Goat and Sheep Management

By: E. Ngaruka
Technical Officer: Livestock
Agri Advisory Services Division

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 Goat and sheep farming

Uses
 Meat (Mutton, lamb, Cheuvon)
 Milk
 Skin/hide/pelt
 Manure
 Breeding stock
 Tradition/culture

Users (Local and export markets)

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 Breeding/Mating

 A breeding programme aims to achieve

 Higher conception rates
 Higher kidding/lambing percentage
 Lamb/kid survival and performance
 Market participation and satisfaction
 Higher income
 Sustainable livelihood

 Naturally, livestock breeding and reproduction activities are

aimed to coincide with sufficient forage availability.

 Therefore, any management effort should ensure that the

nutritional status of their livestock during these activities is not
compromised.
 Conception and lamb/kid survival is influenced by nutrition

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 Common Mating and kidding/lambing seasons observed
Mating Lambing/kidding

 March/April  Sept/Oct
 High lambing/kidding %
 Highest conception rates
 Hot, dry, windy conditions
 Good rangeland condition
 Insufficient forage

 Sept/Oct mating  March/April

 Good rangeland condition
 Lower conception rates
 Poor rangeland condition
 Sufficient milk
 High parasite prevalence

 Nov- Dec mating

 May/June
 Improving rangeland condition
 Cold weather
 Better conception rates than in sept/oct
 Declining rangeland condition

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 Developing a breeding programme

 Consider;
 Forage/fodder availability
 Variation, supplementation

 Climatic/environmental conditions

 Cold, hot, wet, dry

 Disease prevalence

 Market behaviour
 Demand, prices

 Management
 Flexibility

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 Record Keeping

 Keep breeding and reproduction records

 Monitor performance
 Improve selection
 Budgeting

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 Facilities

Kraal design and hygiene

 The kraal must be spacious to avoid overcrowding
 Animals should be grouped according to production
status and managed accordingly
 The kraal must be clean to prevent diseases/infections
 Shield against heat, cold and wind
Feed and water troughs
 Enough troughs for the different groups
 Creep feeders; accessible to kids/lambs
 Clean feed and water all the time

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 Farm Hygiene

 Hygiene
 Clean kraal/bedding and water
troughs to reduce parasites
prevalence
 Remove excess dung/soil)
 Provide clean water all the time

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 Ram/buck preparation

Rams/bucks should receive necessary

annual vaccinations
Flush-feed at least 3 weeks before
mating
Purchase of new rams/bucks should be
done at least 3 months before mating
Examine rams/bucks for defects and
injuries before mating starts

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 Ewe/Doe preparation

necessary vaccinations at least 4 weeks before mating

 E.g. Enzovax
Examine for defects and injuries
Start flush-feeding at least 3 weeks before mating
Review reproduction records
 Performance review

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 Gestation (Pregnancy) period

• The stages (5 months period)

 Early gestation (1 month)
 Maintain body condition

 Mid gestation (2 & 3 months)

 Avoid excessive weight loss (not less than 2.5 score)

 Late gestation (4 months)

 Separate from others (use maternity kraal/camp)
 Sufficient energy feeds
 Avoid excessive feeding (fat deposition in birth canal)

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 Parturition (giving birth)

 A healthy ewe/doe will have a normal process (in 30 minutes)

 Front legs and head should protrude first
 If not, assist by positioning the kid/lamb with caution

 If the process is delayed or prolonged (more than 30 minutes).

 Seek help or provide assistance
 When assisting, maintain good hygiene
 and avoid injuries to the ewe & lamb

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 Complications at parturition

 Abortion (early, mid, late)

 Health (e.g. Brucellosis, chlamydiosis)
 Nutrition (e.g. starvation, vitamin A deficiency)
 Physical pressure (e.g. fighting)
 Dystocia
 Kid lamb factor
 Large body frame size
 Abnormal presentation

 Ewe/doe factor
 Pelvic area & birth canal size
 Ewe mated too young
 Too much fat
 Nutrition
 hunger

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 Ensuring Kid/lamb survival

 Protection
 Shelter
 Cold, Wind, Heat
 Predatory

 Nutrition
 Colostrum (within 24 hrs)
 Health and performance
 Creep feed (@ 3 weeks)
 Give extra attention to twins/triplets
 Prepare fostering (foster ewe, bottle)

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 Ensuring Kid/lamb survival

 Health
 Vaccines/remedies

 Pasteurella (adult ewes 2 weeks before parturition, and 2 weeks old kids
/lambs)

 Pulpy kidney (@ weaning or when creep feeding)

 Tetanus (@ rubber rings castrated and tail docking)

 Ewes/does (2 weeks before lambing/kidding)

 Vitamins A, D & E (e.g. Multivite)

 Antibiotic for Diarrhoea/scours (e.g. Disulfox)

 Deworming (all)

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 Parasite control

Parasite Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Parasites *Roundworm and flukes occur, *Roundworm and *Roundworm

tapeworm,
*Ticks
*Lice and mites *ticks
Nasal Bot( occurs throughout the year)
Remedy Group 1,2,4 Group 2, 3, 4 Group 1,3,4
group
e.g. Closamectin e.g. Prodose orange & Agra e.g. Dectomax
Dip Cyp

NOTE!! *Vaccinate animals against pulpy kidney 3 weeks before controlling internal
parasites
*Parasites should be controlled a minimum of 2 times in a year
Examples of groups on products
Anti-parasitic remedies groups
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The End

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