Housing provisions are necessary whether on range or confined feeding. A goat house or shed must be built to provide shelter. Remember, goats are afraid of rain and wetness as these make them prone to pneumonia. They also prefer sleeping in elevated platforms with a stair-type arrangement. It must be well-ventilated, drained and easy to clean. Feeding racks (silage, water, mineral, and concentrate) should be accessible to both animals and caretaker, preferably in the front of the aisle. Provide flooring which should be elevated a least 15 degrees to facilitate cleaning and drainage.

Separate pens should be provided for lactating and dry does, kids, growers and bucks. Buck pens should be visible to breeding does yet far enough to avoid transfer of the typical goat smell especially to lactating does when milk is to be sold.

CONSTRUCTING GOAT BARNS

- Build the goat barn near or within the forage and food crops farm. This will save time and hauling manure out to the farm and carrying in forage for the goats.

- Construct the goat barn using available local materials like bamboos for flooring, siding and cogon or runo for roofing.

- The goat barn to be constructed shall be provided with floor space of about 2.0-2.5 square meters area per goat using local materials like bamboos. The size of the barn will depend on the number of goats to be raised.

- Fixtures to be made are feed trough, grass rack, water trough, while the divisions to be made are kids’ separation pen, storeroom, and milking room.

The barn should be surrounded by calliandra, ipil-ipil, katurai, kakawate, gumamela and other species for goat feeds.

Have pens cleared daily and washed at least three times a week. Disinfect at least twice a month. Accumulated feces and urine provide a good breeding ground for disease-causing microorganisms. Provide a lagoon or pit to store waste for at least a month before spreading to the pasture. Use as fertilizer for orchards or vegetable garden.

Train personnel to observe sanitary procedures. Provide separate pens for diseased animals.

Limit visitors coming into the farm, including other animals. Quarantine newly arrived stock for at least a month before mixing with the main breeding stock.

Fencing

Nine-eye hog wire is the cheapest and most effective fencing available locally. Posts must be staked every 2 meters. Goats are fond of pounding their feet and scraping their bodies on the fences so it must be sturdily built. Barbwire fencing requires a minimum of four strands so it becomes more costly besides making goats prone to wounds.

Space Requirement for Goats:

Stage of Life Flooring (sq.m.) Feeding (Linear cm)
Does/Buck//Adults
0.75 – 1.50
15.24 – 25.40
Growing 0.50 – 0.75
10.16 – 15.24
Kids 0.20 – 0.50
7.62 – 12.70

Ventilation is important as majority of pneumonia cases can be traced to excessively warm and humid interior and sudden changes in temperature. Allow 0.5 – 1 ft. clearance between floor to wall and wall to beam to create an adequate circulation and to lower draft. Maintain an interior temperature of 28 to 30oC. Above 30oC temperature, ruminants are inhibited from eating.

Lighting may also be provided in the barns during the night. Goats consume up to 30% of the day’s intake during the night when light is provided.

Pasturing

A well developed / improved pasture can carry up to 15 heads of goat per hectare. When a combined grazing confinement method is observed, provide a developed 3 hectare per 50 head. A pasture that can be divided into 9 paddocks will be desirable. Separate pasture paddocks should be provided for the dry doe, buck kids and growers. Pasturing during the cool times of the day is commonly done.

Source: www. da.gov.ph (bureau of animal industry, dept. of agriculture)