In their natural habitat, goats range freely over many acres, consuming a wide variety of high-quality forage and browse. Being both ruminants and herbivores with fast metabolisms, goats must eat continually, concentrating on the best selection of weeds and leaves available to them. Goats are not the 'tin-can eaters' portrayed in Saturday morning cartoons. Their digestive systems are sensitive and fine tuned.
Roughage is essential to the goat's diet. Dry matter roughage (long fiber, i.e. grass hay and dry forage/browse) is essential for proper rumen function. Goats digest their food with live bacteria. A generous combination of live bacteria and grass hay is an essential building block towards establishing a healthy rumen. As the day wears on, the rumen grows larger as the goat eats more long fiber. The producer can actually see the rumen expand as the day passes. A large rumen is not an indication of a fat goat; instead, it is indicative of a good digestive factory. Note: Bloated goats have large rumens, but they are tight and hard, rather than the spongy-feeling-to-the-touch sides of a healthy goat.
Goats were not meant to be penned and intensively fed grain products. Herbivores cannot digest much high-protein feed. The part not digested either leaves the goat's body as urine or feces, or causes health problems like urinary calculi, ruminal acidosis, ketosis (in pregnant does), hypocalcemia ("milk fever") in lactating does, bloat, founder, or other rumen-related illnesses. Improper levels of protein, vitamins, minerals, and nitrogen can also contribute to breeding and kidding problems. See this author's website's Articles Page for treatises on these topics.
Goats do not marble fat throughout the meat as cattle do. Instead, fat layers around vital internal organs (heart, kidneys, liver), impairing their optimum function. Continual overfeeding of grain products will not only cause the health problems listed above, but will also damage the goat's bones and entire skeletal system. Mega-calorie feeding will add gross weight to a goat, but the bones cannot grow fast enough to carry the weight. Show-goat bucks that survive such intensive feed regimens and live to four or five years of age are often seen walking on their front knees because their bone growth has not kept pace with the massive body weight that it is required to carry. Gout-like symptoms are not uncommon in surviving older show goats.
Creep feeding of grains is not recommended for any goat, kid or adult. Creep-feeding, to this author, means offering grain free-choice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If the producer must offer grain because of limited forage availability, then do so in limited quantities, remove anything left after 15 minutes, and offer less the next day. Note: Some producers believe that they can creep feed successfully. This writer thinks that most people raising goats, particularly those new to the industry, should stay away from this feeding methodology. There are too many variables that can kill goats; here are but two examples: Feeding textured feed (horse-and-mule type feeds) in hot and moist climates can result in mold and induce listeriosis, and (2) Offering grains like shelled or cracked corn can cause bloat or ruminal acidosis. Too many telephone calls and emails come my way with problems resulting from creep feeding for this goat producer to endorse it. The biggest problem with creep feeding is massive over-feeding of sacked feed. Many sacked feed labels recommend feeding far in excess of the amount that an individual goat should eat. Remember that these companies are in the business of selling feed rather than raising quality meat goats.
The conversion rate of feed-to-muscle (meat) in goats is inefficient; it takes about eight pounds of feed to produce one pound of meat. It is neither healthy for the goats nor for the producer's bank account to sack feed the goats on a regular basis. Supplementation is necessary in bad weather, but forage/browse is where goats need to be the majority of their lives. The producer, however, must make sure that his goats are not overcrowded and that sufficient quality forage/browse is available for them. It seems that goat breeders wind up on both ends of the spectrum, either over-feeding or under-feeding. Finding that right balance is the necessary goal in order to raise healthy goats.
Other than death caused by slaughter or predators, the third-ranking killer of goats is, in this writer's opinion, producers who improperly feed their (usually confined) animals. Goats are not intended to be fat animals. A layman's method of checking for excess body fat on a goat is to try to 'pinch an inch' of fat where the goat's front leg meets its body. Indeed, one of the main attractions of goat meat to consumers is that it is lower in fat and calories than white meats or other red meats.
Think of goats as 'first cousins' to deer. Goats range and forage like deer, eating the same types of plants. Because goats are not naturally resistant to stomach worms, they eat 'from the top down.' Wherever goats forage heavily, a browse line will be present, above which the forage is intact and below which the goats have obviously eaten. Trying to make grazing animals of goats invites worm infestation. Goats will eat grasses, but only when other, more nutritious weeds and leaves are not available.
If there is not a retailer or mill producing feed made specifically for goats in your area, then find a qualified nutritionist familiar with the types of feed that goats require and utilize his services. Do not try to mix feed yourself. Most of us raising goats, this writer included, do not have the knowledge or experience to formulate a good feed ration. Proper nutrition is a complex issue. Do not rely on persons experienced in cattle or sheep nutrition. Goats are not 'little cows, ' and sheep have distinctly different nutritonal needs from goats.
The percentage of protein in a feed ration is just one of the factors to be considered. Most prepared feeds are too high in protein. There are several types of protein . . . . soluable (digestable) and bypass (indigestable) being two of them . . . and how they interact with the goat's digestive system is of paramount importance to the animal's health. When reading feed labels, find out exactly what comprises the "crude protein" indicated on the bag or block. Rule of Thumb: Cheaper (less 'useable' by the goat's body) ingredients equal feed that you should not want to offer your goats. Properly-formulated rations will be better utilized by the goat, thereby costing the producer less in the long run.
Ammonium chloride and urea are non-protein nitrogens, and both products are often over-used. Ammonium chloride is used in the (hopeful) prevention of urinary calculi, despite the fact that its usage can cause an excess of urea in the liver and kidneys. While this author often hears that urea can be successfully fed to goats, she maintains that goat producers need to avoid feeding urea unless they have employed a goat nutritionist who is very familiar with how to properly use it.
Correct amounts of vitamins and minerals are critical to cycling, breeding, birthing, and even hair color and texture. Goat nutritionists know which minerals in what forms bind up other minerals and prevent their proper functioning. Energy is one more element requiring consideration in a proper feeding regimen.
Nitrogen levels in most prepared feeds are too high for goats. Changes in climatic conditions affect what the goat needs to eat to remain healthy. Forage, browse, and pasture affected by drought will put higher levels of nitrates/nitrites into plants, increasing the likelihood of nitrate/nitrite toxicity. If the processed feed being offered to the goats is also high in nitrates or nitrites, this can be a deadly combination.
Begin your search for the right feed formulation for your goats with an analysis of the soil on your property. This is your base line for mineral and vitamin availability upon which to build your customized feed ration. Have your hay tested for nutrient content so that you can offer a well-balanced menu to your animals. Find a qualified goat nutritionist, even if he is located outside your area, and pay him to formulate a quality feeding program for your goats, taking into account the soil conditions, nutritional content of hay, and ingredients readily available in your area with which to formulate a feed ration suitable for your goats. Contact your local agricultural extension office or county agent for assistance and referrals. Better yet, join ChevonTalk, this author's 1100+ member meat-goat discussion group, and ask subscribing goat producers for references in your specific area. Confining goats into pens and small pastures dramatically increases their exposure to worms. Pasture rotation is vital in any goat-producing operation. The life cycle of a stomach worm (Haemonchus contortus . . . the stomach worm most commonly affecting goats) is only three weeks. At least four pastures are needed on any goat ranch so that the producer can remove goats from the first pasture and leave them off it for at least nine weeks. This timeframe does not insure that stomach worms will be gone when the goats return to the first pasture, but it is certainly helpful. Some producers run a small herd of cattle behind their goats to clean up the pastures. The goat producer's first axiom is: Permanent pasture equals parasites.
If you learn nothing else from this article, come away with these two points:
1) Just because a goat likes to eat a certain plant or grain does not mean that it is good for them. This writer loves sweets of almost any kind, but she cannot survive eating nothing else. Corn is 'goat candy,' yet goats will bloat or develop ruminal acidosis and likely die if they are allowed to eat all of the shell or cracked corn that they want. Put some shell corn in a bowl of water and see how it swells up. That's what happens in the goat's rumen.
2) Nutrition is a complex issue. . . . too complex for us laymen. Getting professional assistance from a qualified goat nutritionist is the most important thing you can do for your goats as well as for your 'bottom line.'
Suzanne Gasparotto
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
More Cheese Making
How to make cheese at home.This recipe for a basic hard cheese works for any kind of milk. Iprimarily use my own fresh goats' milk, but have made it quite successfullywith cow's milk purchased from the grocery as well as raw cow's milk froma local farmer. I always use rennet tablets becauseof their dependability and availability from many supermarkets . I usually make 5 gallons of milk into cheese at a time in a 5 gallon Volrath stainless steel pot. Its thick aluminum bottom pad prevents scorching. Five gallons of milk produces a 5-6 pound wheel of cheese . I suggest you try several other simplier cheese related projects beforeyou try making a hard cheese. I have written a page on Beginning Cheese Making for this purpose. It might also be wise to master the process for one gallon of milk before making cheese from 5 gallons.
The following images will show the critical steps in practically any cheese making endeavor.
INGREDIENTS: TO TURN FIVE GALLONS OF MILK INTO SIX POUNDS OF CHEESE
five gallons fresh milk (Be sure that it has no off flavors due to bacteria)
1 cup (250 mL) live cultured yogurt (I prefer Dannon Plain (minimal additives). Get the freshest available from the store.) Alternatively, you may use 3 tablespoons (45 mL) active cultured buttermilk as starter.
1 tablet rennet "Junket Rennet Tablets" come in a package of 8 tablets (6.5 g) , by Redco Foods, Inc., P.O. Box 879, Windsor, CT 06095 (formerly theSalada Foods Division). Here is what the back of the package looks like . They can often be found in your supermarket under the category of "puddings." If they are not there, ask the manager if he would please order them. Most managers are willing to do so. If that fails, you can order them from the manufacturer. I recently contacted them via email, and they said to call Redco Direct Market at 1-800-556-6674 to order Rennet tablets. Here is their email response. You may find some cheese makers on the web who prefer liquid rennet,and disparage the use of rennet tablets. I prefer using materials which arereadily available locally. I have not had problems making cheese associated with Junket tablets. Here is a whole page devoted to rennet ...
1/4 cup saltAPPARATU S:
thermometer, reading -10 to 110°C (0 to 225°F) (I prefer centigrade, but include Fahrenheit numbers as well) wooden mixing spoon or whisk Stainless steel pot (with a heavy thick bottom is best) or enameled pot, 5 gallons, with lid, sterilized. 1 8" strainer (You may use a colander, though the whey does not flow through as fast as a strainer.)PRESSING FRAME: (Here is a page on how to assemble a cheese press at home .)
pressing frame (6" x 9" piece of PVC pipe or tin can, with ends removed) a 'follower': circular block of wood, 5.5 inches diameter 5 gallon canner large white dinner plate white dish cloth (non-terry), very clean rubber band cut from an inner tube two chop sticks quart mason jarP ROCEDURE:
THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU MAKE CHEESE:
1.a. Sterilize the pot: The evening before you plan to make cheese, place a small amount of water in your cheese pot, cover, and heat to boiling for 10 minutes to sterilize the pot and lid.
1.b. Warm 5 gallons of milk to 20°C (68°F) in a sterilized pot: skim the cream off of five gallons of the freshest milk (save for ice cream ). Warm the milk to 20°C (68°F) slowly so as to not scorch the bottom).
2. Add starter: Blend 1 cup yogurt with 2 cups warmed milk until smooth, stir into the five gallons of warmed milk to thoroughly mix.
Alternatively, you can use 3 tablespoonfuls of active buttermilk as starter. Because the bacteria in buttermilk grow much faster at room temperature than those in yogurt, do not incubate longer than 8 hours or warmer than 70 F or the milk may over adicify and begin to clabber. Partially clabbered milk will not yield a clean break.The function of this inoculation with bacterial starter is to lower the pH so that the rennet will be able to act on the milk protein (casein).
3. Cover with the sterilized lid. Let the inoculated milk sit at room temperature overnight (68-72 F, 20-22 C). (No external heat.)
THE MORNING YOU WILL MAKE CHEESE:
4. The next morning, [OPTIONAL: skim off additional cream, if you like, it makes delicious pancakes).]: Slowly warm milk up to 30°C (86°F). Take care not to scorch it on the bottom.
5. Dissolve the rennet:Meanwhile, dissolve 1 tablet of Rennet in 1/2 cup cold water . Alternatively, if you have liquid rennet, you add 1 teaspoon per five gallons of inoculated milk (4 drops/gallon). (I have only used tablet rennet, but am assured that liquid rennet works just as well if fresh.)
6. Add dissolved rennet to warmed milk with stirringto mix. Cover, let sit undisturbed for 1 to 3 hours.
7. TEST FOR A "CLEAN BREAK." THIS IS NOT A "CLEAN BREAK": To test for "clean break" (completed action of rennet), probe a clean finger into (hopefully) gelled milk and lift. If the gelled milk is not firm enough to split cleanly as you lift, let milk sit until clean break is obtained. (Do not stir.) This may take as long as 3 hours. Be patient, do NOT disturb the milk. Keep warm. Here is a page to help you diagnose the problem of inability to get a clean break.
8. THIS IS A "CLEAN BREAK" When the gel is firm enough to break cleanly as the finger is lifted, go to next step. ( Here is a very large version of the clean break .)
9. Once a clean break is achieved, cut the curd with a long blade: Begin the cuts at one edge of pot, cut straight down the side to bottom. Cut repeatedly parallel to first cut, but increasing the angle of the knife until you reach the other side of pot.
10. Rotate the pot 90 degrees, repeat series of cuts as before. Rotate and cut a total of three more times (four in all), yielding ½ inch cubes of curd. Cover and allow the curds to settle for about 15 minutes. Pour off the whey above the curds, saving for ricotta if you like.
11. "Cook the curds": After sitting for 15 minutes and pouring off excess whey, place pot over a low fire, stir curd with thoroughly cleansed bare hand by reaching down to bottom, gentlylifting with an open hand to stir. Cut larger curds as they appear. Do notmash or squeeze. If you want to set aside some for a type of cottage cheese, remove a portion of the curds at this steps and refrigerate before you raise the temperature. Stircontinuously as you heating (curds will clump together otherwise), until themilk is 34°C (95°F) for soft curd cheese, or as high as 39°C (102°F)for very firm cheese. Note: you need a quality thermometer for this'cooking' step: a small change in temperature makes a great deal of differencein the consistency of the curd/cheese.
12. Stir and maintain desired temperature until curd has contracted to consistency of firm scrambled eggs. Remove from stove.
13. Separate the curds from the whey:Let the "cooked" curds sit for a few minutes. The curds should sink in whey. [If the curds float , you have a gas-producing contaminant in your starter. It does not necessarily ruin the cheese, indeed, you might WANT bubbles in your finished cheese. Butfloating curds are more difficult to separate from the whey than sinking curds.] Decant off whey through a strainer (you may line the strainer with clean cloth if the curd is very fine grained).
14. Decant (pour off) as much of the whey as you can. Drain well. (Save the whey for ricotta if you like.)
15. Place curds in a large bowl.
16. Salt the curds:Sprinkle 1/4 cup salt over curds, working with hands to mix. Pour off accumulated whey. The salt is necessary so that the cheese will not spoil as it cures. I have tried making cheese without salt and it rotted. However, unsalted, uncuredcheese may be frozen until use.
17. Load the press with the salted curds:Place the still-warm salted curds into a cheese press. (See separate page for assembly of cheese press .) It is necessary for the curds to be warm inorder for them to 'knit' together to form a solid cheese during pressing.
18. Press the curds:Let sit in the press for 12 hours or so.
19. Remove the cheese, wrap in sterile bandage:The next AM, remove from press, remove cloth, rub outside of cheese with salt and wrap with fresh sterile handkerchief "bandage."
20. Age to develop a rind:Place the bandaged (wrapped) cheese on a non-corrosive rack (plastic or stainless steel) in the refrigerator. Replace "bandage" daily as long as it continues to become wet. Turn the cheese so that it dries evenly. 21. Wax the cheeseWhen the cheese has formed a dry yellowish rind (two or three weeks), dip in melted wax , store in refrigerator for at least a month (if you can wait that long). Let age longer for sharper cheese.
Here is the finished wheel of cheese two weeks later with a wedgecut out of it. I did not wax this wheel since we were going to eatit immediately. [The stains on the outside of the wheel are from beingin the iron ("tin" can) press too long: it remained in the press for30 hours, and the iron in the can reacted with the curd... Though Ido not think it to be a problem health-wise, it doesn't look as good as itmight otherwise look. I have since switched to a pressing cylindermade of PVC pipe].
The following images will show the critical steps in practically any cheese making endeavor.
INGREDIENTS: TO TURN FIVE GALLONS OF MILK INTO SIX POUNDS OF CHEESE
five gallons fresh milk (Be sure that it has no off flavors due to bacteria)
1 cup (250 mL) live cultured yogurt (I prefer Dannon Plain (minimal additives). Get the freshest available from the store.) Alternatively, you may use 3 tablespoons (45 mL) active cultured buttermilk as starter.
1 tablet rennet "Junket Rennet Tablets" come in a package of 8 tablets (6.5 g) , by Redco Foods, Inc., P.O. Box 879, Windsor, CT 06095 (formerly theSalada Foods Division). Here is what the back of the package looks like . They can often be found in your supermarket under the category of "puddings." If they are not there, ask the manager if he would please order them. Most managers are willing to do so. If that fails, you can order them from the manufacturer. I recently contacted them via email, and they said to call Redco Direct Market at 1-800-556-6674 to order Rennet tablets. Here is their email response. You may find some cheese makers on the web who prefer liquid rennet,and disparage the use of rennet tablets. I prefer using materials which arereadily available locally. I have not had problems making cheese associated with Junket tablets. Here is a whole page devoted to rennet ...
1/4 cup saltAPPARATU S:
thermometer, reading -10 to 110°C (0 to 225°F) (I prefer centigrade, but include Fahrenheit numbers as well) wooden mixing spoon or whisk Stainless steel pot (with a heavy thick bottom is best) or enameled pot, 5 gallons, with lid, sterilized. 1 8" strainer (You may use a colander, though the whey does not flow through as fast as a strainer.)PRESSING FRAME: (Here is a page on how to assemble a cheese press at home .)
pressing frame (6" x 9" piece of PVC pipe or tin can, with ends removed) a 'follower': circular block of wood, 5.5 inches diameter 5 gallon canner large white dinner plate white dish cloth (non-terry), very clean rubber band cut from an inner tube two chop sticks quart mason jarP ROCEDURE:
THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU MAKE CHEESE:
1.a. Sterilize the pot: The evening before you plan to make cheese, place a small amount of water in your cheese pot, cover, and heat to boiling for 10 minutes to sterilize the pot and lid.
1.b. Warm 5 gallons of milk to 20°C (68°F) in a sterilized pot: skim the cream off of five gallons of the freshest milk (save for ice cream ). Warm the milk to 20°C (68°F) slowly so as to not scorch the bottom).
2. Add starter: Blend 1 cup yogurt with 2 cups warmed milk until smooth, stir into the five gallons of warmed milk to thoroughly mix.
Alternatively, you can use 3 tablespoonfuls of active buttermilk as starter. Because the bacteria in buttermilk grow much faster at room temperature than those in yogurt, do not incubate longer than 8 hours or warmer than 70 F or the milk may over adicify and begin to clabber. Partially clabbered milk will not yield a clean break.The function of this inoculation with bacterial starter is to lower the pH so that the rennet will be able to act on the milk protein (casein).
3. Cover with the sterilized lid. Let the inoculated milk sit at room temperature overnight (68-72 F, 20-22 C). (No external heat.)
THE MORNING YOU WILL MAKE CHEESE:
4. The next morning, [OPTIONAL: skim off additional cream, if you like, it makes delicious pancakes).]: Slowly warm milk up to 30°C (86°F). Take care not to scorch it on the bottom.
5. Dissolve the rennet:Meanwhile, dissolve 1 tablet of Rennet in 1/2 cup cold water . Alternatively, if you have liquid rennet, you add 1 teaspoon per five gallons of inoculated milk (4 drops/gallon). (I have only used tablet rennet, but am assured that liquid rennet works just as well if fresh.)
6. Add dissolved rennet to warmed milk with stirringto mix. Cover, let sit undisturbed for 1 to 3 hours.
7. TEST FOR A "CLEAN BREAK." THIS IS NOT A "CLEAN BREAK": To test for "clean break" (completed action of rennet), probe a clean finger into (hopefully) gelled milk and lift. If the gelled milk is not firm enough to split cleanly as you lift, let milk sit until clean break is obtained. (Do not stir.) This may take as long as 3 hours. Be patient, do NOT disturb the milk. Keep warm. Here is a page to help you diagnose the problem of inability to get a clean break.
8. THIS IS A "CLEAN BREAK" When the gel is firm enough to break cleanly as the finger is lifted, go to next step. ( Here is a very large version of the clean break .)
9. Once a clean break is achieved, cut the curd with a long blade: Begin the cuts at one edge of pot, cut straight down the side to bottom. Cut repeatedly parallel to first cut, but increasing the angle of the knife until you reach the other side of pot.
10. Rotate the pot 90 degrees, repeat series of cuts as before. Rotate and cut a total of three more times (four in all), yielding ½ inch cubes of curd. Cover and allow the curds to settle for about 15 minutes. Pour off the whey above the curds, saving for ricotta if you like.
11. "Cook the curds": After sitting for 15 minutes and pouring off excess whey, place pot over a low fire, stir curd with thoroughly cleansed bare hand by reaching down to bottom, gentlylifting with an open hand to stir. Cut larger curds as they appear. Do notmash or squeeze. If you want to set aside some for a type of cottage cheese, remove a portion of the curds at this steps and refrigerate before you raise the temperature. Stircontinuously as you heating (curds will clump together otherwise), until themilk is 34°C (95°F) for soft curd cheese, or as high as 39°C (102°F)for very firm cheese. Note: you need a quality thermometer for this'cooking' step: a small change in temperature makes a great deal of differencein the consistency of the curd/cheese.
12. Stir and maintain desired temperature until curd has contracted to consistency of firm scrambled eggs. Remove from stove.
13. Separate the curds from the whey:Let the "cooked" curds sit for a few minutes. The curds should sink in whey. [If the curds float , you have a gas-producing contaminant in your starter. It does not necessarily ruin the cheese, indeed, you might WANT bubbles in your finished cheese. Butfloating curds are more difficult to separate from the whey than sinking curds.] Decant off whey through a strainer (you may line the strainer with clean cloth if the curd is very fine grained).
14. Decant (pour off) as much of the whey as you can. Drain well. (Save the whey for ricotta if you like.)
15. Place curds in a large bowl.
16. Salt the curds:Sprinkle 1/4 cup salt over curds, working with hands to mix. Pour off accumulated whey. The salt is necessary so that the cheese will not spoil as it cures. I have tried making cheese without salt and it rotted. However, unsalted, uncuredcheese may be frozen until use.
17. Load the press with the salted curds:Place the still-warm salted curds into a cheese press. (See separate page for assembly of cheese press .) It is necessary for the curds to be warm inorder for them to 'knit' together to form a solid cheese during pressing.
18. Press the curds:Let sit in the press for 12 hours or so.
19. Remove the cheese, wrap in sterile bandage:The next AM, remove from press, remove cloth, rub outside of cheese with salt and wrap with fresh sterile handkerchief "bandage."
20. Age to develop a rind:Place the bandaged (wrapped) cheese on a non-corrosive rack (plastic or stainless steel) in the refrigerator. Replace "bandage" daily as long as it continues to become wet. Turn the cheese so that it dries evenly. 21. Wax the cheeseWhen the cheese has formed a dry yellowish rind (two or three weeks), dip in melted wax , store in refrigerator for at least a month (if you can wait that long). Let age longer for sharper cheese.
Here is the finished wheel of cheese two weeks later with a wedgecut out of it. I did not wax this wheel since we were going to eatit immediately. [The stains on the outside of the wheel are from beingin the iron ("tin" can) press too long: it remained in the press for30 hours, and the iron in the can reacted with the curd... Though Ido not think it to be a problem health-wise, it doesn't look as good as itmight otherwise look. I have since switched to a pressing cylindermade of PVC pipe].
Cheese Making
1 cup of milk
2 teaspoons of vinegar
salt
Place one cup of milk in the saucepan, slowly bringing the milk to a boil while stirring constantly. It is very important to constantly stir the milk or it will burn.
Turn the burner off once the milk is boiling, but leave the saucepan on the element or gas grate.
Add 2 teaspoons vinegar to the boiling milk, at which point the milk should turn into curds and whey.
Stir well with spoon and let it sit on the element for 5-10 minutes.
Pass the curds and whey through cheesecloth or a handkerchief to separate the curds from the whey.
Press the cheese using the cloth to get as much of the moisture out.
Open the cloth and add a pinch of salt if desired.
Mix the cheese and salt and then press again to remove any extra moisture.
Put the cheese in a mold or just leave it in a ball type form.
Refridgerate for a while before eating.
Tips:
Yield will be approximately 1/8 to 1/4 cup of cheese.
Try adding flavors to your cheese by adding herbs and spices.
Try coloring your cheese using just a small drop of food coloring.
Try using different types of vinegar or milk.
Never leave your cheese out in the hot sun. It will spoil and will taste awful. It's best to store the cheese in the fridge until ready to use.
2 teaspoons of vinegar
salt
Place one cup of milk in the saucepan, slowly bringing the milk to a boil while stirring constantly. It is very important to constantly stir the milk or it will burn.
Turn the burner off once the milk is boiling, but leave the saucepan on the element or gas grate.
Add 2 teaspoons vinegar to the boiling milk, at which point the milk should turn into curds and whey.
Stir well with spoon and let it sit on the element for 5-10 minutes.
Pass the curds and whey through cheesecloth or a handkerchief to separate the curds from the whey.
Press the cheese using the cloth to get as much of the moisture out.
Open the cloth and add a pinch of salt if desired.
Mix the cheese and salt and then press again to remove any extra moisture.
Put the cheese in a mold or just leave it in a ball type form.
Refridgerate for a while before eating.
Tips:
Yield will be approximately 1/8 to 1/4 cup of cheese.
Try adding flavors to your cheese by adding herbs and spices.
Try coloring your cheese using just a small drop of food coloring.
Try using different types of vinegar or milk.
Never leave your cheese out in the hot sun. It will spoil and will taste awful. It's best to store the cheese in the fridge until ready to use.
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Linebreeding, inbreeding...what's the difference?
By Alice G. Hall
A goat breeder, whether he or she is knowledgeable of the subject or not, is dabbling in the field of genetics (the science that deals with inherited characteristics). A little extra knowledge on the background of the science of breeding can go a long way toward improving future dairy goat characteristics and type.
The basic building blocks of genetics are genes. Genes are complex protein molecules made of DNA and RNA (acids that are templates or patterns for inherited characteristics.) Genes are lined on chromosomes (colored bodies) found in the nucleus of each cell in the body as beads on a string. Chromosomes, and therefore genes, are found in pairs in all the cells of the body except the sperm and eggs. The testicles and ovaries send the chromosomes through meiosis, a process whereby the pairs are split up so that each sperm and each egg carries only one half of a pair of chromosomes, and, therefore, genes. The sperm and eggs are called "gametes" because the number of genes and chromosomes in them are haploid (single) rather than diploid (double or paired) as they are in all other cells.
When two gametes, a sperm and an egg or ovum, unite, the haploid genes and chromosomes find partners and once again become diploid in the zygote (fertilized egg). As the zygote grows, divides itself, and multiplies in number of cells (in the process called mitosis), the cell retains its diploid state. Mitosis is the process by which a body grows and wounds are healed. Meiosis occurs only in the ovaries and testicles as sperms and eggs are manufactured. Each goat sperm and egg contains 30 chromosomes, so each normal body cell contains 60 chromosomes, or 30 pairs.
Genes come in two types, dominant and recessive. Dominant genes overshadow or modify recessive genes when the two are paired on a chromosome. In goats, the white color found in Saanens seems to be dominant over most other colors, so if a Saanen or mutant white gene is paired with a brown or black gene, the kid will probably be white. Such a mixed combination is called heterozygous. That means that a dominant gene and a recessive gene are paired in the genotype. If two dominant genes are paired together, or if two recessive genes are paired together, they are said to be homozygous. Recessive genes must be homozygous to show in the phenotype.
Phenotype is the product that is visible. For example, is the resulting kid black or white? Genotype is what the genes carry, i.e., are they paired homozygous or heterozygous? If a pair of genes is heterozygous, the breeder does not know what the genetics of the goat are. He only sees the dominant that shows in the phenotype. He does not know if that phenotype reveals heterozygosity or homozygosity of the dominant. A breeder who uses inbreeding increases his chances of homozygous recessives, and, therefore has a better chance of seeing recessives in the phenotype.
Horns are recessive, for example. For a goat to have horns, it must have received a gene for horns from both parents. If a horned animal is bred to a hornless one, the genes carried in the hornless kid are heterozygous for hornlessness if the hornless parent is homozygous. If the hornless parent is heterozygous, 50% of the kids will probably be homozygous horned, and the other half will be heterozygous hornless. Since hornlessness is dominant and so easily inherited, one might wonder why most goats seem to have the recessive trait for horns. That is because inbreeding among hornless animals often carries with it a "lethal" gene. Most lethal genes result in the outright death of the animal in a normal environment. The "lethal" associated with hornlessness is for hermaphrodism, so, although it is not lethal or deadly to the individual with the gene, it becomes deadly for the line in breeding inability.
One pair of chromosomes determines the sex of the kids. Females carry two "X" chromosomes, which are both the same length. Males carry a "Y" chromosome, a short or half chromosome, paired with the "X" they get from their mothers. Since only males manufacture "Y" gametes, it is the male that determines the sex of the offspring. Females can only produce females. Males can produce either sex.
Generally, what happens during breeding is that a randomly selected sperm penetrates an egg, also randomly selected, and the two produce a new individual. If the breeder is working with heterozygous parents, he might end up with any number of combinations in the kid. The results would be very unpredictable. This is what happens with outcrossing or cross-breeding. The kid would be a combination of all kinds of genes, only the dominant of which would show. The breeder would have no idea what recessive genes are masked in the genotype of the kid. A breeder can continue to keep the recessives masked and work with dominants as long as he continues to outcross, but he will continue to have unpredictable results unless he happens to hit on some lucky combinations of homozygous dominants.
If a dairy goat breeder is working with homozygous parents, either dominant or recessive, his results will be fairly predictable. Homozygous dominant parents will both pass on to the offspring dominant characteristics, so the kid will much resemble his parents. Homozygous recessive parents, if both are homozygous recessive, will also pass on predictability by passing on recessive traits that will be homozygous in offspring phenotypes.
Homozygosity, and therefore, predictability, is the aim and advantage of inbreeding. Inbreeding is the breeding together of closely related animals in the same line. Breeders who choose to inbreed must be willing to cull heavily at the beginning because, according to research done with Holstein cattle, it's much easier to inherit many undesirable traits than a positive trait. For instance, tall stature (a positive trait in all breeds of goats except Pygmies and Nigerians) is 47% heritable, while short stature is 51% heritable. Pygmy and Nigerian breeders would have an advantage here, and others would have to be very sure to cull out short-statured animals early in the program or be stuck with them forever, since it seems to be somewhat dominant.
Pygmy goat breeders might also have an advantage in breeding for head, as short head is 44% heritable in Holsteins, while the ideal Holstein head is only 17% heritable. According to Holstein research, a sloping rump is far easier to get than an ideal rump, a good fore udder is much easier to breed for than a good rear udder, posty hind legs are more common than ideal hind legs, and a topline that slopes toward the withers is easier to get in breeding than an ideal topline. Since so many "negative" traits are dominant, a breeder interested in inbreeding has to be willing to cull what is undesirable. Cull in this case, means to kill! It does not mean sell to a 4-H member.
If a breeder starts with hybrids-outcrossed or crossbred animals, his first step toward inbreeding is called backcrossing. This is the same as up-grading, breeding a crossbred kid back to one of its purebred parents. Line- breeding is often used by breeders who hesitate to breed extremely close but want to tie into some common relatives. Linebreeding involves the breeding of animals in the same line, like cousins. As a breeder becomes more and more inbred with his herd, his results become more and more predictable-unless he hits a mutation.
A mutation is a sudden, unexpected change that is heritable. Mutations are very often dominant and are passed on easily to the offspring. Mutations are also often lethal, so their heritability is a moot point.
So, if a breeder enjoys working with the unknown and unexpected results, he will enjoy outcrossing. If a breeder would prefer a more definite direction, he would rather use linebreeding. If a breeder knows exactly what he wants, has animals that promise to give that, and if he is willing to cull heavily to retain it, inbreeding might pay for him.
Breeders who enjoy linebreeding and inbreeding can "do all their breeding on paper" before they ever match a doe to a buck. Not only are the results somewhat scientific, they are also artistic.
All these pedigrees are actual pedigrees of purebred animals. The experience of some breeders who have used the "patterns on paper" program indicate that the most successful breedings are the ones in which the pedigrees show triangular patterns. The half-sibling pedigree shows a good triangle. More triangles become apparent as the pedigree is extended to further generations. Straight-line tie-ins don't seem to be as satisfactory in inbreeding. No matter what kind of breeding program a person decides to follow, it is wise to remember that genes determine potentials of the offspring, but the environment determines how much of that potential is reached. A kid could be bred for outstanding stature and production, but if his environment doesn't support him properly, his genetic potential will never be reached.
Previously published in Dairy Goat Guide, also found in Fundamentals of Improved Dairy Goat Management.
A goat breeder, whether he or she is knowledgeable of the subject or not, is dabbling in the field of genetics (the science that deals with inherited characteristics). A little extra knowledge on the background of the science of breeding can go a long way toward improving future dairy goat characteristics and type.
The basic building blocks of genetics are genes. Genes are complex protein molecules made of DNA and RNA (acids that are templates or patterns for inherited characteristics.) Genes are lined on chromosomes (colored bodies) found in the nucleus of each cell in the body as beads on a string. Chromosomes, and therefore genes, are found in pairs in all the cells of the body except the sperm and eggs. The testicles and ovaries send the chromosomes through meiosis, a process whereby the pairs are split up so that each sperm and each egg carries only one half of a pair of chromosomes, and, therefore, genes. The sperm and eggs are called "gametes" because the number of genes and chromosomes in them are haploid (single) rather than diploid (double or paired) as they are in all other cells.
When two gametes, a sperm and an egg or ovum, unite, the haploid genes and chromosomes find partners and once again become diploid in the zygote (fertilized egg). As the zygote grows, divides itself, and multiplies in number of cells (in the process called mitosis), the cell retains its diploid state. Mitosis is the process by which a body grows and wounds are healed. Meiosis occurs only in the ovaries and testicles as sperms and eggs are manufactured. Each goat sperm and egg contains 30 chromosomes, so each normal body cell contains 60 chromosomes, or 30 pairs.
Genes come in two types, dominant and recessive. Dominant genes overshadow or modify recessive genes when the two are paired on a chromosome. In goats, the white color found in Saanens seems to be dominant over most other colors, so if a Saanen or mutant white gene is paired with a brown or black gene, the kid will probably be white. Such a mixed combination is called heterozygous. That means that a dominant gene and a recessive gene are paired in the genotype. If two dominant genes are paired together, or if two recessive genes are paired together, they are said to be homozygous. Recessive genes must be homozygous to show in the phenotype.
Phenotype is the product that is visible. For example, is the resulting kid black or white? Genotype is what the genes carry, i.e., are they paired homozygous or heterozygous? If a pair of genes is heterozygous, the breeder does not know what the genetics of the goat are. He only sees the dominant that shows in the phenotype. He does not know if that phenotype reveals heterozygosity or homozygosity of the dominant. A breeder who uses inbreeding increases his chances of homozygous recessives, and, therefore has a better chance of seeing recessives in the phenotype.
Horns are recessive, for example. For a goat to have horns, it must have received a gene for horns from both parents. If a horned animal is bred to a hornless one, the genes carried in the hornless kid are heterozygous for hornlessness if the hornless parent is homozygous. If the hornless parent is heterozygous, 50% of the kids will probably be homozygous horned, and the other half will be heterozygous hornless. Since hornlessness is dominant and so easily inherited, one might wonder why most goats seem to have the recessive trait for horns. That is because inbreeding among hornless animals often carries with it a "lethal" gene. Most lethal genes result in the outright death of the animal in a normal environment. The "lethal" associated with hornlessness is for hermaphrodism, so, although it is not lethal or deadly to the individual with the gene, it becomes deadly for the line in breeding inability.
One pair of chromosomes determines the sex of the kids. Females carry two "X" chromosomes, which are both the same length. Males carry a "Y" chromosome, a short or half chromosome, paired with the "X" they get from their mothers. Since only males manufacture "Y" gametes, it is the male that determines the sex of the offspring. Females can only produce females. Males can produce either sex.
Generally, what happens during breeding is that a randomly selected sperm penetrates an egg, also randomly selected, and the two produce a new individual. If the breeder is working with heterozygous parents, he might end up with any number of combinations in the kid. The results would be very unpredictable. This is what happens with outcrossing or cross-breeding. The kid would be a combination of all kinds of genes, only the dominant of which would show. The breeder would have no idea what recessive genes are masked in the genotype of the kid. A breeder can continue to keep the recessives masked and work with dominants as long as he continues to outcross, but he will continue to have unpredictable results unless he happens to hit on some lucky combinations of homozygous dominants.
If a dairy goat breeder is working with homozygous parents, either dominant or recessive, his results will be fairly predictable. Homozygous dominant parents will both pass on to the offspring dominant characteristics, so the kid will much resemble his parents. Homozygous recessive parents, if both are homozygous recessive, will also pass on predictability by passing on recessive traits that will be homozygous in offspring phenotypes.
Homozygosity, and therefore, predictability, is the aim and advantage of inbreeding. Inbreeding is the breeding together of closely related animals in the same line. Breeders who choose to inbreed must be willing to cull heavily at the beginning because, according to research done with Holstein cattle, it's much easier to inherit many undesirable traits than a positive trait. For instance, tall stature (a positive trait in all breeds of goats except Pygmies and Nigerians) is 47% heritable, while short stature is 51% heritable. Pygmy and Nigerian breeders would have an advantage here, and others would have to be very sure to cull out short-statured animals early in the program or be stuck with them forever, since it seems to be somewhat dominant.
Pygmy goat breeders might also have an advantage in breeding for head, as short head is 44% heritable in Holsteins, while the ideal Holstein head is only 17% heritable. According to Holstein research, a sloping rump is far easier to get than an ideal rump, a good fore udder is much easier to breed for than a good rear udder, posty hind legs are more common than ideal hind legs, and a topline that slopes toward the withers is easier to get in breeding than an ideal topline. Since so many "negative" traits are dominant, a breeder interested in inbreeding has to be willing to cull what is undesirable. Cull in this case, means to kill! It does not mean sell to a 4-H member.
If a breeder starts with hybrids-outcrossed or crossbred animals, his first step toward inbreeding is called backcrossing. This is the same as up-grading, breeding a crossbred kid back to one of its purebred parents. Line- breeding is often used by breeders who hesitate to breed extremely close but want to tie into some common relatives. Linebreeding involves the breeding of animals in the same line, like cousins. As a breeder becomes more and more inbred with his herd, his results become more and more predictable-unless he hits a mutation.
A mutation is a sudden, unexpected change that is heritable. Mutations are very often dominant and are passed on easily to the offspring. Mutations are also often lethal, so their heritability is a moot point.
So, if a breeder enjoys working with the unknown and unexpected results, he will enjoy outcrossing. If a breeder would prefer a more definite direction, he would rather use linebreeding. If a breeder knows exactly what he wants, has animals that promise to give that, and if he is willing to cull heavily to retain it, inbreeding might pay for him.
Breeders who enjoy linebreeding and inbreeding can "do all their breeding on paper" before they ever match a doe to a buck. Not only are the results somewhat scientific, they are also artistic.
All these pedigrees are actual pedigrees of purebred animals. The experience of some breeders who have used the "patterns on paper" program indicate that the most successful breedings are the ones in which the pedigrees show triangular patterns. The half-sibling pedigree shows a good triangle. More triangles become apparent as the pedigree is extended to further generations. Straight-line tie-ins don't seem to be as satisfactory in inbreeding. No matter what kind of breeding program a person decides to follow, it is wise to remember that genes determine potentials of the offspring, but the environment determines how much of that potential is reached. A kid could be bred for outstanding stature and production, but if his environment doesn't support him properly, his genetic potential will never be reached.
Previously published in Dairy Goat Guide, also found in Fundamentals of Improved Dairy Goat Management.
Hernandez' Dairy Goats
Juan Hernandez, along with his wife, Maria Feliz, and his 32-year-old son, Juan Junior, owns and manages a herd of about 80 purebred Saanen dairy goats in the town of Agustin Gonzales, Mexico. Agustin Gonzales is in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, a 20-minute drive from the beautiful colonial architecture and cobbled streets of San Miguel de Allende. When Hernandez and his family began milking goats almost 20 years ago, they made cheese on their farm. Because San Miguel de Allende attracts tourists from all over the world, the family was able to find a good local market for their goat cheese in the city's excellent restaurants. Recently, however, Hernandez purchased a 500 liter, refrigerated, stainless steel, bulk tank.
"Depending on what time of year it is I can fill the bulk tank in one or two days," Hernandez said. "Then I put the cold milk in my pick-up truck and drive to the cheese plant. It's only a 20-minute drive."
The milk stays cold on the short trip even though there is no refrigeration on the truck.
The cheese plant processes milk from a number of other dairy goat farms in the area and distributes it to nearby Guadalajara and Mexico City. The two cities have a combined population of 15 million people so the market for goat milk products is substantial.
"The refrigerated bulk tank allows us to focus on raising goats and producing milk," Hernandez said. "Making cheese and selling it was a lot of work."
Hernandez who has been milking Saanens for 20 years, returned to his birth place after living in Mexico City and Chicago. The place where he was born is under the deep waters of the manmade lake known as Presa Ignacio Allende. When Hernandez was a boy, his brothers and sisters played along side the banks of the river that the government dammed up. Now the people who lived along the river live in the village of Agustin Gonzales. The water from Presa Allende is used only for irrigation of the large farms in the valleys below Agustin Gonzales.
Hernandez returned to the area of his birth because he preferred rural life. His life isn't as rural as a farmer in the United States, however. Maria Feliz can walk from their home to the grocery store and back in a short time. Their front yard, which includes an orchard of oranges, grapefruit, limes, apples, cherries, and plums, is actually part of the village.
The Hernandez farm and farmhouse are modest, clean, and well kept, including the goat yards. Although production is not great, the herd of goats provides an adequate middle class living for three people. Juan, Jr. went to high school in the U.S. but, like his father, the younger Hernandez prefers the rural life and working with the goat herd, in Mexico.
In mid-October of 2007 the Hernandez family was milking 50 does and feeding about 30 kids. A large number of the does were going to freshen in November. For the most part, they milk the does through or dry them off for only a couple of weeks before refreshening.
The Hernandez' horseshoe-shaped barn separates the does into three separate pens that are open to the elements on three sides. The center of the barn houses the tractor and allows access to all livestock pens.
The does are separated into a series of three free stall pens that have a roof and a back wall but are otherwise open to the elements. The combined pens make up a horseshoe-shaped barn. The center of the barn houses a Massey Ferguson tractor and also serves as an access point to all the livestock pens. One leg of the horseshoe barn contains the area where Juan, Jr. chops silage for feed. The corn stalks are cut whole from the field and brought in to be hand fed into a small electric chopper. Some of the fields are adjacent to the farmstead. Others are some distance away.
Hernandez does not separate his bucks from the does. Each of the pens includes a group of does and at least one buck. There is also a hospital pen and pens for kids. In October one of those pens had a group of 15 five-month-old doelings. These doelings had a young buck with them.
All milking is done by hand. The milking parlor is in the central area of the horseshoe shaped barn and has easy access to all the pens. The parlor is elevated so milkers can stand up. There are on and off ramps. Milk is hauled in buckets to the milk room where the bulk tank is located.
When the senior Hernandez began milking goats in the mid-1980s the Mexican goat industry had already seen dramatic growth. Between 1970 and 1980 the demand for goat milk increased by 60 percent and an increasing demand for meat caused a 384 percent rise in prices, according to Mexican agricultural statistics.
Since then, the American Dairy Goat Association has worked with Mexican goat producers to improve standards, genetics, and production. In 2005 Sheila Nixon, on behalf of ADGA, was invited to judge the First National Dairy Goat Show in Celaya, Guanajuato. Celaya is just one hour from the Hernandez' farm. According to him, the best, and largest dairy goat herds in the country are near Celaya. The year Sheila Nixon judged, the Best Doe In Show and Best Udder was a three-year-old owned by Rodrigo Conejo of Salamanca, Guanajuato. Salamanca is not far from the Hernandez farm.
By Tim King
"Depending on what time of year it is I can fill the bulk tank in one or two days," Hernandez said. "Then I put the cold milk in my pick-up truck and drive to the cheese plant. It's only a 20-minute drive."
The milk stays cold on the short trip even though there is no refrigeration on the truck.
The cheese plant processes milk from a number of other dairy goat farms in the area and distributes it to nearby Guadalajara and Mexico City. The two cities have a combined population of 15 million people so the market for goat milk products is substantial.
"The refrigerated bulk tank allows us to focus on raising goats and producing milk," Hernandez said. "Making cheese and selling it was a lot of work."
Hernandez who has been milking Saanens for 20 years, returned to his birth place after living in Mexico City and Chicago. The place where he was born is under the deep waters of the manmade lake known as Presa Ignacio Allende. When Hernandez was a boy, his brothers and sisters played along side the banks of the river that the government dammed up. Now the people who lived along the river live in the village of Agustin Gonzales. The water from Presa Allende is used only for irrigation of the large farms in the valleys below Agustin Gonzales.
Hernandez returned to the area of his birth because he preferred rural life. His life isn't as rural as a farmer in the United States, however. Maria Feliz can walk from their home to the grocery store and back in a short time. Their front yard, which includes an orchard of oranges, grapefruit, limes, apples, cherries, and plums, is actually part of the village.
The Hernandez farm and farmhouse are modest, clean, and well kept, including the goat yards. Although production is not great, the herd of goats provides an adequate middle class living for three people. Juan, Jr. went to high school in the U.S. but, like his father, the younger Hernandez prefers the rural life and working with the goat herd, in Mexico.
In mid-October of 2007 the Hernandez family was milking 50 does and feeding about 30 kids. A large number of the does were going to freshen in November. For the most part, they milk the does through or dry them off for only a couple of weeks before refreshening.
The Hernandez' horseshoe-shaped barn separates the does into three separate pens that are open to the elements on three sides. The center of the barn houses the tractor and allows access to all livestock pens.
The does are separated into a series of three free stall pens that have a roof and a back wall but are otherwise open to the elements. The combined pens make up a horseshoe-shaped barn. The center of the barn houses a Massey Ferguson tractor and also serves as an access point to all the livestock pens. One leg of the horseshoe barn contains the area where Juan, Jr. chops silage for feed. The corn stalks are cut whole from the field and brought in to be hand fed into a small electric chopper. Some of the fields are adjacent to the farmstead. Others are some distance away.
Hernandez does not separate his bucks from the does. Each of the pens includes a group of does and at least one buck. There is also a hospital pen and pens for kids. In October one of those pens had a group of 15 five-month-old doelings. These doelings had a young buck with them.
All milking is done by hand. The milking parlor is in the central area of the horseshoe shaped barn and has easy access to all the pens. The parlor is elevated so milkers can stand up. There are on and off ramps. Milk is hauled in buckets to the milk room where the bulk tank is located.
When the senior Hernandez began milking goats in the mid-1980s the Mexican goat industry had already seen dramatic growth. Between 1970 and 1980 the demand for goat milk increased by 60 percent and an increasing demand for meat caused a 384 percent rise in prices, according to Mexican agricultural statistics.
Since then, the American Dairy Goat Association has worked with Mexican goat producers to improve standards, genetics, and production. In 2005 Sheila Nixon, on behalf of ADGA, was invited to judge the First National Dairy Goat Show in Celaya, Guanajuato. Celaya is just one hour from the Hernandez' farm. According to him, the best, and largest dairy goat herds in the country are near Celaya. The year Sheila Nixon judged, the Best Doe In Show and Best Udder was a three-year-old owned by Rodrigo Conejo of Salamanca, Guanajuato. Salamanca is not far from the Hernandez farm.
By Tim King
Why People Drink Goats Milk
Talk to any dairy goat owner and chances are at some point in the conversation they will let slip the well-believed phrase "more people world-wide drink goat milk than any other type of milk." As a dairy goat owner, I am sure that somewhere there are documented facts and statistics to back up this claim. But it does leave one question: Exactly who is drinking goat milk, and why? From my own personal experience of producing, selling, and drinking goat milk for the past 20 years, I can tell you. The people drinking goat milk are friends, neighbors, fellow countrymen, as well as immigrants and third-world inhabitants. Goat milk has been consumed for eons and continues to be the source of relief, even life, for many who would otherwise be unable to absorb proper nutrients from their diets. From my own son, to a woman named Mette Schutte, whose story is documented in the book, Goat Milk Magic, by Dr. Bernard Jensen, the real stories of people living and loving goat milk are many. Here are just a few of those stories. Some names have been changed to protect identity for legal reasons.
Keenan Stultz enjoys spending time with his favorite Nigerian doeling, Wil-O-Wisp. He also loves to drink goat milk.
When my son, Keenan (now age 11), was five years old, he was a robust, chunky little boy, active and full of joy and excitement about going to kindergarten. He was a big eater, loved just about everything placed on his plate, and drank goat milk morning, noon, night and for snacks in between. He loved pre-school, loved to play with his animals on the farm, loved to play with his friends, loved to show off his alphabet skills, and had a heart as big as a star-covered Kansas sky and determination to match it. Imagine our dismay and concern as parents when only a week into school he was complaining of headaches, stomachaches, and crying because he just didn't feel good. It didn't make sense. Was he playing sick just so he wouldn't have to go to school? What was going on?
His teacher said he seemed to be stressed out at school and couldn't concentrate. Maybe he had Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD); maybe we as parents were putting too much pressure on him to succeed at school; maybe he just wasn't trying hard enough. I couldn't believe it. This was my precious son, who just weeks earlier sat on my lap for hours as we read books. He loved to color; he loved learning. I was convinced the teacher was at fault. How could he go from such a happy child to one so miserable in such a short time?
Despite our misgivings, we listened to the teacher. We took him to his regular doctor who recommended putting him on an anti-depressant (at age five), then saw a specialist who evaluated him for ADD and ordered two gastro-intestinal exams. The results were all inconclusive and the treatments they all came up with, unrealistic. They wanted my son to take medication for two different conditions I knew he didn't have, and the side effects of the medications sounded like something out of a horror movie. Meanwhile my happy baby was still miserable with stomachaches, constipation and painful bowel movements. I thought I must have failed as a parent somehow.
One morning, while trying to convince Keenan he could make it through another day at school, I found a notice for special milk break payment in his backpack. My child had been drinking a carton of cow milk everyday at school for milk break for three months.. It never occurred to us that this was a problem; all children took milk breaks. But I suddenly realized my child had never had cow milk, or even cow milk products as part of his regular diet before. He had grown up on a dairy goat farm. I breastfed him until he was a year old, and he drank fresh goat milk from then on. Maybe Keenan was lactose intolerant. We never realized it because he had not been exposed to something he could not digest (cow milk) before. Excited, I phoned the school office to request he not be given any milk at school. To my surprise I was informed my child would have to continue taking milk break at school until I had a doctor's signed statement that he was medically unable to drink it. Great. I had to go back to the doctor who was threatening me with intervention services because I refused to give my child Ritalin and Prozac on his orders. What a strange world we live in, when parents are no longer trusted to know what is best for their children.
My instructions to Keenan that day, take the carton of milk but do not drink it, just quietly drop it into the trash after milk break was over. It took another two months for us to get through the proper steps to officially get my son off the school milk break list, but from the day he quit drinking milk at school, Keenan's stomach-aches, headaches and stress left him. My son was allergic to cow milk and once he was back to drinking his favorite goat milk at home, with just water or juice at school, his world was made right, without all those unnecessary high-powered drugs!
I am so thankful we discovered Keenan's real problem with milk before he was immersed in the doctor prescribed drug treatments that were laid out for him. I'm sure that for some people these types of things are necessary, but for us, goat milk in all it's natural goodness, was indeed a the miracle treatment. As difficult as it was for us to get through Keenan's milk intolerance difficulties, I have goat milk customers who have suffered even more at the hands of a medical community that doesn't understand the properties and importance of goat milk in a baby's diet.
Many years ago, I met an elderly man who came to buy a goat in milk to provide sustenance for his granddaughter. The child had been taken from her mother by the state because she was "starving," but through a bit of luck and answered prayers, the grandparents were able to get temporary custody. Frank (name changed) told me their family had a long history of lactose intolerance, and every generation had lost babies because they could not digest even breast milk. He was certain this baby was failing to thrive because it needed goat milk, but nobody in charge was listening. A year later, Frank called and said the baby was back with her mother and thriving on goat milk.
Skip ahead 15 years. Debbie, one of Frank's daughters, called frantically looking for a goat milk source for her own granddaughter, three weeks old, only weighing five pounds and not growing. Her daughter was losing custody of the child because of care issues, likely because doctors were concerned the child wasn't growing. This was her last hope. The baby was in a Children's Home where she was wasting away. She had one chance to get her and had crossed miles of red tape but was successful. Of course, we added her to the goat milk customer list immediately, and as the weeks went by the baby started growing and thriving. Amazingly, doctors were baffled by the baby's rapid turnaround in the care of her grandmother. The family keeps the fact that the baby is on goat milk sec- ret, fearing the child would go back into the Children's Home where she was starving, because the doctor specifically ordered them not to feed the child goat milk.
Keenan Stultz, Hillsboro, Kansas, shares the magic of goats and goat milk with friends at school whenever he gets a chance. In May he demonstrated how to milk a goat and then shared goat milk samples with his elementary classmates.
Another goat milk customer at our farm related her story as follows. Her infant son had a terrible skin condition and cried all night. Things were just not going well. A pediatrician had them try all kinds of dry formula. Nothing seemed to work, but someone at a health food store turned them on to goat milk. They tried canned goat milk from the store and it seemed to help. Under the pediatrician's recommendation, they looked for fresh goat milk, and now add a vitamin supplement and black strap molasses. The molasses helps keep the baby from getting constipated plus adds some additional nutrients. After two months on goat milk, the baby is happy and healthy, sleeping through the night, and has a beautiful complexion. Problems solved by goat milk.
And as for the story of Metta Schutte, mentioned at the beginning of this article. I read a wonderful book called Goat Milk Magic, by Dr. Bernard Jensen. In it was the story of a young woman who was dying of an intestinal disorder. Surgery to remove major body parts seemed to be her only option until she found Dr. Jensen. She moved to his ranch in California and spent the next 30 years drinking goat milk. She recovered, without surgery or other medical intervention, to lead a wholesome, active life, living almost exclusively on goat milk. Unfortunately, two weeks after she left the ranch to live in the city again, she was killed in a car accident. Goat milk, while a miracle food in itself, cannot protect humans from everything.
There are true stories of goat milk magic from almost any walk of life, and likely from any and every farm that has ever been a home to the wonderful dairy goat. I hope someday that official research will catch up to the facts that those of us who raise, bred, milk and enjoy dairy goats already know. Dairy goats and the milk they produce are wonderful, and it could be said that many lives depend on it. While I haven't been able to document the statement about more people drinking goat milk worldwide than any other type of milk, I think it is safe to say that those who are drinking goat milk are happier and healthier than those who haven't had the opportunity to do so.
By Jennifer Stultz
Friday, 11 July 2008
The Milk Goat
By Clara Hedricks
LECTION OF A GOAT FOR MILK PURPOSES
You’ve decided that you would like to milk goats. Whether you are going to milk one to two goats for your own use, several goats for your FFA/4-H project, or several hundred as a commercial dairy there are a few basic points to take into consideration when selecting a goat for milk purposes.
CONFORMATION
The milk goat should have a strong set of feet and legs. She should be able to move about with ease. Her knees should be clean, no puffiness or swelling. Remember she needs to get to the feeder to eat to produce milk.
The dairy goat should be deep in the heart girth and wide in the barrel. She must have good lung capacity and plenty of room for feed. The ideal milk goat is A-shaped when viewed from the side. In other words she will be narrower from topline to underline in the front end and will become deeper as you move towards the rear end of the animal. She will not be parallel from front to back. If you place your fingers between her ribs you will find them to point backwards with a wide spacing between them. Her ribs should be flat boned as opposed to round boned.
A good milk goat in excellent condition should have loose pliable skin and not be carrying excess fleshing. She should be sharp in the withers with an in curving thigh. If the goat has the above-mentioned features she has the willingness and genetic ability to milk.
Look closely at the udder. If should have a wide area of attachment with one third of the udder extending behind the leg when viewed from the side, one third of the udder behind the leg and one third of the udder in front of the leg. The rear udder attachment should be high and wide with no pockets where the fore udder meets the body. If your doe’s udder has the above-mentioned features then she has the udder capacity to provide milk.
Teat size and placement are important when selecting a milk goat. If you will be hand milking your goat select one with teat size that fits your hand, not too small or too large. If you are machine milking the goat the teat should fit into the inflation. The teat should be placed on the outer edge of the half pointing downward or even slightly inward. The medial suspensory ligament should be strong, providing a halving of the udder. The orifice size is important. If it is too small it will take a long time to milk out and if it is too large your doe may leak milk. Upon milking the doe out her udder should be soft and collapse down. If she has a hard udder after being milked out she may have scar tissue in her udder or have some other health issues. If the doe has just kidded she
may have some udder edema which should be gone within one to two weeks. If this swelling persists there are some other problems.
A management tool that is extremely useful in selecting a quality milk goat is DHI records. Ask the owner of the doe if they milk test and if they do ask to see her records. A good milking doe should be producing at least six to eight pounds of milk on a daily basis. On the DHI test sheet you will be able to find information regarding pounds of milk, butterfat and protein content of the milk.
You may also find information regarding SCC 9somatic cell count), high count can be an indicator of some mastitis issues especially subclinical. Be sure the udder is even as this can also be an indicating factor of some problems that have occurred or are occurring.
HOW TO MILK A DAIRY GOAT
Sanitation is the key. You want to minimize any opportunity for bacteria to enter the end of the teat canal.
The use of latex or nitrile gloves is recommended. The surface of the milker glove is non-porous and is sanitary. It is impossible to get your hands as clean and sanitary. If you choose not to use gloves, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly and keep them clean through the milking process.
Pre-dip the teats. There are a number of different products on the market sold as pre-dips. Read the label. The product should be able to kill bacteria on the teats and still be mild enough as not to dry out the skin on the teats. The product should have lanolin in it.
Strip two to three streams of milk from each teat into a strip cup. You are looking for any abnormalities in the milk. (Please refer to the section on abnormal milk.)
Dry the teats with single use towels. Do not use the same towel on the next animal. Remember your goal is to minimize the spread of bacterial from one animal to the next.
The pre-dip needs to stay on the teat for 30 seconds so it can kill any bacterial on the teat. If the teat does not come clean the first time repeat the process until the teat does come clean.
The process of milking should begin about one minute after preparation of the doe as the milk let down hormone is actively working and the doe is ready to be milked. The longer one waits to milk after this time the less ready the doe will be to let down her milk. Now either hand milk the doe or attach the machine to her.
Upon completion post-dip your doe’s teats. The pre-dip and post-dip should be compatible. For example if you use iodine based pre-dip use iodine based post-dip.
The purpose of the post-dip is to kill any bacteria around the teat end after milking until the orifice closes. Feed your doe right after you’re done milking her so that she continues to stand to minimize the chance of her lying down and getting bacteria into the teat end.
In summary the proper procedure to milking a goat is:
1. Pre-dip
2. Strip
3. Dry with a single use towel.
4. Milk
5. Post-dip
Dipping the teat end is typically better than spraying the teat end as the dipping ensures full coverage of the teat end whereas with spraying it is hard to ensure adequate coverage of the teat end.
DAIRY CLIPPING
Prior to milking your doe. A dairy clip is recommended to reduce debris and hair from getting into your milk. To dairy clip your doe, clip the belly, udder, and rear legs. Your goal is to remove long hair that may collect debris. The quality of your milk is improved by reducing any debris that can get into it.
ABNORMAL MILK
Work with your veterinarian to develop a management plan and procedure as to how to handle potential sick does. There are different strains of bacteria that cause abnormal milk and different products that work best on a given strain of bacteria. Take a sample of the abnormal milk to your veterinarian to have it tested so you know what types of bacteria you are dealing with.
Upon the completion of milking all of your milking equipment must be washed and sanitized. This is a must for keeping your does healthy and for providing quality milk.
MACHINE MILKING
There are a few key points to remember when machine milking. The teat should fit into the inflation. The inflation should not be conti9nually falling off or slipping. A slipping inflation will cause teat irritation followed by udder infections. Vacuum pressure should be at 11.5 to 14 psi depending on your type of system. With a pulsation of 60 – 90 beats per minute. For specific information regarding the set up of a milking system, best milking practices or other milking related questions refer to
www.dairpc.com. The Dairy Practices Council has a number of excellent management booklets out. Their information is based on research.
You will need to find an inflation that works best for your. There are a number of styles of inflations and materials that inflations are made from. Do not over milk with a machine, as you will cause teat ends to become irritated and cause additional problems.
PROPER HANDLING OF MILK
To maintain a quality product the milk should be immediately strained and cooled to 38 – 40 degrees F.
If the milk is to be fed to kids it should be pasteurized. Heat the milk to 165 degrees F for 15 seconds. Colostrum should be heat-treated to 130 degrees F for one hour. Heat treatment of the milk kills many harmful microorganisms. Diseases as CAE and Johnes can be passed on to the offspring through the doe’s milk.
Suggested Websites Compiled
http://www.ics.uci.edu/~pazzani/4H/GoatsHome.html
http://www.clover.okstate.edu/fourh/newpage/projects/4h424.pdf
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/goats.html
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_4H054
http://www.sheepandgoat.com/manage.html
http://nationalsaanenbreeders.com/links1.html
www.imagecyte.com/goats.html
www.saanendoah.com/goatss.html
www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles.htm
www.goatworld.com
www.goatwisdom.com
WHY PACK GOATS FOR 4-H/FFA
By Beth Adams
Pack Goats are a wonderful addition to any County Fair. A Pack Goat Competition will delight not only 4-H/FFA Participants but also the audience. Don’t be surprised if you end up with more spectators after the first five minutes of the competition than the Beef Show. Imagine goats with packs maneuvering over, under, and through obstacles. It truly is amazing to watch. Please refer to sample Pack Goat Show Rules Sheet and Score Sheets for ideas.
Dairy Goat wethers are the pack goats of choice and the average 4-H or FFA members will be overjoyed in the fact that they have obtained pets that will improve in showmanship and be able to attend the fair year after year. This is a wonderful program especially since the advent of the Boer Goat and meat breed crosses have just about forced the dairy breeds, except the Nubian, out of the market goat 4-H/FFA projects. It has taken only three years for this program to grow in Clermont County, Ohio, to 95 pack goats.
As a Youth Leader it is an added benefit to hold one to two pack goat outings during the year. This is a true social event for both the youth and the goats. Arrange a meeting place and time. This can be a state park, national park, any bridle trail, etc. Have the participants pack their lunches and a bottle of water for the goats available in the packs the goats will be carrying. This activity can be as long as six hours or as short as three hours.
Packs can be either purchased from a pack goat equipment supplier or a dog pack will suffice. Many pack goat enthusiasts make their own packs.
Below is some general information regarding selection, health, training, equipment, etc., written by Clay and Charlotte Zimmerman of High Uinta Pack Goats.
PICKING A PROSPECT We don't believe the "perfect packgoat" exists. But, there are attributes that you need to be aware of when picking your prospect. If you are a light, weekend packer you will be able to use a goat with some flaws, but the harder you intend to work your goat, the more of the following items you will have to take into consideration.
CONFORMATION
Prospects should be: CAE and CL free-(goat viruses-CAE looks like arthritis, & CL is an abscess forming disease) Minimum 34" at the withers-(our Oberhaslis are not this big, but if you want a large load this is the minimum size.) Minimum 200 pounds-(same comment as height, the smaller the mass the less weight they
can carry) Leg length proportionate to body (no dachshund looking conformation) Flat back from withers to loin-(helps carry weight evenly) Withers and croup both same distance from the ground-not going uphill or down-(keeps pack from sliding) Cannon bone 1/3 length of upper leg-(longer stride) Good bone size in legs and feet Wide across hip and shoulders-(good weight bearing surface) Legs track reasonably straight when watched from the front-(elbows should not "wing" out - come away from the body) Slightly hockey-good angles to hocks when viewed from the side and back give better traction and stay sounder than posty (very straight) legs. Body type - (should look muscular in appearance -not a dairy goat type- with thigh/gaskin muscles well defined; shoulders and neck should also show good muscle tone.)
These, of course describe the "perfect" goat, but the harder you plan to work, the more they need to have good proportion and strong bone and feet. (Here we have to say that one of our 'best' packers most definitely does not fit this profile. He is bow-legged, pigeon toed and his hoofs roll as he steps. But it hasn't proven a problem to him as far as we can tell. And we work our boys hard.)
To de-horn or not to de-horn, that is the question. There is a lot of controversy over this. Horns work as a cooling system in goats. They are also a major liability in herd management. The arguments pro and con are many. Whichever you decide on, all your animals should be the same. Most breeders automatically dehorn new kids. The buyer usually must ask for this not to be done if they want horns.
MENTAL ATTRIBUTES A goat can have all the great conformation in the world, but if he's not a "gung-ho" goat mentally, he's worthless as a packer. Good pack goats like to work and spend time with people. It's obvious when they're very small. In fact, if they follow into the training mud puddle for their bottle, they are likely to be good packers. Our experience is that "attitude" plays an extremely important part in a packgoat. We recommend choosing a goat that is friendly, curious, doesn't mind being touched places, and one that has an alertness and brightness to its character.
Some goats are lazy. Nubians particularly have a reputation for this, but this doesn't mean that all are. And Nubian crosses can give you size while maintaining the more work oriented traits of the smaller breeds.
A goat from a reputable packgoat breeder will have been bred to select for gung-ho goat qualities. Goats should show that they are well-socialized and not exhibit fear or aggressiveness toward people. By the time they are weaned, they should not be butting or jumping up on people. It's cute in kids but not in full grown spoiled monsters. Your goat should be willing to respect you, just like any other working animal.
How we do things. Training: Training begins the day a goat is born. For a good packing goat, hand raising it a must. This bonds the goat to humans; makes you a vital part of its herd. The most important training rule to remember is "love and respect your goat". Cute cuddly "kids" grow to be big strong "goats." By nature goats butt and ram each other and will do it to humans unless this is trained out of them at a very young age. The best way is by the "No horns, no heads" rule. As the owner, and dominant of the herd, humans must never "invite" a challenge. This means you do not grab the goat by its horns and tussle. And part two; if the goat lowers it head to butt, gently push its head away on the side of its face. The first year this will be the most used training technique. But as a fully grown
adult packer, that same goat is safe to turn your back on, will follow, anywhere, and wants very much to make you, the human dominant(s) happy. Collar and leash training for your goat must also start very early. They love to walk; they love to be with their herd. They do not like to be pulled on a leash, but many areas require leads on all pack animals, so start them, even before they are weaned. Never yell or hit the goat, this makes them resentful. But like a well trained dog, coax and reward the goat. That first year is the best time to get them to cross water. Most goats don't do this naturally and will find many ingenious ways NOT to get wet. But if fording a river is necessary on a hike, your goat must be able to do it. We actually walk stream beds, so the goats at some point must go through water to follow. Often they will wait until we are out of sight before "plunging in" but all will come before being left behind.
What Do I Need to Consider if I Decide to Purchase a Goat? Land – 100 sq. ft. per goat. Fencing – 5-ft. high field/horse fencing. (With horned goats 4" squares recommend) Shelter – Covered, with at least three sides, dry and blocks main wind flow. Food - hay: alfalfa/grass mix and vitamins. Mineral salt lick. And protein treats Water – fresh daily. Health Care – yearly checkups, worming, yearly vaccinations, and hooves trimmed every 3 to 6 weeks. Companionship – consider 2 goats to keep each other company. Care Cost – about $15 to $20 per month. Exercise – a hike a week or walks during the week. An exercised goat is a healthy goat. Training Time – plan to spend a few minutes each day with the goat to work on commands as well as for bonding
Statistics how much can one carry? Goats can easily carry 1/4 of their total body weight. Fully conditioned packers can reach up to 1/3. A large fully grown wether can easily carry 40 to 60 pounds of gear. That's a lot of stuff, and if you need more you can just add another goat! When can they pack? Too young? Goats can start training with a soft pack (1lb. max weight) at 8 or 9 months. Small loads by (5lbs-10lbs) between 1 1/2 and 2; once a full sized saddle will fit. Between 2 and 4 years, they can carry full (1/4) loads. DO NOT over pack during these two years, as they are still growing! To old? Healthy, well cared for and conditioned goats can pack for many years. We have heard of some that are 15 years plus
Get to know your veterinarian, especially first time owners of pack goats. They will fast become your best friend and advice counselors. Second best source is the Packgoat list online. This is a free list and very informative as goat packers help each other. (See link page to subscribe to the All About Pack goats list)
Goats are easy to care for. These are the signs of a healthy goat. Eyes clear and bright. Tearing or cloudy eyes probably mean a pinkeye infection. Coat smooth and shiny. A dull coat could indicate parasites. Fluffed up coat means the goat is not feeling well. Appetite good. Attitude alert. Hunched back and droopy tail mean something is wrong. Goat Statistics Body Temperature: 102.5° F-104° F Pulse/heart rate: 60 to 80 beats per minute Respiration rate: 15 to 30 breaths per minute
Making the Wether: Banding vs. Surgical Castration We've as yet, have not physically done this ourselves. By the time we get the goats, the
breeders have already done this for us. So the following suggestion and comments are from a veterinarian. Pack goats should be Castrated at 4-6 months, as there is less scarring to result in stricture of the urethra in wethers. Banding earlier as is common, leaves scarring in this area. Castration can be done with Ketamine, a quick acting anesthetic, with the kid up and active again very quickly. Also early castration at about 3 months keeps the growth plates open longer, resulting in a little leggier goat. Because of wethers tendency for urinary tract problems later in life, banding is not the best choice for a packgoat prospect.
Worming: Giving advice on frequency of worming is not easy, as too many factors are involved. The area you live in and the immediate environment your goats live in. Lots of animals in a small space may require worming every 2 months. While few animals on acres of land, may never need worming at all. The best way to know your needs is to do (or have done) a fecal exam before you worm unless your animals are symptomatic. And do another 2 weeks later to see if the drug you used was effective. The tests don't cost much, or with training can be done by the owner. Goats metabolize worm medications faster than other species. That is why they need a higher dose of most worm medications than horse, cattle and even sheep. Another good idea is to rotate the brand of wormer, so that you are not using the same on every two months (if frequent worming is indicated in your area) This is advised by many caprine trained Veterinarians. Routine worming when unnecessary only leads to drug resistant parasites, animals with little or no natural resistance and spending lots of money. Your local veterinarian or breeder can provide the best advice about general conditions that lead to or away from worming in your immediate area.
Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Syndrome: Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Syndrome (CAE) is a viral disease. In young kids symptoms include a weakness in the rear legs, with no fever, or loss of appetite. However, the unused legs lose muscle strength and structure and the infected kids eventually die. In older goats, the same disease is seen as swollen joints, particularly the knees. The disease develops slowly, and after 2 or more years, the animal has difficulty using its legs properly. Infected goats have no fever, remain alert, and eat well. However, they do not recover from the arthritis. An inexpensive blood test can be used to diagnose CAE. The disease is spread from older infected goats to kids, perhaps by contact or through the milk from an infected doe to her kid. There are no corrective procedures or treatments. Isolating kids at birth and raising them on pasteurized goat milk is done to prevent the spread. It's a good idea to make sure a goat is CAE free before purchasing. However, the blood test only checks for antibodies, and it's possible that an animal is infected and not (yet) producing antibodies.
Pack Goat Nutrition Pack goats should get 1-½% to 2% of their body weight in feed daily. This means that a 100 pound pack goat needs about 2 pounds of feed a day. A working pack goat needs about 2% to 3% of their body weight in feed per day. If a goat seems to be a little thin, add ½% to 1% more feed each day. When working, a pack goat needs extra fats and proteins which help their muscles work well. Fats and proteins come from the grain mixture. The grain mixture should consist of vitamins and minerals along with oil for fat - corn, oats and/or barley for protein. Most packers agree that wethered pack goats should not be fed a continuous grain diet, nor should they be fed a continuous diet of alfalfa. Grass hay tends to be the best. Alfalfa and grain should not be overfed to pack goats. Wethered goats are prone to urinary calculi (caused by too much phosphorus and not enough calcium). Urinary calculi in a pack goat can be life threatening. To avoid problems with urinary calculi, the grain mixture should be at least 2 or 3 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus. A goat should have plenty of fresh water daily. In areas that are deficient in the mineral selenium be sure
that goats get a mineral mixture that contains selenium (a horse or cattle salt mixture or block works well). In any area a mineral salt lick is preferred, made for that area's deficiencies.
Which Breed is Best? It's anyone's guess and a lot of personal preferences.
What Kind of Goats? There are six breeds of Dairy Goats that are registered with the American Dairy Goat Association that are most commonly used for pack goats. A pack goat can be any breed or cross-breed of goat. All the breeds have different personalities and different physical characteristics. If you are interested you should check out as many breeds as possible before making your purchase. A good pack goat needs to have long, good, strong legs. Personality is a major component of a good pack goat. A good temperament makes up for a lot of size faults with a pack goat. [Taz is one of our smallest goats, But he has endurance and "heart" to spare on long treks. Like the energizer rabbit.] Most pack goats are wethers (neutered males) because they tend to get larger than the females and do not have the odor and behavior problems of bucks.
Alpines The Alpine is a breed of goat that originated in the Alps. The goats of Alpine type that were brought to the United States from France where they had been selected for much greater uniformity, size, and production than was true of the goats that were taken from Switzerland to France. Size and production rather than color pattern have been stressed in the development of the Alpine. No distinct color has been established, and it may range from pure white through shades of fawn, gray, brown, black, red, bluff, piebald, or various shadings or combinations of these colors. Both sexes are generally short haired, but bucks usually have a roach of long hair along the spine. The beard of males is also quite pronounced. The ears in the Alpine should be of medium size, fine textured, and preferably erect. Alpines are attractive animals with white and/or black facial stripes. Color is of little significance to the packer, but to the breeder it is important because the prettier ones tend to sale first. [Unless, like us, you pre-order from a breeder that only breeds what are sold and future breeding stock We agree to accept one of the male kids, sight unseen.] Alpines are fine boned and a little smaller than Saanens or Toggenburgs, but the quest for the monster Alpine to rival or surpass these bigger breeds is firmly under way among reputable pack goat breeders. Mature females should stand not less than 30 inches at the withers and should weigh not less than 135 pounds. Males should stand from 34 to 40 inches at the withers and should weigh not less than 170 pounds. Alpine horns are distinctive, blacker and more tubular, taller scimitar shape. (More antelope looking.) Alpines are hardy, adaptable animals that thrive in any climate while maintaining good health. They are very agile on rocks and very friendly but tend to show increasing independence after two years of age. Weak pasterns occur in some bloodlines, but seldom affect an exercised wether. They train easily and are very in tune to the people with whom they work. Watching for slight movements or gestures, even making eye contact with humans – traits not as common in other breeds. Docile and friendly, but with instincts running at high gear. Only Toggs are as (or more) alert on the trail. Don't ever offend your Alpine wither – he can be sensitive and high-strung after about age three. Alpines tend to be affectionate with people (when it's their idea) and detest being left behind. An older, experienced Alpine can be surprisingly trail wise, remembering the exact lay of a trail it's been on before, even when the trail is covered by a foot of snow, or remembering significant details about a route off the trail. (Even with years between times on the trail.) Any experienced goat can develop this sense, but Alpines seem to be the most adept at it.
LaManchas This Spanish breed originated in Oregon from short eared goats of a type found not only in
LaMancha, but throughout Spain. It has excellent dairy temperament and is an all around sturdy animal that can withstand a great deal of hardship. The LaMancha is (like the Obers) one of the smaller breed used for pack goats. The LaMancha face is straight with the ears (or lack of) being the distinctive breed characteristic. The external, visible part of the ear is like a little tuft with no cartilage. LaManchas come in about any color you like. The hair is short, fine and glossy. Horns are of a lighter brown or black, and smallish, tending to curl back more little the Big-Horn sheep as the animal ages. LaManchas are one of the most consistently lovable and agreeable of all the breeds for a pack goat. Bonding with humans is exceptional. LaManchas will follow you anywhere and therefore are a little easier to train. (In fact the term – underfoot – fits them well.) They are possibly the most intelligent breed. You have to experience the LaMancha to fully appreciate them. [We have loved our Munchies and Munchy mixes. "In Trouble" is another term that they wear well. These boys are the first to cross the ‘camp line' and enter tents, check out the fire, investigate the gear and so on. The LaMancha breeder we acquired Star from told us a good axiom: You will either have to love them, or you will hate them; Munchy's do not allow a middle ground.]
Nubians (correct Registry Name: Anglo Nubian) Nubians were developed in England by crossing British goats with bucks of African and Indian origin. The Anglo Nubian is an all-purpose goat, useful for meat, milk and hides production. It is not a heavy milk producer but has a high average butter fat content. As it is the best suited of the dairy goat breeds to hot conditions, the Anglo Nubian has been used in grading-up programs in many tropical countries to increase the milk and meat production of local breeds. The Nubian is a relatively large, proud, and graceful dairy goat. A mature doe should stand at least 30 inches at the withers and weigh 135 pounds or over, while the males should stand at least 35 inches at the withers and weigh at least 175 pounds. The Nubian goat is named for Nubia, in northeastern Africa. The originally goats imported from Africa, Arabia and India were long legged, hardy goats that had some characteristics desired by goat breeders in England. English breeders crossed these imported bucks on the common short haired does of England prior to 1895 to develop the Anglo-Nubian goat. In the United States the breed is usually spoken of as the Nubian. The Nubian is regarded as an "aristocratic" appearing goat and has very long, pendulous ears that hang close to the head. The Nubian carries a decidedly Roman nose and is always short haired. Horns are thick, and tend to be flatter off the base then the other breed used for packing. Nubian's can come in about any color, solid or patterned, but black, red or tan are the most common colors, any of which may be carried on combination with white. Usually there is shorter hair on the Nubian males, particularly along the back and on the thigh, than is commonly found on the Swiss breeds. The head is the distinctive breed characteristic, with the facial profile between the eyes and the muzzle being strongly convex. The ears are long (extending at least one inch beyond the muzzle when held flat along the face), wide and pendulous. They lie close to the head at the temple and flare slightly out and well forward at the rounded tip, forming a "bell" shape. The ears are not thick, with the cartilage well defined. The hair is short, fine and glossy. Nubians are famous for the duration of milk production and the high butterfat content of their milk. They are also famous in the pack goat community for lying down in the trail when you want them to go. They tend to be the most stubborn of the goat breeds, and are noisy, making a distinctive sound. Even Nubian kids sound like they are complaining. Their size and sturdiness is desirable, but there disposition makes them nearly useless as a pack goat. [That said, all of our Nubian crossbreeds have been excellent packers. But you get "airplane ears" with crossbreeds -- the ears extend from head two or three inches then fall another two to four inches depending on the cross. These outward extending, floppy ears, tend to lend an "I can fly" look to the goat.]
Oberhaslis The Oberhasli is a Swiss dairy goat. This breed is of medium size, vigorous and alert in appearance. Its color is chamois. Does may be black but chamois is preferred. Chamois is
described as: Bay - ranging from light to a deep red bay with the later most desirable. Markings are to be: two black stripes down the face from above each eye to a black muzzle; forehead nearly all black, black stripes from the base of each ear coming to a point just back of the poll and continuing along the neck and back as a dorsal stripe to the tail; a black belly and udder; black legs below the knees and hocks; ears black inside and bay outside; bucks often have more black on the head than does, black whiskers, and black hair along the shoulders and lower chest with a mantle of black along the back. The face is straight. They have erect ears and are a medium small breed. Horns are tan with an easy scimitar curve, but more round. Oberhaslis are one of the smallest breeds used as a pack goat. But they are used for a dairy goat ‘fault' that is very common to this breed. It's called "hockiness," a tendency for the hocks of the hind legs to be turned inward. This makes a goat more agile on rocks, but obviously leaves less room for a large, pendulous udder. A hocky goat can bound up the side of a near vertical cliff. As far as the serious goat packer is concerned, the hocky tendency in the Oberhasli is a fortunate throwback to the natural form of the wild goat. Many Obers seem to be aquaphilic – they like water. [We have not seen it to the point of LIKING, but our Obers did not require water training, they simply followed us through.] This can be a definite advantage since most goats have to be trained to cross streams due to their natural fear of water. Obers have a pleasant, mellow, easygoing personality. Some breeders are working to increase the size on this breed for a better packgoat.
Saanens (pronounced: saw-nen) The Saanen dairy goat originated in Switzerland, in the Saanen Valley. Saanens are medium to large in size, weighing approximately 145 lbs/65kg, with rugged bone and plenty of vigor. Saanens are white or light cream in color, with white preferred. The hair should be short and fine, although a fringe over the spine and thighs is often present. Ears should be erect and alertly carried, preferably pointing forward. The face should be straight or dished. The breed is sensitive to excessive sunlight and performs best in cooler conditions. The provision of shade is essential and tan skin is preferable. They usually have a large udder capacity and are popular with dairies due to the quantity of milk they produce. Saanens are often big boned and sturdy. Horns are large at the base, long, tan in color, and a flattened scimitar shaped, and deeply ringed. This breed's disposition for packing is perfect – super- mellow and quiet, virtually silent on the trail and in camp. These animals are impressive, often packing up to 85 pounds in easy terrain and 60 pound in steep, rocky terrain. the lovable personality is a strong plus, Saanens are most serviceable in alpine elevation and at cooler temperatures. Their light color and pink skin is linked to a tendency to overheat in hot weather, and this holds true for Saanens that have been crossbred with other breeds. Also, some bloodlines tend to be prone to weak pasterns. Generally, this should not be cause for concern if the goats come from a genuine Packgoat breeder.
Toggenburgs The Toggenburg is a Swiss dairy goat from Toggenburg Valley of Switzerland at Obertoggenburg. They are also credited as being the oldest known dairy goat breed. This breed is medium size, sturdy, vigorous, and alert in appearance. Slightly smaller than the other Alpine breeds, the does weight at least 120lb/55kg. The hair is short or medium in length, soft, fine, and lying flat. Its color is solid varying from light fawn to dark chocolate with no preference for any shade. Distinct white markings are as follows: white ears with dark spot in middle; two white stripes down the face from above each eye to the muzzle; hind legs white from hocks to hooves; forelegs white from knees downward with a dark lien (band) below knee acceptable; a white triangle on either side of the tail; white spot may be present at root of wattles or in that area if no wattles are present. Varying degrees of cream markings instead of pure white acceptable, but not desirable. The ears are erect and carried forward. Facial lines may be dished or straight, never roman. Horns are large at the base, long, tan in color, scimitar shaped, and deeply ringed. Generally, Toggs have strong legs and strong pasterns, but beware of short legged strains (more common in the western states.) Wethers should be at least 34 inches high at the shoulder when
four years of age. Toggs are less mellow and independent the other breeds, especially as they get older. Along with these traits comes an advantageous wariness in the woods. This breed makes for an excellent watch goat which is not noisy but will stare in an alarm posture. Furthermore a goat's night vision is remarkably acute. A small tinkle bell on a Togg around camp at night will keep you aware of intruders -animal or human- beyond your own senses. Never lose your temper with or abuse a working Togg, either in the training phase or when the goat is an adult. These are very sensitive creatures that enjoy their independence. They are loyal, but from a distance. Typical behavior is to avoid being saddled, be a model packer until camp is made, then go off quickly and stare back at the human. This is merely a Togg's way of stating his independence. Be accepting. There are worth the patience. Toggenburgs perform best in cooler conditions and have great endurance.
LECTION OF A GOAT FOR MILK PURPOSES
You’ve decided that you would like to milk goats. Whether you are going to milk one to two goats for your own use, several goats for your FFA/4-H project, or several hundred as a commercial dairy there are a few basic points to take into consideration when selecting a goat for milk purposes.
CONFORMATION
The milk goat should have a strong set of feet and legs. She should be able to move about with ease. Her knees should be clean, no puffiness or swelling. Remember she needs to get to the feeder to eat to produce milk.
The dairy goat should be deep in the heart girth and wide in the barrel. She must have good lung capacity and plenty of room for feed. The ideal milk goat is A-shaped when viewed from the side. In other words she will be narrower from topline to underline in the front end and will become deeper as you move towards the rear end of the animal. She will not be parallel from front to back. If you place your fingers between her ribs you will find them to point backwards with a wide spacing between them. Her ribs should be flat boned as opposed to round boned.
A good milk goat in excellent condition should have loose pliable skin and not be carrying excess fleshing. She should be sharp in the withers with an in curving thigh. If the goat has the above-mentioned features she has the willingness and genetic ability to milk.
Look closely at the udder. If should have a wide area of attachment with one third of the udder extending behind the leg when viewed from the side, one third of the udder behind the leg and one third of the udder in front of the leg. The rear udder attachment should be high and wide with no pockets where the fore udder meets the body. If your doe’s udder has the above-mentioned features then she has the udder capacity to provide milk.
Teat size and placement are important when selecting a milk goat. If you will be hand milking your goat select one with teat size that fits your hand, not too small or too large. If you are machine milking the goat the teat should fit into the inflation. The teat should be placed on the outer edge of the half pointing downward or even slightly inward. The medial suspensory ligament should be strong, providing a halving of the udder. The orifice size is important. If it is too small it will take a long time to milk out and if it is too large your doe may leak milk. Upon milking the doe out her udder should be soft and collapse down. If she has a hard udder after being milked out she may have scar tissue in her udder or have some other health issues. If the doe has just kidded she
may have some udder edema which should be gone within one to two weeks. If this swelling persists there are some other problems.
A management tool that is extremely useful in selecting a quality milk goat is DHI records. Ask the owner of the doe if they milk test and if they do ask to see her records. A good milking doe should be producing at least six to eight pounds of milk on a daily basis. On the DHI test sheet you will be able to find information regarding pounds of milk, butterfat and protein content of the milk.
You may also find information regarding SCC 9somatic cell count), high count can be an indicator of some mastitis issues especially subclinical. Be sure the udder is even as this can also be an indicating factor of some problems that have occurred or are occurring.
HOW TO MILK A DAIRY GOAT
Sanitation is the key. You want to minimize any opportunity for bacteria to enter the end of the teat canal.
The use of latex or nitrile gloves is recommended. The surface of the milker glove is non-porous and is sanitary. It is impossible to get your hands as clean and sanitary. If you choose not to use gloves, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly and keep them clean through the milking process.
Pre-dip the teats. There are a number of different products on the market sold as pre-dips. Read the label. The product should be able to kill bacteria on the teats and still be mild enough as not to dry out the skin on the teats. The product should have lanolin in it.
Strip two to three streams of milk from each teat into a strip cup. You are looking for any abnormalities in the milk. (Please refer to the section on abnormal milk.)
Dry the teats with single use towels. Do not use the same towel on the next animal. Remember your goal is to minimize the spread of bacterial from one animal to the next.
The pre-dip needs to stay on the teat for 30 seconds so it can kill any bacterial on the teat. If the teat does not come clean the first time repeat the process until the teat does come clean.
The process of milking should begin about one minute after preparation of the doe as the milk let down hormone is actively working and the doe is ready to be milked. The longer one waits to milk after this time the less ready the doe will be to let down her milk. Now either hand milk the doe or attach the machine to her.
Upon completion post-dip your doe’s teats. The pre-dip and post-dip should be compatible. For example if you use iodine based pre-dip use iodine based post-dip.
The purpose of the post-dip is to kill any bacteria around the teat end after milking until the orifice closes. Feed your doe right after you’re done milking her so that she continues to stand to minimize the chance of her lying down and getting bacteria into the teat end.
In summary the proper procedure to milking a goat is:
1. Pre-dip
2. Strip
3. Dry with a single use towel.
4. Milk
5. Post-dip
Dipping the teat end is typically better than spraying the teat end as the dipping ensures full coverage of the teat end whereas with spraying it is hard to ensure adequate coverage of the teat end.
DAIRY CLIPPING
Prior to milking your doe. A dairy clip is recommended to reduce debris and hair from getting into your milk. To dairy clip your doe, clip the belly, udder, and rear legs. Your goal is to remove long hair that may collect debris. The quality of your milk is improved by reducing any debris that can get into it.
ABNORMAL MILK
Work with your veterinarian to develop a management plan and procedure as to how to handle potential sick does. There are different strains of bacteria that cause abnormal milk and different products that work best on a given strain of bacteria. Take a sample of the abnormal milk to your veterinarian to have it tested so you know what types of bacteria you are dealing with.
Upon the completion of milking all of your milking equipment must be washed and sanitized. This is a must for keeping your does healthy and for providing quality milk.
MACHINE MILKING
There are a few key points to remember when machine milking. The teat should fit into the inflation. The inflation should not be conti9nually falling off or slipping. A slipping inflation will cause teat irritation followed by udder infections. Vacuum pressure should be at 11.5 to 14 psi depending on your type of system. With a pulsation of 60 – 90 beats per minute. For specific information regarding the set up of a milking system, best milking practices or other milking related questions refer to
www.dairpc.com. The Dairy Practices Council has a number of excellent management booklets out. Their information is based on research.
You will need to find an inflation that works best for your. There are a number of styles of inflations and materials that inflations are made from. Do not over milk with a machine, as you will cause teat ends to become irritated and cause additional problems.
PROPER HANDLING OF MILK
To maintain a quality product the milk should be immediately strained and cooled to 38 – 40 degrees F.
If the milk is to be fed to kids it should be pasteurized. Heat the milk to 165 degrees F for 15 seconds. Colostrum should be heat-treated to 130 degrees F for one hour. Heat treatment of the milk kills many harmful microorganisms. Diseases as CAE and Johnes can be passed on to the offspring through the doe’s milk.
Suggested Websites Compiled
http://www.ics.uci.edu/~pazzani/4H/GoatsHome.html
http://www.clover.okstate.edu/fourh/newpage/projects/4h424.pdf
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/goats.html
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_4H054
http://www.sheepandgoat.com/manage.html
http://nationalsaanenbreeders.com/links1.html
www.imagecyte.com/goats.html
www.saanendoah.com/goatss.html
www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles.htm
www.goatworld.com
www.goatwisdom.com
WHY PACK GOATS FOR 4-H/FFA
By Beth Adams
Pack Goats are a wonderful addition to any County Fair. A Pack Goat Competition will delight not only 4-H/FFA Participants but also the audience. Don’t be surprised if you end up with more spectators after the first five minutes of the competition than the Beef Show. Imagine goats with packs maneuvering over, under, and through obstacles. It truly is amazing to watch. Please refer to sample Pack Goat Show Rules Sheet and Score Sheets for ideas.
Dairy Goat wethers are the pack goats of choice and the average 4-H or FFA members will be overjoyed in the fact that they have obtained pets that will improve in showmanship and be able to attend the fair year after year. This is a wonderful program especially since the advent of the Boer Goat and meat breed crosses have just about forced the dairy breeds, except the Nubian, out of the market goat 4-H/FFA projects. It has taken only three years for this program to grow in Clermont County, Ohio, to 95 pack goats.
As a Youth Leader it is an added benefit to hold one to two pack goat outings during the year. This is a true social event for both the youth and the goats. Arrange a meeting place and time. This can be a state park, national park, any bridle trail, etc. Have the participants pack their lunches and a bottle of water for the goats available in the packs the goats will be carrying. This activity can be as long as six hours or as short as three hours.
Packs can be either purchased from a pack goat equipment supplier or a dog pack will suffice. Many pack goat enthusiasts make their own packs.
Below is some general information regarding selection, health, training, equipment, etc., written by Clay and Charlotte Zimmerman of High Uinta Pack Goats.
PICKING A PROSPECT We don't believe the "perfect packgoat" exists. But, there are attributes that you need to be aware of when picking your prospect. If you are a light, weekend packer you will be able to use a goat with some flaws, but the harder you intend to work your goat, the more of the following items you will have to take into consideration.
CONFORMATION
Prospects should be: CAE and CL free-(goat viruses-CAE looks like arthritis, & CL is an abscess forming disease) Minimum 34" at the withers-(our Oberhaslis are not this big, but if you want a large load this is the minimum size.) Minimum 200 pounds-(same comment as height, the smaller the mass the less weight they
can carry) Leg length proportionate to body (no dachshund looking conformation) Flat back from withers to loin-(helps carry weight evenly) Withers and croup both same distance from the ground-not going uphill or down-(keeps pack from sliding) Cannon bone 1/3 length of upper leg-(longer stride) Good bone size in legs and feet Wide across hip and shoulders-(good weight bearing surface) Legs track reasonably straight when watched from the front-(elbows should not "wing" out - come away from the body) Slightly hockey-good angles to hocks when viewed from the side and back give better traction and stay sounder than posty (very straight) legs. Body type - (should look muscular in appearance -not a dairy goat type- with thigh/gaskin muscles well defined; shoulders and neck should also show good muscle tone.)
These, of course describe the "perfect" goat, but the harder you plan to work, the more they need to have good proportion and strong bone and feet. (Here we have to say that one of our 'best' packers most definitely does not fit this profile. He is bow-legged, pigeon toed and his hoofs roll as he steps. But it hasn't proven a problem to him as far as we can tell. And we work our boys hard.)
To de-horn or not to de-horn, that is the question. There is a lot of controversy over this. Horns work as a cooling system in goats. They are also a major liability in herd management. The arguments pro and con are many. Whichever you decide on, all your animals should be the same. Most breeders automatically dehorn new kids. The buyer usually must ask for this not to be done if they want horns.
MENTAL ATTRIBUTES A goat can have all the great conformation in the world, but if he's not a "gung-ho" goat mentally, he's worthless as a packer. Good pack goats like to work and spend time with people. It's obvious when they're very small. In fact, if they follow into the training mud puddle for their bottle, they are likely to be good packers. Our experience is that "attitude" plays an extremely important part in a packgoat. We recommend choosing a goat that is friendly, curious, doesn't mind being touched places, and one that has an alertness and brightness to its character.
Some goats are lazy. Nubians particularly have a reputation for this, but this doesn't mean that all are. And Nubian crosses can give you size while maintaining the more work oriented traits of the smaller breeds.
A goat from a reputable packgoat breeder will have been bred to select for gung-ho goat qualities. Goats should show that they are well-socialized and not exhibit fear or aggressiveness toward people. By the time they are weaned, they should not be butting or jumping up on people. It's cute in kids but not in full grown spoiled monsters. Your goat should be willing to respect you, just like any other working animal.
How we do things. Training: Training begins the day a goat is born. For a good packing goat, hand raising it a must. This bonds the goat to humans; makes you a vital part of its herd. The most important training rule to remember is "love and respect your goat". Cute cuddly "kids" grow to be big strong "goats." By nature goats butt and ram each other and will do it to humans unless this is trained out of them at a very young age. The best way is by the "No horns, no heads" rule. As the owner, and dominant of the herd, humans must never "invite" a challenge. This means you do not grab the goat by its horns and tussle. And part two; if the goat lowers it head to butt, gently push its head away on the side of its face. The first year this will be the most used training technique. But as a fully grown
adult packer, that same goat is safe to turn your back on, will follow, anywhere, and wants very much to make you, the human dominant(s) happy. Collar and leash training for your goat must also start very early. They love to walk; they love to be with their herd. They do not like to be pulled on a leash, but many areas require leads on all pack animals, so start them, even before they are weaned. Never yell or hit the goat, this makes them resentful. But like a well trained dog, coax and reward the goat. That first year is the best time to get them to cross water. Most goats don't do this naturally and will find many ingenious ways NOT to get wet. But if fording a river is necessary on a hike, your goat must be able to do it. We actually walk stream beds, so the goats at some point must go through water to follow. Often they will wait until we are out of sight before "plunging in" but all will come before being left behind.
What Do I Need to Consider if I Decide to Purchase a Goat? Land – 100 sq. ft. per goat. Fencing – 5-ft. high field/horse fencing. (With horned goats 4" squares recommend) Shelter – Covered, with at least three sides, dry and blocks main wind flow. Food - hay: alfalfa/grass mix and vitamins. Mineral salt lick. And protein treats Water – fresh daily. Health Care – yearly checkups, worming, yearly vaccinations, and hooves trimmed every 3 to 6 weeks. Companionship – consider 2 goats to keep each other company. Care Cost – about $15 to $20 per month. Exercise – a hike a week or walks during the week. An exercised goat is a healthy goat. Training Time – plan to spend a few minutes each day with the goat to work on commands as well as for bonding
Statistics how much can one carry? Goats can easily carry 1/4 of their total body weight. Fully conditioned packers can reach up to 1/3. A large fully grown wether can easily carry 40 to 60 pounds of gear. That's a lot of stuff, and if you need more you can just add another goat! When can they pack? Too young? Goats can start training with a soft pack (1lb. max weight) at 8 or 9 months. Small loads by (5lbs-10lbs) between 1 1/2 and 2; once a full sized saddle will fit. Between 2 and 4 years, they can carry full (1/4) loads. DO NOT over pack during these two years, as they are still growing! To old? Healthy, well cared for and conditioned goats can pack for many years. We have heard of some that are 15 years plus
Get to know your veterinarian, especially first time owners of pack goats. They will fast become your best friend and advice counselors. Second best source is the Packgoat list online. This is a free list and very informative as goat packers help each other. (See link page to subscribe to the All About Pack goats list)
Goats are easy to care for. These are the signs of a healthy goat. Eyes clear and bright. Tearing or cloudy eyes probably mean a pinkeye infection. Coat smooth and shiny. A dull coat could indicate parasites. Fluffed up coat means the goat is not feeling well. Appetite good. Attitude alert. Hunched back and droopy tail mean something is wrong. Goat Statistics Body Temperature: 102.5° F-104° F Pulse/heart rate: 60 to 80 beats per minute Respiration rate: 15 to 30 breaths per minute
Making the Wether: Banding vs. Surgical Castration We've as yet, have not physically done this ourselves. By the time we get the goats, the
breeders have already done this for us. So the following suggestion and comments are from a veterinarian. Pack goats should be Castrated at 4-6 months, as there is less scarring to result in stricture of the urethra in wethers. Banding earlier as is common, leaves scarring in this area. Castration can be done with Ketamine, a quick acting anesthetic, with the kid up and active again very quickly. Also early castration at about 3 months keeps the growth plates open longer, resulting in a little leggier goat. Because of wethers tendency for urinary tract problems later in life, banding is not the best choice for a packgoat prospect.
Worming: Giving advice on frequency of worming is not easy, as too many factors are involved. The area you live in and the immediate environment your goats live in. Lots of animals in a small space may require worming every 2 months. While few animals on acres of land, may never need worming at all. The best way to know your needs is to do (or have done) a fecal exam before you worm unless your animals are symptomatic. And do another 2 weeks later to see if the drug you used was effective. The tests don't cost much, or with training can be done by the owner. Goats metabolize worm medications faster than other species. That is why they need a higher dose of most worm medications than horse, cattle and even sheep. Another good idea is to rotate the brand of wormer, so that you are not using the same on every two months (if frequent worming is indicated in your area) This is advised by many caprine trained Veterinarians. Routine worming when unnecessary only leads to drug resistant parasites, animals with little or no natural resistance and spending lots of money. Your local veterinarian or breeder can provide the best advice about general conditions that lead to or away from worming in your immediate area.
Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Syndrome: Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Syndrome (CAE) is a viral disease. In young kids symptoms include a weakness in the rear legs, with no fever, or loss of appetite. However, the unused legs lose muscle strength and structure and the infected kids eventually die. In older goats, the same disease is seen as swollen joints, particularly the knees. The disease develops slowly, and after 2 or more years, the animal has difficulty using its legs properly. Infected goats have no fever, remain alert, and eat well. However, they do not recover from the arthritis. An inexpensive blood test can be used to diagnose CAE. The disease is spread from older infected goats to kids, perhaps by contact or through the milk from an infected doe to her kid. There are no corrective procedures or treatments. Isolating kids at birth and raising them on pasteurized goat milk is done to prevent the spread. It's a good idea to make sure a goat is CAE free before purchasing. However, the blood test only checks for antibodies, and it's possible that an animal is infected and not (yet) producing antibodies.
Pack Goat Nutrition Pack goats should get 1-½% to 2% of their body weight in feed daily. This means that a 100 pound pack goat needs about 2 pounds of feed a day. A working pack goat needs about 2% to 3% of their body weight in feed per day. If a goat seems to be a little thin, add ½% to 1% more feed each day. When working, a pack goat needs extra fats and proteins which help their muscles work well. Fats and proteins come from the grain mixture. The grain mixture should consist of vitamins and minerals along with oil for fat - corn, oats and/or barley for protein. Most packers agree that wethered pack goats should not be fed a continuous grain diet, nor should they be fed a continuous diet of alfalfa. Grass hay tends to be the best. Alfalfa and grain should not be overfed to pack goats. Wethered goats are prone to urinary calculi (caused by too much phosphorus and not enough calcium). Urinary calculi in a pack goat can be life threatening. To avoid problems with urinary calculi, the grain mixture should be at least 2 or 3 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus. A goat should have plenty of fresh water daily. In areas that are deficient in the mineral selenium be sure
that goats get a mineral mixture that contains selenium (a horse or cattle salt mixture or block works well). In any area a mineral salt lick is preferred, made for that area's deficiencies.
Which Breed is Best? It's anyone's guess and a lot of personal preferences.
What Kind of Goats? There are six breeds of Dairy Goats that are registered with the American Dairy Goat Association that are most commonly used for pack goats. A pack goat can be any breed or cross-breed of goat. All the breeds have different personalities and different physical characteristics. If you are interested you should check out as many breeds as possible before making your purchase. A good pack goat needs to have long, good, strong legs. Personality is a major component of a good pack goat. A good temperament makes up for a lot of size faults with a pack goat. [Taz is one of our smallest goats, But he has endurance and "heart" to spare on long treks. Like the energizer rabbit.] Most pack goats are wethers (neutered males) because they tend to get larger than the females and do not have the odor and behavior problems of bucks.
Alpines The Alpine is a breed of goat that originated in the Alps. The goats of Alpine type that were brought to the United States from France where they had been selected for much greater uniformity, size, and production than was true of the goats that were taken from Switzerland to France. Size and production rather than color pattern have been stressed in the development of the Alpine. No distinct color has been established, and it may range from pure white through shades of fawn, gray, brown, black, red, bluff, piebald, or various shadings or combinations of these colors. Both sexes are generally short haired, but bucks usually have a roach of long hair along the spine. The beard of males is also quite pronounced. The ears in the Alpine should be of medium size, fine textured, and preferably erect. Alpines are attractive animals with white and/or black facial stripes. Color is of little significance to the packer, but to the breeder it is important because the prettier ones tend to sale first. [Unless, like us, you pre-order from a breeder that only breeds what are sold and future breeding stock We agree to accept one of the male kids, sight unseen.] Alpines are fine boned and a little smaller than Saanens or Toggenburgs, but the quest for the monster Alpine to rival or surpass these bigger breeds is firmly under way among reputable pack goat breeders. Mature females should stand not less than 30 inches at the withers and should weigh not less than 135 pounds. Males should stand from 34 to 40 inches at the withers and should weigh not less than 170 pounds. Alpine horns are distinctive, blacker and more tubular, taller scimitar shape. (More antelope looking.) Alpines are hardy, adaptable animals that thrive in any climate while maintaining good health. They are very agile on rocks and very friendly but tend to show increasing independence after two years of age. Weak pasterns occur in some bloodlines, but seldom affect an exercised wether. They train easily and are very in tune to the people with whom they work. Watching for slight movements or gestures, even making eye contact with humans – traits not as common in other breeds. Docile and friendly, but with instincts running at high gear. Only Toggs are as (or more) alert on the trail. Don't ever offend your Alpine wither – he can be sensitive and high-strung after about age three. Alpines tend to be affectionate with people (when it's their idea) and detest being left behind. An older, experienced Alpine can be surprisingly trail wise, remembering the exact lay of a trail it's been on before, even when the trail is covered by a foot of snow, or remembering significant details about a route off the trail. (Even with years between times on the trail.) Any experienced goat can develop this sense, but Alpines seem to be the most adept at it.
LaManchas This Spanish breed originated in Oregon from short eared goats of a type found not only in
LaMancha, but throughout Spain. It has excellent dairy temperament and is an all around sturdy animal that can withstand a great deal of hardship. The LaMancha is (like the Obers) one of the smaller breed used for pack goats. The LaMancha face is straight with the ears (or lack of) being the distinctive breed characteristic. The external, visible part of the ear is like a little tuft with no cartilage. LaManchas come in about any color you like. The hair is short, fine and glossy. Horns are of a lighter brown or black, and smallish, tending to curl back more little the Big-Horn sheep as the animal ages. LaManchas are one of the most consistently lovable and agreeable of all the breeds for a pack goat. Bonding with humans is exceptional. LaManchas will follow you anywhere and therefore are a little easier to train. (In fact the term – underfoot – fits them well.) They are possibly the most intelligent breed. You have to experience the LaMancha to fully appreciate them. [We have loved our Munchies and Munchy mixes. "In Trouble" is another term that they wear well. These boys are the first to cross the ‘camp line' and enter tents, check out the fire, investigate the gear and so on. The LaMancha breeder we acquired Star from told us a good axiom: You will either have to love them, or you will hate them; Munchy's do not allow a middle ground.]
Nubians (correct Registry Name: Anglo Nubian) Nubians were developed in England by crossing British goats with bucks of African and Indian origin. The Anglo Nubian is an all-purpose goat, useful for meat, milk and hides production. It is not a heavy milk producer but has a high average butter fat content. As it is the best suited of the dairy goat breeds to hot conditions, the Anglo Nubian has been used in grading-up programs in many tropical countries to increase the milk and meat production of local breeds. The Nubian is a relatively large, proud, and graceful dairy goat. A mature doe should stand at least 30 inches at the withers and weigh 135 pounds or over, while the males should stand at least 35 inches at the withers and weigh at least 175 pounds. The Nubian goat is named for Nubia, in northeastern Africa. The originally goats imported from Africa, Arabia and India were long legged, hardy goats that had some characteristics desired by goat breeders in England. English breeders crossed these imported bucks on the common short haired does of England prior to 1895 to develop the Anglo-Nubian goat. In the United States the breed is usually spoken of as the Nubian. The Nubian is regarded as an "aristocratic" appearing goat and has very long, pendulous ears that hang close to the head. The Nubian carries a decidedly Roman nose and is always short haired. Horns are thick, and tend to be flatter off the base then the other breed used for packing. Nubian's can come in about any color, solid or patterned, but black, red or tan are the most common colors, any of which may be carried on combination with white. Usually there is shorter hair on the Nubian males, particularly along the back and on the thigh, than is commonly found on the Swiss breeds. The head is the distinctive breed characteristic, with the facial profile between the eyes and the muzzle being strongly convex. The ears are long (extending at least one inch beyond the muzzle when held flat along the face), wide and pendulous. They lie close to the head at the temple and flare slightly out and well forward at the rounded tip, forming a "bell" shape. The ears are not thick, with the cartilage well defined. The hair is short, fine and glossy. Nubians are famous for the duration of milk production and the high butterfat content of their milk. They are also famous in the pack goat community for lying down in the trail when you want them to go. They tend to be the most stubborn of the goat breeds, and are noisy, making a distinctive sound. Even Nubian kids sound like they are complaining. Their size and sturdiness is desirable, but there disposition makes them nearly useless as a pack goat. [That said, all of our Nubian crossbreeds have been excellent packers. But you get "airplane ears" with crossbreeds -- the ears extend from head two or three inches then fall another two to four inches depending on the cross. These outward extending, floppy ears, tend to lend an "I can fly" look to the goat.]
Oberhaslis The Oberhasli is a Swiss dairy goat. This breed is of medium size, vigorous and alert in appearance. Its color is chamois. Does may be black but chamois is preferred. Chamois is
described as: Bay - ranging from light to a deep red bay with the later most desirable. Markings are to be: two black stripes down the face from above each eye to a black muzzle; forehead nearly all black, black stripes from the base of each ear coming to a point just back of the poll and continuing along the neck and back as a dorsal stripe to the tail; a black belly and udder; black legs below the knees and hocks; ears black inside and bay outside; bucks often have more black on the head than does, black whiskers, and black hair along the shoulders and lower chest with a mantle of black along the back. The face is straight. They have erect ears and are a medium small breed. Horns are tan with an easy scimitar curve, but more round. Oberhaslis are one of the smallest breeds used as a pack goat. But they are used for a dairy goat ‘fault' that is very common to this breed. It's called "hockiness," a tendency for the hocks of the hind legs to be turned inward. This makes a goat more agile on rocks, but obviously leaves less room for a large, pendulous udder. A hocky goat can bound up the side of a near vertical cliff. As far as the serious goat packer is concerned, the hocky tendency in the Oberhasli is a fortunate throwback to the natural form of the wild goat. Many Obers seem to be aquaphilic – they like water. [We have not seen it to the point of LIKING, but our Obers did not require water training, they simply followed us through.] This can be a definite advantage since most goats have to be trained to cross streams due to their natural fear of water. Obers have a pleasant, mellow, easygoing personality. Some breeders are working to increase the size on this breed for a better packgoat.
Saanens (pronounced: saw-nen) The Saanen dairy goat originated in Switzerland, in the Saanen Valley. Saanens are medium to large in size, weighing approximately 145 lbs/65kg, with rugged bone and plenty of vigor. Saanens are white or light cream in color, with white preferred. The hair should be short and fine, although a fringe over the spine and thighs is often present. Ears should be erect and alertly carried, preferably pointing forward. The face should be straight or dished. The breed is sensitive to excessive sunlight and performs best in cooler conditions. The provision of shade is essential and tan skin is preferable. They usually have a large udder capacity and are popular with dairies due to the quantity of milk they produce. Saanens are often big boned and sturdy. Horns are large at the base, long, tan in color, and a flattened scimitar shaped, and deeply ringed. This breed's disposition for packing is perfect – super- mellow and quiet, virtually silent on the trail and in camp. These animals are impressive, often packing up to 85 pounds in easy terrain and 60 pound in steep, rocky terrain. the lovable personality is a strong plus, Saanens are most serviceable in alpine elevation and at cooler temperatures. Their light color and pink skin is linked to a tendency to overheat in hot weather, and this holds true for Saanens that have been crossbred with other breeds. Also, some bloodlines tend to be prone to weak pasterns. Generally, this should not be cause for concern if the goats come from a genuine Packgoat breeder.
Toggenburgs The Toggenburg is a Swiss dairy goat from Toggenburg Valley of Switzerland at Obertoggenburg. They are also credited as being the oldest known dairy goat breed. This breed is medium size, sturdy, vigorous, and alert in appearance. Slightly smaller than the other Alpine breeds, the does weight at least 120lb/55kg. The hair is short or medium in length, soft, fine, and lying flat. Its color is solid varying from light fawn to dark chocolate with no preference for any shade. Distinct white markings are as follows: white ears with dark spot in middle; two white stripes down the face from above each eye to the muzzle; hind legs white from hocks to hooves; forelegs white from knees downward with a dark lien (band) below knee acceptable; a white triangle on either side of the tail; white spot may be present at root of wattles or in that area if no wattles are present. Varying degrees of cream markings instead of pure white acceptable, but not desirable. The ears are erect and carried forward. Facial lines may be dished or straight, never roman. Horns are large at the base, long, tan in color, scimitar shaped, and deeply ringed. Generally, Toggs have strong legs and strong pasterns, but beware of short legged strains (more common in the western states.) Wethers should be at least 34 inches high at the shoulder when
four years of age. Toggs are less mellow and independent the other breeds, especially as they get older. Along with these traits comes an advantageous wariness in the woods. This breed makes for an excellent watch goat which is not noisy but will stare in an alarm posture. Furthermore a goat's night vision is remarkably acute. A small tinkle bell on a Togg around camp at night will keep you aware of intruders -animal or human- beyond your own senses. Never lose your temper with or abuse a working Togg, either in the training phase or when the goat is an adult. These are very sensitive creatures that enjoy their independence. They are loyal, but from a distance. Typical behavior is to avoid being saddled, be a model packer until camp is made, then go off quickly and stare back at the human. This is merely a Togg's way of stating his independence. Be accepting. There are worth the patience. Toggenburgs perform best in cooler conditions and have great endurance.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
