Goat Farming

BEST PRACTICES FOR SUSTAINABLE GOAT FARMING FOR INDIAN SCENARIO

November 2, 2022

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BEST PRACTICES FOR SUSTAINABLE GOAT FARMING FOR INDIAN SCENARIO

Goat production is the main component of the farming system and an important source of income for poor villagers. Goat produces milk, meat, fiber, skin etc. Goats are raised for meat production, but they also produce milk to meet the family requirement. Commercial goat farming is defined as goat rearing under intensive and semi-intensive systems for commercial production. Commercial goat farming has emerged as important drivers of agricultural growth in India (Prasad, 2018) . Commercial goat farming has a huge opportunity in rural development as goat has the potential for export of products, capital storage, household income and employment. The goat rearing using improved management practices undertaken for maximization of returns from the enterprise was considered ‘commercial goat farming’ (Singh et al., 2018) . Semi intensive system is a combination of extensive and intensive systems in which limited free-range grazing is allowed with stall feeding. Goats are allowed to graze on the common property resources or cultivable/fallow land for 4-6 hours/day and are kept in stalls where they are offered tree leaves, dry fodder, and concentrate mixture (Prasad, 2018) . Intensive system goats are continuously kept under housing in confinement with limited access to land (zero-grazing system) and provided with complete stall feeding on cultivated fodders, crop residues, and concentrates or compounded feeds. (Prasad, 2018)

Global Scenario of Goat Farming

Asia and Africa have major goat populations in the world. Africa contributed 53% of the total population in the world. In Asia India, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have the most shares in the population (Department Animal Husbandry Statistics- 2020-21).

Indian Scenario of Goat Farming

The goat population increased by about 10% as compared to the previous census. India secured 1st rank in goat milk products and 2nd rank in sheep and goat meat In 2020-21, 7050.55 MT of goat and sheep meat was exported by India. Rajasthan has the highest goat population in India followed by West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh(20th livestock census). West Bengal, Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan are major states of goat and sheep meat production. Thirty four goat breeds are registered according to a different zone of India.

Goat farming in India dates back to many centuries. Farmers in India are well equipped with information about Goat farming. Many farmers in India, do hold at least an average of 5 to 20 goats in their small piece of land.

The most sustainable farming practice is Goat farming. It is easy to maintain a couple of goats when compared to cows and other livestock. In any drought condition, the goats can sustain. Goat farming in India is always a profitable business.

Choosing the Right Goat Breed

Buying a goat starts with choosing a breed that fits with your goals: meat or milk. If it is for the milk, choose a milch breed and if for meat, then a locally available meat breed is best. It is inadvisable to bring a breed from afar; rather choose one from the breeding tract of the breed selected. Normally, goats purchased for breeding stock are one to two year old.

Goat breeds distributed across India and their characteristics

Breed	Breeding tract	Important features
Attapady Black	Palakkad (Kerala)	Well adapted to Attapady and maintained mainly on grazing.
Barbari	Bharatpur (Rajastan); Aigarh, Mathura, Agra, Etawah, Hathras (Uttar Pradesh)	Prolific and non-seasonal breed well suited for rearing under restrained and stall feeding conditions.
Berari	Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Nagpur (Maharashtra)	The breed does well in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra where the temperature is extremely high in the summer.
Gohilwadi	Amreli, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Rajkot, Porbandar (Gujarat)	Adapted to the hot semi-arid climate. Has slightly twisted horns, a convex noseline and coarse long hair.
Jakhrana	Alwar (Rajasthan)	Has a straight faceline and narrow and slightly bulging forehead. Large udder with conical teats.
Jamunapari	Etawah (Uttar Pradesh)	The best dairy breed in South-East Asia and the tallest breed in India.
Kanni Adu	Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar/ Kamarajar, Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu)	Has white stripes on both sides of the face extending from the base of the horn to the corner of the muzzle. Also has a white patch or line on either side of the neck.
Kodi Adu	Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu)	Adapted to cover long distances during browsing and reared primarily for meat. Possesses white coat with black or reddish brown splashes.
Kutchi	Banas Kantha, Mehsana, Kuchchh, Patan (Gujarat)	Predominantly reared for meat and milk. Has predominantly black long coat with coarse hair, slightly roman nose, and corkscrew type horns.
Marwari	Barmer, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Jodhpur, Nagaur, Pali (Rajasthan)	The breed is well adapted to the inhospitable agro-climatic conditions of the hot arid region.
Mehsana	Ahmedabad, Banas Kantha, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Sabar Kantha, Patan (Gujarat)	Well adapted to inhospitable agro-climatic conditions of the region. Possess black ears with a white base; a few are reddish brown with a white ear base.
Osmanabadi	Osmanabad, Latur, Ahmadnagar, Solapur, Parbhani (Maharashtra)	The breed is known for its early maturity, prolificacy and good dressing percentage.
Salem Black	Salem, Dharmapuri, Erode, Krishnagiri (Tamil Nadu)	Well adapted to the harsh climatic conditions of North-western Tamil Nadu. Its meat is very tasty compared to that of other goats.
Sangamneri	Nashik, Pune, Ahmadnagar (Maharashtra)	Its white coat is extensively coarse and short, and sometimes mixed with black and brown colour. Horns are thin, pointed, directed backwards and upwards.
Sirohi	Ajmer, Bhilwara, Chittaurgarh, Sirohi, Udaipur, Rajsamand (Rajasthan)	A hardy animal adapted to the harsh agro-climatic conditions of Rajasthan.
Surti	Vadodara, Bharuch, Valsad, Surat, Narmada, Navsari (Gujarat)	Good milch animals with milk production ranging from 1.5 – 4 litres/ day. They are good breeders and possess 50-60% twinning percentage but rarely (5%) are triplets born. They are suited to stall feeding or complete confinement.
Zalawadi	Rajkot, Surendranagar (Gujarat)	Well adapted to harsh climatic conditions and wider range of vegetation in the region. Possess long, wide, leaf-like droopy ears and well developed udder with distinctly placed long, cylindrical-shaped teat.

Goat breeds distributed across India

Housing

Goat housing is simple. The semi-intensive (grazing and closed enclosure) system of rearing is suitable for the semi-arid tropics compared to the extensive (grazing) and intensive (zero grazing) systems.

Lately, raised platforms or elevated housing systems have gained popularity compared to open housing to prevent foot rot and also to enable the farmer to collect pellets. The floor may be elevated with bamboo or wooden slats about 1.0 to 1.5 metres high. Commercial farmers may use fibre sheets or slats as a platform.

The space required for goats in intensive/stall feeding.

Category of goats	Average space (Sq m) required per goat
Kids	0.5
Adult females (doe)	1.0
Pregnant and lactating	1.5-2.0
Adult male (buck)	3.0-4.0

Feeding
Goat diet must include approximately 60-70% of green fodder, 20-30% of dry fodder and 5-10% of concentrate/supplementary feed, providing it about 16-20% of Crude Protein (CP) and 65% of Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN). Additional concentrate/ supplementary feed must be provided to pregnant and lactating animals and breeding bucks.
• Green fodder should include legumes (guar, berseem, cowpea, lucerne, stylosanthes); non-legumes/cereals (maize, pearl millet, sorghum, oat); grasses (hybrid napier, guinea grass, anjan grass), and fodder trees (Subabul, Sesbania, glyricidia, etc.)
• Concentrate/supplementary feed may be prepared using a combination of maize/soybean/green gram/cereals (broken/ground/mashed) (30-40%), any oilcake (20-30%), husk/bran (30-40%) and mineral mixture and salt (1-2%).
• Goats can also be fed low grade roughage/residues which are treated in the following methods: physical and mechanical (soaking, chopping, grinding, pelleting, steaming and irradiation); chemical (sodium hydroxide, urea/ammonia, etc.); and biological (fungi).
• Ensure a minimum 250 grams of concentrate and 5 grams each of common saltand mineral mixture in the daily diet of the goat.

First Combination

Nutrient composition and feed formulation of supplementary feed (concentrate mixture) for goat

Ingredients	Quantity for 100 kg
Maize	30
Groundnut cake	5
Soybean	5
Green gram chuni	10
Rice polish	5
Wheat bran	40
Limestone	2
Mineral mixture	1
Salt	2
Total	100

First combination

Second Combination

Nutrient composition and feed formulation of supplementary feed (concentrate mixture) for goat

Ingredients	Quantity for 100 kg
Maize/soybean/ green gram/cereal (broken/ground) mash	30-40
Any oilcake	20-30
Husk/bran	30-40
Mineral mixture and salt	01-02
Total	100

Second combination

Goats should be fed about 250-400 gms daily based on their growth stage.

Major raw materials and their sources used in making supplementary/concentrate feed.

Raw materials	Sources
Cereals and millets	Sorghum (jowar), maize, pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi), rice, oats, wheat, etc.
Oilseed cake	Soybean meal, groundnut cake, cotton seed cake, sunflower cake, silkworm pupae meal, coconut cake
Agro-industrial by-products	Rice bran, wheat bran, rice polish, deoiled rice bran, chuni
Mineral and vitamin mixture	Calcite grit, calcium carbonate, ground limestone, oyster shell, steamed bone meal, monosodium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, defluorinated rock phosphate, soft rock phosphate

Care and Management

When ill, goats need to be isolated. Symptoms of illness could be manifest in the form weakness, lagging behind in the flock, reduced feed and water consumption, etc.

Vaccination and deworming are the best options for farmers to keep their goats healthy. Hygienic living conditions on the farm and keeping them free of parasitic infestations is important. Dipping may be followed under the local veterinarian’s guidance.

Common Goat Diseases And Vaccination Schedules.

Disease	Age at vaccination	Periodicity of vaccination
Enterotoxaemia	> 4 months	Biannual (January and July)
Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD)	> 4-6 months	Biannual (Feb/March and August/September)
Black quarter	> 4-6 months	Annually (March/April)
Hemorrhagic septicemia	> 4-6 months	Annually (April/May)
Anthrax	> 6 months	Annually (April/May or in affected areas)
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR)	> 4 months	Annually (June/July)
Blue tongue	> 4-6 months	Annually (August)
Pox	> 4 months	Annually (December)

Deworming Schedule

15-20 days after birth
Every two months for the first year
Thrice a year (April, July and November)
Repeat deworming as required.
Caring for Kids
Cut the umbilicus to 1.5-2.0 inches length and apply tincture of iodine.
• Clean the mucous from the nose, mouth, etc, with a clean cloth if the mother has not cleaned the kid.
• Feed the kid colostrum @ 1/10th of the kid’s body weight within half an hour of kidding.
• If the doe has given birth to twins or triplets, make sure there is sufficient milk either from the mother or from the foster mother. Reconstituted milk can also be fed if natural milk is not available.
• Allow kids to suckle from the foster mother if the mother has health issues.
• Record the weight of the kid at birth and every 15 days.
Reproductive Management

Most Indian goat breeds exhibit oestrus throughout the year. A few breeds are seasonally polyestrous with the extended breeding season.
• Under extensive conditions, rearing of bucks (males) with females leads to mating throughout the year.
• Goats usually come to heat between September and November and March and April.
• Depending on the body condition, flush them with 300-350 g of concentrate feed daily along with ample green fodder to improve body condition. Flushing around breeding increases the kid crop by 10-20%, increasing the number of twins born.
• During pregnancy, feed the doe about 300-400 g of concentrate daily during late gestation (2 months). This transition feeding should continue for 2 months after kidding.
• Transition feeding helps improve milk yield, nursing ability, health condition, birth weight of kids, reduces stillbirths, and improves twinning and triplet percentage.
• During pregnancy, an increase of about 10-12 kg body weight is desirable.
• A doe can be first bred after it attains 65-70% of adult body weight. The age at first kidding is 12-14 months and the gestation period of goats is 5 months and 5 days. Take steps to avoid inbreeding.
• Be watchful for a shiny udder, restlessness, sunken tail and hip, heavy breathing, and constant looking sideways, which are signs of approaching parturition .
• Post kidding, provide the doe a bucket of clean water. Keep the doe and kid in the same cubicle for 3-4 days. Thereafter, the doe may be allowed to graze with other goats.

Management of Breeding Bucks
Breeding bucks or males contribute predominantly to production and reproduction potential.
• Semen production in males starts
at 6-8 months. Bucks for breeding should be selected on the basis
of 9-12 months of body weight. However, the optimum age of bucks for breeding is 2 years.
• The male to female ratio is very important in breeding. A ratio of 10 females to 1 male of one year and 20 females to 1 male of two years and above are ideal.
• The buck should have a good history/record, and should be shifted every 2 to 2.5 years from the flock to avoid inbreeding.
• Do not overfeed bucks. Do not allow them to run with the does. House the males and females apart.
• Avoid choosing a breeding buck from the same flock for several generations to avoid inbreeding.
• Feed bucks an extra concentrate @300-400 gm/day during the breeding season.
• Castration: Male kids not required for breeding can be castrated. This is known to increase the growth rate and feed utilization, and also believed to reduce the goat-like smell of meat, thereby increasing its acceptability.

Benefits of Goat Farming in India

If it’s a commercial Goat farm or domestic goat farm, always have benefits. Goat farming in India is a booming business for any young entrepreneur to take up. Below are a few advantages of Starting a profitable Goat farming business in India:

The low initial investmentneeded for Goat farming when compared to other livestock farming.
Goats are 2.5 times more economical than sheepon free-range grazing under semi-arid conditions.
The goat is a multi-purpose animal producing meat, milk, hide, fiber, and manure.
Goats are more tolerant to a hot climate(some places like Rajasthan, Tamilnadu) than other farm animals.
In drought-prone areas in India risk of goat farming is very much less as compared to other livestock.
Due to small body size and docile nature problems with goats are less.
Goat farming can be a profitable occupation for a farmer and can fit well into mixed farming.
Goats are friendly animals and enjoy being with the Human being.
Goats are prolific breeders and achieve sexual maturity at the age of 10-12 months gestation period in goats is short and at the age of 15-16 months, it starts giving milk.
Twinning is very common and triplets and quadruplets are rare.
Unlike large animals in commercial farm conditions, both male and female goats have equal value.
Goats are ideal for mixed species grazing. The animal can thrive well on a Wide Variety of thorny bushes, weeds, crop residues, agricultural by-products unsuitable for human consumption.
Under proper management, goats can improve and maintain grazing landand reduce bush encroachment (biological control) without causing harm to the environment. A very good example of Regenerative farming.
Goats give more production per unit of investment.
No religious taboo against goat slaughterand meat consumption prevalent in the country.
Slaughter and dressing operation and meat disposal can be carried without many environmental problems.
The goat meat is leaner (low cholesterol)and relatively good for people who prefer low energy diet especially in summer and sometimes goat meat is preferred over mutton because of its “chewability.”
Goat milk is used as an Ayurvedic medicine for personasailing with asthma, cough, diabetes, etc.
Goat hide is used for the manufacture of leather productsincluding goatskin gloves.
Goat milk is easy to digestthan cow milk because of small fat globules and is Naturally homogenized. Goat milk is said to play a role in improving appetite and digestive efficiency. Goat milk is also nonallergic as compared to cow milk and it has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties and can be used for treating urogenital diseases of fungal origin.
Goat creates employment to the rural poorbesides effectively utilizing unpaid Family labor. There is ample scope for establishing cottage industries based on Goat meat and milk products and value addition to skin and fiber.
Goat manure is a rich fertilizerfor your fields. An average goat produces over a ton of manure every year.
Goat is termed as a walking refrigerator for the storage of milk and can be milked a number of times in a day.

READ MORE : Listeriosis in Goats

Difficulties of Goat Farming in India

Due to a lack of knowledge, 70 percent of farmers in the category had difficulty in identifying pure breed animals. Difficulty in getting good quality breeding animals was a major constraint. The best animals (particularly males) from the traditional flocks were sold for slaughtering to traders/butchers. That resulted in the scarcity of good quality breeding animals.

Another major constraint was the realization of low prices for the surplus live goats. The trade of live goats, which is unorganized and is in the hands of a large number of middlemen, traders, and butchers, does not favor goat farmers.

The live goats were sold not on the basis of their body weight in the livestock markets; this resulted in under-estimation of the value of live animals. Before building the reputation as a producer of quality breeding goats, the farmers got a very low price for their animals.

High mortality in goats due to PPR, diarrhea, pneumonia, tetanus, etc. at the beginning of the project, was a major concern of the farmers. It resulted even in the closure of a number of farms in the beginning.

Disadvantages of Goat Farming

The following are the most significant downsides of goat farming.

– Conventional System:

The majority of goat farmers raise their animals in the conventional way. And the majority of the farmers used to keep their goats under strict supervision. They are oblivious to the present system.

– Insufficient Knowledge:

There is also a lack of expertise regarding how to efficiently run a goat farming business. There are numerous agriculture extension offices, universities, and research institutes to choose from. However, the majority of individuals do not take use of government programs.

– Inability to Select Correct Breed:

The majority of goat farmers, especially those who are just starting out, make mistakes when it comes to selecting the correct breed for their business. As a result, they do not produce well. Then they go out of business.

– Getting Started with No Prior Experience:

After making the decision, some beginners immediately begin raising goats. This is not a good idea, and newcomers with little experience with goat rearing will face high costs and fatality rates. And they usually make less money or even lose money.

– Inadequate Veterinary Care:

There is a lack of adequate veterinary care across the country. This is also one of the major drawbacks of goat rearing.

– Some Areas Have Marketing Challenges:

In some areas, a good market is not always available. As a result, producers confront difficulties in marketing their goods. This is not a smart way to manage a prosperous goat farming operation.

Bottom Line:

These are the most typical drawbacks of goat rearing. Before making a decision, carefully consider both the disadvantages and benefits of goat farming.

Feeding management of goats

CompositionI Feeding different age groups ofgoats

Feeding does in different stages
Feeding of breeding does

If the availability of pasture is good there is no need to supplement concentrate mixture.
In poor grazing condition animals may be supplemented with concentrate mixture @150 – 350 g of concentrate / animal/day depending up on the age
The digestible crude protein level of concentrate mixture used in the adult feed is 12 per cent.
Feeding does during the first four months of pregnancy:
Pregnant animals should be allowed in good quality pasture 4-5 hours per day.
Their ration must be supplemented with available green fodder at the rate of 5 kg per head per day.
Feeding does during the last one month of pregnancy:
In this period fetal growth increases 60 – 80 per cent until parturition and lack of enough energy in the feed can cause pregnancy toxaemia in does. So during this period animals should be allowed in very good quality pasture 4-5 hours per day.
In addition to grazing, animals should be fed with concentrate mixture @ 250 –350 g/animal/day.
Their ration should be supplemented with available green fodder at the rate of 7 kg per head per day.
Feeding does at kidding time
As kidding time approaches or immediately after kidding the grain allowance should be reduced but good quality dry roughage is fed free choice.
It is usually preferable to feed lightly on the day of parturition, but allow plenty of clean, cool water.
Soon after kidding the doe must be given just enough of slightly warm water.
After parturition the ration of the doe may be gradually increased so that she receives the full ration in divided doses six to seven times in a day.
Bulky and laxative feedstuffs may be included in the ration during the first few days.
A mixture of wheat bran and barely or oats or maize at 1: 1 proportion is excellent.
Feeding lactating does

The following rations may be recommended

6-8 hours grazing + 10 kg cultivated green fodder/day
6-8 hours grazing + 400 g of concentrate mixture/day
6-8 hours grazing + 800 g of good quality legume hay/day
Feeding non pregnant does
If the availability of pasture is good no need to supplement with concentrate mixture
In poor grazing condition animals may be supplemented with 150 – 200 g of concentrate / animal/day.
Feeding bucks for breeding
The common practice is allowing the bucks to graze with does.
Under such conditions the bucks will get the same ration as the does
Usually, it will meet the nutritional requirements of the buck.
Where there are facilities for separate feeding of the buck, it may be given half a kilogram of a concentrate mixture consisting of three parts oats or barley, one part maize and one part wheat per day.
Feeding kids
Feeding from birth to three months of age

Immediately after birth feed the young ones with colostrum.
Up to 3 days of birth keep dam and young ones together for 2-3 days for frequent access of milk.
After 3 days and up to weaning feed the kids with milk at 2 to 3 times a day.
At about 2 weeks of age the young ones should be trained to eat green roughages.
At one month of age the young ones should be provided with the concentrate mixture (Creep feed).

Colostrum feeding of kids

The kid should be allowed to suck its dam for the first three or four days so that they can get good amount of colostrum.
Colostrum feeding is a main factor in limiting kid losses.
Cow colostrum is also efficient for kids.
Colostrum is given at the rate of 100 ml per kg live weight.
Colostrum can be preserved with 1-1.5% (vol/wt) propionic acid or 0.1% formaldehyde. Propionic acid is preferred for preservation as it keeps the pH value low.
The chemically treated colostrum is kept at cool place to ensure better quality.

Creep feeding for kids

This creep feed may be started from one month of age and up to 2-3 months of age
The main purpose of creep feeding is to give more nutrients for their rapid growth.
The general quantity to be given to the kids is 50 – 100 gm/animal/day.
This should contain 22 per cent protein.
Antibiotics like oxytetracycline or chlortetracycline may be mixed at the rate of 15 to 25 mg/kg of feed.

Composition of ideal creep feed

Maize – 40%
Ground nut cake -30 %
Wheat bran – 10 %
Deoiled rice bran- 13 %
Molasses – 5%
Mineral mixture- 2%
Salt – 1% fortified with vitamins A, B2 and D3 and antibiotic feed supplements.

Feeding schedule for a kid from birth to 90 days:

Age of kids	Dam’smilk or cow milk (ml)	Creep feed (grams)	Forage, green/day (gm)
1-3 days	Colostrum-300 ml, 3 feedings	–	–
4-14days	350 ml, 3 feedings	–	–
15-30 days	350 ml, 3 feedings	A little	A little
31-60 days	400 ml, 2 feedings	100-150	Free choice
61-90 days	200 ml, 2 feedings	200-250	Free choice

Feeding after three months to twelve months of age

Grazing in the pasture for about 8 hours per day.
Supplementation of concentrate mixture @ 100 – 200 g/animal/day with protein of 16-18 per cent.
Dry fodder during night in summer months and during rainy days.

Feeding Management

Extensive Grazing

Grazing the sheep and goat in the entire pasture and leaving them there for the whole season is the extensive system of rearing.
In this method feed cost is very much reduced.
It is not conducive to making the best use of the whole grasses. So we can preferably practice the rotational grazing method.

Rotational grazing method

Rotational grazing should be practiced under which the pasture land should be divided by temporary fences into several sections.
The animals are then moved from one section to another section. By the time the entire pasture is grazed, the first section will have sufficient grass cover to provide second grazing.
Parasitic infestations can be controlled to a great extent.
Further, it helps to provide quality fodder (immature) for most part of the year.
Under this system, it is advisable to graze the lambs first on a section and then bring in ewes to finish up the feed left by the lambs.
Semi-intensive

Semi-intensive system of goat production is an intermediate compromise between extensive and intensive system followed in some flocks having limited grazing.
It involves extensive management but usually with controlled grazing of fenced pasture.
It consists of provision of stall feeding, shelter at night under shed and 3 to 5 hour daily grazing and browsing on pasture and range.
In this method the feed cost somewhat increased.

This system has the advantage of

Meeting the nutrient requirement both from grazing and stall feeding.
Managing medium to large flock of 50 to 350 heads and above.
Utilizing cultivated forage during lean period.
Harvesting good crop of kids both for meat and milk.
Making a profitable gain due to less labour input.
Intensive system-zero grazing-system
It is a system in which goats are continuously kept under housing in confinement with limited access to land or otherwise so called zero grazing system of goat production in which they are stall fed.
It implies a system where goats are not left to fend for themselves with only minimum care.
Intensive operation of medium sized herd of 50 to 250 heads or more oriented towards commercial milk production goes well with this system particularly of dairy goats.
It merits exploitation of the system of feeding agro-industrial by products as on pangola grass (Digitaria Decumbens) with carrying capacity of 37 to 45 goats per hectare.
This system of management requires more labour and high cash input.
However, this has the advantage of close supervision and control over the animals.
In this method the dung is collected in one place and used as a good fertilizer.
Less space is sufficient for more number of animals.

Rearing in mud floor

In this method, once in a year 1-2 inches of mud surface should be removed.
Application of lime powder once in a month will reduce the disease occurrence in the shed.
The shed should be constructed in elevated area to prevent water stagnation.

Deep litter shed

In this method the litter materials ground nut husk, sugarcane tops etc. are spread on the floor for a depth of ½ feet and animals are reared in it.
The urine and dung mixed with the litter materials and used as fertilizer.
The litter materials should be removed once in six months.
In heavy rain seasons, the litter materials should not be over wet to prevent ammonia gas production.

Elevated floor shed

Its initial investment is high.
In the wooden floor sheds, in a distance of 3m from the floor, the animals are reared.
This requires less labour and more irrigation land for the fodder production.

The elevated sheds will be clean and urine and dung will be collected in the floor and periodical removing required once in six months.

Housing Management

Feeding and watering space requirement

Type of animal	Space per animal (cm)	Width of manger/ water trough(cm)	Depth of manger/ water trough (cm)	Height of inner wall of manger/ water trough (cm)
Sheep and goat	40 – 50	50	30	35
Kid/lamb	30 – 35	50	20	25

Recommended space requirements for Indian conditions

Age groups	Covered space(sq.m)	Opened space( sq.m)
Up to 3 months	0.2-0.25	0.4-0.5
3 months to 6 months	0.5-0.75	1.0-1.5
6 months to 12 months	0.75-1.0	1.5-2.0
Adult animal	1.5	3.0
Male, Pregnant or lactating ewe/doe	1.5-2.0	3.0- 4.0

Different systems of Sheep and Goat rearing

Extensive rearing of Sheep

Grazing the sheep and goat in the entire pasture and leaving them there for the whole season is the extensive system of rearing.
In this method feed cost is very much reduced.
It is not conducive to making the best use of the whole grasses. So we can preferably practice the rotational grazing method.

Rotational grazing method

Rotational grazing should be practiced under which the pasture land should be divided by temporary fences into several sections.
The animals are then moved from one section to another section. By the time the entire pasture is grazed, the first section will have sufficient grass cover to provide second grazing.
Parasitic infestations can be controlled to a great extent.
Further, it helps to provide quality fodder (immature) for most part of the year.
Under this system, it is advisable to graze the lambs first on a section and then bring in ewes to finish up the feed left by the lambs.

Semi-intensive

Semi-intensive system of goat production is an intermediate compromise between extensive and intensive system followed in some flocks having limited grazing.
It involves extensive management but usually with controlled grazing of fenced pasture.
It consists of provision of stall feeding, shelter at night under shed and 3 to 5 hour daily grazing and browsing on pasture and range.
In this method the feed cost somewhat increased.

This system has the advantage of

Meeting the nutrient requirement both from grazing and stall feeding.
Managing medium to large flock of 50 to 350 heads and above.
Utilizing cultivated forage during lean period.
Harvesting good crop of kids both for meat and milk.
Making a profitable gain due to less labour input.

Intensive system-zero grazing-system

It is a system in which goats are continuously kept under housing in confinement with limited access to land or otherwise so called zero grazing system of goat production in which they are stall fed.
It implies a system where goats are not left to fend for themselves with only minimum care.
Intensive operation of medium sized herd of 50 to 250 heads or more oriented towards commercial milk production goes well with this system particularly of dairy goats.
It merits exploitation of the system of feeding agro-industrial by products as on pangola grass (Digitaria Decumbens) with carrying capacity of 37 to 45 goats per hectare.
This system of management requires more labour and high cash input.
However, this has the advantage of close supervision and control over the animals.
In this method the dung is collected in one place and used as a good fertilizer.
Less space is sufficient for more number of animals.

Housing for goats

Deep litter system

A small shed with good cross ventilation is enough to keep a small herd.
Litter height should be atleat 6cms.
Litter material maybe of sawdust, paddy husk and groundnut shell.
The litter material has to be turned periodically to remove the foul odour in the pen.
Litter material should be replaced once in every 2 weeks.
Each goat requires about 15 sq.ft area.
care should be taken to reduce the external parasitic infestation.
An adult goat produces about a tonne of manure in a year.

Raised platform system