5 tips for keeping goats in winter

it will be useful for beginner goat breeders to make a cheat sheet for wintering their horned pets. Here are the main points to take into account

Wintering of livestock in Russian conditions is a test of strength for any livestock breeder, and those who have joined the world of goat breeding will have to learn about getting up in the dark, walking through the snow with buckets of water and the art of saving feed. Let's start with them.

1. Feeding goats in winter

Goats must be fed roughage to create warmth from the inside. In fact, if you feed these animals only grain and not hay, they may freeze to death, but die of bloating even earlier.

The pickiness of goats to food often confuses beginners, who have heard that goats eat almost everything and without problems. In fact, the complex digestive system of goats places special demands on their diet, especially in winter when grazing plants are not available.

As ruminants, goats have a four-compartment stomach designed to digest straw or hay. Unlike many other species, goats are able to easily digest cellulose, the fibrous part of plant material, and often prefer tough weeds to tender grass.

Goats cannot digest large amounts of concentrates such as corn, oats, or commercial goat food. Overfeeding leads to bloating and death; in goats, improper feeding is the cause of urinary stones.

Indeed, growing kids, pregnant or lactating goats need grain, but strictly in moderation. In other cases, animals have enough high-quality grass hay without dust and mold - from a kilogram to two kg per day per goat. This will provide the animals with a reasonable amount of energy and protein, while bean hay (clover and alfalfa) usually contains more protein, vitamins and minerals, but it all depends on quality - maturity during harvesting, drying and storage.

During periods of extremely cold temperatures, it is important not to increase the amount of grain or commercial concentrates, but to provide additional hay!

Keep in mind that goats don't like to eat anything off the ground, so a feeder is a smart investment.

Hay should be stored in a clean, dry, ventilated area. Wet hay will start to compost and become moldy (i.e. unfit for feeding), so if you're storing hay in a barn with a dirt floor, lift it up with boards or pallets.

2. Feed additives

Goats need mineral supplements all year round, but especially in the winter when they don't eat fresh greens from the pasture.

Complementary minerals (there are a number of products on the market designed specifically for the goat industry) are best fed in bulk from specialized dispensers, but in the absence of dispensers can be offered on a free choice basis.

Goats require a significant amount of copper and selenium in their diet, and in winter, when a fluffy coat should warm from the cold, zinc is added. Zinc and copper are two minerals that promote thick hair growth.

Get a bag of sunflower seeds from your home bins to mix a handful or two into your grain ration. The seeds contain healthy fats, give the skin and coat the necessary oils to counteract the cold.

Vegetable dressings, pumpkin or carrots, will undoubtedly delight animals.

3. Goat's rue on a deep litter

Like any animal, goats need a warm room in winter. Ventilation - good, drafts - bad.

Cold air on the floor of a goat’s house can accumulate poisonous gases, but with proper ventilation, cold, unhealthy air will be forced out, and warm, clean air will descend from the ceiling. However, keep in mind that due to improper ventilation, when a constant draft blows, goats become vulnerable to pneumonia.

Seal the windiest sides of the shed with plywood, and if possible, make such cheap sheathing around the perimeter.

Probably everyone knows about the deep litter method when keeping chickens. Some use it for goats when the coldest weather comes. At this time, clean straw is laid on top of the old one, which in turn is composted and releases heat. With this method, proper ventilation is very important! In the spring, the entire barn is cleaned out, and the finished compost is sold.

For sleep and rest in winter, goats are placed on wooden platforms, avoiding contact with cold earth or mud, in any case.

4. Water supply

Water is vital at any time of the year, especially when the diet consists of hay.

It is important to remember that goats rarely eat ice or snow and hate dirty or stagnant water. To keep your goats healthy, be sure to provide them with plenty of clean fresh water.

5. Outdoor exercise

An active goat is a healthy goat. If it's not too cold or windy, outdoor walking will improve the HEALTH of the animals.

Several feeding stations with treats are a good way to get horned pets moving, as are toys and climbing platforms.

Note that the combination of cold and wet weather exacerbates health problems such as respiratory problems. In order not to freeze, the goats gather together. And although they keep warm, pandemonium can lead to outbreaks of disease and even injury.

For prevention, strengthen animal health control and separate places for young goats from adult goats.