources for goats

Rangelands

In the rangelands goat browse on a number of tree species. In areas where there are Acacias

they prefer to browse on these. They pick up pods from Acacia species. The pods are rich in

protein but some have some anti- nutritional factors such as tannins.

Planted Pastures/Fodder crops

These are planted specifically as feed for livestock. These include some grass types

such as Lucerne and bana grass and also legumes such as velvet beans, dolichos

beans, Acacia anguistisma etc. These can be fed as hay or in silage mixtures. When making

hay these can be cut and dried in the sun by the day and in the shed by the night until dry

enough to be stored in bags. When making silage these are cut green and fermented in

airtight plastic bags or pits for 35days after which the silage will be ready to be fed.
Goats are 70% browsers and 30% grazers and fodder trees are very essential in the diet

of goats. Farmers are therefore encouraged to establish these browse-tree species as

goats are able to select the most nutritious parts of a plant. If you provide diverse

forages to your animals, they are able to select a diet that meets their nutritional needs.

These trees have the following good characteristics:

 Easy to establish
Fast growth
Produce both edible leaf and pods
Nitrogen fixing
Able to coppice well
Drought tolerant
Good soil binding and holding capacity
Multi-purpose (medicinal, fuel and fodder)
Ideal trees or shrubs include acacia, sesbania, lacunae, mulberry and moringa.
Crop residues
This includes stover from common crops grown in Zimbabwe. This can be maize stover,
groundnut stover or sorghum stover. The crop residues are collected and stored under a
shed to preserve its nutritive value. The crop residues can be fed dry or in silage
mixtures
Roughage Crop residues such as maize stover, mhunga and sorghum stalks, millet straws.
(bulk feeds) These supply energy. Hay supplies bulk energy and some protein
Energy feeds Cereal grains such as maize, sorghum and mhunga. Masese (beer residue) has a variable
composition. Maize and sorghum need not be milled. Cobs or whole sorghum heads can be
fed but mhunga must be milled.
Protein feeds Legume residues are high in protein. these include cowpeas, groundnut, jack beans, velvet
beans, and round-nuts. Pasture legumes that can be established include siratro, silver leaf
desmodium, fine stem stylo and inturtum.
Bought in feeds

These are feeds purchased from feed houses. They are formulated in such a way that the available
nutrients are known. They can be for maintenance or feeding. This includes such feed as Goat meal, Cotton
Seed Cake, Sunflower seed cake etc.

Feeding and pastures

It is important to always provide a clean water supply and fresh minerals. Maintain proper forage height;
don‛t let your animals graze forage under two inches. Allow pastures and forages a time to rest after periods
of grazing. Having multiple pastures or paddocks to rotate animals through will use forages more efficiently.
Use a combination of permanent and portable fencing to subdivide paddocks. Numbers
indicate possible number of paddocks and grazing sequence. It is important to manage
forages so that animals maintain proper body condition. You don‛t want your animals too
fat or too thin. Look at spine, hip bones, ribs, and legs.

Occasionally hay or grain will have to be fed. Use proper feeders to keep feed clean and
off of the ground. Use a hay feeder to reduce waste. There are various options for
feeders.
 ANIMAL HEALTH
Welfare principles

The UK government commissioned an investigation into the welfare of intensively farmed animals

from Professor Roger Brambell in 1965, partly in response to concerns raised in Ruth Harrison's 1964

book, Animal Machines. On the basis of Professor Brambell's report, the UK government set up the

Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Committee in 1967, which became the Farm Animal Welfare Council in

1979.The committee's first guidelines recommended that animals require the freedoms to 'turn

around, to groom themselves, to get up, to lie down and to stretch their limbs'. These have since been

elaborated to become known as the Five Freedoms of animal welfare:

The five freedoms
1. Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition
2. Freedom from discomfort due to environment
3. Freedom from pain, injury and disease
4. Freedom to express normal behavior for the species
5. Freedom from fear and distress
Health is the maintenance of a state where animal’s systems and structures are
functioning normally OR
A state of optimal physical, mental and social well being during which an animal can
behave normally, produce and work according to its genetic potential.
Disease is deviation from the normal state or a condition brought about in a living organism
by some parasitic organism, mechanical, congenital or nutritional deficiencies.

Disease is also defined as the disruption of the normal functioning of organs/systems and
structures in an animal’s body.

Healthy, productive animals are more profitable and enjoyable to rear. It is important to
have a working relationship with a veterinarian. A veterinarian can help with prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Keep records of health treatments, including day of
treatment and withdrawal periods.
 HEALTH
Goat ID Date Condition Treatment Comment
         

         

         

         

         
PREDISPOSING FACTORS TO ILL
HEALTH
Generally, the factors which pre-determine and or cause occurrence of disease fall into two
broad categories. These factors are those agents which appear to render the animal body or
any of the parts less resistance to the action of cause. (i.e. to say, this is directly responsible
for the production of a disease)

a) Genetic constitution of the animal

This pre-determines resistance or susceptibility to specific diseases. Also, recessive genes

occasionally express themselves as abnormal conditions in new born animals (heredity).
The problems arising from this defect are, by and large, unimportant on a population basis.
b) Environmental factors which may be physical, chemical, nutritional or infectious.

The genetic and environmental components interact in influencing occurrence, severity and
outcome of diseases. The common disease conditions in goats are attributable to infectious and
nutritional problems. On the basis of manifestations, disease conditions may be divide into two
categories:

i) Acute, severe diseases which cause recognisable illness and possibly death e.g. pneumonia

ii) Chronic sub-clinical conditions which are characterised by gradual weight loss, poor
performance and low production, e.g. moderate gastro- intestinal parasitism.
Signs of disease
 in appetence
 pendulous ears or lips
 Cessation of any normal function
 Fall in milk yield
 Dullness
 Reluctance to move
 -Staying alone (isolation)
 -Rough (staring) coat
 -Head down
 -Tail still

Description of diseases.

Diagnosis of a disease or health-related condition cannot always be made based on the

presence of symptoms because different diseases can exhibit the same or similar symptoms.
For example, abortion in goats can be due to brucellosis or can be caused by poor nutrition
or may be even stress. Also it is known that diarrhoea is mostly caused by endo-parasites,
but also a sudden change in feed can be the reason of diarrhoea in goats.

Nevertheless, a part of the diagnosis process entails comparing and observed set of
symptoms those, which are equated with a disease. The most important diseases affecting
goats can be separated into five general categories.

 
A short description of the symptoms is given together with some information about its
treatment and prevention. By glancing through the tables it is very easy to identify which
diseases listed within each category have symptoms which match those observed.

In some cases the table is giving you so much information about a disease that you can
decide to treat the animal based on the information which is in the table.
 VACCINATION
When administering drugs, pay close attention to dosages and withdrawal periods. Most
drugs have a withdrawal time for meat and milk.

Vaccinations are recommended by your veterinarian. Observe your animals and respond
quickly to any problems. Animals which are poor producers or have chronic health problems
should be culled. Consult veterinarian if vaccination against diseases such as anthrax, foot
and mouth disease and tetanus are required.

Always use a sterile needle and syringe when giving injections. Boil needles and syringes in
water for 20 minutes to sterilize. Always check dosage for species and weight of animal!
 Type Location Purpose
Subcutaneous Under loose skin on neck, flank, Slow, sustained absorption.
(subcut). withers or elbow.
Intramuscular (IM). Muscle of hindquarters or side of Rapid absorption.
neck.
Intravenous (IV). Jugular vein, milk vein. Very rapid absorption into blood stream.
(Requires experience and skill).
Intraperitoneal (IP) Abdominal cavity on right side in Slow, sustained absorption. (Requires
hollow near hip. experience and skill).
Intradermal. Between skin layers in caudal fold TB testing.
of tail.
Intraruminal. Rumen at left flank. Administer anti-foaming agent for bloat.
Intramammary. Udder. Treat for mastitis.
Knowing how to take your animals‛ temperature is helpful in determining signs of illness. Normal
temperature of sheep and goats is 102° F. Rectal Thermometer is inserted in rectum, just under tail.

Occasionally goats need to have their hooves trimmed. Keeping hooves trimmed helps animals to walk
properly and helps prevent other hoof problems such as foot rot. Good health depends on you! To prevent
disease, provide:

 Good nutrition, with plenty of forage

 Low-stress environment and handling

 Good pasture management

 Good sanitation.
 HOUSING
 It is important to provide a shelter to protect animals from predators, rain, and cold

winds. There are many various shelter options, from simple structures to more complex

barns. Clean, dry, roofed, well-ventilated shelters help animals stay healthy, easy

management and reduce mortalities. Moveable shelters help prevent manure build-up in

an area. Shelters and working facilities can be home built for lower cost.
SITING

 Should have a gentle slope of the ground

 The area should drain well.

 And the ground should be firm.

 Should be on the windward side

Depending on the climate the goat house can be roofed with different material; walls can be made
of timber or concrete blocks. Materials used must be realistic and practical, to suit local conditions.
Shelters should be fitted with yard feeding racks, a kid pen. The shelters should have a
raised floor of 1-1.5metres above ground and 2-3m high. Area required per goat is
1.5m2.

Standard goat house

Remember that in a communal goat house goats must be hornless or be dehorned, otherwise they
are likely to injure each other during the establishment of the hierarchy in the flock.

Goats are easy to handle and do not require a lot of equipment. A catch pen, chute, and head gate
are helpful when working with goats. For very small flocks, a catch pen is sufficient. A scale is very
useful. Knowing animal weight helps you: monitor animal growth and calculate dosages of
medications.

Goats can be restrained by setting them on their rump. Goats should be restrained by holding
them under the jaw and the rump. Goats are easier to control if you keep their heads held high
 REPRODUCTION
This is the basis of continuity of a species, productivity of a flock and the profitability of a
goat enterprise.
How to improve reproduction efficiency
 Early breeding (8-10) months depending on management
 Good plane of nutrition
 Early letting
 Supplement when letting late
 Good selection records
Targets of reproduction efficiency

 Does to first mate at 8 -10 months.

 First kid at 13-15 months

 Kidding interval of 7-8 months

 150 ids born out of every 100 kiddings.

 Twinning % 0f 50
 Oestrus cycle

 21 day frequency

 Mating occurs at heat, which lasts 1-3 days

 Observe Does from 17 days after mating for reoccurrence of heat.

 For reoccurrence of heat suspect disease, low buck fertility, poor heat timing and poor nutrition.

 Mate at 3 months post-partum to check on success of conception.

 P.D. at 3 months post-mating, by observing the belly.

 Heat detection
 Bull string
 Mounting and being mounted
 Restlessness
 Anorexia
 Vulva swollen and deep reddish
 Noisy
Causes of anoestrus (absence of heat)

Disease

Poor nutrition

Abnormality of the reproductive system

Poor condition due to disease

Post-partum anoestrus. It is normal when it is within the first 50 days after kidding.
Preparation for kidding
Good record keeping allows for timely preparation (gestation is +/- 150 days)
2 weeks before kidding prepare the kidding pen which should be:
 Clean
 Dry
 Well ventilated
 With fresh bedding
 Warm
 Draught and rain protected
Close monitoring of the does until it gives birth, however you may use these pens to
separate pregnant does at night.

N.B. browse from one month and allow full graze and browse by 6-7 weeks.
 Signs of kidding
 Enlarged udder
 Sunken hips, sides and tail head
 Stands aloof
 Paws the bedding
 Gives affectionate licks
 Heavy breathing and worry
 Vulva discharge
 Lies down looking back at its sides
 Heavy labour and water back is exposed
Labour should be monitored from a distance and remember

 Remove troughs from the kidding pen to avoid drowning or injury of kids

 Do not disturb

 Birth is usually complete in an hour, if it doesn’t fall by the next day insert pessaries

 Ensure the bond is established by licking

 Do not disturb the doe and kid/kids for the first few hours.

 Remove the membrane from the nose (if not licked off)
 Dip navel in Iodine solution (Betadine) if available

 Ad libitum colostrums for the first 3-4 days for maximum immuno-globulin and
antibody uptake

 Have a clean, warm pen for the doe and kid, preferably with a raised floor.
Kid rearing
Do not milk in the first week
Ensure kid feeds at least 3 times a day in the first week, and twice therafter
Milk in the morning only, judiciously.
Browse supplement of 5% of body mass/day is important for kids between 3-9 months old.
Causes of kid losses
Dystocia
Hypothermia, kills kids short of colostrums in one day
Mis-mothering and starvation
Diseases like White scour or coccidiosis
Predators
Dystocia
Kids should be born within an hour after hard labour begins. If this does not occur:
Wash the doe off with a mild solution of soap and water.
Clip your nails.
Wash your hands with soap
Lubricate with soup or cooking oil
Put it gently inside to find out what is going on.
Have someone to hold the goat if possible.
Shift the kid until it is in a normal birth position.
ROUTINE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
DOSING
This is done to control internal parasites which cause:
Lack of vigour especially in young animals
Poor irregular appetite
Decrease in body weight gains ( animals become thinner and weaker leading to wasting)
Anaemia, which can be identified by jaundice
Diarrhoea or scouring, or blood/mucous in faeces
Poor skin condition
Bottle-jaw
Shortness of breath
Timing of dosing

1. Start of winter (May, June) for roundworms

2. Start of summer (November) for roundworms

3. Mid-summer (January) for wireworms

Remedies
Panacur
Systamex
Tramisol lovol
Valbazen sheep
Tramizan
Ripercol
Banminth II solution
ICI liver fluke remedy
N.B. There is need to rotate remedies to reduce resistance.
HOW TO DRENCH AN ANIMAL
Liquid medication can be given as a drench. You will need a dose syringe or a Fanta,
Coke or beer bottle. Measure the correct amount of drench. Keep goat’s head in normal
position. Place end of syringe or bottle in left side or mouth on back of tongue. Slowly
pour drench into oesophagus
DIPPING
This is done to control ecto-parasites because ticks and mites cause, worry and reduce
feeding time leading to low production, damage hides, tick-borne diseases and reduce
growth.
Precautions when dipping
Do not dip when raining
Dip when animals have been watered
Use tick grease and or pour on dips for goats in late pregnancy, kids and weak
animals
Wet the whole animal when using sprays
Animals should drip off before going to the veld
CASTRATION
Male kids not used for breeding should be castrated to avoid unwanted breeding. Castration
should be done in the first week after birth (to be done before 10 days of age), by elastrator
(ring expanding). This instrument extends on four points a specially compounded ring, so
that it may be speedy and effectively affixed above the testicles in the purse of the kid. This
stops the blood circulation beyond the ring to the purse, the skin and the testicles. After
about ten days to three weeks these parts have shrivelled and they will then fall off.

Burdizzo: from a month old

Knife method: 2 weeks to 2 months.

HOW TO GIVE AN INJECTION.
 I.V. or intravenous -should be performed only by a veterinarian!

I.M. -intramuscular.

Use 20 gauge 1” needle for adult goats, 20 or 22 gauge 1” needle for kids. Insert needle
to hub in thigh or in heavy part of neck. Draw back on plunger to aspirate for blood. If
blood flows into syringe, withdraw needle and replace in another site.
Use same side needles as for I.M. injections. Lift the loose skin of the flank or
underneath leg and insert needle at an acute angle. Aspirate for blood as with I.M. If
performed properly, a bleb should appear under the skin, as the plunger is depressed.
Treating wounds and abscesses
 Shave hairs that surround
 Wash out thoroughly with lifebuoy
 Make an upside down “T” incision
 Drain out all puss
 In the case of open wounds, cut off any dead skin with a sharp blade or scissors
 Poke out screw-worms if present and kill them at once
 Wash out the wound with methylated spirit
Apply a relevant remedy from the following:
REMEDY USE
Exit Treatment and prevention of screw-worms and
wound treatment
Healing oil Wounds, absecesses dressing
Stockholm tar Wounds
Eye and wound Ophthalamia and wounds
powder
G and I Wounds and absecesses
   
Foot care:
Foot problems cause lameness in goats, this can be controlled by:
Regular inspection
Hoof trimming
Remove wires, nails, thorns that cause limping from the hooves
Prompt treatment
Dry bedding in kraals
Foot baths with:
Use 5% Copper Sulphate solution in a tin or dish
In the wet season dip hooves every week, dry season, every month
 REFERENCES
1. FAO –Goat Production Training Manual

2. HPI TEAM. Small-holder goat management manual. Draft document.

3. Linda Coffey and Margo Hale, (2008) An illustrated guide to sheep and goat
production. National sustainable Agriculture Information service USDA Risk
management Agency.

4. PtC – Goat husbandry ptc 04 document.

 THANKS
FOR
LISTENING
QUESTIONS???