BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR DAIRY …

1 best MANAGEMENT PRACTICES . FOR DAIRY goat FARMERS. Compiled and written by Clara Hedrich, with assistance from Dr. Chris Duemler, DVM, and Dan Considine This publication is made available through a grant from the University of Wisconsin Emerging Agricultural Markets Team with support from The Wisconsin DAIRY goat Association and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection April, 2008. 2008 WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, TRADE AND CONSUMER PROTECTION, MK-AD-45. best MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR DAIRY goat FARMERS.

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE. chapter 1: Basics of Establishing a goat DAIRY in Wisconsin 1. Introduction 1. Finding a Market 2. Investing in Facilities and a Herd 4. Planning for Success 5. Time, Labor, and MANAGEMENT 5. Building Your Team 6. Inspection and Licensing 7. Record Keeping and DHI Testing 7. Other Sources of Income 8. Assessing Business Feasibility 9. goat DAIRY Start-Up Checklist 10. chapter 2: Managing Milking Does 11. DAIRY goat Breeds 11. Milking Doe Facts 13. Basic Terms in DAIRY goat Husbandry 13. The Fresh Doe 14. Feeds and Feeding 14.

3 Intake and Feeding Behavior of Goats 16. Eating and Intake Characteristics 17. Grazing Key Points 17. Feed Tests 17. Animal Comfort 18. Producing High Quality Milk 19. Proper Milking Procedures 20. Somatic Cell Count 22. DHI Records 23. Ultra Sounding the Doe 24. The Dry Doe 24. Cost of Production 25. Doe MANAGEMENT Checklist 28. chapter 3: Breeding and Kidding 29. Breeding Protocol 29. Breeding Systems 29. Breeding Youngstock 31. The Doe's Heat Cycle 31. The Pregnant Doe 33. The Dry Doe 33. The Kidding Doe (Parturition) 34. Breeding and Kidding Checklist 36.

4 chapter 4: Raising Kids 37. Introduction 37. Pre-Parturition 37. Parturition 38. Birth to Weaning 41. Weaning to Breeding 45. Summary 46. Cost of Raising a Kid from Birth to Weaning 47. Kid Raising Costs based on 2008 prices 48. Checklist for Raising Kids from Birth to Weaning 49. chapter 5: General Herd Health 51. Introduction 51. Disease MANAGEMENT 51. Preparations Prior to Breeding 51. Preparations Prior to Kidding 52. Kid Care at Parturition 53. Kid Care Till Weaning 54. Diseases Common to Goats 54. Metabolic and Nutritional Diseases 64.

5 Diarrheal Diseases 72. Mastitis 73. Stomach Worms 76. Total Herd Health Plan 78. chapter 6: Facilities and Equipment 80. DAIRY goat Housing 80. Grouping Animals 80. Working in the Barn 81. Electrical Needs 82. Ventilation 83. Storage 84. Equipment Needs 85. Milking Area 85. Investment Impact on Cost per CWT 86. Facilities and Equipment Checklist 87. chapter 7: Milking Systems and Routines 89. Milk House Construction and Facilities 89. Basic Principles of Machine Milking Systems 93. Checks and Maintenance 98. Troubleshooting Milk Quality Issues 99.

6 Resources for Milking Systems and Routines 103. chapter 8: Identification and Genetics 105. Identification 105. Breeding Goals 107. Genetics 107. Making Sense of Genetics 111. Summary Steps 112. Sources 113. Basic Considerations of Establishing a goat DAIRY in Wisconsin INTRODUCTION If the answer is I love DAIRY goats and it would be a cool way to make a living, make sure you're not The goat DAIRY industry in Wisconsin is a niche getting ahead of yourself. You may want to start market. Currently, there are 165 licensed goat dairies with just a few goats, milking them for your own in the state.

7 According to manufacturers of goat use, and looking at other possibilities for working milk products, sales are increasing by 10 to 15 with goats percent annually. Despite the rapid growth of the If the answer is I like goats and I feel that I. industry, operating a profitable goat DAIRY requires have the ability to manage a DAIRY herd and careful planning and MANAGEMENT . make a reasonable income. Then you may want to do your homework and decide if a The main purpose of this best PRACTICES Guide is goat DAIRY is for you. This needs to be to provide some insight into the DAIRY goat industry.

8 Viewed as a business venture. This guide contains basic knowledge to help those who are considering a DAIRY goat operation make a Did you know? sound decision as to whether or not this would be a Wisconsin has more DAIRY viable business for them. Success in the industry is goats than any other state in not guaranteed. the country Wisconsin has 5,000 premises The focus of this guide is to provide registered with goats the basic information necessary for Wisconsin has 165 licensed the development and goat dairies MANAGEMENT of a goat DAIRY .

9 A goat DAIRY farmer in this best PRACTICES Guide is Following are key factors that you will need to defined as a farm milking at least 50 does and selling research for your situation and decide how your their milk to a milk plant. There are a few business will respond. exceptions but most plants require a farm to be milking at least 50 does before they will consider Remember if you cannot get your operation to work picking up their milk due to the cost of on paper, you will not get it to work in actuality. Do transportation. A farmstead DAIRY is one in which not be in a hurry to the farm processes their own milk and sells their start a DAIRY , take the Unless the potential new own product.

10 Necessary time to farm is on an existing Before deciding to start a commercial DAIRY goat plan. It is much milk route or is close to a operation, it is critical to ask yourself several more economical to plant, the new farm may not have a market questions: set up properly the for their milk. The first question that one will need to first time than to answer is Why do I want to become a DAIRY remodel and spend goat farmer? money twice. 1. Basic Considerations of Establishing a goat DAIRY in Wisconsin FINDING A MARKET business. The contract to ship to a particular processing plant is generally transferred with the sale Before you invest any money in facilities or animals, of the herd.