Goat and Sheep Farming II SS1 Livestock Farming Lesson Note

In our last lesson, we learned about the different breeds of goats and sheep and how to build their houses. Today, we are going to look at the most important part of being a farmer: Keeping them healthy and making sure they reproduce well. If you don’t manage your animals’ health and breeding, you will have a “dying” farm instead of a “growing” farm.

Breeding and Reproduction

To make a profit, your female animals must have babies (offspring).

• The Terms: * When a goat gives birth, it is called Kidding.
  1. When a sheep gives birth, it is called Lambing.
• Gestation Period: This is how long the pregnancy lasts. For both goats and sheep, it is roughly 5 months (about 150 days).
• Heat Signs: How do you know the female is ready to meet the male?
  1. She becomes restless and makes a lot of noise.
  2. She wags her tail constantly.
  3. The “vulva” (her back area) becomes red and slightly swollen.
• Twinning: Goats are famous for having twins or even triplets. This is great for the farmer because it means your flock doubles very quickly!

Common Diseases of Goats and Sheep

Because these animals often go out to graze, they can pick up germs and parasites from the environment.

1. PPR (Peste des Petits Ruminants)

In Nigeria, we often call this “Goat Plague.” It is a very deadly virus.

• Signs: Fever, “running” nose and eyes, sores in the mouth, and very bad-smelling diarrhea.
• Control: There is no cure once it starts, so you must vaccinate your animals once a year with the PPR vaccine.

1. Foot Rot

This happens when animals stand in wet, dirty mud for too long.

• Signs: The hoof (foot) becomes soft, rots, and smells very bad. The animal will start limping and find it hard to walk to find food.
• Control: Keep the pen dry. Use a “foot bath” (a shallow tray with copper sulphate solution) for them to walk through.

1. Internal Parasites (Worms)

• Signs: The animal becomes thin even though it is eating. Its coat looks rough, and sometimes you see a “bottle jaw” (swelling under the chin).
• Control: “Deworm” your animals every 3 months using medicine recommended by a vet.

Management Practices (The Farmer’s To-Do List)

To keep your animals in top shape, you need to perform these regular tasks:

1. Hoof Trimming: Just like our fingernails, the hooves of goats and sheep keep growing. If they get too long, the animal can’t walk well. Use a sharp pair of shears to trim them flat.
2. Castration: This is removing the “seeds” of male animals that you don’t want to use for breeding. Castrated males (called Wethers) grow fatter and have tastier meat.
3. Ear Notching/Tagging: Giving each animal a “name tag” or number so you can keep records of who is sick, who is pregnant, and who is growing the fastest.
4. Culling: Selling off the old females that can no longer have babies or the ones that are always getting sick.

Care of the Young (Kids and Lambs)

The first few hours of a baby goat or sheep’s life are the most important.

• Colostrum: The baby must drink the “first milk” from the mother. It is thick and yellowish. This milk contains “natural medicine” (antibodies) that protects the baby from diseases.
• Navel Dipping: Rub some iodine or methylated spirit on the baby’s umbilical cord (navel) to prevent germs from entering their body.
• Creep Feeding: After a few weeks, give the babies a small “private” corner with very high-quality soft grass and grains where the big goats can’t reach. This is called Creep Feed.

Summary: The Secret to Success

Successful goat and sheep farming is not about having 100 animals; it is about having healthy animals. One healthy goat that has twins is better than five sick goats that don’t have any babies.

Always remember: * Vaccinate against PPR.

• Deworm regularly.
• Keep the floor dry to avoid Foot Rot.

Class Activity / Review

1. If a goat’s pregnancy starts in January, in which month do you expect her to give birth? (Count 5 months!).
2. Why is “Colostrum” (the first milk) so important for a newborn lamb?

Homework: Go home and look at the goats or sheep in your area. Can you see any that are limping? Based on today’s lesson, what do you think is wrong with them and what advice would you give the owner?