Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Grooming.
Goats and sheep don't have to be groomed every day, but there are some things to
be aware of, especially with fiber animals. During the seasonal shifts, especially when our herd
members are losing their longer winter coats, we brush the goats on a daily basis. This gives us a
chance to check their health and condition, and give them some relief as their sleeker summer coats
come in. It's relaxing to them.
Right before kidding, you can clip the hair that might be growing near the udder to help the
babies find their milk source after birth. This isn't necessary with all breeds. If you purchase your
livestock from a reputable breeder, they will be able to show you which grooming methods are
appropriate for the breeds you've fallen in love with. Bathing isn't necessary for goats unless there
are lice problems in your herd. I've never seen a problem with lice, but our herd is smaller and not
overcrowded, so that helps prevent issues.
Hoof trimming.
Goats and sheep will usually need some hoof trimming unless your ground is
rocky. How often depends on a lot of different factors, including each animal's personal develop-
ment. A pair of trimmers and maybe a file are all you need to trim the hooves, and what you're
trying to do is restore a balanced stance to the animal's foot. Any part of the hard hoof that isn't
flush with the fleshy pad will need to be trimmed evenly with the pad of the foot so walking and
standing is comfortable. If you, like us, adopt an older animal that had some neglect, you might
find the hoof severely overgrown. The same tactics apply, though—trim away the excess hoof
growth until the foot is properly aligned.
Housing
One of the benefits of keeping sheep and goats is that they are hardy animals with minimal hous-
ing requirements. While some facilities do provide a full barn situation, most ruminants prefer
being outdoors and will do fine with a simple open-sided shed or shelter. It is vital to provide some
shelter, however, to give your livestock shelter from temperature extremes, snow, rain, or even
strong winds. You can see a simple open-door shed style plan in Appendix A.
The f looring must be dry, especially if you have an outdoor shelter. If the floor area of your shelter
gets waterlogged you'll need to add gravel to build it up and create better drainage. We used
wooden pallets on the floor and filled it in with dirt and gravel mixed to build the floor level up so
it wouldn't hold water if it rained. On top of that goes a thick layer of straw and hay.
Concrete is easy to clean, but not comfortable for your animals, especially if they are probably
going to be kidding or lambing in their shelters. If you must use concrete flooring, I recommend
at least a foot of straw to cushion the floor. Dirt or gravel can be raked clean when you have a top
cover of straw, and will be warmer and more comfortable than cold concrete.
