Goats are seasonal breeders. This results in seasonal milk production (resulting in less milk and less profit) so commercial farmers stimulate goats to breed out of season by the administration of hormones or the change of light to induce ovulation. The most common method of inducement involves the use of sponges impregnated with progesterone or a synthetic version of this. Goats are usually mated by letting males run with females. For pedigree mating, a single female is brought to a male.
Between 0.68-1.8kg per 305 day lactation is the usual target for milk yield set by commercial farmers. Until fairly recently most goats were dairy breeds. However, there is now an interest in farming specialist breeds for mohair, cashmere and angora.
Dairy goats are usually penned indoors on a dry lot whereas goats used for fibre are usually farmed outdoors (allowed to browse pasture), at least for the summer months. Generally speaking the improved breeds of dairy goats are not very resilient, as they do not have the same insulating fat layer as sheep or the thick hide of a cow.
Goats usually produce 2 kids and once these babies have had 24 hours feeding from their mothers they are removed and reared using artificial teats so that the milk can be sold for human consumption. Fibre producing breeds are usually reared by their mothers until 12-14 weeks of age.
Between 0.68-1.8kg per 305 day lactation is the usual target for milk yield set by commercial farmers. Until fairly recently most goats were dairy breeds. However, there is now an interest in farming specialist breeds for mohair, cashmere and angora.
Dairy goats are usually penned indoors on a dry lot whereas goats used for fibre are usually farmed outdoors (allowed to browse pasture), at least for the summer months. Generally speaking the improved breeds of dairy goats are not very resilient, as they do not have the same insulating fat layer as sheep or the thick hide of a cow.
Goats usually produce 2 kids and once these babies have had 24 hours feeding from their mothers they are removed and reared using artificial teats so that the milk can be sold for human consumption. Fibre producing breeds are usually reared by their mothers until 12-14 weeks of age.
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