scoring and use this as your guide for supplementation.
Mineral nutrition is critical to the health and future
production of your animals. Here are some tips on
meeting the mineral needs of your herd.
Always, have a good quality free choice mineral mix available to your animals at all times of the year.
Use a goat specific mineral to make certain you are getting the proper balance of minerals for their needs.
Be sure to read and follow all label directions in feeding minerals as well as with all supplements. Make sure you understand all warnings on the label.
Never use a medicated feed and mineral at the same time without veterinarian advice.
Contact your veterinarian if you have a health issue, if you have questions related to the feeding of any product, contact the manufacturer.
After weaning, utilize your records to select the animals you want to keep in the herd for replacements and start managing them for that purpose. Evaluate the performance of the does and sires of the kids. Use your records to determine which does are doing a good job and cull those that are not producing for you. Look at the sires and decide if one of them needs to be replaced due to performance of his kids or other hereditary issues.
performance of the does and sires of the kids. Use your records to determine which does are doing a good job and cull those that are not producing for you. Look at the sires and decide if one of them needs to be replaced due to performance of his kids or other hereditary issues.
Market your kids based on a sound marketing plan and realize that if you keep them, you will need to feed them; and that increases the cost. Evaluate the possible increase in price at the market with the cost of keeping them growing until market conditions change. Even kids on pasture have an expense to keeping them. Market the kids and any cull does before breeding starts for the next kidding season.
Good management during the weaning period will result in higher rates of gain post weaning, reduced health issues, and greater overall productivity of the herd. Once does and kids are through this critical period, it is critical to continue to monitor for health issues and provide good quality forage and access to proper shelter. After weaning is over, make sure to clean the facilities. Identify things that need repair and make sure you adjust your plan and processes to improve for next season.
Gipson, T.A., R.C. Merkel, and S. Hart. Meat Goat Production Handbook. American Institute for Goat Research, Langston University. ISBN 1-880667-04-5
Mitcham, S. and A. Mitcham. 2000 Meat Goats Their history, management and diseases. Cane Creek publications ISBN 0-9664476-2-X.
Smith, M.C. and D.M. Sherman. 1994. Goat Medicine. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. ISBN 0-8121-1478-7. Committee on Nutrient Requirements. 2007. Nutrient requirements of small ruminants: Sheep, goats, cervids, and New World Camelids. The National Academies Press ISBN 0-309-10213-8
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