Raising Dairy Goats – Crucial Tips You Should Know
Article by Ted Allen
Goats are usually raised for either meat or milk, meat being on the slightly higher end of the profit ladder. Raising dairy goats is becoming a widely recognized profitable business. However, raising goats are still very profitable because they are easier to manage.
An effective way to handle dairy goats starts with choosing the breed. The common dairy breeds are Alpine, Anglo Nubian and Indian Jamnapari. These three breeds are evaluated on the amount of milk they produce, motherly instinct, gestation cycle, and sturdiness. Having all three of these breeds may not be a good decision. Each of those has an optimum climate where they can live. Depending the place where you live, you can usually end up with one or two to raise in your farm. New emerging breeds are also available but they are very costly and impractical if you are just beginning your business.
Raising dairy goats is very similar with managing any other type of goats. You are still required to feed them with clean and fresh grass. The main difference is the supplements you are required to give to your dairy goats to keep them healthy and strong. Understanding the female goat is key to maximizing their production. Like humans, goats also have their cycles. They mate in the early autumn and gestation is also 150 days. Since these goats are nearly always pregnant and lactating, they need lots of protein, energy and mineral most especially iron. Ensuring their proper nourishment means that you get the best quality of milk from your animals. Their barn is also similar, but you have to keep it cool always. Keep their pens dry and free from excessive dirt to avoid infection and spread to diseases and parasites. Much of the success in raising dairy goats farms depend the proper care of the female goat.
Have the goats play as well to ensure their health. This will affect positively the quality of milk they produce. Avoid stressing them or hurting them physically. Clean the teats well to ensure germ-free milk. Always keep the barn clean and tidy to prevent the accumulation of bacteria. Their barn may also be constructed differently to accommodate for milking stations, but the basic design is the same. There are mechanical milking machines, but you can also do the job by hand although some machines are needed to meet certain safety regulation laws. Milk pre-processing is almost required right after milk is harvested.
