How many goats per acre

The trace elements iodine, cobalt, and selenium are deficient in feeds grown in the Midwest, so mineral supplements are needed. You should have your hay analyzed for nutrient content so you can adjust your feeding plan accordingly. A beginning goat producer must decide whether harvested forage should be purchased or produced.

Can you harvest any of your forage for hay for winter feeding? If all the forage produced on an acre of land could be harvested as hay and measured in tons or hay equivalent per acre , you would have an estimate of your land's productive capacity.

Suppose you have 20 acres, of which 5 acres are rough poor pasture and will produce about one ton H. This equals a total estimated H. So in this example, you should have enough forage for about 55 does. This method is, of course, only an estimate. But it is a quick, easy and a reasonably accurate method to evaluate your land resources for goats. Remember that about half of the forage production would be consumed as pasture and the rest as harvested forage in the winter.

Farmers who are adding on a goat enterprise probably already have the production capability needed, but others may be wise to purchase hay. If you start with 50 or fewer does and only 15 or 20 tons of hay are required, purchasing hay seems reasonable. Whatever feed system you decide on, remember that any investment in harvesting equipment must be paid for by the goats. A small herd cannot cover the costs of large tractors, forage harvesters, and other major equipment.

The University of Illinois has a program titled "Illini Graze" to help producers estimate the amount of forage they have available on their farm.

To purchase one of these, contact Dean Oswald at , or email at oswaldd uiuc. In order to make a profit, you need does that get pregnant on the first exposure to the buck, give birth to at least twins, raise the kids to weaning, and require minimal maintenance. Tennessee State University is conducting research on profitability based on doe herd productivity and performing comparisons among different breeds of meat goats.

All goats are amazingly adaptable. Using different breeds and systems, you can set and meet your production goals. Most Midwestern farms have the potential to produce suitable forage and, since concentrates usually can be purchased at reasonable prices, can produce at high levels.

The goals you set will depend on your resources, management abilities, the ability of the goats, and the products you hope to produce. If you decide to start a goat enterprise, where you get your starter herd is critical. Be sure to purchase healthy animals. Also, don't buy on pedigree alone — it is the performance of the goat that counts, not the papers that come with the goat. The key traits to be considered in selecting a breed for meat goat production include: adaptability to environmental and production conditions, reproductive rate, growth rate, and carcass characteristics.

Each breed was developed with the same goal in mind: fertile, low maintenance goats able to survive in harsh conditions. While each breed has its pros and cons, the most important factor in breed selection is the individual animals you are purchasing. Boer: The Boer is a heavier goat that was developed in South Africa.

This makes the Boer a good fit for drier climates such as Texas. Puberty is achieved early, at about 6 months for the males and months for the females. The livestock keepers can choose to bring more goats but you have to arrange some space for grazing and browsing. Bringing more goats would just be a mess if you are planning to raise your herd on natural forage. They need more room to roam and help livestock farmers to make more profit. Well, if you have read our previous post, how many sheep per acre?

All aspiring livestock keepers might have judged that they can keep six to ten sheep at a time. Goats are susceptible to internal parasites, they have to maintain a distance to prevent themselves from ingesting worms.

So for this reason goats, despite being the same size, goats need more space than the sheep normally do. Since you are planning to bring goats home, you need to know that few factors can influence the number of goats you can keep. The factors are;. Like sheep, there are small, medium, and large-sized goats. If he decides to go with Boer the largest-sized goat or a medium-sized goat, six would be an ideal number. Climate does not directly influence the number of goats you can keep in an acre.

However, it affects their grazing and browsing. No grass can keep on entertaining the animal the whole year. Some grasses grow actively in summer whereas a few grow best in winter. When more grass is available you can bring more goats as there is enough to eat. Also whether you house the goats at night Bear in mnd, goats don't eat grass like sheep The topsoil here on Dartmoor is thin so cannot be classified as good ground for grass.

As you can keep goats quite well without ANY grazing I don't think this calculation has ever been done. The majority of dairy herds are kept in large barns and fed on hay all the year round. You will need to feed a good amount of concentrate anyway if you want a decent amount of milk.