Key points of goat feeding and management techniques after the onset of winter

Sanitation and cleaning. Clean the manure and filth from the sheep shed every day, and pile it up uniformly for biological fermentation treatment, so as to keep the shed dry, clean, comfortable and hygienic.

Disinfection to eliminate sources of infection. Disinfect the sheep shed once every 10 days and disinfect the whole farm once a month, so as to eliminate hidden dangers of disease outbreaks.

Cold and frost protection. First, do a good job of checking the sheep shed for air leaks and other problems, to prevent rain leakage and cold night air from blowing directly into the shed. Second, do a good job of protecting postpartum ewes and lambs from cold and frost; where conditions permit, add bedding to increase cold resistance and ensure that postpartum ewes and lambs safely overwinter.

Supplementary feeding with mash and feed. Because winter is cold and the flock consumes a large amount of energy, when supplementing the flock with green grass feed after the animals are brought back from grazing, give the flock an appropriate amount of concentrate, such as corn and wheat bran. In particular, postpartum ewes and lambs should be supplemented in a timely and adequate manner to guarantee their nutritional needs and ensure they safely overwinter.

Protecting ewe pregnancy. In winter, the vast majority of female goats are in the gestation period, so attention must be paid to protecting the pregnancy. In terms of feeding, pay attention to the quality of the forage and do not feed moldy, spoiled or frostbitten forage. In terms of grazing, strictly prohibit squeezing, startling, running fast, jumping ditches and other harmful actions, to prevent pregnant ewes from miscarrying.

Grazing arrangements. Winter weather is cold, and the temperature difference between morning and evening varies greatly, so it is advisable to let the animals out late and bring them back early, and not to graze on rainy and snowy days. Therefore, pay attention to observing the weather and watching the local weather forecast, and make feeding arrangements for rainy and snowy days in advance.

Warm water supply. In winter, ensure that the flock has an adequate water supply. Because the weather is cold, provide the flock with sufficient warm salt water and do not feed cold water. At the same time, provide warm salt water when the flock is let out to graze and brought back, so that the flock drinks enough, to avoid the flock drinking cold ice water.