Keeping Goats E-Book

Debbie Kingsley

• Herausgeber: The Crowood Press
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 387

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Full of information and practical advice, this book will be invaluable for anyone thinking about keeping goats, for those who have recently acquired goats, and for the more experienced keeper. This book provides everything you need to know including: legal requirements; land, fencing, housing and equipment; the breeds that will suit your best and acquiring your goats. There is information on year-round husbandry tasks; feeding and nutrition; health and welfare and breeding and kidding. Detailed guidance is given on dairying, raising for meat and other ways to make the most of your goats. This new book is a comprehensive guide to over eighty goats breeds with accompanying photographs.

Leseprobe

Debbie Kingsley

Keeping Goats

A PRACTICAL GUIDE

First published in 2022 byThe Crowood Press LtdRamsbury, MarlboroughWiltshire SN8 2HR

[email protected]

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2022

© Debbie Kingsley 2022

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication DataA catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 0 71984 002 9

Cover image creditsFront cover: left, author; top and bottom right, Gert van den Bosch; middle right, Liz Turner. Back cover: top, Gert van den Bosch; middle left, Tereza Fairbairn; middle right, Carolyn McAllister; bottom left, Carolyn McAllister; bottom right, Dunlop Dairy.

Cover design by Sergey Tsvetkov

CONTENTS

1Introduction

2Why Keep Goats?

3Legal Matters

4Land and Accommodation

5Tools and Equipment

6Starting your Herd

7Husbandry Tasks for Each Type of Herd

8Feeding and Nutrition

9The Healthy Herd

10Raising Goats for Meat

11The Dairy Herd

12Breeding

13Kidding and Care of the Doe and Kids

14Making the Most of your Goats

15Guide to the Breeds – UK and Worldwide

Appendix: Glossary of Goat Terms

Further Information, Reading and Courses

Acknowledgements

Index

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

My introduction to the antics of goats was in my twenties while renting a cottage on a farm. One night I heard a rhythmic drumming coming from the stableyard, and went to investigate. The two young goats bought earlier that week were circling the walls of their brick stable at top speed, like a pair of motorcyclists on the wall of death. I approached just as the first one was about to fly out through the top half of the stable door, which I promptly shut. I had never seen anything like it, and it taught me to never underestimate goats.

Golden Guernsey buck.

Millhams, Dolton, December 1977. (Documentary photograph by James Ravilious for the Beaford Archive © Beaford Arts)

In complete contrast, I found hand-milking a couple of goats wonderfully calming. Sitting with my head tucked against the doe’s flank, eyes closed, day dreaming quietly as I squirted the milk into the pail, was balm in a very busy life. The kitchen had soft goats’ curds in muslin hanging from hooks, draining into bowls, and tasted delicious spread on oatcakes or homemade bread. This simple making of nutritious food from goats’ milk has kept people fed for thousands of years, and in times of dizzying modernity continues to provide many with a sense of reassurance (‘I can make my own food…’) and calm (‘…and I have to do it in a relaxed manner’).

There are an absolutely stonking one billion goats in the world give or take one or two, with more than half of them in Asia (China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh); not enough for each person in the world, but every group of eight people could have a goat to share.

Goats reflect the earliest of livestock farming and domestication, and the continued existence of wild herds found from England to the Himalayas show in contrast just how adaptable our domestic goats are, thriving on the lives we keepers give them. It’s believed that goats were domesticated over 10,500 years ago: they originated from the Bezoar ibex in the Middle East, and spread from there across the globe. It’s not surprising that goats were targeted for domestication as providers of milk, meat, skins, fibre, fuel (dried dung), parchment, food and liquid carriers (horns, stomach, bladder and intestines) and musical instruments, and as agile, sure-footed beasts of burden.

Lynton feral goat on the cliffs.

Goats appear in the Bible, in mythology, astrology, in folk tales and fables, in art (Chagall has them playing violins), and as satanic priapic mischievous creatures, half man, half goat. In modern times we recognize a straggle of nimble, skipping goats with tinkling bells around their necks as a charming troupe in opening film sequences taking us to a pastoral past and a hand-to-mouth, simpler and harsher existence than our own. But goats give comfort too, their presence telling us that hunger, thirst and lack of clothing are not pressing concerns for their keepers.

Goats are full of contradictions. They thrive on harsh, rocky terrain, yet in domesticity are needy in their desire for shelter. They browse with abandon, making the most of wild herbs, plants and trees, but in our care are both picky and wasteful with their food. They relish drinking from a mountain stream, yet turn their noses up at a clump of leaves in the drinking bowl. They are independent explorers into every possible mischief, but love routine. They are free spirits, yet will follow their owner like a pet dog. They are anything but boring, and will constantly keep you on your toes.

Take a deep breath as you take on board the crucial information about the legal stuff and potential ailments, as both can tax the brain, and consider them pragmatically as part of your goat-keeping life, which will have many joys. This book is a beginner’s guide to keeping goats, full of information that will enable you to put in place what is required for having happy, healthy, productive goats. It’s not possible to guarantee anyone a problem-free goat experience, but with guidance, plus your own watchfulness and intelligent observation, you will build the knowledge for successful and enjoyable goat-keeping.

CHAPTER 2

WHY KEEP GOATS?

It’s a tricky thing, determining whether livestock is something you want in your life, and if so, which species will best suit. There comes a point when all the reading, the watching of videos and television programmes, and visiting agricultural shows turns into a decision – that goats are (or are not) for you, and that it’s time to do something about it. Keeping animals is not something to enter into lightly, as goats will have a significant impact on your life and how you spend your time.

Capra Grigia goats.

Millhams, Dolton, December 1981. (Documentary photograph by James Ravilious for the Beaford Archive © Beaford Arts)

It’s worth expending some effort asking yourself why you want to keep goats. If you are after healthy, low-cholesterol meat with zero food miles and absolute provenance, goat meat is a fantastic option. If the idea of making goat-milk ice cream, clotted cream, butter and cheeses appeals, you’re on to a winner. If you love spending your time out of doors and have no worries about dealing with muck, urine-soaked straw, birth fluids, mud, farmyard smells both rich and fairly ghastly, then goats won’t faze you.

If you have the funds or DIY ability to put up excellent stock fencing, a goat shelter, possibly a milking parlour and more, having goats will keep you occupied and entertained for years on end. If you are happy to create and stick with a routine, you’ll be temperamentally suited to meeting the demands of goats. And if the idea of demanding, potentially noisy, always energetic, inquisitive and amusing additions to your patch of land appeals, you’re sorted.

Boer kids on a hayrack.

With over three hundred goat breeds worldwide, goats are kept for their milk, meat, horns, fibre and skins; they are the ultimate smallholder animal.

THE PROS AND CONS OF GOAT KEEPING

There are many positives to keeping goats, and with more than 100,000 of them in the UK, lots of people clearly agree. There are many local goat clubs, which translates into a multitude of human advice sources available to the new keeper. Goats are happy to browse where other livestock would be confounded, and they can access the most difficult-to-reach places – which does, of course, have negative implications, as you, their keeper, need to be able to access those areas too. But they (mostly) seem to like people, which makes handling them a pleasure.

Goats may be a better option for clearing brushy areas than pigs – they will certainly be less destructive of the soil. Dairy breeds will provide plenty of milk for the home and be less daunting to keep than cows, and are the ideal choice if members of the family are intolerant to cows’ milk. They don’t need vast tracts of land to thrive, but this does mean you will need to bring their food to them – so forget the gym, as goat keeping has a fitness regime built in!

Goats browsing.

The challenges should not be ignored. Fencing has to be of the very best if you want anything to survive being explored and destroyed, and access to shelter is needed at all times, unless the weather is guaranteed to stay fair. The expense of providing forage (hay) year round has to be taken into consideration, and you may need to spend time collecting browse, whether tree hay, brash or other plants. Most veterinary medications are not licensed for goats so you will have to find a good goat vet (not always easy), and create and implement a tailor-made health plan with them. Whereas cows and sheep tend to avoid most toxic plants if given alternatives, goats will eat things that can make them very ill, so you need to be vigilant. And if you are milking your goats, there is no time off.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GOATS AND SHEEP

The phrase ‘shepherds protect sheep from getting injured by their environment, while goatherds protect the environment from their goats’ is marvellously apt, if somewhat sweeping. I’ve always found that individual sheep can get themselves into all sorts of trouble given the opportunity, whereas goats actively seek out those opportunities. But it does warn the prospective keeper that preparedness is all. The environment in which you keep your goats needs careful consideration so that their curiosity doesn’t get the better of you, or at least not too often. If you are pondering on whether to keep sheep or goats, this table might help you to think things through. You can always keep both, of course.

The Differences between Goats and Sheep

Goats

Sheep

Agility

Off the scale agile – supreme athletes from limbo dancing under narrow gaps to scaling walls.

Agile, in particular hill and mountain breeds.

Vocality

Can be very conversational, or fairly quiet; when a doe is in heat they are very noisy. Anglo Nubians are known for being particularly vocal. Bleating in otherwise quiet goats can indicate a problem. Not feeding treats can help avoid goats screaming every time you pass by.

Mainly quiet unless under stress or calling to young. When a sheep is bleating you investigate in order to resolve a problem (either that, or you’re late with their feed, which is normally only required around lambing time).

Odour

Bucks in the breeding season stink. A few people don’t mind the smell – most find it vile.

Rams in the breeding season have a fairly pungent smell, which you can detect as you approach their area, but it’s not overpowering.

Behaviour

Goats can be very pet-like in their behaviour, keen to be with, and to follow their keeper. Can be destructive, and are extremely inquisitive about everything in their environment, which has both pros and cons. Head butting is normal behaviour between goats – but don’t allow them to butt you.

Apart from those that are bottle fed as lambs and petted, sheep look to their flock for companionship. Individuals can be friendly, but the natural sheep prey instinct to flee is strong.

Social organization

The herd has a natural hierarchy and structure – goats are social creatures and shouldn’t be kept alone.

The flock has a natural hierarchy and structure – sheep are social creatures and shouldn’t be kept alone.

Feeding habits

Browsers rather than grazers, with browse making up approximately 60 per cent of their diet. Access to hay and mineral supplements is required year round.

Grazers rather than browsers. What they browse is approximately 10–15 per cent of their diet. Hay should only be provided in the winter months.

Cost

Tend to be more expensive to purchase and keep.

Less expensive to purchase and keep (there are exceptions for highly desirable individuals).

Commercial potential

There is a growing and developing market for goats, their meat and their dairy produce. Lack of availability keeps prices high, with just 105,000 goats in the UK.

Existing, well-developed market. Prices fluctuate nationally and globally. There are 23 million sheep in the UK.

Milk yield

Dairy doe: 3–5ltr per day.

Milking ewe: 2ltr per day.

Gestation period

Approximately 150 days (143–157).

Approximately 147 days (144–152).

Season

Goats come into season every 21 days in the autumn until bred.

Sheep come into season every 17 days in the autumn until bred.

Foot care

Goats may need their feet trimmed regularly, but only when necessary.

Best practice advice is to only trim sheep’s feet when absolutely necessary/genuinely overgrown. Inappropriate trimming increases the risk of bacterial spread and long-term hoof injury.

Prolificacy

Goats regularly have multiple births, with triplets and quadruplets not uncommon.

It has been known for ewes to give birth to up to six lambs, but this is most uncommon. The usual number of lambs is two, with frequent singles and triplets.

Fencing needs

Excellent fencing is required (

see

Chapter 4

).

Good stock fencing is required.

Horns

There are no polled (hornless) goat breeds, although a few individuals are born without horns. Do not confuse polled with disbudded: many kids are disbudded in the first week of life (by the vet) so that their horns don’t develop. Angoras and Boers are often kept horned, while dairy breeds are mostly disbudded.

Many sheep breeds are naturally polled, in some breeds the males are horned and the females polled, and others have horned males and females, sometimes with multiple horns (four or six). In horned breeds, the males have larger, thicker horns than the females.

Fibre

Cashmere and Angora from fibre breeds.

Wool from most breeds apart from hair sheep and self-shedding sheep.

Meat

Delicious, low in fat.

Delicious. Nearly twice the calories of goat.

Tails

Naturally short-tailed.

Apart from the northern European short-tailed breeds, sheep have naturally long tails (often docked shortly after birth).

Shelter

Goats have little insulating fat (and unless a fibre breed, a thin coat), so must be provided with a built shelter against wind and rain.

In all but the most severe weather sheep manage well with the shelter of trees and hedges because of their good wool and fat insulation.

Water

Goats will not drink water that is in any way contaminated – clean water must be provided at all times.

Sheep prefer (and should be given) clean water, but are less fussy than goats if leaves or other natural detritus collect in their drinking trough.

Parasites

Goats do not build resistance to intestinal parasites.

Healthy adults build significant resistance to intestinal worms.

Lifespan

8–12 years. Bucks 8–10, does 11–12 and longer if not bred after 10 years (up to 16–18 years). The record is 22 years.

10–12 years. The record is an astonishing 28 years.

Space requirements

2–3 goats plus their kids per acre. Lower numbers of 1–2 goats per acre on areas of brush.

3–5 ewes plus their lambs per acre.

Entertainment value

If you have a GSOH, high.

They have their moments!

CHAPTER 3

LEGAL MATTERS

Let’s start with a few quick words of reassurance that implementing the legal aspects of keeping goats should be neither time-consuming nor complex. There are things to learn about and requirements that you must not shirk, and it can all feel quite new for the first-time livestock keeper – but the reality is that this will take minutes of your time over a year, not days of sweat and toil. The part that is difficult and time-consuming is building your knowledge of the rules; once grasped, your goats, not the paperwork, can have your full attention.

Rhubarb the goat and hens.

Atherington, April 1976. (Documentary photograph by James Ravilious for the Beaford Archive © Beaford Arts)

The first concept to get your head round is that whether you keep a couple of goats as pets or have a herd of hundreds, the rules apply equally to all. Goats are categorized as livestock (food-producing animals), and there is no distinction with regard to your legal obligations between commercial and hobby keepers, and no exemptions for the most pocket-sized of smallholdings.

The rules do change, and it is the responsibility of each livestock keeper to keep up to date with any new requirements; check for new regulations at www.gov.uk. The contact details for the various bodies given in this chapter are all in the further information sources in the appendices.

STEP ONE: REGISTER YOUR HOLDING

Registering your land (even if it’s a large back garden suitable for hosting a couple of goats) means acquiring a County Parish Holding (CPH) number for the land where the livestock will be kept; there is no charge for this. The main purpose of the CPH number is to identify and trace the location of livestock; it’s a unique nine-digit number, the first two digits relating to the county, the next three to the parish, and the last four digits are unique to the keeper: for example 12/345/6789. To apply for your CPH number, contact the Rural Payments Agency in England, Rural Payments Wales in Wales, and Rural Payments and Services in Scotland (there are no CPH numbers required in Ireland or Northern Ireland). If you intend to keep your goats on someone else’s land you will need a CPH number if you are responsible for them.

Once you have your CPH number you can move livestock to your holding under a general licence (usually known as a movement licence; more on that below). You must register land within a month of starting to keep animals, but in practice, because you need the CPH number to complete the movement licence in order to bring your animals home, it makes sense to get this sorted as soon as you decide it’s time to have some livestock.

SECOND STEP: REGISTER AS A GOAT KEEPER

The next requirement is to register as a goat keeper with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), which is also free. You will be asked for your CPH number as a reference, and can register over the phone. The APHA will give you a unique herd mark – UK, followed by a six-digit number. You must do this within thirty days of livestock moving on to the land, but you can get it beforehand, which will save hassle at a time when you are getting busily acquainted with your new goats. The herd mark is the information you will need when ordering ear tags or other identifiers for your goats.

THIRD STEP: IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL GOATS

The majority of goats are identified using double ear tags (one tag in each ear), but you can use one ear tag plus other options (see the table below). Goat identifying tags have the herd-mark number of the holding on which they were born, plus a unique number for that animal. Goats keep the same tags in for life, so the first goats brought on to your holding will have tags from their place of birth; you do not change these tags. The first kids born on your holding will be the first to be identified with your own herd mark, plus their individual number, starting with ‘1’. Goats must be identified within six months of birth for intensively reared stock (defined as animals housed overnight, which is the most likely scenario for goats), or within nine months for extensively reared stock (those not housed overnight), or when they leave your holding, whichever is first.

Two-part visual ear tags.

Goats for breeding and those to be kept beyond twelve months of age must have two tags (with identical information on both). You can choose whether or not one of these identifiers is an electronic identification (EID) tag, which contains an electronic chip that holds the same information as is written visibly on the tag. If a goat is intended for export then one of its tags must be an EID. All goat EID ear tags are yellow. A non-EID tag is called a visual tag and can be any colour that your chosen ear tag manufacturer produces (apart from yellow, black or red), and both tags must bear the same individual number.

For goats intended for slaughter before twelve months of age a single identifier is fine, and it need not be an EID. The single ear tag, also known as a slaughter tag, only needs to display your herd mark and doesn’t need to include an individual identity number for the animal. If you later decide to keep a kid with a single slaughter tag beyond a year old, you must replace the single tag with a pair of identifiers before its first birthday.

On a practical note, goat ears are less robust than those of a sheep, and a combination of delicate ears, a desire to stick their heads in the most inconvenient of places, and with some breeds having ears of distinctive length, it’s important to use tags that minimize the risk of getting caught and so tearing the ear. Two-part tags can be purchased, or if you use single-piece tags, do cut the hinge part with a pair of snips so that the two parts swing and don’t form a trap hazard.

Pastern band.

Pastern band closed.

Two-part and one-piece ear tags.

Ear-tag applicators.

The pastern band is a tamperproof ankle bracelet and is ideal for animals with damaged or sensitive ears, and it doesn’t require an applicator to put it on. Note that each make and type of ear tag requires a specific applicator, and these are not generic. Even if you always purchase ear tags from the same manufacturer, check if their design has been updated when you buy new ones, as you might need a new applicator too.

ALTERNATIVES TO DOUBLE EAR-TAGGING

For keepers preferring to use a single tag there are alternatives for the second identifier: a pastern (leg) band, a scannable bolus EID, which is ingested by the animal, or a scannable injectable EID. Ear tags or pasterns on animals with bolus EIDs must be black and have a ‘B’ printed on them, and ear tags on goats with injectable EIDs must be black and have an ‘I’ printed on them. EID ear tags and EID pasterns must be yellow (unless they are replacements applied on a holding other than the one where the animal was born, in which case they are red), and EID ear tags should, where possible, be attached to the left ear. Replacement ear tags applied on a holding other than the one where the animal was born must be red, unless they are replicas (an exact replacement of the original tag).

IDENTIFICATION OPTIONS

First identifierSecond identifierCan be exportedYellow EID ear tagVisual ear tagYesYellow EID ear tagTattooNoYellow EID ear tagPastern (leg) bandYesEID bolusBlack ear tag or pasternYesYellow EID pastern (leg) bandVisual ear tagNoVisual ear tagVisual ear tagNoVisual ear tagTattooNoVisual ear tagPastern (leg) bandNoEID injectable chip (in groin)Black ear tagNo

MOVEMENT LICENCES

You need to complete a licence form every time you move livestock on or off your premises – whether to slaughter, buying in or selling stock, taking them to a show, or taking your goats to a holding with a different CPH; this is a free service. Increasingly these forms are completed online, and in time the system is likely to become entirely digital, although at the time of writing a paper-based option is still available. A new Livestock Information Service using electronic identification for all livestock (cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and deer) is being launched in England, with similar services in development by the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland devolved administrations. The England service will be completing its transition during 2022, and goat keepers can access this either through the Animal Reporting and Movement Service (ARAMS) site www.arams.co.uk or by checking out the Livestock Information website www.livestockinformation.org.uk.

You don’t need a movement licence if the movement is to or from the following:

•A vet (for emergency treatment).

•Land with the same CPH number.

•Land bordering your holding with a different CPH number, where you send or receive animals from frequently, on foot and without contact with other livestock.

•Common land bordering your holding that you’ve registered as linked to your holding.

Food Chain Information

When you take goats to the abattoir, you will need to complete the relevant food chain information included on the movement licence. This confirms (or otherwise) that the animals being taken to slaughter have passed the withdrawal period of any administered medication, so that the carcase is fit to enter the human food chain.

Movement Standstill

Movement standstill is a disease-damping measure designed to slow down the rate of spread of disease. Whenever cattle, sheep, goats or pigs are moved on to a holding, no cattle, sheep or goats may move off for a period of six days. For example, if you move a goat on to your holding, no goat (including the one just brought on), nor any cow, sheep or pig, can move off your holding until the six-day standstill has elapsed. The six-day standstill means that animals can be moved on the seventh day.

There are some exemptions to movement standstill. You can move livestock off your land during the standstill period if you are moving them direct to the abattoir. If you are lucky enough to have commoner grazing rights, animals may move between common grazing and its associated in-bye land without triggering a standstill period. Breeding goats of either gender do not trigger a six-day standstill on premises to which they are moved for breeding, provided that they are isolated for six days in an APHA-approved isolation facility before they leave the premises of origin.

Goats may attend shows without having to observe a movement standstill period on the premises of departure, provided that they have been isolated from all other non-show animals on their premises of departure in an APHA-approved isolation facility for six days before attending the show. On return to the premises of departure, the show goats must be kept in an APHA-approved isolation facility for six days or the standstill will be imposed. You will still need to complete a movement licence for all standstill-exempt movements.

APHA-APPROVED ISOLATION FACILITY

If you plan to show your goats or take them to another holding for breeding, you may find it helpful, if you have regular on and off movements, to set up an isolation unit. The forms for doing so are available from APHA, and the facility will need to be approved by a veterinary inspector confirming that the required criteria have been satisfied. An isolation unit, whether pasture or building, must be dedicated for livestock isolation purposes and be physically separate (a minimum of 3m (10ft)) from any other livestock buildings or pastures. Goats using the isolation facility must either have been at an approved agricultural show(s) or be about to go to a show(s); be breeding goats of either gender moving to premises for breeding; or be moving to or from an artificial insemination centre. Manure and effluent from isolation facilities must not come into contact with other livestock, and dedicated protective clothing and footbaths must be used in the isolation facility.

HOLDING REGISTER

To protect the health of your livestock and to make it easier for APHA and other relevant bodies to trace your animals, you must keep a register of the animals on your holding. This will need to include information about your holding, tags and replacement tags in use, and the goat movements on and off your holding. Electronic versions are freely available to download from www.gov.uk (search for ‘sample sheep and goat holding register’). In addition to movements, the register should include births, deaths and details of any replacement identifiers if identical replica tags are not used. The holding register has to be kept for ten years from the end of the calendar year in which the last entry was made.

Holding register.

VETERINARY MEDICINE RECORD

It’s a legal requirement to keep a record of all veterinary medicines administered to food-producing animals, including those administered by your vet or given in feed, even if you never intend to eat your goats or use their milk. The record must show the name of the medicine used, the supplier, the date of purchase, the date of administering the medicine (and end date if it is over a period), the quantity of medicine used, the identity and number of the goat(s) treated, and the withdrawal period for meat and milk as appropriate, the batch number of the medicine, and the expiry dates. The batch number will be written on the packaging, and the withdrawal period will either be written on the packaging or included in the datasheet inside. If you lose the accompanying datasheet from any medicine you can find them all online at www.noahcompendium.co.uk.

Veterinary medicine record.

There are livestock medicine record books for recording all the necessary detail available from most agricultural merchants, and electronic versions are freely available to download. Do complete your medicine records immediately after any treatment when the information is fresh in your mind and the details on the packaging are still legible. You must keep records of treatment given to animals, and of animal mortality, for at least three years.

TRANSPORT CERTIFICATE

You must have your competence independently assessed if you transport goats by road on journeys over 65km (40 miles) in connection with an economic activity. If your goats are kept purely as a hobby and there is no commercial element to your goat keeping (you don’t sell goats, meat, milk or dairy products), then this will not be relevant. The assessment will be:

•a theory test for journeys over 65km and up to eight hours

•a practical assessment of competence including animal handling, and if required, driving skills for journeys over eight hours.

If assessed as competent, you will receive a certificate of competence. The certificate will be specific to your role of either transporter or attendant, the length of journeys you take, and the species you transport. Certificates of competence are valid for life. You also need to ensure you have access to a suitable trailer to transport your livestock.

TOWING TRAILERS

Do check whether your car is suitable for towing a livestock trailer, and take account of the additional weight when loaded. A full car licence allows you to tow trailers weighing no more than 750kg, and you can tow heavier trailers with a car as long as the total weight of the vehicle and trailer isn’t more than 3,500kg.

DISPOSAL OF FALLEN STOCK

Fallen (dead) stock cannot be buried or burned because of the risk of disease spread through groundwater or air pollution. Instead, animals must be taken to, or collected by, an approved knacker, hunt kennel, incinerator or renderer, either by private arrangement or through the National Fallen Stock Scheme. There is a charge for removing deadstock. Place your deadstock as close as possible to the entry of your property (contained and covered), so that the removal vehicle doesn’t have to drive through your holding to collect, as they are something of a bio-hazard.

FARM HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDANCE

If you are running your holding as a business, your activities come within the Health and Safety legislation and you must acquaint yourself with the requirements. There are a number of courses run by the Health and Safety Executive for farmers, and they also publish free online guides to health and safety in agriculture.

FEEDING RESTRICTIONS

It may be all too tempting to take your lunchtime leftovers and give them to your goats, but the general rule in the UK is that once any food has been in a kitchen (domestic, professional or industrial) it is illegal for it to be fed to livestock, and this extends to pet goats and those not intended for meat. This doesn’t just refer to foods of animal origin, but includes the vegetable portion too, due to the risk of cross contamination. As with human food poisoning, work surfaces, hands, utensils, taps, chopping boards and more become contaminated with micro-organisms, which are then transferred to other foodstuffs. Bacteria such as salmonella or campylobacter transfer easily, for example, from raw poultry to salad or hunks of bread, causing potentially serious human illness, and the risk is the same for your livestock.

Due to the risk of cross contamination the ban on feeding kitchen waste to livestock includes vegetarian kitchens, where products of animal origin such as milk are used in food preparation. Only if you live in a fully vegan household may you feed your kitchen scraps to pet livestock.

However, if you have a vegetable garden there may be veggie treats that your goats will enjoy, plus any suitable weeds you’ve patiently hoed. All you need do is take these straight from the garden to your goats without going through the kitchen first.

PLANNING PERMISSION FOR GOAT HOUSING

Planning permission for small-scale goat housing is not usually necessary, and Permitted Development Rights exist for erecting structures in certain situations. Simple structures such as temporary, mobile or other structures used for the purposes of agriculture will not require permission. However, regulations will differ between commercial and hobby keepers related to the scale of the operation, so check with your local planning authority before you start any building work.

FURTHER LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

For information on the legal requirements for home slaughter, the abattoir, using skins and horns and selling your meat, seeChapter 10. For the legal requirements for selling milk and dairy products, seeChapter 11; and for those related to selling skincare products made from goat milk, and driving or walking your goats beyond your premises, seeChapter 14.

CHAPTER 4

LAND AND ACCOMMODATION

HOW MANY GOATS CAN I KEEP ON MY LAND?

Being herd animals, you need to have more than one goat, but beyond a pair, how many have you actually got room for? There are huge variables as to what an acreage can cope with, depending on the size and breed of your goat, the quality of the land and the forage it produces, how much hay you are buying in, the wilfulness of the weather in any particular year, how much of the year your goats are housed, and what supplementary feed you are offering (seeChapter 8). A practical guideline to get you started is that an acre of good, productive pasture can sustain two to three goats and their kids. Scrubby land with a lot of brush is more difficult to benchmark, so depending on the desirability of what’s growing, you might find an acre of scrub can sustain just one to two goats, or significantly more. Another approach to estimate stocking rates is by weight: this amounts to a total of 225–350kg (500–770lb) of goat per acre on quality goat pasture.

Pygmy goat.

Cuppers Piece, Beaford, February 1983. (Documentary photograph by James Ravilious for the Beaford Archive © Beaford Arts)

It’s all very well having a mathematical benchmark, but as with any livestock, start with low numbers in order to assess how the land responds across the seasons. It is much easier to add to the herd if you’ve initially underestimated suitable stocking rates than having to dispose of excess goats you’ve now named and to which you’ve become attached. Nor do you need to fill your land with the maximum possible number of goats! If you are breeding, you’ll be increasing your flock exponentially and will need room to cope with growing kids. Your particular regime for managing goats may differ considerably from that of your neighbours, even on similar ground, so the final stocking rate you come up with after a year or two of trial and error could be significantly higher than the given benchmark.

English goats on their climbing frame.

Anglo Nubians at grass.

HOUSING AND SHELTER

There are many choices when it comes to providing shelter for your goats, depending on your preference and budget, and how you see your goat-keeping life. A simple three-sided open barn with permanent access to a field might suit your purposes, large enough to house an undercover hay rack and be closed off with hurdles when you wish to contain the goats for kidding or handling. You may have existing stables, a garage or a cattle shed, or some other building that you intend to convert for goats, or you may be planning to build something new for your lucky herd.

Boer doelings in an open-fronted shed.

English goats in their shelter.

A roundhouse for goats.

For the most part, goats can be turned out during the day unless the weather is vicious (seeChapter 11 for information on grazing and dairy goats). Regarding housing, whether a conversion, a make-do-and-mend or purpose-built arrangement, bigger (and higher) is always better, and there are some important considerations to take into account.

HOUSING REQUIREMENTS

Communal goat housing is common, where goats are managed in a way similar to housed cattle, with shared areas; this suits the herd structure, rather than goats being housed in individual ‘stables’, like horses. Even in communal spaces there will need to be some separation: a separate area for weaned kids, a separate place for bucklings, and so on. Goat housing with individual pens does have the benefit of requiring no additional space for kidding; in communal housing individual bonding pens will need creating, and hurdles are perfect for this. Individual pens also allow for specific treatment or feeding of particular goats. Unless being used for quarantine or isolation purposes, individual pens benefit from mesh panels so that goats can see each other and still feel part of the herd.

Communal goat barn.

Goat pen for males.

Simple communal barn layout.

Communal barn with temporary kidding area.

Housing with individual pens layout.

Space: Indoor space allowances depend on whether goats are individually penned or live in a communal barn area. For the former, allow 4sq m (4.80sq yd) of floor space per goat, and for communal housing a minimum of 2sq m (2.4sq yd) per goat. A more generous allowance is needed if you perceive bullying issues. In communal housing any horned goats need to be housed separately from those without horns.

Goat housing ventilation.

Ventilation: Your building must be well ventilated to ensure a flow of fresh air and the natural removal of stale and moist air, while being free of draughts. Position doors/openings away from prevailing winds, and install a vented ridge at the apex of the roof.

Materials: The materials of your housing should ensure there is no moisture condensation on roofs, walls and other surfaces, as moist air brings a high risk of pneumonia to your goats. Avoid corrugated tin unless it is of the anti-condensation type. Fibre cement roofing is ideal. Make sure your housing is free of anything on which a goat could hurt itself, including loops of baler twine, protruding nails, empty feed sacks, a mislaid pair of foot trimmers, and so on (the list is endless).

Size does count: Larger and taller buildings offer better air space for your goats, which supports good respiratory health, and make your life as chief goat housekeeper and waiter a whole lot easier. The absolute minimum height has to allow you good standing access for cleaning and tending to your goats and for them to stand upright on their hind legs at full stretch. If you can, allow a minimum 2–3m (6.6–9.8ft) at the ridge, and taller is better. If you live in a very cold climate, large spaces can be too chilly for your goats, so make the housing fit for your region and ensure that additional bedding is provided at the coldest times of year.

Floor surfaces: Preferences for floor surfaces vary. Earth floors have their place as they allow urine to drain and can be kept hygienic with a regular covering of hydrated lime. Concrete floors are easier to muck out, are less attractive to rats, can be made slightly ridged to avoid slipping, and floors can be installed with a slight slope to allow draining. Straw bedding will be needed whatever the floor surface.

Dividing the space: The design of internal partitions and gates will vary depending on how you wish to split things up, but a minimum height of 1.3m (4.3ft) is recommended. Meshed gates rather than solid partitions are useful, as they allow individually penned goats to see each other. If you are separating does and kids overnight for kid-at-foot milking, they can be in neighbouring secure spaces and still in full view of each other. If you keep a buck you will need separate housing for him.

Raised goat bed.

Raised beds: Because goats are so agile and draughts are often at ground level, you can create raised bed areas on which goats can loaf and sleep.

Water: Fresh water must be available to all your goats at all times, so access to a piped water supply is essential. If using individual pens you can attach ring holders outside the pen to take feed and water buckets, and provide a gap for the goat to put its head through; this prevents the goat defecating in its water. Alternatively put automatic bowl drinkers in each pen at 60cm (24in) high (plus step) for adults, and 40cm (16in) high for young animals. For communal housing provide enough drinkers to avoid pushing and queues, with one drinker for up to ten lactating goats or fifteen dry goats.

Feeding arrangements: Feed buckets in individual pens should be in ring holders either outside the pen, or if inside, positioned too high for the goats to defecate in. For communal housing, consider using a feed barrier that goats put their heads through to eat, with enough space for every goat to eat simultaneously. Salt licks or lumps of rock salt should be available to all goats.

Drinker with step access.

Feeding arrangements.

Hayrack with step access.

Hay mangers or racks should be positioned so that goats cannot climb on to them and spoil the hay with their feet, pee or poo. Use mangers or racks that they can’t pull too much out of at one time, as anything dropped on the floor will be wasted, and smaller mesh minimizes the risk of a goat or kid getting any part of itself stuck. Lidded racks are particularly useful for minimizing spillage. Avoid haynets of the type used for horses, as goats can get tangled in them and kids can strangle themselves.

Play area: For kids and young goats an inside play area is much appreciated; this might be a sturdy table that they can lie on or under, a tree trunk, or something more imaginative with steps, ramps and different heights.

Trio of Golden Guernseys playing.

Gutters and drains: Guttering and drainage are essential for ensuring that rainwater doesn’t simply soak into the wall and rot your building.

Electrics: Electrical wiring, switches, lights and sockets must all be kept well out of reach of the most agile goat. Protect wiring with conduit, and use metal-clad sockets that are waterproof and rated for outdoor use.

Milking parlour: If you are milking, a place dedicated as a milking parlour can be created in a discrete area of your housing. This should be walled and have a concrete floor, and any materials used should be of a type that can be kept scrupulously clean.

Hygiene and access: Ensure that all gates and passageways are wide enough to accommodate whatever mucking out and cleaning equipment you intend to use, whether that be a large wheelbarrow, a dumpy sack for hauling fresh straw, and for people to manoeuvre through.

Storage: Include space to store straw, hay and other goat feed. Make sure these cannot be accessed by your goats – devouring large quantities of concentrated feed can have fatal consequences.

MUCK MANAGEMENT

Housed goats need to be mucked out daily to maintain hygiene and good health, so design housing to make this a quick and easy task by making gates and passageways wide enough to accommodate whatever equipment you intend to use. Manure should be stored in a dedicated muck-heap area that cannot create run-off into water courses. This should be composted down for spreading as desirable natural farmyard manure on the land.

Skidsteer to aid mucking out.

OUTDOOR FACILITIES

There may be times when your goats need to be confined to barracks. Having a well-fenced concreted yard attached to your barn means the goats can still exercise securely outside. The yard is also somewhere you can place unwieldy armfuls of browse for them to enjoy.

Goats under cover.

The concept of play areas for livestock may seem a little strange, but goats being gymnasts, explorers and perpetually curious, some solid climbing opportunities will help keep them out of mischief. Large rocks, chunks of tree trunk, big cable-reel drums, or much fancier climbing ramps and platforms are all much appreciated and create hours of fun for your goats. A play area could be incorporated into a yard or out at pasture, or both.

If your goats are out at pasture during the day with, if they are lucky, access to woodland and scrub too, a field shelter is still needed so they can get out of the rain as necessary. Mobile field shelters built on skids that can be pulled behind a four-wheel-drive vehicle or tractor are particularly useful as they can be moved to different pastures if the gradient of your land allows this. You can use any sort of structure that gives the goats shelter from the elements.

FENCING