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| Goats
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Production & Welfare : Goat Milk : Goat
Hair : Disease : Slaughter |
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Goats in the United Kingdom are kept for a number of reasons; they
are farmed for their milk, meat, hair (mohair/cashmere) and hide. They
may also be used to graze land (1). There are around 88,000 goats in
the UK, half of these are adults used for breeding purposes. In England
and Wales there are 33,000 milk-producing goats.
The domesticated
goat ’Capra hircus’ is
found throughout the world, of which there are around 770 million (2,
3). In 2008, 9,526
goats were slaughtered in the UK (4). Most goat meat comes from kids,
usually males which are surplus to the dairy herd (2).
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| Goat
Production & Welfare |
Goats
naturally like to browse and cover a wide range for their food/grazing.
They prefer to live in social groups and appear to enjoy human contact. Their
coats are made from hair and, unlike sheep, which produce an oily secretion
(lanolin) into the wool, goats do not have natural waterproofing and therefore
like to shelter in the wet weather (1). Goats
are very inquisitive, social animals, but unlike sheep are not as flock-orientated (5,
6).
Goats
in the UK cover a variety of breed types, each with its own unique
characteristics. Many breeds require more protection from inclement
weather than cattle/sheep, all breeds however require some form of
shelter. Goats housing should be dry and well-lit with sufficient ventilation
which does not cause draughts and their lying area should be covered (1).
Housed goats should have access to a yard/pasture. The Department for
Environment Food and Rural Affairs guidelines state that the space
allowance when penned should be calculated in relation to the age,
size and class of stock. This and the size of the group should be based
on appropriate advice (1).
A
goat under 6 months of age is known as a ‘kid’, with the
act of a female goat giving birth being known as ‘kidding’.
Adult female goats are called ‘does’, and the term ‘nanny’ is
applied to mother goats with kids. Male goats are referred to as ‘bucks’ and
when they are castrated they are known as ‘wethers’ (5).
Female kids become sexually mature at around 6 months of age and are
usually bred at 18 months. Their gestation period is around 5 months
and they produce 1-2 kids each gestation (1,
2). The majority of goats are mated naturally (with one male
serving 30-40 females). However, artificial insemination (AI) is becoming
more common. The productive life of a dairy/fiber goat is 7 years (2).
Goats
should be kept in accommodation which is dry underfoot with close attention
given to the condition of the foot and, where necessary, regular trimming
should be carried out to prevent lameness from overgrowth. Along with
castration (these males are more generally accepted for meat production
and also more easily managed), goats may have to endure the mutilations
of being disbudded and dehorning. Both of these must be carried out
by a veterinary surgeon, disbudding being done at the earliest possible
age (2-3days) but no later than 10 days. Dehorning an adult goat is
a very stressful procedure and should be avoided. The codes of recommendations
for the welfare of goats permit goats over the age of 6 months to be
tethered, as long as it does not cause distress or injury to them but
the tethering of kids is not allowed (1).
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| Goat
Milk |
| Sixty
percent of goats are kept in small herds for house milk production (7).
The main breeds are British Saanen, British Toggenburg, British Alpine
and Anglo Nubian. British Saanen goats produce higher milk yields and
are most commonly used commercially. Anglo Nubians produce a higher fat
content. The average lactation length is around 9 months with average
yields of 500 - 1,200 litres (7). Goats
can milk through to 24 months but should be supported by adequate nutrition (1).
In commercial dairy units, most kids (whether intended for meat or herd
replacements) are taken from their mothers after receiving colostrum
for 24 hours, then fed on milk replacer. Colostrum is the first milk
that goats produce and contains essential antibodies, vitamins and minerals,
and cannot be sold as regular milk for human consumption. When kids are
artificially reared, they are weaned at around 6-8 weeks of age and should
always have access to milk substitutes or be fed at least 2 or 3 times
each day. (2). When unwanted kids are to
be disposed of (slaughtered) on the farm, this must be done where possible
by a person who is experienced in both the technique and the equipment
used for slaughter (1). The choice of milking
depends largely on the number of goats kept. Those who keep just a few
will probably milk by hand compared to those with large herds, who will
use a milking machine. About 75% of British goat milk produced goes for
cheese making, much of which is sold through supermarkets and specialist
food outlets (7). The practice of zero grazing
is becoming more common as it is more convenient for the farmer. Animals
are kept permanently confined, with no access to the outside, throughout
their lives. |
| Goat
hair |
| Most goats have two coats, a course hairy outer/guard coat
and a soft undercoat (cashmere). The angora goat on the other hand has
a single coat (mohair), this is coarser than cashmere but produced in larger
quantities. Cashmere is harvested by either shearing or combing whereas
mohair is harvested by shearing (twice a year, spring and autumn) (7).
There are around 50 cashmere producers in the UK with a herd of around
2,500 goats. Britain currently processes 60% of the world's mohair, almost
all of which is imported. UK mohair production is currently around 25 tonnes
per annum from a flock of between 4,000 - 6,000 animals. Shearing takes
place twice a year in spring and autumn. In commercial flocks breeding
stock would normally be culled after 6 years (7). Goats are particularly
susceptible to changes in temperature, therefore, unless they are housed,
they should only be shorn in suitable weather conditions. Combing is a
preferred method in adverse weather conditions (1). |
| Disease |
There
is a large number of diseases affecting goats; these include Scrapie,
Johnes’ Disease, Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus (CAEV),
foot and mouth and mastitis in milking goats (1).
 Scrapie
Scrapie is a fatal brain disease of sheep, and occasionally goats. The infection
is thought to be caused by a protein called a prion. The way in which
the disease is contracted and spread is not fully understood. The disease
occurs in the UK and many other countries, with Australia and New Zealand
being free of scrapie. The clinical signs include skin irritation, excitability,
hind limb weakness and loss of condition which develops gradually months
or years after the animal has become infected.
Johnes’ disease
This is caused by a bacterium, Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis,
and affects adult cattle, sheep and goats. The disease may also affect
wildlife, such as deer and rabbits. Sheep and goats generally lose weight
with no other clinical signs. Infection is usually picked up at an early
age from the faeces of an infected dam mother, or from other infected
adults in the birth and early rearing environment.
Caprine
arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV)
This is an incurable viral disease of goats which, as it progresses, causes
severe welfare problems such as loss of body condition, arthritis and or/mastitis (5).
Foot
and Mouth
This is an infectious disease caused by a virus (of which there are 7 types).
The virus affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs, goats
and deer. The disease is not normally fatal to adult animals but it does
cause debilitation and loss of productivity for farmers (such as lameness).
The virus causes a fever and the development of blisters, mostly in the mouth
and on the feet. Animals contract the disease by either direct contact with
an infected animal or contact with foodstuffs, etc. which have become contaminated
by an infected animal.
Mastitis
This is an important disease in milking goats. Mastitis is a painful infection
of the mammary gland (udder) caused mainly by bacteria such as streptococci,
coliforms and staphylococci. Severe infections cause swelling of the
udder, fever and sometimes death. Infection can lead to depressed appetite,
dehydration and severe diarrhoea and can be fatal. Mastitis is commonly
caused by poor hygiene in cubicle houses and milking parlours. When milk
is extracted by a method known as vacuum pulsation, this means that tissue
may be weakened and so more prone to infection. Over milking can also
cause teat injuries leading to mastitis.
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| Slaughter |
Goats
live for 10-12 years, some as long as 30 years. In 2008, 9,526 goats
were slaughtered in the UK (7,515 were slaughtered
in 2007) (4). As most goat meat
comes from kids, usually males which are surplus to the dairy herd, slaughter
is carried out from the age
of around 12 weeks old (2). In
commercial flocks, breeding stock would normally be culled after 6 years
(7). Unless destined for certain
religious/ritual slaughter, goats are stunned first (percussively/electrically)
to render
them unconscious. The blood vessels in their throats are then cut (sticking)
and the animal dies by loss of blood (8).
In
percussive stunning a captive bolt pistol is held to the goats head
so the bolt penetrates the skull and destroys the brain tissue. This
should cause an instant loss of consciousness following collapse. If
the brain tissue is not destroyed then the animal may come around.
The use of a captive bolt does not always successfully stun the animal.
The most common failure in stunning is due to improper positioning
of the bolt, which is a particular problem where animals are agitated
and struggling. Other problems may be due to inadequate maintenance
of the pistol. Mis-stunning causes considerable distress and can mean
the animal is still conscious during throat cutting. The period of
unconsciousness induced by stunning should be longer than the period
between stunning and sticking plus the time taken for sticking to induce
brain death. When animals are stunned electrically, an electric current
is applied by means of two electrodes in the form of tongs. These are
placed on either side of the brain. The current should induce a state
of immediate epilepsy (electroplectic shock) in the brain, during which
time the animal is unconscious. Stunning may often be ineffective and
animals may regain consciousness during bleeding-out or even before
throat-slitting (8). |
| References & Useful
Links |
1.
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs www.defra.gov.uk/
2.
Ewbank, R., Kim-Madslien, F. and Hart, C.B. (Editors). 1999. 4th Edition.
Management and Welfare of Farm Animals. Universities Federation for
Animal Welfare (UFAW).
3.
Gregory, N.G. 2007 (2nd Edition). Animal Welfare & Meat Production.
4.
Meat Hygiene Service.
5.
Goats – Introduction to welfare and ownership. The Royal Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals http://www.rspca.org.uk/
6.
Cleon V Kimberling, D.V.M. 1999-2007. Introductory information on pet
goats. www.goatworld.com
7.
Scottish Agricultural College. www.sac.ac.uk
8.
Compassion in World Farming. www.ciwf.org.uk |
| Further
Information - Any questions regarding this information sheet
please contact Gilly Prime - Information
and Research Officer gilly@vegsoc.org |
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