Found a good "Goat Farming" link? Let Us Know!

Breeds of Goats Over 100 breeds discussed.

Scrapie Eradication Program Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. Infected flocks that contain a high percentage of susceptible animals can experience significant production losses. In these flocks over a period of several years the number of infected animals increases and the age at onset of clinical signs decreases making these flocks economically unviable. Animals sold from infected flocks spread scrapie to other flocks. The presence of scrapie in the U.S. also prevents the export of breeding stock, semen, and embryos to many other countries.

Winter Management Tip for Internal parasite Control in Meat Goats During the winter months, the chance of gastrointestinal parasite eggs to hatch and survive on pastures are not very good due to the colder weather. Somehow sensing these conditions, the adult gastrointestinal larvae present in the goat gastrointestinal tract will not produce eggs, instead they become dormant. With time, they actually will be getting ready for the outside conditions to become more favorable. When this happens and the weather becomes warmer, and grass starts to grow again, they will shed lots of eggs. So now is the time to get your animals rid of dormant gastrointestinal larvae so as to reduce worm burdens during the grazing season.

Meat Goats - Health Requirements The Voice Response Service (VRS) of the Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health is available to individuals wanting to know what health papers and tests are required to transport livestock to another state. Because import requirements vary in each state, selections may be different from state to state. State and species codes are listed here. The VRS is a 24-hour, 365 days a year (including holidays) access system that allows users to retrieve information. The retrieval system is accessed by simply dialing 1-800-545-8732 on a TOUCH TONE PHONE.

UNDERSTANDING DAIRY GOAT PRODUCTION By Harlan H. D. Attfield. This paper is one of a series published by Volunteers in Technical Assistance to provide an introduction to specific state-of-the-art technologies of interest to people in developing countries. The papers are intended to be used as guidelines to help people choose technologies that are suitable to their situations. They are not intended to provide construction or implementation details.

Meat Goat Vaccination Program A FAQ on whether to vaccinate and what to vaccinate against.

Controlling Sore Mouth In Meat Goats (PDF FILE) Contagious ecthyma, commonly called
sore mouth, is a contagious, viral disease of goats and sheep known by several alternative names, including orf, scabby mouth and contagious pustular dermatitis. Sore mouth is common in goats worldwide and can produce painful, thick scabby sores on the lips and gums. Goats infected with sore mouth usually heal completely without scars after one to four weeks. However, in severe cases secondary infections may extend that period. Feed intake may be depressed resulting in weight loss.

Breeding and Kidding Management in the Meat Goats As the breeding season approaches, producers should be concerned with the body condition of their breeding does. Goat should not be allowed to become too thin or too fat. Failure in reproduction, low twinning rates and low weaning rates will result if does are too thin. Overly fat does can suffer pregnancy toxemia, but fat does are rarely a problem.

Evaluation and Preparation of the Meat Goat Breeding Herd As the breeding season approaches, producers should be concerned with the body condition of their breeding does. Goats should not be allowed to become too thin or too fat. Failure in reproduction, low twinning rates and low weaning rates will result if does are too thin. Overly fat does can suffer pregnancy toxemia, but fat does are rarely a problem. The term body condition refers to the fleshing of an animal. Because the greatest potential for goats is to graze them with beef cattle, we have devised a 1 to 9-point graduated scale, adapted from the beef system used in North Carolina. In that graduated scale, thin is 1 to 3, moderate is 4 to 6 and fat is 7 to 9. In most situations, goats should be in the range of 4 to 7. Scores of 1 to 3 indicate a problem, and scores of 8 to 9 are almost never seen in goats. The ideal body condition score (BCS) just before the breeding season is between a 5 and a 6 to maximize the number of kids born.

How to Prepare Goats for the Breeding Season (PDF FILE) Breeding is a very important aspect of any meat goat operation. But, preparing the breeding does and buck(s) for the breeding season could have a large influence on the outcome and the profitability of the operation.

Heat Detection in Meat Goats (PDF FILE) Goats are seasonal breeders and in our region the breeding season GENERALLY extends from September to February, although exceptions occur. Meat type goats such as the Pygmy and the Tennessee Stiffleg apparently have the ability to breed out of season. The same appears to be true for the Boer breed. There are even indications that in dairy herds some does (Saanen, Alpine, Nubian) have the ability to breed out of season and as early as July if housed or grazed with a buck. Two factors playing an important role in the ability of goats to breed out of season are plane of nutrition and body condition.

Winter Annual Forages- Grazing Experiment Progress Report This experiment was designed to evaluate small grain rye, annual ryegrass and triticale for winter/spring grazing by replacement doe kids as well as animal performance in terms of daily weight gain. The grazing area consists of a total of 4.5 acres, divided into 9 plots measuring .5 acre each. Each forage species was seeded in 3 different plots, thus the experiment consists of 3 replications.

Breeds of Goats for Meat Production and Production Traits (PDF FILE) Goats of any breed or crossbreed are eventually slaughtered for human consumption. With the exception of the South African Boer goat imported via New Zealand in early 1993, there are no true meat goats breeds in the U.S. However, there are few breeds that stand out as more specialized for meat production. These are the Spanish, Myotonic, Nubian and Pygmy goats.

Forage Needs for Meat Goats and Sheep (PDF FILE) Grazing of forage generally provides the least expensive way of supplying nutrients to the animals. Therefore, it is essential to develop a year round forage program which allows for as much grazing as possible every month of the year. The principles of controlled grazing of goats or sheep are similar to those used for cattle. The primary goal is to have enough control of the animal's grazing pattern one can dictate the amount of defoliation and the frequency of defoliation. However, good pasture management involves much more than simply turning the animals to pasture. To obtain efficient animal production over a number of years, the needs of the plants as well as the needs of the animals must be taken into consideration.

Meat Goats in Land and Forage Management Goats have been successfully used for the biological control of abandoned farmland pastures invaded by herbaceous weeds, vines, multiflora rose bushes and hardwood saplings. Managed defoliation with goats results in a substantial increase in vegetative cover by favorable grass and legume species while reducing or eliminating unwanted shrub species. Old pastures containing multiflora rose bushes and many other weeds grazed with goats and cattle became dominated with grass and clover after four years of grazing. Goats clear brush more effectively and rapidly than sheep.

Nutrition of Meat Goats Many people still believe that goats eat and do well on anything from newspapers to tin cans. Attempting to manage and feed goats with such a belief will not lead to successful meat goat production.

Managing Body Condition- A Key to Successful Management (PDF FILE)Producers should develop an eye and a touch for the condition of their animals and strive to maintain a moderate amount of condition on their goats. When body condition start to decrease, it is a sign that supplemental feed is needed or that animals should be moved to a higher quality pasture. Waiting until goats become thin to start improving their feeding regime may lead to large production losses.

Use of Goats as Biological Agents for the Control of Unwanted Vegetation Much of hill land pasture in the Appalachian region of the United States is weed and brush infested. In addition, over 500,000 ha of forest in the Southeastern region of the country is invaded by kudzu (Pueraria lobata). Current weed management and control practices rely heavily on herbicides. Low cost, low input and environmentally acceptable reclamation procedures are needed to maintain these pastures and forest land in production. A field study was initiated at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture Mountain Research Station in Western North Carolina to evaluate the effectiveness of utilizing goats alone or in combination with cattle to renovate overgrown mountain pastures and to control multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora Thunb.) bushes.

Meat Goat Facts (PDF FILE) Assemblage of interesting and informative stuff could help you decide to go with goats - or not.

Gastrointestinal Parasite Management of Meat Goats Infection with parasites, especially those of the gastrointestinal tract can, and in some circumstances do, cause substantial losses to goat owners. These range from decreased utilization of feed in unthrifty animals to death. The most important of the gastrointestinal parasites include roundworms and coccidia. An effective control of these two groups of parasites will make a significant contribution to your goats's health and well-being. Eradication of these parasites is impossible, but the simple presence of a parasite in an animal does not indicate disease. An animal will show the symptoms of disease only when parasite loads become excessive or when an animal's natural immunity to disease becomes suppressed. A certain amount of understanding about the life cycle of these parasites is necessary to control them most effectively using anthelmintics or other means of parasite control.

Cashmere Goats. Some interesting info culled from NG/ML’s.

"Goat Resources" Virtual library of links re: Goats with extensive article links. Too many to weed out myself – HELP!!!

Doe-Kid Performance to Weaning Among Three Meat Goat Breeds (Year 2) A study to assess doe and kid performance on Southern United States pastures.

Weight gain in meat goat does fed endophyte-infected and non-infected tall fescue.

A comparison study of food consumption and weight gain.

A state-wide survey of goat producers in Tennessee. Statistics on the goat industry in Tennessee.

Heterosis Levels in Meat Goat Kids Produced by a Three-Breed Diallel Mating Scheme A study of levels of hybrid vigor generated by Boer, Kiko and Spanish crossbreeding.

Fitness indicators among Boer, Kiko, and Spanish Does Managed in the Southeastern United States. An analysis of health records of semi-intensively managed straight-bred does.

Growth rates of Boer and Kiko crossbred wethers fed endophyte-infected tall fescue or orchardgrass A comparison study of food consumption and weight gain.

Influence of maternal breed on meat goat carcass characteristics.  Evaluations meat goat carcasses of kids from Spanish, Boer and Kiko does.

Preliminary assessment of Boer and Kiko does as maternal lines for kid performance under humid, subtropical conditions A study to assess compare Boer and Kiko kid performance on Southern United States pastures.

Meat Goat Breeds and Breeding Plans A discussion of the various breeds currently used for meat goat production in the US..

Sericea lespedeza hay as a natural deworming agent against gastrointestinal nematode infection in goats. A possible alternative to chemical dewormers

Evaluation of three meat goat breeds for doe fitness and reproductive performance in the Southeastern United States Reproductive rates and other fitness indicators of Boer, Kiko, and Spanishd oes under the humid, subtropical pasture conditions of the southeastern United States.

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