Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
￿ Night penning—Penning the goats at night in a properly
fenced pen or barn can effectively control the
predators.
￿ Removing dead carcasses, aborted fetuses, and after-
birth—Removing these in a timely manner can help
reduce predators. Odors from these will attract
predators.
￿ Kidding sheds — Young kids are easy prey for predators.
During the kidding season, bringing the pregnant does
and does and their kids away from the high-risk areas
into a highly visible area, close to a barn or house will
deter predators.
￿ Fright tactics — Loud bursts of sound on a timer, perim-
eter lights, motion sensors, scare crows, etc., may deter
predators.
￿ Culling weak animals.
￿ Daily herd checks.
￿ Controlling brush around the pens and barn.
￿ Guardian animals (dogs, llamas, and donkeys) — Breeds
of dogs including Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherd,
Akbash, Maremma, and Komondor are commonly
used.
limbs or rear end of the animal. Wounds due to coyotes
are usually fatal and are usually seen around the head,
neck, and throat. Lacerations and bite wounds, if they are
fresh and quite extensive, may require suturing and atten-
tion of a veterinarian. Occasionally drains are placed in the
wounds and fl ushed.
Wound management due to horn damage, lacerations,
and bite wounds are managed under mild or heavy seda-
tion. Pain management is best done by using fl unaxin or
ketoprofen, and is administered for a few days. These
animals should be placed on a broad-spectrum antibiotic
to combat infection. A tetanus booster is also given at this
time.
BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT
Goats are more sensitive animals than sheep or cattle. They
are smarter, trickier, and more curious, but they are easier
to train. Understanding goat behavior may reduce the
stress and create a healthier environment for goats to
thrive. Even herding dogs may stress goats by their noise
or movements. Goats are naturally browsers and prefer
open spaces, and when confi ned, they are more stress
prone than sheep or cattle. In confi nement, they are harder
to manage than sheep and cattle. They are scavengers and
last survivors. In confi nement, this contributes to the over-
eating behavior, especially when management lacks a
routine feeding schedule. They should be handled quietly
in the pens. Excessive noise or aggression will disturb the
animals.
Domesticated goats like to climb but rarely jump. When
gathering the goats, they tend to drift to hilltops, if present,
and will move faster than cattle or sheep. When working
with goats, the more they are rushed, the longer it will take
to get the job done. When hurried, they tend to be aggres-
sive toward each other and harder to handle.
Goats exhibit natural fl ocking behavior, there is a defi -
nite pecking order, and they follow the leader of the pack.
They move or enter a pen in family groups with older
females leading the way. They act on their instinct and
have a good memory. They are creatures of habit and when
they get familiar with a certain sets of routines, pens, or
handling procedures, they will expect to be treated the
same way every time, which makes them easier to handle
(Solaiman, 2007 ).
The deciding factor for which nonlethal method to be
used depends on the producer; however, multiple methods
are most effective.
Lethal Predator Management
Lethal predator management methods include:
￿ Predator thinning by trapping
￿ Hunting
￿ Using toxicants, bait or gas toxicants (Grant, 2001;
Pugh, 2008 )
WOUND MANAGEMENT
The most common wounds seen in goats are broken horns,
lacerations, and bite wounds by predators. A broken horn
is mainly caused by goats trying to establish dominance
with fi ghting, boredom, horns trapped in the fence/feeder,
or when restraining these goats by grasping the horn.
When handling these wounds, hemostasis is the key. There
is usually a lot of hemorrhage if there is damage to the
base of the horn. Pressure is usually applied through a
temporary pressure bandage. If an artery could be isolated
to be hemorrhaging, it could be clamped or ligated. Usually
the horn involved is removed, proper hemostasis is pro-
vided, and is treated as an open wound.
Lacerations on the body and limbs are usually handled
as an open wound, and suturing may be done if the wound
is fresh. Bite wounds by dogs are usually around the hind
SUMMARY
This chapter describes some of the common management
practices followed in the U.S. for effective goat produc-
tion. Some of the practices mentioned may differ in other
parts of the world. The main goal is to incorporate these
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