Friday, February 27, 2009

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.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

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.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

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.