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GOAT MANAGEMENT
Feeding pregnant ewes
Four weeks prior to lambing Voermol Maxiwol, a throughflow protein concentrate, can be fed. The following benefits have been recorded:
Signs that your ewe may have a throughflow protein deficiency:
Voermol Maxiwol Premix, Maxiwol Production pellets or Maxiblok are all ready to use concentrates which provide good throughflow protein levels for Boer Goats. Maxiwol Concentrate should be mixed with salt and crushed or broken maize and fed at a rate of 350g to 500g per ewe per day.
Creepfeed ration for lambs
The following ration can be mixed and fed ad lib from 2 weeks of age. It increases average daily weight gain which allows you to wean a heavier lamb.
Ensure that roughage in the form of lucerne (alfalfa) or hay is freely available at all times.
While some Boer Goat producers prefer to have their rams (bucks) run with the ewes (does) all year round, it is good management practice to have specific breeding seasons. The reason is that a management cycle can be planned that significantly reduces the year round work cycle. It is important, however, to consider various factors when planning the breeding cycle:
In terms of management inputs, it significantly reduces the workload if all innoculations, vaccinations, ear tagging and other practices can be carried out simultaneously rather than having to handle lambs on an ongoing never-ending basis. A breeding cycle also ensures that the producer can present large groups of Boer Goats for sale rather than smaller lots of animals.
Ewes
The reproduction rate of Boer Goats is one of the most beneficial characteristics for the meat producer. Twin births and lambing percentages of 180 - 200% are common. There are various factors which affect the reproduction percentage of the ewe:
The Boer Goat ewe displays seasonal estrus with a peak in April/May (southern hemisphere autumn) and a trough from October to January (southern hemisphere midsummer). With high nutrition levels, ewes reach puberty at an age of six months. However, pregnancies at this young age can disrupt growth and permanently rein in future performance. A rule of thumb dictates that young ewes should not be mated before reaching two thirds the flock's average adult body mass. Good grazing and pasture condition go hand in hand with animal production (lambing percentages and milk production). As with any ruminant, nutrition levels have a noticeable impact on the reproduction levels of Boer Goats.
Rams
One infertile ewe has only a minimal impact on the reproduction index of a flock while an infertile ram has a major impact. Generally, the following practices have a direct or indirect impact on improved reproduction two to three months before mating:
Before mating occurs
Make sure ewes are not too fat one month before mating, so that a growing condition can be effected before mating. Generally, the following practices have a direct or indirect impact on improved reproduction four to six weeks before mating:
Mass mating One ram per 35 - 40 ewes. It is very important to endeavor to mating the young ewes separately from the mature ewes.
Single mating One ram per 50 ewes.
With regard to the above, it is very important to keep rams in small shady camps during hot periods with a small amount of growing supplement and rams should only be let loose among ewes during the evening. This system works particularly well in cases where goats are penned at night.
Controlled servicing Try to do this in cool weather wherever possible. A ram can cover an ewe every half hour.
Artificial insemination Insert sponge on day 1. Remove sponge on day 14 and inject 1/4 cc PMS on withdrawal during the active period of March - June or 1/2 cc PMS during July - February (Southern Hemisphere). Inseminate at 48, 60, 72 hours. Guard against synchronising too many ewes at a time. Ewes which are artificially inseminated on the same day usually give birth within a period of 5-7 days relatively to one another. Keep ewes as calm as possible, providing protection against excessive heat; after insemination, stimulate with teaser rams or young rams on the other side of the fence. Keep ewes in approximately the same nutritional conditions as before insemination.
After mating season
Keep ewes in the same growing condition for the first month in order to prevent abortion of the fertilized ovum. Have ewes tested for pregnancy by sonar 40 days after covering, or remove open ewes, with markers, and place with teaser rams; or install cleanup rams 14 days after insemination.
The lambing period is the most important phase of any smallstock operation. Lamb mortalities under extensive conditions is an important problem which can negatively impact on production levels. Losses of up to 50% can occur as a result of poor supervision and poor or overfeeding of ewes. Nutrition and care of the ewe during late pregnancy is thus of great importance. Good feeding and nutritional regimens during late pregnancy are important as the ewe must gain 7 - 9kg during the last six weeks of pregnancy.
Select the time of year during which the most plentiful supply of food is available up to the period after weaning occurs; in other words, the period during which food will be available for at least 31/2 - 4 months in order to breed kids as well and as cheaply as possible. If possible, it is preferable to plan in such a way that food will still be in plentiful supply for a further 2-4 months, since it is best to market Boer Goat kids at the age of 3-6 months. This enables the producer to withhold only his replacement goats during the period of the year when food is scarcer, especially in those areas where farming is on an extremely extensive basis. Try to keep mating time as short as possible - ideally, 36 days. In this way, each ewe will have two cycles with the ram. This also facilitates management and marketing considerably.
Prior to kidding
Ewes in the final stages of pregnancy (last six weeks) must be dosed for internal parasites, especially noseworms so that they don't lose their lambs. Scent plays an extremely important part in lamb recognition and therefore it is important that the ewe's nose is clear of any parasites and other obstructions. The administration of Vitamin A will improve general health, raise immunity levels generally and prevent afterbirth retention. Inoculate against gangrene of the uterus 2-3 months before the kidding season. The symptoms of this disease are: ewes die shortly after a period of up to three days after birth as a result of severe inflammation of the uterus. Inoculate against scabby mouth one month before kidding season in order to guard against udder infection. Two thirds of the growth of the fetus takes place during the last three weeks of pregnancy. For this reason, it is very important to make extra nutritional provision during this period, in the form of the same treatment as that administered before mating time.
Among Boer Goats, the average percentage of kids is 180 % and many triple births occur. Extra nutrition will make kids stronger and better able to maintain life at birth, especially in the case of multiple births. This is why the sonar is of inestimable value in determining the presence of triplets or quads, in order to ensure that each of the kids is born strong and with a good capacity to maintain life. During droughts it is essential to prevent abortions by giving supplementary feed following two months of pregnancy.
During kidding season
This is the only period during which Boer goat farming requires a great deal of care and attention. This is why it is important to keep the kidding season as brief as possible, so that full attention can be focused on it. It is extremely important to carry out planning properly. Therefore, it is necessary to plan this aspect thoroughly and consider using one of the following methods, or a combination thereof, in accordance with your particular circumstances.
Enclosure of kids in a large pen
In this instance, all the kids remain behind in the pen when the ewes go to pasture. This system is not recommended, since the kids are invariably thirsty when the ewes return, with the result that any kid will tend to drink milk from any ewe. It is surprising to note how often this method is till used in spite of all its inherent disadvantages.
Small camps
The establishment of small camps with sufficient food, shelter and shade, which are kept aside for the kidding season, is showing signs of becoming the accepted method for the future, especially in cases where farming with large numbers is practiced. In terms of this system, 10-20 ewes are placed in a small camp, where they are able to give birth in peace and remain with their kids until the latter are strong enough (2-3 weeks), after which they may be incorporated into larger flocks. Each ewe which has given birth (along with her kids) receives the same paint serial number. Different colours may be used for single kids, twins and triplets. All that the flock manager has to do is to walk amongst the ewes three times per day and place kids correctly with their siblings, and ensure that the ewe allows each kid to drink. The manager may also sort the ewes into camps according to single or dual births once they have given birth, so that it is easier to ascertain whether a ewe should have one or two kids.
The birth of triplets tends to present problems, and the following alternative solutions are suggested:
Diseases among suckling kids
Parasites
It is essential that lambs are weaned from their dams in order that the ewe may regain lost condition during pregnancy and lactation and be ready to rebreed within a certain timeframe. The Boer Goat producer must be aware that weaning produces weaning shock in the lamb and that production or daily weight gain will be reduced for a period of about 1 week. Preparing the lamb for weaning through the gradual introduction of a suitable creepfeed ration can significantly reduce this weaning shock. Should grazing conditions (drought, lack of grazing, late rains etc) demand it, lambs can be weaned earlier than indicated below but a suitable creepfeed ration should then be fed to compensate.
Market your lambs and kapaters between the age of six months and two years in order to obtain the best prices for quality animals. At marketing time animals should weigh at least 30kg. A well groomed and fed animal is more pleasing to the eye and it is likely that as a seller you would obtain a better price for your goats.
Develop your breeding calendar to take advantage of increases in the price of slaughter animals due to seasonal fluctuations such as religious festivals, holiday periods and seasons of the year. Certain times of the year see increases in the price of animals due to a shortage of slaughter animals. This is generally a good time to market your animals.
Try to negotiate a contract with a buyer so that you can be assured of a market for your sale animals at a price and at a time that suits both parties. Feeding slaughter animals for a period past their prime selling time eats into profits as there is usually no premium per kg for heavier animals.
The hard work, ethic and extreme dedication to quality and improvement which inspired Jordania Embryo and Live Export Centre to begin its quest is just what will keep it ahead of the field. For many, many years to come.
Tollie Jordaan
PO Box 377
Somerset East 5850
SOUTH AFRICA
Tel : +27 42 2432157
Fax: +27 24 2431715
tollie@isat.co.za
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