GOATS Flashcards
What are the three best breeds for producing milk?
Alpine
LaMancha
Nubian
What are the three best breeds of goats for meat?
Spanish
Boer
Rangeland
What are the average weights of dairy goats
Male- 75-120kg
Female- 55-105kg
What are the average weight of angora (used for fleece) goats?
Female-33-55kg
Male- 50-70kg
What are the average weight of Pygmy goats?
Male- 28-32kg
Female- 22-27kg
What are the physical difference between goats and sheep relating to:
Tail
Coat
Glands
Horse
Goats tail goes up, sheep goes down
Sheep grow wool which needs to be sheared annually, whereas goats grow hair which doesn’t need to be sheared
Male goats have glands between their tail, sheep have glands in hooves between toes
What are differences in behaviours of sheep and goat?
Sheep have worse separation anxiety
Goats more active and inquisitive
Goats head up, to browse and eat from leaves/ twigs. Sheep head down and grazing grass
What are the dangers associated with goats?
Head barging
What do the following terms mean?
Herd-
Female-
Male (entire)
Male castrated
Fibre
Scientific
Herd
Nanny/ doe
Billy/ buck
Wether
Kid
Kid/ goat
Cashmere (combed)
Mohair (angora goat)
Caprine
What are the main dairy breeds of goats in UK?
British Saanen
Anglo Nubian
British Toggenburg
British Alpine
What is the milk like?
Produce 1000l at 3.8% fat
How many teats are milked for goats
2
What breeding type is goat?
Short day seasonal polyoestrus
When are they typically born
January to july
How long is gestation length
146-156 days
How many young?
1-3
How long is puberty
6 months
Can goats and sheep produce fertile offspring?
Fertilisation can occur, but embryo is reasborbed at around 15 weeks
Goats have 60 chromosomes, sheep have 54
What must goats have in their environment and why?
Shelter, can’t tolerate lots of rain
What is the minimum floor area size per goat
12m2
What are problems with tethering goats?
Goats are very active animals and could become tangled in the rope
What is impotent to consider of tethering a goat?
Use a lightweight chain instead of a rope
Swivel at either end and one in the middle
Not near trees or bushes that it could get tangled in
Must be able to be get into shelter and have food/ water
Must be checked twice a day
When do goats become sexually mature?
6 months
What portion of their mature weight are goats mated
75%
What ratio can males run with females and fertilise
1:40
What is the speed that goats can be milked in the two versions of psrlours for 1 person per hour
Static- 150
Rotationary- 400
How should you prepare an udder for milking?
Wash with disinfectant
Use disposable paper towels to dry each udder separately
Who regulated goat milk production in the UK?
Dairy products hygiene regulations 1995
What is the most important thing to consider when handling goat milk?
Keeping it as cool as possible
What is the pulsation rate when milking goats?
70-90 per min (much weaker than cattle)
What happens if milked isn’t cooked immediately post milking
Microorganisms could survive
Lipolytic enzymes break down fatty acids, so caproic and caprilic acid will form in milk and give it an unpleasant taste
What is the ideal processing length of mohair
12-14 cm (about 6 months worth of growth)
What is the rules of goat identification tags?
Tagged in both ears
Must show individual number, herd number and farm number
What surface should be used when transporting goats?
Rubber floor with thin layer of straw
Why do goats have less resistance to worms than sheep?
Goats are browsers, so est trees and leaves
Sheep are grazers so eat from ground so have had more exposure to worms
Therefore sheep have built up more resistance
What is milk withdrawal time for goats after woriming
3 days
What bacteria are most dangerous to goats
Clostridium.
What is vaccination programme for goats like for clostridium?
Should be vaccinate twice a year
Kids from vaccinated mothers after 3 weeks birth
Kids from unvaccinated mothers after 7/8 weeks birth
What is johnes disease and what are the signs?
Caused by mycobacterium
Diarrhoea and will die after 2-3 months
Vaccinate all kids within 1 month of bird
Often false negatives
What are the clinical signs of caprine arthritis/ encephelis
Swollen joints
No cure
Test and cull
What is typical milk withdrawal period
21 days
What is ketosis or acetoanemia, the signs and how to prevent it?
Cause is usually if goat is fat and pregnant and at same, so not enough room in abdomen for digestion
Goat has smaller meals, so gets energy from fat stores, producing ketone bodies which poison body
Treated by giving corticoids or multivitamins and stop goat getting fat
