GOATS

Question 1

What are the three best breeds for producing milk?

Answer 1

Alpine
LaMancha
Nubian

Question 2

What are the three best breeds of goats for meat?

Answer 2

Spanish
Boer
Rangeland

Question 3

What are the average weights of dairy goats

Answer 3

Male- 75-120kg
Female- 55-105kg

Question 4

What are the average weight of angora (used for fleece) goats?

Answer 4

Female-33-55kg
Male- 50-70kg

Question 5

What are the average weight of Pygmy goats?

Answer 5

Male- 28-32kg
Female- 22-27kg

Question 6

What are the physical difference between goats and sheep relating to:
Tail
Coat
Glands
Horse

Answer 6

Goats tail goes up, sheep goes down
Sheep grow wool which needs to be sheared annually, whereas goats grow hair which doesn’t need to be sheared
Male goats have glands between their tail, sheep have glands in hooves between toes

Question 7

What are differences in behaviours of sheep and goat?

Answer 7

Sheep have worse separation anxiety
Goats more active and inquisitive
Goats head up, to browse and eat from leaves/ twigs. Sheep head down and grazing grass

Question 8

What are the dangers associated with goats?

Answer 8

Head barging

Question 9

What do the following terms mean?

Herd-
Female-
Male (entire)
Male castrated
Fibre
Scientific

Answer 9

Herd
Nanny/ doe
Billy/ buck
Wether
Kid
Kid/ goat
Cashmere (combed)
Mohair (angora goat)
Caprine

Question 10

What are the main dairy breeds of goats in UK?

Answer 10

British Saanen
Anglo Nubian
British Toggenburg
British Alpine

Question 11

What is the milk like?

Answer 11

Produce 1000l at 3.8% fat

Question 12

How many teats are milked for goats

Answer 12

2

Question 13

What breeding type is goat?

Answer 13

Short day seasonal polyoestrus

Question 14

When are they typically born

Answer 14

January to july

Question 15

How long is gestation length

Answer 15

146-156 days

Question 16

How many young?

Answer 16

1-3

Question 17

How long is puberty

Answer 17

6 months

Question 18

Can goats and sheep produce fertile offspring?

Answer 18

Fertilisation can occur, but embryo is reasborbed at around 15 weeks
Goats have 60 chromosomes, sheep have 54

Question 19

What must goats have in their environment and why?

Answer 19

Shelter, can’t tolerate lots of rain

Question 20

What is the minimum floor area size per goat

Answer 20

12m2

Question 21

What are problems with tethering goats?

Answer 21

Goats are very active animals and could become tangled in the rope

Question 22

What is impotent to consider of tethering a goat?

Answer 22

Use a lightweight chain instead of a rope
Swivel at either end and one in the middle
Not near trees or bushes that it could get tangled in
Must be able to be get into shelter and have food/ water
Must be checked twice a day

Question 23

When do goats become sexually mature?

Answer 23

6 months

Question 24

What portion of their mature weight are goats mated

Answer 24

75%

Question 25

What ratio can males run with females and fertilise

Answer 25

1:40

Question 26

What is the speed that goats can be milked in the two versions of psrlours for 1 person per hour

Answer 26

Static- 150
Rotationary- 400

Question 27

How should you prepare an udder for milking?

Answer 27

Wash with disinfectant
Use disposable paper towels to dry each udder separately

Question 28

Who regulated goat milk production in the UK?

Answer 28

Dairy products hygiene regulations 1995

Question 29

What is the most important thing to consider when handling goat milk?

Answer 29

Keeping it as cool as possible

Question 30

What is the pulsation rate when milking goats?

Answer 30

70-90 per min (much weaker than cattle)

Question 31

What happens if milked isn’t cooked immediately post milking

Answer 31

Microorganisms could survive
Lipolytic enzymes break down fatty acids, so caproic and caprilic acid will form in milk and give it an unpleasant taste

Question 32

What is the ideal processing length of mohair

Answer 32

12-14 cm (about 6 months worth of growth)

Question 33

What is the rules of goat identification tags?

Answer 33

Tagged in both ears
Must show individual number, herd number and farm number

Question 34

What surface should be used when transporting goats?

Answer 34

Rubber floor with thin layer of straw

Question 35

Why do goats have less resistance to worms than sheep?

Answer 35

Goats are browsers, so est trees and leaves
Sheep are grazers so eat from ground so have had more exposure to worms
Therefore sheep have built up more resistance

Question 36

What is milk withdrawal time for goats after woriming

Answer 36

3 days

Question 37

What bacteria are most dangerous to goats

Answer 37

Clostridium.

Question 38

What is vaccination programme for goats like for clostridium?

Answer 38

Should be vaccinate twice a year
Kids from vaccinated mothers after 3 weeks birth
Kids from unvaccinated mothers after 7/8 weeks birth

Question 39

What is johnes disease and what are the signs?

Answer 39

Caused by mycobacterium
Diarrhoea and will die after 2-3 months
Vaccinate all kids within 1 month of bird
Often false negatives

Question 40

What are the clinical signs of caprine arthritis/ encephelis

Answer 40

Swollen joints
No cure
Test and cull

Question 41

What is typical milk withdrawal period

Answer 41

21 days

Question 42

What is ketosis or acetoanemia, the signs and how to prevent it?

Answer 42

Cause is usually if goat is fat and pregnant and at same, so not enough room in abdomen for digestion
Goat has smaller meals, so gets energy from fat stores, producing ketone bodies which poison body
Treated by giving corticoids or multivitamins and stop goat getting fat