GoatsWith a world population of over 6 billion people, feeding everyone has become a major concern. The question remains whether or not organic food can help sustain the global population.

Introduction

Approximately 9,000 years ago the goat was one of the first animals to be domesticated by humans.There are some 200 different breeds of goat today that produce a variety of products such as milk, meat and fibre (mohair and cashmere) the production of goat meat is higher than cattle or hog meat production.

Uses of a goatGoats make an important contribution and can be a valuable part to a sustainable farm as livestock in a farm system can increase economic and environmental health. They can also be used to control weeds and brush to make use of pasture’s diversity. Goat’s manure can be used as garden fertilizers and the life cycle of crop and animal pests are interrupted.

Food / body

Goats are ruminants, meaning they have a four compartment stomach which is used to digest large quantities of forages. Without much chewing, goats eat and swallow their food fast. They then regurgitate their food, also known as cud, and thoroughly chew and swallow. The goats chew their cud as just as much as they graze or eat hay.

The health and productivity depends on the microorganisms in the rumen digest fibre and carbohydrates. Goats will become very sick and may die without those nutrients therefore so their ruminal organisms stay healthy it is important they are fed appropriately.

Health

Diet

Goat’s shorter digestive system does not preserve food for as long so they require a more nutritious diet compared to other ruminants. To make up for their reduced absorption of nutrients it allows them to eat larger quantities of food. Goats eat just about anything!

More

Goat’s small mouths and flexible lips enable them to select the highly nutritious parts of a plant while grazing. Compared to grazing cattle, that take large mouthfuls, this gives goats an advantage as there is less chance of eating poor quality, such as dead or overly mature, forage.

Shelter

In cold conditions goats will get chilled by wet and although they can tolerate cold weather they do need shelter. Dairy operations usually have extensive barn and pen set ups for shelter whilst large meat operations may use trees in the pasture. Buildings used for shelter should be clean and well ventilated. Other types of shelter such as portable shelters, moveable shades and even old huts can also be used.

During a 305 day lactation, the cycle of which goats produce milk, they produce between 660 and 1,800 litres of milk, and during a day, a good, healthy doe will produce at least 2.7 litres.

Milking

Conclusion

In conclusion, we think that use of farm animals as a resolution to sustaining our resources would come in good use for things such as food resources, materials, gardening resources, and any others that can help sustainability. If a community of 20 families wanted a solution to sustainability, we would recommend use of goats as a main farming animal.

http://www.agmrc.org/commodities__products/livestock/goats/dairy_goats.cfm

http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/goatoverview.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Your-Guide-To-Goat-Farming&id=283909

http://www.agribusinessweek.com/invest-in-goat-farming/

Bibliography