Goat farming has become increasingly popular in recent years. This is not surprising, since goats can be kept easily and with little effort. The animals are kept for milk production, landscape maintenance or as a hobby. What you should pay particular attention to when keeping goats so that they stay healthy and satisfied.
What needs to be considered when keeping goats?
Even though there are many different breeds of goats, they all have similar traits. In order to keep the animals according to their species and needs, it is important to know the characteristics of their nature. Goats are curious and intelligent and like to get to know their surroundings exactly.
Therefore, as a goat keeper, you should ensure that there is sufficient employment material in the barn, such as fresh straw daily or permanently installed brushes for grooming. The original habitat of the domestic goat is the mountains. Therefore goats are enthusiastic and agile climbers. Be sure to offer your goats climbing opportunities such as straw bales, wooden benches or tables. Make sure that your animals cannot reach electrical cables or lamps. Goats love to lie elevated. Treat your animals to shelves attached to the stable wall, on which they can lie in peace and observe the surroundings. Feed bars should separate the tread from the feed table. Since goats are big food jealousies, there are often fights around the feeding place. Therefore, the animal-feeding area ratio should be 1: 1. If all animals can eat at the same time, stress during feed intake is avoided.
In winter goats should be kept in the stable, as they are more sensitive to cold weather than other grazing animals such as sheep. If your goats have run in the pasture in mild temperatures, the outdoor area must be fenced particularly well. Goats have a high jumping ability and are true breakout artists. At least 1.1 meters high, electrifiable nets, which are knotted in small meshes, are particularly suitable for fencing. It is best to have five live strands and check them daily for damage. A goat hay rack is ideal for feeding goats in the pasture.
As social beings, goats are used to living in a herd. Therefore, never keep a goat alone, but at least two animals together. By socializing with the animals you avoid that they develop behavioral disorders. The animals feel good and stay healthy. If goats live in a herd, a hierarchy develops. Goats are assertive and persistent. Rank fights within the herd structure are therefore nothing special. In particular, there are wrangles when there are changes in the population due to the purchase of new goats. A new ranking must be restored. It is more relaxed for the herd if the stock is not supplemented by foreign animals, but the own offspring remains in the stock.
When planning your goat pen, make sure that the feeding areas and playpen are designed in such a way that lower-ranking animals can avoid the higher-ranking animals. Dead ends should be avoided. Lower-level goats must also be able to eat and retreat relaxed. In order to avoid having to ascertain something important after the completion of the stable, it is advisable to look at other stables beforehand and to get detailed advice.
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