Goats (Caprine)

Cloven hooved

Two toes

Even toed ungulates

Are goats ruminants?

Yes, they have a four compartment stomach

Rumen, reticulum, abomasum, omasum

How long is their gestation?

150 days.

They usually have two kids.

They are highly fertile and they reach puberty between three and 15 months.

Go to one of the oldest domesticated species of animal. What were they originally used for?

Milk, meat, fibre, and leather

How many teats on the female udder?

Two (except the boar goat, which sometimes has up to 8 teats)

What is the life expectancy of a goat?

15 to 18 years

Informal term for female adult goat

Nanny

Informal term for male, adult goat

Billy

An entire male goat

Buck

A female goat

Doe

A young male or female goat less than six months of age

Kid

Castrated, male goat

Wether

A baby female goat

Doeling

A baby male goat

Buckling

Yearling

A one-year-old goat

Giving birth

Kidding

Some more terminology

When did goats first arrive in Australia?

With the first fleet

Some of these escapes and became feral. These have evolved into the Australian rangeland goat. It is estimated that there are 2.3 million feral goats in Australia.

What are some advantages of goat super sheep?

They have a lower water requirement. They are better at avoiding predation, and they have better heat tolerance than sheep.

They are better able to digest low quality roughage which gives them a greater diversity of diet. Goats prefer to browse and they can quickly change from grazing grasses to shrubs and trees.

Although Australia is a relatively small producer of goats, it is the largest exporter of goat meat in the world. What are the major export markets?

The USA and Taiwan, however, lifeboats are also exploited, mainly to Malaysia and the UAE.

Are goats, browsers or grazers?

Browsers

What must occur with all goats for sale whether it’s for meat or between owners?

They need to be under the NLIS

What kind of goat does mohair come from?

Angora

Which goat breeds are dual breeds?

Anglo nubien and Toggenburg

Why do you need to palpate to determine the body condition score of the goat.

The fat on a goat is distributed differently. They have more intra-abdominal fat than subcutaneous fat.

What are the main meat goat breeds in Australia?

Rangeland

Boer

Kalahari red

What kind of goat is this and what are their main characteristics?

Boer goat which originated from South Africa.

Specifically selected for meat production

Commonly used for crossbreeding

Average weight 80 to 130 kg

What kind of go to is this and what are their key characteristics?

Rangeland goats.

They’re a composite breed of goat.

They are derived from feral goats and major source of goat meat.

Highly adapted to survive in low rainfall regions,

mature weight 45 to 100 kg

What type of goat is this? And what are their key characteristics?

Kalahari red goat originated from the Kalahari desert in South Africa.

They have a hardiness suited to harsh conditions.

They are excellent mothers and they are high in the production of milk.

They are also well suited as a meat goat.

What type of goat is this? And what are the key characteristics?

Angora first introduced in Australia in the 1830s. They produce mohair. They are shorn every six months. Their mature weight is between 60 and 80 kg

What type of goat is this? And what are their key characteristics?

Cashmere, they have good mothering ability. They also produce good quality meat. Cashmere is very fine. They are at shorn once per year.

How long is lactation for dairy goats?

300 days

What is the amount of milk produced on average for the herd?

Between 2 and 3 L of milk per doe per day

During peak lactation, what can the milk production reach?

Between 3 1/2 and 4 L per day

What type of goat is this and what are their key characteristics?

Saanen

Most popular dairy goat breed in Australia

Has a long lactating period and his high producing.

Mature doe weigh about 100 kg

What type of goat breed is this and what are their key characteristics?

Anglo Nubian

Long, floppy eared, goat

An all-purpose goat used for meat, milk and hide

Does weigh around 90 kg

What type of goat breed is this and what are their key characteristics?

British Alpine

Active breed suited to open grazing

Good milk producer and good winter milking

Long lactation

Does weigh around 100 kg

What kind of goat breed is this and what are their key characteristics?

Toggenburg

Oldest known dairy breed of goat.

Excellent milk production

Is the smallest of the Alpine breeds, but is robust, compact and vigourous.

Are goats seasonal breeders? What is their oestrus triggered by?

Goats are seasonal breeders that the stress is triggered by decreasing day length.

When is shearing normally done?

Done just before kidding typically in August and then again in six months later

When the kids usually weaned?

At about four months (around 12 weeks in dairy herds)

Hoof trimming

Trim to remove excess hoof of adult goats, usually required when goats are intensively managed on soft soils

When should castration be done?

before about 2 to 3 months old

surgical castration, burdizzo, elastrator

Disbudding in dehorning

Early as possible

At what percentage of their adult weight should goats be at joining?

70%

How do you estimate the age of the goat by their teeth?

What can concentrated lucern hay trigger

Abortion or early birth

Abortion rates of 5% are common

Gastrointestinal parasites are common in high rainfall regions. Goats should be treated with anthelmintics to control parasites. What is one of the problems with this?

There are limited anthelmintics (drenches) for goats

Goats should also be treated for lice infestations. When a lice more common?

During the cooler months, and in goats with poor body condition, long hair and high stocking density.

What type of vaccines are there for goats?

What is caprine arthritis encephalitis

A contagious viral infection, it causes inflammation in the knees and lameness

What is the frequency of oestrus?

21 days

They may exhibit oestrus cycles all year around in tropical regions where good nutrition is maintained.

In temperate regions, goats are seasonally polyoestrus commencing to cycle when the day length shortens )February to June in Australia)

Females are usually mated at 18 months of age. Usually run five bucks per 100 dose, but the ratio depends on the age of the bucks. What kind of pasture is ideal for kidding?

Deep pasture

Does will move away from the herd to kid predation is likely by foxes while dogs and pigs in the first week of life

How much of the birthweight does the fetus gain in the last six weeks of gesstation?

70%

Does should be dewormed and vaccinated against clostridial diseases about six weeks prior to kidding

When should kids be vaccinated?

At 6 to 8 weeks of age, and then. again in 4 to 6 weeks later

What are the types of husbandry procedures required in each month?