Drinking Facility in Goat Farm

I consider health is the most important aspect in the farm, especially if we want to be a breeder. One of those facilities that we must concern about is source of clean and good quality of drinking water. A dirty drinking water could lead to diarrhea. Hence, will cause retardation in growth and possibly death.

I have seen many small farms like mine, using pail or bucket or recycled chemical container to serve drinking water. To maintain minimum cleanliness level, the water needs to be changed at least twice a day. If we have to change 20 containers, one could imagine how much time needed to do the job. It ends up many farmers change them "once in a while"...

Each container normally will take about 15 liters and the consumption is less than half. The remainder half is normally non-consumable. Dirty and contaiminated... Hundreds of liters is wasted everyday.... Tens of manhours are wasted each months.... It is a matter of concern for the management: Health, efficiency and profitability...

Farming industry has grown well established in terms of providing reasonable good facilities in the farm. Drinking water facility is one of them. To my dear colleagues farmers, please look for "nipple". Find something suitable for the farm, but if you look something suitable for yourself, then the choice is yours hahahaaa...

I would like to share the drinking water system I used in my farm. Perhaps you could upgrade the one you have.

First we must have water tank, installed about 3m above the floor. Its capacity depending on the quantity of the goats. I use 100liter tank size for 100 adult goats. It has continuous supply directly from the water authority (in my case, SAM).

A properly designed farm will make water distribution system easy and simple. Normally our farm are designed in rows. But there are farms with a few small pans in some corners.

To reduce the number of nipples, we do not require to install one nipple in each pan. We install one for every 2 pan. Install it at in-between 2 pans. They can share the nipple. Make sure we make a window big enough for them to access. Roughly about 15inch height and 8inch width.

The nipple is installed about 1m above the floor, in line with the running water pipes.

What is that small container below the nipple? I will share with you in my future publish, Insha Allah.

10 Young Boer F4/F5 Bucks for Sale - Lot no 5

Hi All, I received several enquiries from some readers about younger bucks. Thank you to those who is interested to see available stock in my farm. If you like to purchase them, kindly quote your offer. I indicated the minimum price for each buck.

1. Tag no: 2353.

Age: 9months

Weight: 35kg

Price: RM1,000.00

Notes: It is the largest in the group, also the strongest. But it is very friendly with everyone.

2.Tag no: 9828

Age: 9 months

Weight: 35

Price: RM1,000.00

Note: It has the same size as the first one, even though it looks slightly smaller, somehow.

3. Tag no: 9813
Age: 8 months
Weight: 32kg
Price: RM950.00
Notes: Healthy and active.

4. Tag no: 9810

Age: 8 months

Weight: 32kg

Price: RM950.00

Notes: Very active and fierce. Not scared to fight with bigger bucks.

5. Tag no: 9827
Age: 8 months
Weight: 32kg
Price: RM900.00
Note: Active and healthy













6. Tag no: 9807
Age: 7 months

Weight: 30kg

Price: RM800.00
Notes: Looks like a full blood Boer.










7. Tag no: 9824
Age: 8 months

Weight: 32kg

Price: RM950.00
Note: Long hair on rear legs. Looks handsome.






8. Tag no: 9826
Age: 8 months
Weight: 30 kg
Price: RM950.00
Notes: We called him "roamer". He seldom stay in one pan, however we tried, he can easily escaped from the pan. Very athletic and cunning.

9. Tag no: 3500
Age: 6 months
Weight: 26 kg
Price: RM800.00
Notes: Friendly with its piers and human being.






10: Tag no: 9801
Age: 6 months
Weight: 27kg
Price: RM800.00
Notes: Another fighter. Ready to fight for long period especially with new comers into his pan. Has a lot of stamina and strength.

Pictures of Goats Giving Birth

Have you ever witnessed the process of giving birth (I mean for goat...)? Let's share those moments, through some of the pictures I have taken very recently..

First, she is checking the trace of blood coming out from her vagina...

After about 5 minutes of "pushing", there were 2 water bags came out, one in red and the other in nuteral colours...

She lied down (must be in great pain..) After a few minutes, the baby's front legs came out followed by the head. This is the most critical moment of the process. I'm sure you all know why.... the baby's head is big..! During this stage, normally the mother will be screaming and groaning to her maximum, while pushing out the baby. The pain must be real...

... it's coming... it's coming... and finally it's fully delivered... Alhamdulillah...!

But the job is still not finished for the mother. She has to do the cleaning up of the baby, all by herself. There's no doctor or nurses. Completely DIY... She did it by licking the "jelly and liquid" on the baby (sorry I don't know the medical terms of those stuff..). She seemed to like it, perhaps its taste like icecream..! The kid is a boy, weighing about 2kg. He looks healthy, having good voice too...!

I shifted them both to another pan with plastic grating floor. This material will help the baby to stand up more steadily without slip (the bluish colour on the floor). It also prevent the baby's leg not to stuck in the wooden floor gap.

Half way cleaning the baby, she lied down again. I wonder why..! Oops, he got a company? Perhaps another baby would be coming. Yes, that's right...

This time the delivery process was much easier. Just like 1,2,3 and out you go.... "Hello my lovely sister. How are you? Let's play hide and seek...."

Naturally the bigger brother will have his first taste of the milk.... Teaching him to do his first milking will help him getting it done faster.

It's important for him to get his first milking within one hour after delivery. According to one veterinar, the milk quality is at its highest in the first 24 hour. Its protein and antibodies content will reduce slowly and eventually become normal milk after 72 hours.

That's all folks. Hope we have learnt something about goat's delivery process.

Pregnant Does

Alhamdulillah.... there are 7 does in late stage of pregnancy in my farm....

Just watch the size of their bellies.. In this month of February, so far 7 deliveries have taken place and 11 new born babies have joined the fleet, 6 boys and 5 girls....

Insha Allah they will grow as normal babies.

Is It Mating Season Now?

It is very surprising.! All my boer bucks, 13 of them, are actively mating for the last 2 weeks. I have 3 older bucks which I purchased 2 years ago and 10 new ones which were born and brought up in my farm. They are now about 15 to 18 months old. They were mating around the clock (in turns) but at least 2 0r 3 of them were mating concurrently... What a huge noise they made especially in the middle of the night. My workers already complaining since they have to repair the pans at least 3 times everyday.

For those who are not familiar with the mating in progress, I have captured a few moments for your viewing. Please apologise if you find it too sexy...

7 Bucks Available for Sale - Lot no 4

Aged: 15 to 18 months

Weight: More than 40kg

Type: Boer F4/F5

Price: On best negotiable offer

Notes: Healthy condition and very actively mating.

Please view the attached photos for your evaluation.

First Step: Plant the Grass

According to my mentor, it's easy to bring in the animals. Within 2-3 weeks, he can supply me any type of boer species (F1 or the fullblood type) at any amount. But if you have no grass, he said, you will cry for long time.... Taking his advice and learning from his bitter experience when he started his farm, plus some reserach on my own, I started the grass planting activities, starting with land clearing to choice of grass type, to fixing the sprinkler, water pump, building the pond...

Now, look at the grass and water sprinkling in progress in attached photos. Isn't it cool?

Next would be to design the farm layout, panning system, water drinking system, food trough etc...

Boer for Sales F4/F5 Lot no 3 - SOLD

FEMALE:

Weight: 20kg to 25kg.

Aged: 7 months to 9 months

Quantity: 10 only

Sales Price: RM8,000.00 ex-farm.

Additional ONE buck (male) aged 15months, weight 50kg, F4/F5 at RM9,200.00 only.

Boer for Sales F4/F5 Lot no 2 - SOLD

FEMALE:

Weight: 25kg to 29kg.

Aged: 10 months to 12 months.

Quantity: 9 only.

Offered Price: RM9,000.00 ex-farm.

Additional one buck (male) aged 15 months, weight 50kg, F4/F5 at RM10,200.00

Boer for Sales F4/F5 Lot no 1 - SOLD

FEMALE:

Weight: 31kg to 36kg.

Age: 12 months to 15 months.

Quantity: 4.

Offered price: RM4,400.00 ex-farm.

Additional ONE buck (male) aged 15 months,

weight 50kg, F4/F5 at RM5,600.00.

Learning Goat Farming

As a hobby, I wish I would grow my goats as pet and as well as friend. I want them to be healthy, clean, well fed and living in some level of comfort. I know it's a challenge to achieve those wishes but I'm willing to invest my time and money into this. I know I would be delighted if the wishes come true...

It will be nice if I can develop the farm on my own land... Yes, I have a piece of land about 1hectare not far from home. It was an abandoned fruit orchard which I failed to develop10 years ago. The only facility available there was a small concrete house about 400 square feets. It has a toilet, living area, kitchen and a store room. Good enough as resting shade, at least...

I started to search the internet about goat; learning about its species (including its sizes and country of origin), diseases and medication, type of grass and food etc... and the learning getting more and more interesting. I visited a few goat farms, from small to large scale farmers. Learning about detail of farm facilities, farm layout design, routine tasks, manpower requirement... I study their strength and weaknesses. Many discoveries and the learning continues...