Environmental Enhancement - Goat Science and Production - page 315

consume vegetation from the outside perimeter toward the
center of an area, being cautious not to be in a situation of
being trapped. This behavior relates back to the predator/
prey concept from which they evolved. Goats will turn to
face an attacker and become aggressive. When herding on
foot or with herding dogs, observe the amount of pressure
exerted as the situation forces the animal into the attack
mode and it will attempt to escape. If an escape happens,
let the escapee return to the mob on its own accord. The
goat is a social animal (bonded to the mob), prefers to be
part of a group, and does not want to be alone. The stock-
man needs to investigate the cause of the escape and take
corrective measures immediately to discourage others
from escaping. In rolling, hilly terrain, goats must be
moved uphill or at an angle across a slope when coming
downhill. They naturally select the highest spot geographi-
cally for afternoon naps and night camps since it affords
safety with a clear view and without obstruction.
The mob must be trained to an electric fence before they
are expected to respect the electric fence line. It should be
noted when using “fencing” that browsing behavior, time
spent browsing, rumination time, lounging time, and fl ow
pattern of motion will change. Fresh water needs to be
provided at all times in smaller troughs with a high rate of
recharge. Goats can consume more than 4-6 liters (1-1-1/2
gallons) of water a day when the weather is hot, dry, or
when the vegetation is decadent, highly lignifi ed, or
fi brous. Water consumption helps keep the rumen micro-
fl ora colonized and increases the digestion of fi brous mate-
rials. If night corralling is needed, it is important to have
on offer a forage supplement as intake will be decreased
and body condition score will decline. Goats are continu-
ous browsers; they browse for several hours at a time,
chew their cud, and return to browsing.
Goats have minimal subcutaneous fat and are suscepti-
ble to climatic changes of wet and cold. They will seek
shelter during inclement weather. They need to have access
to shelter such as a brush canopy, trees, or rock outcrop-
pings, or a portable shelter. Older goats with a high body
condition score can manage about 48 hours of extreme
weather, but younger animals and goats in poor body con-
dition can succumb to death in about 12 hours. They cope
with heat and humidity quite well, but they change brows-
ing patterns, plant selection, and time of browsing as the
temperature soars. Trees and rock outcroppings offer some
relief.
There is a dominance structure within the mob. Goats
will form small familial “groups” within the larger social
structure of the mob. This social structure is very crucial
for behavior development of young animals. Through

bonding they learn browse selection and establish brows-
ing territories and various athletic habits; and collectively
this increases survival rate (Kilgour and Dalton, 1984).
Sensory capacity of the goat comprises smell, taste,
sound (above the range of human hearing), vision
(enhanced peripheral vision), vocalization, body language,
touch, and group size. With time and patience, goats can
be taught to adapt to change. They can readily adapt to
herding on horseback or bicycle, loading readily into a
stock trailer, a decrease in social interacting space, and the
ability to cope with an individual stress for a short period
of time. Temperament is not only a heritable trait (25%),
but it can be enhanced by imprinting at birth and creative
insight of the stockman or herdsman. If goats are given
time to assess the situation, they do make calculated
decisions.
Environmental stressors such as heat or cold weather,
precipitation and humidity, nutrient density, quality of feed
on offer, predation, travel activity, and topography will
cause economic losses. The major losses are decreased
reproductive performance of both males and females,
inability to maintain body condition score, decreased
growth rate of offspring, increased incidences of internal
parasitism, and suppressed immune system.

Project Planning

I NITIAL A SSESSMENT
Before starting a land enhancement project with goats, the
goals for the land must be established based on site analy-
sis, water catchment, and erosion consequences. Soil
texture should be noted because it affects rainfall infi ltra-
tion and soil percolation capabilities. The fi nal landscape
goal is then described and discussed with the landowner.
At this point, an experienced service provider will do an
initial site survey analysis, stay in communication with the
landowner, and make the fi nal decision as to whether live-
stock are the best solution to attain the fi nal landscape
goals. The management goal encompasses the use of
all ecosystems with the success of the project centering on
the fl exibility of management plans and the ability to
replan.

B USINESS P LANNING
A service provider (owner of the livestock) must be suc-
cessful not only as a land and livestock production manager
but also as a business manager. The most important fi rst
step of any business venture is planning. A plan includes
proper steps by which to proceed and accomplish the
described goals. During the planning process, research is