If someone asks us, where we keep our goats, we usually say “in the back of our yard”. But keeping goats is not such a straightforward task. Although goats can tolerate a variety of keeping conditions, can efficiently use even the most common plants and are perfect for clearing brush, we must put emphasis on management practices if we want to use them for milk or meat production. Just as for every livestock species, if we meet the requirements of goats, it will result in a higher level of production. The best management practice depends, among others, on the age of the animals and the type of production, revealing that this is a complex issue and failing to choose the right keeping conditions and nutritional management, may result in a loss of profitability. Modern small scale goat operations are managed in one of three ways depending on the possibilities of the farmer and the level of production that can be achieved with the herd. Extensive management Feed is provided through grazing, mainly migratory or range grazing, to avoid overgrazing and the disappearance of vegetation preferred by goats from the pasture. This method requires wide foraging areas and can only be utilised from spring until fall but is beneficial for the vitality of the herd. The animals must be introduced to green forages gradually, allowing the rumen flora time to adapt and avoid the risk of bloating. Since the moisture content of forages is high, they have a lower dry matter content and thus carry a lower amount of macro- and micronutrients, which means minerals should be provided additionally in the form of supplementary feed. It is of particular importance to provide good quality salt in adequate amounts, especially in milking herds. High producing herds are usually not managed extensively, since walking requires valuable energy that is redirected from production and the animal health risks are also higher. Semi-intensive management This is probably the most common management system that combines grazing with housing in barns. A smaller pasture is enough in this case, since grazing is only a “plus” for the animals, but special attention must be paid to the condition of the pasture and to avoid overgrazing. If the goats are always allowed to eat the good quality green vegetation and there is no time for regrowth or for the pasture to regenerate, its quality will deteriorate very quickly with only sturdier, but lower quality vegetation remaining. This is why it is reasonable to divide the pasture into 3 to 4 sections and use rotational grazing to allow time for the vegetation to recover. In semi-intensive management systems feeding is based of good quality, preferably ad libitum available hay, supplemented with concentrates or compound feed, such as Lambex products. Hay should be the main feed; this is needed for the goat’s rumen to function properly; a nutritional program based on concentrates will lead to digestive problems and production losses. Intensive management Intensive goat systems – used mainly for high yield herds – allow full control of production and require precision nutritional management. Feed rations are adapted to the requirements of the different production groups, hay is always available ab libitum and special attention is paid to the macro- and microelement supply to account for the high level of production. Under intensive conditions not only the quantity, but also the ratio of minerals should be carefully monitored to avoid deficiencies and production losses. Availability of feed should be considered in all three management systems, since social behaviours will have a larger effect in larger groups, with dominant animals eating larger amounts and better-quality feed, although they might not be the ones with the best yields. The farmer is responsible for designing barn layouts in a way that makes hay and concentrate feeders accessible to all animals and from multiple directions. The same applies to salt licks, supplemental feed and water. Providing lying space should also be a priority. After eating, goats will lie down and ruminate in a calm, dry place; providing adequate lying opportunities has a great influence on feed efficiency. It is important to provide appropriate resting places and enough area, so all animals have access to such lying places. In established herds it can often be observed that each animal has its own place where it lies down after eating. This system is disrupted when a new animal is introduced or the groups are mixed, the social hierarchy must be re-established according to dominance levels and the loss of production seen during this phase underlines the importance of maintaining the herd stress free. Both for grazing and feeding hay, the characteristics of the pasture/meadow, the soil type and soil fertility management should be taken into account in order to avoid nutritional deficiencies. In many cases areas otherwise unsuitable for production (e.g. intensive crop production) are used as pastures or meadows, which means that wetlands are often used for this purpose. Vegetation in these areas often seems nice and green but the ratio of nutritional contents is very different than in usual grasslands. Hay from wetlands has a higher potassium content (because of better mobility), while phosphorus levels are lower (uptake in plants is lower under low oxygen conditions). This leads to a K/P imbalance that can lead to reduced magnesium and calcium absorption in ruminants, causing grass tetany in severe cases. Even mild cases can lead to a drop in milk production (because of the low availability of calcium), digestive issues can occur, while phosphorus deficiency can lead to a drop in milk fat and protein content. It may lead to a slower growth rate in young animals, result in a weaker musculoskeletal system and even convulsions in severe cases. It might even be reasonable to check the nutritional composition of the feed if conception rates are low, since some microelement deficiencies will not result in apparent clinical signs but can cause reproductive issues. To avoid these negative effects, the nutritional composition of the feed must be determined. It is not enough to rely on literature data, as the diversity of cultivated areas, the different agricultural practices and the use of numerous hybrid crops led to quite a wide range in terms of nutrient content of forages. Simple laboratory testing methods are available to determine the nutritional content of the available feeds; and once we know the baseline, we can tailor the use of premixes to meet the requirements of the animals and improve production. Even small changes, small steps toward precision farming can lead to such an increase in production, that quickly makes all invested efforts profitable.

Eszter Szentirmai consultant Bonafarm-Bábolna Takarmány Ltd.