Hitamo ururimi:RWA | ENG

Goat Housing

Goat Shed

Size of a goat shed

• A goat and lamb require 1.20 m ² of space

• Adult goat requires 0.80 m² of space

• The ram requires 2m² of space

Goat Feeding

Feeding (Goat)

  • The goat is a herbivorous. It is fed on setaria, tripsacum, pennisetum and agro-industry by-products
  • The goat can also feed on blended flour concentrates, if the farmer can afford them. In such circumstances, weaning can take place earlier, the fertility rate is raised and the kids grow faster.

Suggested quantities are as follows

  • Goat and its young: 300 to 400 gr
  • Weaned young goat: 50-100gr
  • Goats in covering age: 300 gr

4. Production

One adult goat may weigh 40 kg; the she-goat weighs 30kg (for local breed goats)

The meat production of a slaughtered goat is 48% of its weight.

Three young goats kept in goat shed can give 2 tons of manure per year.

Goat Animal Health

Animal health: diseases and control mesures(Goat)

Disease Categories of affected animals Symptoms Control measures
1. Intestinal worms Young and adult Deceleration of growth, diarrhoea, loss of weight, hair standing at the end , cough Sanitary measures

Anti-worms treatment
2.Contagious Echtyma Young and adult Hyperthermia 41°C

Scabs. Diphteria stomatitis with enteritis and pneumonia complications

 Wash with ¼ iodized glycerin; treatment with antibiotics, vaccination
3. Pneumonia Contagious Echtyma Young and adult Hyperthermia , 41°C, cough, cough, running nose with pus, breathing problems, slow and difficult step tacchycardia Vaccination

antibiotics
4. Brucellosis (Brucella organisms) Adult  Abortion in late pregnancy is the feature of the disease, retention of placenta and metritis are common. In male goat, infertility, orchitis and swollen joints are seen.. Goats should be tested for brucellosis and isolated or cull the positive animals
5. Coccidiosis Young and Adult Diarrhea, anemia, weakness and death have seen in coccidiosis of goat kids , in old animal milk production is reduced with foetid smell, develops.  Faecal Examination is needed. Sulphamezathine or sulphadimidine 0.2 gm/kg body weight. Amprosol 20% solution 100 mg/kg body weight 4-5 days are effective or zoaquin
6. Foot and Mouth Diseases Virus Young and Adult This disease has shown mild effect in adult goats. Vesicles on the tongue, lips, checks, gums, dental pad and on the skin between claws, occasional blisters on teats and under. Lameness is also seen in adult goats, Deaths have been observed in young goat kids. Isolate the sick goats and vaccinate the herd at the face of outbreak. Wash the mouth of infected goat with mild disinfectants like Alum, Potassium permanganate. Apply boroglycerine on the ulcers.
7. Goat pox  

Young and adult

 Slight fever, congested area and vesicles, appear on ear, nose and udder. After vesicles containing pus, dry crust are formed. In goat kids, high temperature is seen , but death occurs before development of skin lesions. Isolate the sick goat and daily washing the lesions with hydrogen peroxide dilute with equal part of warm water followed by antibiotic cream. Milkers hand scrubbed in non-irritant antiseptic solution.

Goat Reproduction

Reproduction (Goat)

  • Fertility rate: 85
  • Rate of prolificacy: 140% for local breed goats and 180% for improved breed goats
  • The first covering takes place at 12 months of age for local breed goats and at 9

months for improved breed goats

  • Gestation lasts for 149-152 days;
  • One ram is enough to cover 50 goats and it is sexually active from 15 months;
  • Weaning takes place at 3 months following the breed race and the provided care.
  • Intervals between two droppings : 9-12 months
  • The young goats are born with 2 kg (he-goat) and 1.8 kg (she-goat) of weight
  • Local breed goat can be crossed with exotic breed goats to improve its weight and/or reproduction performance
  • Females are reformed after 6 droppings for local breed goats, and after 9 droppings for improved breed  goats.

Goat Record Keeping

Record keeping (Goat)

Record keeping in goat production is important because it gives a history of what has happened on the farm for a given period of time. In addition, it serves to improve farm management since it  helps to trace animal origin and select breeding animals. Besides, record keeping provides figures for farm planning and budgeting.

Below is a list of records that may need to be kept The value and

relevance of the different types of records will vary with differing goat production

systems:

  • Health records: including morbidity, mortality, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatments and vaccinations, etc.
  • Feed consumption: this is difficult to estimate on farms where animals graze, but for capital intensive farm businesses, such as finishing or fattening operations, the amount of concentrate fed should be recorded to calculate profitability.
  • Mating records: Sire, dam and progeny identification is important in breeding, sale, and culling decisions.
  • Lambing /kidding records, which include identity, dam ID, birth  weight, date of birth, type of birth and sex.
  • Milk production records: recording once weekly may suffice as this gives an indication of total milk production. Therefore, in dual-purpose sheep and goats, or even in meat types, a random sample of lactating females may be selected for recording their once a-week milk production.
  • Growth/ weight records: kept periodically (possibly on a monthly basis) by  recording the body weight of animals.
  • Inventory: inventory of available animals on the farm and other assets.
  • Carcass yield or dressing percentage: is a factor that has tremendous economic value, particularly in a community-based breeding program. This information could be obtained from slaughterhouses/abattoirs if the animals are slaughtered in slaughter houses.

7. Breeds

In Rwanda, we have various types of goat:

  • Local goat
  • Gala goat
  • Boer goat
  • Saneen goat
  • Toggenburg
  • Anglo-nubian
  • Crosses: local x exotic breeds