Goat and Sheep Overview

Goat Inventory (2019)

• Total goat inventory was 3.76 million, according to the PSA on January 1, 2019.
• There was an increase of 0.8% from the previous year.
• There are 1.54 million does.
• Goats are multipurpose ruminants producing at least 58.4% milk, 35.6% meat, 4.3% hide, and 1.7% fiber.

Terminology

• Goats are also known as the "biological herbicide" because of their destructive feeding behavior.
• Sheep display a strong flocking instinct and are referred to as the "biological lawnmower" because of this behavior.

Taxonomy of Sheep

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia (milk)
• Order: Artiodactyla (hoofed)
• Family: Bovidae
• Subfamily: Caprinae
• Genus: Ovis
• Species: aries

Taxonomy of Goats

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia (milk)
• Order: Artiodactyla (hoofed)
• Family: Bovidae
• Subfamily: Caprinae
• Genus: Capra
• Species: hircus

Comparison of Goat vs. Sheep

• The scientific name for goat is Capra hircus, while for sheep it's Ovis aries.
• Goats have 60 chromosomes, while sheep have 54.
• Goats make a "Maaa" sound, while sheep make a "Baaa" sound.
• Goats posture/carriage tail is upward, while sheep have a downward tail.
• Goats exhibit partly browsing feeding behavior, while sheep are purely grazers.
• Goats social behavior is individualistic, while sheep utilize flocking instinct.
• Goats have beards as long hair growth, while sheep have manes.
• Goats mostly have hair, while sheep mostly have wool.
• Goats are naturally horned, while sheep are naturally polled.
• Goats have scent glands based on the base of their horns, beneath the tail. Sheep on the other hand have scent glands between their hooves.
• Goats growth behavior of horn is narrower; upright, less curved; while sheep curl in loops at the sides of the head.

Popular Goat Breeds in the Philippines

• Saanen: Known for its milky head and neck, and the longest milking period; this is a milk type goat.
• Toggenburg: Recognized by its erect ears carried forward, and is a milk type goat.
• Alpine: Distinguished by its alert breed and upright ears; also a milk type goat.
• La Mancha: Noted for its small ears; its milk type.
• Anglo Nubian: Characterized by a convex roman nose and pendulous ears; this is a dual type breed. Originates from England with Roman nose and droopy ears and used for dual purpose.
• Boer: Has a reddish-brown head and neck, and a white body and legs; a meat type goat originated from South Africa, has a brown head with white body and produces meat.
• Philippine Native Goat: Small, stocky, and low set, this is a meat type.

Sheep Breeds

• Mouflon: Ancestor of modern sheep breeds; it is a native breed.
• Karakul: Oldest domesticated breed with long, colorful fleeces; wool(fat-tailed) type.
• Suffolk: Has a black head; fast growth rate; medium wool breed grown for meat.
• Shropshire: Dark faces; wool on legs; medium wool for meat.
• Dorset: Prolific, lambing occurs anytime; medium wool for meat.
• Rambouillets: Large, rugged, and long-lived with a strong flocking instinct; fine wool (dual-meat & wool-purpose).
• Barbados blackbelly: Easy lambing, lean carcass; known as hair (meat).
• Kathadin: Is an Easy low-maintenance breed with natural resistance to parasites; known as hair (meat).
• St. Croix: Faster growth rate; polled breed with parasite resistance; hair (meat).

Mating and Crossbreeding

• Hand mating in goats is a system where the in-heat doe is brought to the pen to be served by a buck.
• Mothering ability is basis for choosing the source of the dam in a crossbreeding system.
• Hybrid vigor is one beneficial effect of crossbreeding, resulting in a better average quality of performance of the F1 offspring as opposed to the average of the two parental breeds.

Celebrity Ruminants

• Dolly was the first cloned mammal, a sheep engineered to produce human insulin.
• Shrek was a Merino wether in New Zealand that gained international fame in 2004 by avoiding being caught and shorn for six years.

Selection and Breeding for Small Ruminants

• Doe selection is based on the number of offspring weaned per year/doe, mortality, and length of productive life.
• Bucks are selected based on blood composition, constitution and vigor, breeding quality, and aggressiveness.
• The general buck-doe ratio is 1:20-25.
• Culling in does involves removing those with multiple teats, splay legs, absence of milk, infertility, spontaneous abortion, or advanced age.
• Culling in bucks involves removing those with uneven testicles, splay legs, low libido, non-aggressive behavior, or advanced age.

Breeding Considerations and Practices

• Breeding programs should consider multiple births, twice-a-year kidding, rapid growth, good conformation (sound feet, legs, and mouth), and attention to color standards for certain breeds.
• Estrus signs in does include mucus discharge from the vulva, restlessness, constant urination, bleating, and standing heat.
• Artificial insemination should be performed 24-30 hours after the onset of estrus for the highest conception probability.
• Do not attempt AI on a doe during her first heat cycle of the season, as it is often infertile.
• Goat and sheep producers in the Philippines crossbreed or upgrade instead of pureline breeding.
• A three-way cross between Philippine native, Boer (or any western), and Anglo-Nubian breeds often results in superior performance.

Causes of Reproductive Failures in Does

• Infertile sperm from the buck.
• Abnormal egg or ovum.
• Female reproductive diseases such as brucellosis and vibriosis.
• Obesity of the doe preventing conception or causing abortion.
• Very hot weather.
• Malnutrition or low intake of dietary protein, energy, phosphorus, and Vitamin A.
• Abortion due to injury.

Production Systems

• Tethering: Restraining an animal with a rope or chain to allow limited movement; the rope can be 6-10 m long.
• Extensive Production: Browsing/grazing on natural vegetation.
• Intensive Production: Pure Confinement or Cut and Carry Method.
• Semi-Intensive Production: Limited time of grazing.
• Integration into Crop Agriculture: Goat raising under established plantations such as coconut, mango, etc.

Goat Housing

• Housing provides conditions for good health, comfort, high reproduction, and efficient management, and can minimize theft.

Types of Housing

• Shed type housing facilitates free movement in and out and includes feeding and watering troughs, mineral feeders, and grain bunks.
• Pen-barn type housing utilizes stall barns for individual confinement or confined housing, and feed and water sources are protected.
• Minimum floor space guidelines exist pertaining to solid floor, slated, and open yards.

Floor Space Requirements

• Minimum space requirements include considerations for animal weight and whether does/ewes are pregnant or lactating.
• Exercise lots or loafing areas include fenced exercise lots adjacent to the animal house.
• Formula to compute total floor space entails determining the number of breeding females; the reproductive parameters; and minimum floor space requirement.
• The average space requirement is 1.4m2/doe.

Small Ruminant Management

• Breeder bucks should be separated from the herd after weaning at 3-4 months and selected at 8-10 months.
• Dry and pregnant does should stop milking at least 1 1/2 - 2 months before kidding.
• The doe should be placed in a separate kidding pen 1 week before kidding, and the area should be quiet.
• Dystocia is common with upgrading; oversized kids should be pulled out with even, continuous pressure.

Signs of Approaching Kidding

• The udder and teats enlarge two months before kidding.
• The doe becomes nervous and moans low.
• A hollow appearance is evident in the right flank and rumps.
• A slight mucous discharge may appear, progressing to a slightly different, more opaque and yellowish discharge.
• The doe may paw bedding and become restless, lying down and getting up frequently, then straining slightly.

Kidding Management

• Wipe the kid's mouth, nose, and eyes with a clean, dry cloth.
• Ensure the kids can suck milk within an hour.
• Restrain unwilling first-time does for the first sucking to relieve udder pain.
• Tie the umbilical cord with a sterile string and apply disinfectant to the cut portion.
• Allows the kids to suckle for the first 4 to 5 days.
• Separate kids and bottle-feed them if the doe is to be milked.
• If not, take the doe out of the pen for feeding and return her to the kid three times a day and the whole night.

Milking Management

• Like cattle, goats adapt to routine; milking periods must be established and strictly adhered to.
• The milking process should not be delayed or advanced.
• Assign the sam