Getting Started in the Meat Goat Business - Small Farms / Alternative ...

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Types of SheltersNot everyone can afford the luxury of a barnfor sheltering their animals. However, sheltersfor meat goats can be very simple inexpensivetractor. The sheds are 8 feet in width. The fronteave is 4 1/2 feet in height and the rear eave is3 1/2 feet in height. The shelter can provideenough space for 3 to 4 adult goats. For aschematic drawing of the portable shed referto appendix D and E.The Three-Sided HouseFig. 3 A roof from an old farm building that is used for shelter.structures. Examples of shelters for meat goatsinclude calf hutches, polydome, quonset, existingfarm structures, portable sheds or the threesidedhouse.The three-sided shelter is a permanentstructure that is enclosed on three sides andcan be used for feeding, kidding and to protectthe herd from adverse climatic conditions.Variations of this type of shed are widely usedPortable Sheds (Mobile Houses)Portable sheds are relatively inexpensive andcost less than $300 to build. These sheds canbe enclosed on three sides to protect the herdfrom the cold, the rain and the wind or theycan be constructed without sides and used forFig. 4 Portable shed designed by Mr. William Smith, Kingdom Links International, Inc.Fig. 5 Portable sheds enclosed on three sides (left) and with no sides (right).shade as shown in figure 5. Portable sheds arealso built on skids which are ideal for using in arotational grazing system. Unlike permanentstructures, portable sheds can be moved withthe goat herd as they are rotated from onepaddock to another using a small truck or2Fig. 6 The front view of a three-sided house.throughout the U.S. The size of the shed willdepend on the number of animals that will haveaccess to the house. The roof of the house shouldbe slanted (front eave 6’ to 8’ high and rear eave4’ to 6’) and adequate drainage must be providedaround the shelter to prevent the accumulationof water in the loafing area. The house shouldopen to the south or east, preferably oppositethe direction of the winds and towards the sun.In this way, the herd will receive warmth fromthe rising sun during the morning hours and bymidday the sun will begin to set behind the houseto provide shade from the heat of the day. Hayracks and feeding stalls can be built along theinterior side of the wall. If there is enough spacein the shelter, feed can be stored in a 180 literdrum (47.5 gallons).The estimated cost to build a three-sided goatshed is around $500 to $1,600. The price of theshelter will depend on the size of the house, if aloafing yard (holding area used to confine the herd)will be built and the type of flooring used in theshelter (refer to appendix B and C for buildinginstructions for this house).
The Buck’s FacilityThe buck’s facility should be at least 400 feetaway from the rest of the herd. A 6 x 8 shed,facing south easterly and downwind from thedoes’ area are the basic requirements for thebuck’s shelter. The size of the shed will alsodepend on how many bucks will use the shelter.The shed should be sturdy and enclosed with afence to construct a small pen or loafing yardfor grazing and to limit the buck’s range. Youmay also want to build a mound of dirt (5 to 6 ft.tall and 5 x 5 ft. at the top of the mound) in thecenter of the pen to provide exercise and to preventthe buck from being bored. Build the moundat least 8 feet away from the fence line, so theanimal can not jump out of the pen (Esminger,2002).The pen must also be strong to keep the buck inhis facility and away from the does in heat. If heescapes, chances are he will break into the does’area and breed the herd at the wrong time, breedhis own offsprings or breed the younger goats(less than 80 pounds) in the herd which may stunttheir future reproductive performance. Unplannedpregnancies can also make it very difficult tomaintain accurate production records, to developa good breeding program, to evaluate reproductionefficiency in the herd and to fulfillproduction and marketing goals.The Does’ FacilityThe does’ facility should besturdy and large enough to accommodate the entireherd because goats tend to fight more whenthey are confined in over crowed shelters orpens. Head butting is a common display of aggressionamong goats. Normally, neither partiesare injured, however, in some cases the fightingmay resort to blows in the abdominal area orrear of the opponent animal. This type of traumacan lead to abortions in pregnant does or otherinjuries such as severe bruising or puncturing ofthe skin. Therefore if the does are confined, provide20 to 30 square feet of space per animalfor sleeping and eating. Provide an additional30 square feet for exercise. Does that are notconfined require less space (10 to 15 square3feet of space per animal; McGowan, 1986). Foran example, if the animals are confined, a 8 x 16three-sided shed is sufficient space for 4 to 6mature goats. If they are not confined and haveaccess to pasture, 8 to 12 adult goats can sharethis shelter, but maintain a stocking rate of 7goats per two acres of land for year-round grazing.Fighting may also occur when the goats are establishingdominancy in the herd, when new animalsare introduced into the herd or when thereis not enough space around the feeding trough.In many cases, the smaller and/ or weaker animalsare pushed away from the feeding trough.As a result of this type of treatment, the goatsare usually much thinner and less productive thenthe rest of the animals in the herd. This situationmay be resolved by: 1) Removing the aggressiveanimals to a separate area during feeding time,2.) Feeding the smaller and weaker animals together,3) Feeding the herd in individual stalls(labor intensive), 4) Culling the aggressive animals,5.) Feeding the herd outside of the shelterwhenever possible or 6.) Provide at least 16 linearinches (12” for kids) of space for each adultanimal at the feed trough (Juergenson, 1971).The Kids’ FacilityAfter weaning, a separate area may be requiredfor the animals that are kept for replacementsor for animals that will be held and marketed ata later time. If males are kept beyond 4 monthsof age, keep them separate from the females.The shelter should be structural sound, and haveadequate space. Make sure all of the goat areasare accessible to water and electricity, if electricfencing is desired.Flooring For Goat SheltersTypically, dirt floors are used in shelters forgoats. Clean straw (3-4 inches in length), lowquality hay or pine shavings can be used forbedding. The old bedding and manure can beremoved using a pitch fork and a square pointshovel. Concrete floors on the other hand, areeasy to clean and disinfect. There is also lessneed for hoof trimming because the floor’s rough
Page 1 and 2: GETTING TING STARTED IN THE MEATGOA
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTSAcknowledgment....
Page 5: INTRODUCTIONFig 1. Dr. Pam Hunter (
Page 9 and 10: the fence post to form the perimete
Page 11 and 12: Fig. 18. A farm gate (left) and a w
Page 13 and 14: Protecting The Goat HerdIf predator
Page 15 and 16: should always be kept in good repai
Page 17 and 18: RacewayRoad WayRacewayAppendix ANFa
Page 19 and 20: Appendix CSchematic Drawing of a Go
Page 21 and 22: Appendix ESchematic Drawing of a Mo
Page 23 and 24: Appendix G19
Page 25 and 26: Appendix ITable 3. The figures are
Page 27 and 28: NOTES23

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