Small Scale Organic Goat Production

Alyson ChisholmWindy Hill Farm

Why keep goats?

● lower milk production per animal: 3- 6 litres/day● milk is easier to digest for some people● smaller animal = easier care and handling● browsers and grazers eat a wide variety of feed● good at clearing brush from land● contributes valuable manure to a small farm● they happily eat leftover veggies like carrot tops

and market returned kale

Breeds of Goats

Dairy:● Alpine, Toggenburg, Sanaan - Swiss breeds

produce higher milk yields with lower fat● Nubian - African breed produces lower milk

yields and higher fat - good for cheese. Can be dual purpose.

Meat:● Boer - doubled muscled South African breed● Kiko - from New Zealand feral goats, very hardy

mothers and meaty kids

Nubian

Alpine

Alpine/Nubian cross

Boer

Housing

● shelter from the elements - goats hate rain● safe from predators especially during kidding

season● indestructable - goats climb on things, chew on

things and can hurt themselves in the process● be able to create separate spaces for things like

quarentine, kidding, housing the breeding buck and creep feeding kids

Fencing

Very important! Goats will go over, under and through inadequate fences.

● Fence #1: strong barrier such as page wire or boards

● Fence #2: deterant to climbing the barrier = electric wire

With goats, good fences definitely make good neighbors

FeedingGoats are ruminants = 4 stomachs = chew cud = converts plant fibre indigestible to humans into meat and milk

● a healthy rumen houses a large and diverse community of microbes that consume plant fibre and release nutrients to the animal

● a healthy rumen means a healthy animal● a healthy animal requires less chemical

intervention in the form of anthelmintics (chemical wormers) and drugs like antibiotics

Rule #1: Feed the Rumen

● hay, grass, weeds, browse (branches, leaves and bark of trees and bushes) will keep the rumen healthy

● concentrates = grain and legumes - keep to a minimum and whole grains are better than ground

● ruminants make their own high quality protein in the rumen so don't need supplements

● concentrates will increase growth and production to a point but at a cost - find the balance and use them wisely

Health Maintenance● high forage diet, including access to pasture

with diverse plant species, and careful use of concentrates for production

● access to clean water at all times● access to salt and goat minerals (BioAg) at all

times● regular hoof trimming● good milking hygiene to avoid mastitis● keep pasture and barn free of hazards to avoid

injury● vaccines?

Internal Parasite Management● goats tend to have fewer parasite problems than sheep

● grazing animals will always carry a certain parasite load, your job is to prevent it from affecting their health and production

● rotational grazing is very helpful

● rotate with poultry or let them range with goats

● feed hay in the morning then let them out to graze once dew has lifted

● early kidding means kids are larger by the time they are on pasture and better able to handle parasites

● herbal wormers: mix of red clover, thyme, oregano, pumpkin seed, garlic, hyssop and wormwood (artemisia absinthium)

● chemical wormers when necessary and after fecal testing

Milking

Principles

● goats are seasonal breeders and usually seasonal milkers

● some goats will milk for 2-3 years without having to be bred

● you can milk once or twice/day ● keep kids on the does and you can milk only

when you want to● good hygiene is important for goat health and

milk quality

Good Milk Quality

● keep all containers clean● wash and dry udder before milking● strip out the first few squirts of milk, check for

abnormalities and discard (feed to cat!)● milk the udder out completely and handle the

udder carefully (squeeze, don't pull the teats!)● dip the teats in a teat dip solution after milking● if she doesn't have a kid with her, make sure

you milk her on a regular schedule

Milk Quality cont'd● if she is milking a kid, make sure you still

monitor the udder and that both sides are being milked evenly

● filter milk through a proper filter (single use) before storing in clean glass or stainless steel containers

● cool milk as soon after milking as possible and store cold (coldest part of fridge)

● keep track of milk in the cooler so oldest milk is used first

● after 5 days, unpasteurized milk will start to turn so try to use it up before then

Cheese making

Cheeses - easiest to hardest

● ricotta and paneer● mozarella● chevre● feta● crottin● gouda● blue castello, fourme d'ambert● cheddar, brie, camembert, gorgonzola

Costs

● Milking doe - $150 - $450 (grade - registered purebred)

● 50 - 60 bales first cut hay/goat/year @ $1.50-$2.50/bale

● 25 bales second cut hay/goat/year @ $3.00-$3.50/bale

● 200 kg oats/goat/year @ $0.43/kg● other = milking supplies, feed for kids, minerals,

vet, breeding costs

Costs cont'd

● equipment = milking stand, fencing, building, milk equipment, hoof trimmers, disbudding iron, feed buckets, heated water bucket = $500 and up

● cheese making equipment● butchering fees● your time = 180-200 hours/year not including

cheese-making or butchering

References

● Natural Goat Care - Pat Coleby, Acres USA● Living with Worms - Anne Macey, COG● Fiasco Farm - www.fiascofarm.com● GoatKeeper magazine - www.goatkeeper.ca