Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
over or step in water containers and soil their water, it should be changed twice a day. For lar-
ger herds, automatic drinking troughs designed especially for goats are available. In winter,
special heaters can be placed in water containers to keep the drinking water from freezing.
Buck Stables
If you are keeping bucks for mating, they will have to be separated from the does. Several
bucks can be kept together in an open area. Their enclosure must be fortified to withstand
their strength, and partition walls should be at least 5 feet high to prevent goats from escaping.
Bucks need about 33 square feet of resting space and 54 square feet of yard, preferably out-
side. Bucks should be kept at least 50 feet downwind from the does to prevent their odors
from affecting the does' milk.
Accommodations for Kids and Mothers
If you plan to keep kids together with their mothers for several days after birth or to raise
some of your kids to add to your herd, arrange an area in your shelter where the mothers and
newborn kids can be separated from the other goats. Any spaces in the stall partitions must be
small enough that tiny kids cannot slip through under the partitions or between slats, so make
sure you address these spaces. Arrange provisions for feeding and watering the doe and her
kid(s) in the stall. To give young kids access to water and feed, watering pans and feeding
shelves will have to be placed lower or made so their height can be adjusted.
Kids of the same age can be raised together successfully in a group, but do not mix kids of
different ages because older kids can transmit disease and bacteria to the younger ones. To
avoid the spread of disease and to ensure they are getting the proper amount of nutrition, kids
should be fed separately from adult goats in their own area through a feeding gate that pre-
vents them from spilling and soiling their food. Allow 5 ½ square feet of floor space and
about 8 inches along a feeding shelf for each kid. After the kids stop nursing, you can move
them to a young goat area where they have more space (10 ¾ square feet). The amount of
space you need to allot for kids and young goats depends on how you plan to operate your
dairy business and how large your herd will be.
Pastures and Outdoor Enclosures
