How Much to Feed Pregnant and Lactating Goats

If you're raising goats as part of a green lifestyle, you need an overall feeding program to keep your goats at maximal performance, but at times you need to make exceptions for certain goats or categories of goats. Pregnant goats, milking does, kids, and senior goats need special attention and modified diets.

Pregnant does
Pregnant does don't have increased nutritional needs until the last two months of gestation, when the kids do 70 percent of their growing. They also need additional water throughout pregnancy. A feeding program for pregnant goats includes:

Early pregnancy (first 3 months): Feed does to maintain their body condition or to improve their body condition if they are thin. You can meet their nutritional requirements with good hay or pasture, or some added grain for thin does. Unless they're lactating, does don't need grain in early pregnancy. Do not overfeed. Overfeeding can lead to complications such as hypocalcemia and ketosis.

Throughout pregnancy: Monitor and compensate for pregnant does' increased water consumption. Pregnant goats can drink up to four gallons a day. Monitor body condition and adjust feed and water accordingly.

Late pregnancy (last two months): Does' nutritional requirements increase greatly during this time because the unborn kids are growing rapidly. Start grain gradually (just a handful a day) until your does are eating up to a half-pound of grain a day (depending on the goat size and breed) or half to two-thirds of their normal milking ration by the time they kid, in addition to hay. Gradually replace their hay with alfalfa so they get the proper balance of calcium and phosphorus. Continue to monitor their body condition and adjust feed accordingly; does carrying multiple kids need even more calories and nutrients.

Make sure not to overfeed grain during pregnancy to avoid the risk of having the kids grow so large that the doe has birthing difficulties.

Milking does
Milking does, or does that are nursing their kids, have higher nutritional needs than other goats. You will have started your pregnant goats on grain and gotten them used to eating a substantial amount of grain during the last two months of pregnancy. Continue this feeding, even increasing it to several pounds a day, according to the doe's body condition and the number of kids she is feeding or the amount of milk she is producing. Also, make sure that she is drinking plenty of fresh, clean water.

Supplying Your Goats with Water

Whether you are raising goats as part of a sustainable lifestyle or because you like to keep them as pets, they need a consistent supply of fresh, clean water to grow properly, stay healthy, and do their best in milk production. Pregnant and lactating does have the highest water needs, and when the weather is hot and dry, all goats need more water. A general rule is to give a goat between a half-gallon to four gallons each day per goat.

You can get by without a nearby water supply, but if your barn is any distance from your house, you'll find that hauling water and equipment back and forth is a lot of work. Plan ahead, even if it means digging a water line when you put in a new goat shelter or barn.

Even better is a sink and faucet with hot water. You can wash feed bowls and buckets without schlepping them to the house. And with dairy goats and the equipment they require, it's even more useful.

At a bare minimum you need a hose that reaches the barn or area where the goats hang out. Even with just that, if you don't want to be at the beck and call of your goats or if you actually have to leave the farm once in a while, you can use a stock tank and buy a float valve to attach to the hose. When the water is low, the valve opens to allow enough water through to refill the tank. Rubbermaid makes an inexpensive one that livestock supply stores carry.

Some people are fortunate enough to have a creek or a pond that goats can use for a water supply. Both are convenient but have the disadvantage of being more liable to become contaminated from urine, feces, and debris or from becoming stagnant. If you plan to use either of these sources, get the water tested first to determine whether it's safe for drinking. If you're on a city water source, talk to your water supplier about how to do this. If you have well water, you're responsible for its safety and can contact your local health department for information on getting it tested.

How to Train a Goat to Walk on a Lead

Lead training your goats is essential if you're planning to show your goats. A jumping, fighting, or recalcitrant goat doesn't fare well in the show ring. Even if you don't show goats, teaching them how to walk on a lead makes them easier to manage.

When you lead train, try to recruit a helper to push the goat from behind when it stops walking. To lead train, take the following steps every day for at least 10 minutes:

1. Put a collar on the goat.

Make sure it isn't too tight or so loose that it slips over the goat's head.

Attach a lead and position the collar.

The collar should fit at the top of the goat's jaw area and behind the top of the head.

Walk forward a few steps, pulling slightly on the lead.

If the goat follows, continue walking. Stop every few steps and reward the goat with a small treat or praise. Then start again. Gradually increase the distance the goat has to go to get the treat.

Do not drag the goat or pull too hard on the leash because it can block the windpipe and cause the goat to collapse. The goat will drop to his knees, sometimes exhibiting what appears to be a seizure, but will recover quickly.

Stop after a few steps if the goat stops, and then try again.

Use a treat such as peanuts, apple chunks, or corn chips to encourage the goat to walk.

Lead the goat; don't let the goat lead you. If the goat is leading well but tries to go past you, say "Stop" or "Get back," then stop and turn in the opposite direction. When the goat is stopped by the rope, wait a second, and then start to lead in the direction you turned.

When the lesson is complete, lead the goat back to the herd and remove the collar and lead.

After a goat is more comfortable walking on a lead, you can practice less frequently. Use this method to get the goat to the stanchion for routine care or just take her on an occasional walk on a lead.

How to Train Your Goats for Packing

If you're raising goats as part of your effort to live a green lifestyle, you may want to train them for packing. Although you can train almost any goat to pack, you're better off looking for a goat with certain qualities:

Large: Dairy wethers are the most highly valued goats for packing. The bigger they are, the more they can carry.

Friendly and energetic: Pack goats have to work with you as a team, so they'd better like humans. They also need to be able to take on the task of walking and carrying supplies.

Intelligent and curious: Intelligence and curiosity are good indicators that the goat can be successfully trained to pack. They will be in new and different situations where curiosity, rather than fearfulness, is important.

To train a goat to pack, first make sure that he is accustomed to being handled and is calm. The basic steps for pack training are:

1. Teach your goat to accept being tied.

This is important because the goat will need to be tied when you stop to camp, eat, or just rest.

Make sure your goat has a sturdy collar that isn't too loose. Tie the goat to a gate or fence at back height with a rope or lead that is a foot to a foot-and-a-half long for a short period of time.

Stay nearby to ensure that your goat doesn't get hurt. If the goat starts to get tangled up, calmly untangle him and tie him to the fence again.The goat should accept being tied up after only a few sessions.

2. Teach your goat to follow you.

You will be leading your goat when you pack.

3. Teach your goat to stand.

Your goat will need to know to stand when you're putting the pack saddle on him, or at other times on the trail.

When you are lead training and you come to a halt, say "Stand" or "Stop." Pull up on the lead rope if your goat doesn't stop. Practice this repeatedly, rewarding your goat when he complies, until he gets it.

4. Teach your goat to wear a pannier.

He will need a pannier to carry gear. Otherwise your goat will just be hiking, rather than packing.

First, show your goat the pannier and let him examine it. Gently place the pad and saddle on his back. Tighten the cinch strap, then fasten the breast collar and, last, fasten the rump strap. Check to make sure that two fingers fit between the goat and the cinch strap.

Let your goat get used to wearing the pannier while it's empty and to go through steps one through three. Take him hiking with it empty. Before you load up the pannier to go on a hike, determine how much weight your goat can safely carry. Overloading a pack can injure the goat.

A yearling pack goat can carry 10 percent of its body weight in a pannier. An older goat can carry up to 15 percent of its body weight.

Tsurcana Sheep

The Tsurcana may have descended from the wild Ovis vignei arkar. Since prehistoric times it has been domesticated in the Carpathians Mountains where it was established as a breed. It spread with the movement of flocks through the Alpine grazing areas to all Central European countries. The Tsurcana and its varieties are widely spread over Romania. Known as Valachian Zeckel it can also be found in southern Ukraine, Moldavia (Tushka), Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Bosnia-Hertzegovina, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. The greatest density of population, over six million, are found in Romania, mostly in mountainous regions. There are three varieties: white, grey and black. The white Tsurcana is the most numerous and highly selected.

Average height, long-limbed and medium-limbed, at maturity the ram weight averages 60-80 kg and the ewe weight 40-55 kg. The Tsurcana exhibits a narrow, straight head.  The rams are horned as are 50% of the ewes. The color can be white, brownish-black or grey, depending on the variety. In white sheep there are frequently spots around the lips, eyes and on the face and limbs. The trunk is medium; the well-developed barrel allows the attachment of a globe-shaped and well-developed udder. The breed is easily recognized by its coarse rough wool with a staple length of 20-30 cm. This breed has a harmonious body, a lively temperament, very quick in searching food. During mild winters it can be feed on the pasture only.

Tsurcana is highly adapted to mountainous conditions but it also spreading well received in  hill and plains areas.

It is a hardy breed, remarkably well adapted to bad weather due to its highly water resistant fleece and ability to cover long distances in search of forage. The breed is also very disease resistant. In autumn it develops 5-10 kg of internal fatty deposits, which is used as energy supplies during the winter and dry-lot period. The winter feeding costs are typically  2-3 times less in comparison with the finewool breeds.

It is a dual-purpose breed raised for milk, meat and wool production (Sibiu, Brashov, Caransebesh, Alba, Hunedoara, Gordge); milk, fur of young lambs and wool (Moldavia) depending on ecotype and the breeder's speciality.

Milk: medium production for primiparas 100 ± 40 kg and for pluriparas 150 ± 50 kg is obtained in 220 lactation days. The fat percentage is 7-8% and 6% in protein in milk. The milk is very good for feta, yoghurt, Swiss cheese, cheese for pizza.

Meat: newborn lambs weigh 3-4 kg and then their weight increases as follows: 9-10 kg (30 days old lambs), 20-25 kg (90 days old lambs), 30 kg (150 days old lambs). Suckling lambs with supplemental feeding from the age of ten days reach 15-17 kg at 45 days, gaining 150-275 g daily. If best conditions are provided, weaned lambs at 2.5-3 months and fattened intensively reach 40-47 kg at the age of 7 months.

Wool: 2-4 kg in ewes, 4-6 kg in rams, the wool strand has long and thick fibers (is 25 cm, 50-100 µ respectively), intermediate (12-15 cm and 35-45µ respectively) short ones (9 cm, 25 - 35 µ respectively). It is used for oriental carpets.

Fur of young lambs: the black and gray varieties are good for cross-breeding, with Karakul breed, having as a result 70-80% good quality Karakul fur.

Goat Milk vs. Cow Milk

Goat milk and cow milk are some of the healthiest beverages that are available today. But which one is better for you? Here is some information about goat milk and cow milk to help you decide which one to include in your alimentation.

Digestion 

If you have a sensitive stomach then chances are that you find it difficult to digest cow's milk. This means that goat's milk may be a better choice for you. Goat's milk is much more digestible than cow's milk. For one thing, the size of the fat molecules found in goat's milk are only a fraction of the size of the fat globules found in cow's milk. This means that the fat molecules in goat's milk are broken down easily. Another reason why goat's milk is better for digestion is the fact that goat's milk contains a higher amount of medium chain triglycerides or MCT's. MCT's assist in speeding up your metabolism and can also help lower your cholesterol levels.

Lactose Intolerance And Allergies

If you are lactose intolerant and unable to drink cow's milk then there is a 50% chance that you will be able to tolerate goat's milk. Goat's milk contains less lactose than cow's milk. Goat's milk is also recommended if you are allergic to cow's milk. Your allergy is likely caused by a certain protein found in cow milk called alpha S1 casein protein. Both human milk and goat milk lacks this protein.

Nutritional Content

The fact that goat's milk is more similar to human breast milk than any other food already proves how nutritious it is. One of its advantages over cow milk is its vitamin A content. Even though cow milk also contains vitamin A, it is often in the form of carotenoids. Carotenoids need to be converted by your body before they can become vitamin A. When you drink goat milk, the vitamin A is readily formed so it can be immediately absorbed by the body. This is an important benefit especially if you have a health condition that prevents your body from converting carotenoids to vitamin A.

Goat milk also has a higher content of riboflavin than cow milk. Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, is an important vitamin which helps in the metabolism of other minerals such as proteins and carbohydrates. It also strengthens your immune system by stimulating the production of antibodies. Surprisingly, goat milk also contains more protein and calcium than cow milk.

Biorganic Sodium

Aside from being nutritionally superior to cow milk, goat milk is also one of the best sources of biorganic sodium. This mineral assists in the production of important enzymes in the stomach. Therefore, lack of biorganic sodium can lead to digestive problems, bloating and even ulcers. Unfortunately, today's modern diet is full of foods that can deplete your body of the necessary biorganic sodium. If you regularly consume processed foods, alcohol, soda, sweets and other junk food, then you should make sure that your biorganic sodium intake compensates for these unhealthy choices. Making goat milk a regular part of your diet is one of the easiest ways you can do this. 

Romania offers ideal conditions for organic farming

With an agricultural area of about 15 million hectares, Romania can be after Poland the second largest producer of agricultural products in Central-Eastern Europe. In the 19th Century Romania was once the breadbasket of Europe. Only 60 percent of total agricultural land in Romania is currently being used. The grassland acreage- important for livestock production – amounts 4.8 million hectares. On the remaining areas cereals, mainly maize and wheat, are largely cultivated.

Enormous potential for investors:

     Cheap land prices.

     Affordable real estate price.
     High proportion of fallow land.
     Low wages.
     As EU member Romania benefits from free trade in the Union.
     Increasing subsidies for agriculture.

Reasons for beef production in Romania:

    Continental climate with sufficient rainfall.
    Enormous land resources with fertile soils.
    Total area of pastures: 4.8 million hectares.
    Cheap land and property prices.
    Know-how of the rural population in the animal husbandry.


For example,these arguments have led Karpaten Meat, to invest in agriculture in Romania. The existing resources allow both the production of organic beef and organic agriculture.