Proper care and management for higher production from dairy goat is called dairy goat care. Well caring and proper management is the prime condition for higher and profitable production from dairy goats.
Dairy goats caring is not so tough or complicated. You can easily take good care of your goats.
For higher production from dairy goat farming business, your goats need some special and essential care and management including proper shelter, right food management, fencing, taking care of kids etc.
How to Care for Dairy Goats
Caring dairy goats is generally easy and simple. Here have described about the step by step process for dairy goat care.
Shelter/Housing
Dairy goats need a special type of shelter. Because they don’t like rain and shouldn’t be out in it. Rain is very dangerous for goats.
They can easily become sick by standing outside the shelter during heavy rain. You can easily make a simple shelter for them with three walls and a roof.
This will protect them form rain and wind. Inside the shelter you can make dirt floors as it need bedding. But be sure, the excess urine can soak into the ground. Using sand in the floor is also very effective.
Fencing
Fencing is important for dairy goats. By fencing your farm area, you can keep your goats free form being injured by other animals and some other predators.
It also provide extra safety to your precious animals. The perfect and most cost effective keeping methods of goats in a smaller area is stock paneling.
And it is very easy to setup and move elsewhere. You can also use field fencing for keeping large numbers of goat. For field fencing you can use general or electric wiring system.
Feeding
Good food always ensures good health and production. For caring dairy goats high quality fresh and nutritious food is very urgent.
You can primarily feed your goats hay. You can prepare hay by cutting grasses or legumes and then drying those in the sun.
Goats always love to eat various types of grasses including alfalfa, timothy and orchard grasses. This types of grasses grow very fast and suitable for any kinds of goat.
Along with green grasses, it is very necessary to feed them some grains as well, that includes buckwheat, corn, barley, soybeans, oats etc.
You can also feed them some prepared feed available in the market or homemade feed. You can add some molasses in their feed mixer.
This will enhance the taste and encourage the goats for consuming foods. Molasses is also a great source of iron.
Along with good and nutritious food, always provide them sufficient clean and fresh water according to their daily needs.
Diseases
Always become very careful about dairy goat diseases. By providing proper care, management, shelter or feeding you can keep your goats free from all types of diseases. Keep a stock of necessary medicines in your farm.
Other Care/Management & Tips
Higher production form dairy goat farming business mostly depends on the above management system. But for continuous better production you have to keep in mind some other small caring factors.
- Never let your goats going outside the fence.
- Always keeps the bucks separated from your producing does.
- Identify the low producing doe and remove them. This is very important for commercial purposes and reducing food or maintenance cost.
- Try to keep variants in the goats regular food. Avoid feeding only grasses or hay.
- During preparing hay, dry the grasses or legumes properly. Don’t cut and dry it during rainy season.
- Always serve food in a pot. Because feeding the goats by throwing feed on the ground can lead to parasites. And goats sometimes don’t want to eat fallen food on the ground. This may increase your food cost.
- Always try to keep your goats hygienically. Natural ways always ensures good quality and high production.
