How to raise Matou goats? Master these key breeding techniques
Matou goats are fairly common in rural areas. Because their heads resemble a horse's head, we all call them Matou goats. Matou goats are raised in relatively large numbers in Hunan, Hubei and other places in China. Matou goats have the characteristics of a large body size, a sturdy constitution, strong reproductive capacity, a high slaughter rate and net meat rate, tender meat, and a mild mutton odor.
Reproductive characteristics of Matou goats
The estrus period of Matou goats is generally from early September to February of the following year, during which the ewes have strong libido and a high conception rate. The gestation period of Matou goats is 150 days. If mated in September and October, they can give birth to kids in February and March of the following year. Giving birth in spring can improve the survival rate of the young kids. Breeders should do a good job of mating in September and October.
Feeding methods for Matou goats
Breeders should pay attention to the feeding of ewes. After the ewe becomes pregnant, feed more tender forage grass, carrots and other green juicy feed, and also pay attention to the addition of trace elements and vitamins and the supplement of salt; appropriately increase the amount of bran in the concentrate to facilitate bowel movements.
Two to three days before giving birth, appropriately feed peanut cake, soybean milk and other protein-rich lactation-promoting feed, as well as green juicy laxative feed, to prevent the ewe from lacking milk after giving birth.
After giving birth to kids, while supplementing concentrate, increase the feeding amount of root tubers, juicy feed, vitamins, and calcium and phosphorus. Matou goats can be raised in barns, that is, without grazing. This is a method of placing forage grass at fixed times and in fixed amounts in the feeding trough or pen of the goat shed to feed the goats, allowing them to complete the whole process of growth, development, reproduction and fattening indoors.
Feed supply for Matou goats
To raise Matou goats well, there must be sufficient feed, so feed sources must be broadly developed to ensure that Matou goats have feed all year round. In solving the problem of goat feed sources, farmers have accumulated rich experience in practice. Choose green feed forage grass suitable for raising goats, and choose high-yield, high-quality, strongly adaptable forage varieties such as hn-mc alfalfa, hn-mc rye, hn-mc clover, and hn-mc gaodan.
When green fresh feed is sufficient, the feeding of Matou goats should appropriately increase the proportion of bran in the concentrate (bran should account for about 40% of the total concentrate). The straw part of forage grass can be treated by silage, ammoniation, micro-storage, etc. After the straw feed is prepared and processed, it not only changes the palatability, improves the digestibility, and increases beneficial bacteria; on the other hand, feed processing also solves the problems of insufficient forage and low forage quality in winter.
Pen-raised goats should also be supplemented with some concentrate, especially young goats and pregnant, lactating ewes and breeding rams; meat goats before being sent to market should be supplemented even more. When feeding, it is advisable to feed roughage first and then concentrate, and dry feed first and then green feed. In the breeding of Matou goats, the distribution of forage and feed should follow the principle of weak ones first and strong ones later, and young ones first and grown ones later. Goats with poor nutrition can also be picked out and supplemented separately, and after their nutrition improves, they can be fed together with the large group. Pregnant ewes, lambs, etc. should be given special care.
In the use of forage and feed, feed inferior grass and inferior feed first, and then feed good grass and good feed, so as to avoid the goats becoming accustomed to good grass and then being unwilling to eat inferior grass. When supplementing feed, the feed should be placed in the feeding trough, and scrambling for food should be prevented. Supplementary grass is best placed on a rack, which can reduce waste from trampling of forage grass. If the number of goats is small, forage grass can also be placed in a basket for feeding. (Contributed by: Rural Notes)