Detailed Explanation of Boer Goat Farm Construction Plan
The Boer goat is a meat-type goat breed, and appropriate goat housing should be built to give full play to its excellent production performance, facilitate management, and better support large-scale raising. Let us take a look at the Boer goat farm construction plan below!
Boer Goat Farm Construction
For the farm, a suitable geographical location should first be chosen. According to the biological characteristics of the Boer goat, the goat house should be built in a location with high terrain, good drainage, shelter from the wind and facing the sun, sufficient water source, a quiet environment, convenient transportation, easy epidemic prevention, and available grazing land. Generally, the types of goat houses include single-slope and double-slope. In terms of roof structure, there is the single-slope type, that is, the roof slopes to one side. This kind of goat house requires relatively good roof materials to facilitate rainwater drainage, and the goat house area is not large. The double-slope roof slopes to both sides. This kind of goat house has a relatively large area and is suitable for use as a maternity room for ewes or a mother-and-kid goat house. In terms of degree of enclosure, there is the open type, with a relatively simple structure, mostly used in areas with relatively good climate conditions. The enclosed goat house is relatively tightly enclosed on all sides and is mostly used in areas with less favorable climate conditions, as it can block wind in winter. There is also the semi-open type, between the two. In terms of plane structure, there are rectangular, square, and semicircular types, mainly determined according to the number of goats raised. In terms of building materials, there are brick-wood structures, earth-wood structures, and open shed fence structures, etc.
Boer Goat Keeper Passage
When there are many Boer goats, for the convenience of feeding and management, a keeper passage should be set up, with both sides separated by iron bars or wooden poles. When the goats eat feed and drink water, they stick their heads out from the railing to feed or drink. The height of the goat house depends on its area. If it is an enclosed goat house, the height should take into account the area reached by sunlight. In the management of the goat house, remember the principles that “pigs like mud, goats like cleanliness,” “goats do not lie down in wet places,” and “a warm pen adds three parts fat.” Regular disinfection should be carried out. If the raising scale is relatively large, a maternity room with warming equipment should be provided, preferably a heated kang.
Boer Goat Farm Area
The construction area of the farm can be determined according to the sex, size, etc. of the Boer goats to determine the goat bed area. Usually, each adult male Boer goat occupies 1.5 sq m to 1.8 sq m, each adult female goat occupies 1.8 sq m to 2.0 sq m, each ewe with kids occupies 2.0 sq m to 2.3 sq m, each young goat occupies 1.0 sq m to 1.2 sq m, and each lamb occupies 0.8 sq m to 1.0 sq m. Therefore, it can be calculated according to the structure and number of the goat flock being raised.
Boer Goat Farm Facilities
The necessary facilities of the farm include goat beds, feeding troughs, hay racks, neck racks, etc. Goat beds provide a place for goats to rest. There are also many types of feeding troughs, mainly movable long strip feeding troughs, fixed long strip feeding troughs, and fence-type long feeding racks. The shape of the feeding trough can be determined according to the situation. The function of the hay rack is to prevent goats from interfering with each other while feeding. The hay rack can be made of steel bars or wood. There are single-sided hay racks fixed at the base of the wall, and double-sided hay racks arranged in the feeding area. The neck rack is used to restrain breeding goats, making it convenient to examine and prevent and treat diseases. In addition, the goat house should also be equipped with water troughs, partitions, passages, and facilities for lighting and ventilation.
Boer Goat Exercise Yard Configuration
When building the farm, the configuration of the exercise yard should also be considered. The exercise yard should be paved with concrete or bricks, and the area size should be determined according to the structure and number of the goat flock. For adult male goats, ewes with kids, adult female goats, and young goats, the areas to be considered should be 2.5 to 3.0 sq m, 3.5 to 4.0 sq m, 2.1 to 2.5 sq m, and 1.8 to 2.0 sq m respectively. Enclosed goat houses mostly use movable glass windows for lighting. The windows are 150 cm above the goat bed, and their length and width are about 100×200 cm. Epidemic prevention facilities include disinfection pools, disinfection passages, medicated bath pools, isolation wards, veterinary observation rooms, etc. Storage facilities include forage warehouses, silage pits, low-value consumables storage rooms, etc. Sewage facilities mainly refer to manure pools, manure residue fermentation yards, etc.