Five key technical points for winter goat farming

???1. Scientific grazing.

In winter, the climate is cold and wind and snow are frequent. When grazing, choose low-lying, sun-facing flat beachland surrounded by mountains, and do not roam too far, so that the goats can return to the pen in time when the weather suddenly changes. At the same time, the dry grass period in winter is long, and pastures are often insufficient, so grazing land should be saved as much as possible. When herding sheep, choose far first and near later, shade first and sun later, high first and low later, gullies first and flat land later, go out late and return late, walk slowly and roam slowly. If conditions permit, leave some pasture near the sheep pen so it can be used for emergency grazing in bad weather.

2. Prepare sufficient forage.

In winter, there is little forage in the wild for goats to eat, and dead branches and withered grass have very poor energy and nutritional value. If goats eat poorly or do not eat enough during the winter, they are very likely to lose body condition. Therefore, preparing sufficient winter forage and supplementing goats in winter are crucial. Forage storage is generally carried out in summer and autumn, because pasture is abundant and nutritional value is also high in those seasons. In addition, some concentrate should be stored to improve the effect of supplementary feeding.

???3. Sort the herd in good time.

Before the sheep herd enters the winter pasture, it is best to sort the herd. Apart from properly culling old and weak sheep and those in too poor nutritional condition, the rest should be grouped according to nutritional status to facilitate grazing. At the same time, female goats often give birth during the overwintering period, so female goats should be moved into a lambing room for separate care before giving birth. After newborn lambs have suckled for a period and been trained in good time, a separate lamb flock should be organized to prevent them from grazing long distances with the large goat herd. A dedicated person can be responsible for letting the lamb flock graze and move over short distances, and after returning to the pen they should also be driven into the lamb pen and raised separately from the adult sheep herd.

???4. Prevent cold and keep warm.

Check the sheep shed, repair leaks, prevent drafts and rain and snow from blowing in, and ensure the shed is warm and dry. When a cold wave comes, add thicker bedding straw. In addition, never light a fire inside the shed to raise the temperature, to prevent the sheep from contracting pneumonia due to smoke.

???5. Do a good job of hygiene and disease prevention.

In winter, frequently inspect the pens and sheds, keep the pens and sheds, bedding, drinking water, and forage clean and hygienic, and thoroughly disinfect the pens and sheds when necessary. At the same time, sheep farmers should learn to prevent and treat the main diseases of sheep, and manage the sheep well so that they do not come into contact with sick sheep, and do a good job of epidemic prevention. In early winter, sheep are prone to sheep lice. Once found, rapeseed oil and kerosene can be mixed and applied to the affected area, 3-5 times a day, for 3-4 consecutive days. You can also take 100 grams of raw pig lard and 150 grams of ginger, mix and mash them, and apply them to the affected area on the goat's body; 1-2 times can eliminate it.