News in brief:

[doods]

hi everyone,
            can i feed my goats with variety of leaves everyday?(just in case i dont have napier grass around my area)..as part of their nutrional needs...you think it will affect their growth performance?was there any side effect?thank you and more power..

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Doods
Napier grass is a staple in goat raising,provides the roughage needed.Goats also enjoy variety and can be very selective in what they wish to eat.Is it possible to feed only forages and legumes without supplemented concentrates,yes,there are some who raise their goats without concentrates.They also provide some sort of energy source.What you feed your goats can and will affect their overall growth performance and general health.Not sure about side effects other than they might get very skinny and sick and die if you cannot meet their nutritional needs.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Our Philippine snubians born so far are reporting good birth weights,all singles so far and not one less than 3kg with one buckling coming in at 4kg.True singles are on average are larger over twins and triples.All does are percentage anglos with one doe a second time mother failing due to having a hard birthing time.Mulberry is increasing milk production in the percentage does allowing for better growing kids,so we hope.There are times when does will have a harder time with birthing and one really does not know the outcome until the doe/s are bred.One out of 6 so far is manageable but should that doe recover she will never be bred back to the sannen but will go on to be bred to a commercial boer buck for meat production.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Depth of Body Important for a Fully Functional Dairy Goat

By Shelene Costello






 
Dairy goats are ruminants and as such, need deep wide bodies with wide open ribbing and lots of room for the rumen to expand and digest large amounts of high-fiber, lower protein feeds along with plenty of water to make lots of great tasting milk. When we add they have to have enough body to carry heavy loads of developing kids for part of the year and several pounds of milk each day, it means we need a good size body for the size of the animal. We are basically looking for that deep, wide body to be what is called a dairy wedge, being wider at the hips than the withers, wider still at the barrel behind the ribs and having a level topline with a bottom line that drops from elbow to the udder giving a wedge shape to the body from top, rear and side views.
 
To get this shape the dairy doe needs to have a rib cage that is deep enough at the elbow to provide plenty of space inside for organs and deeper still as it drops back to the barrel. It needs to be narrower at the front than the rear to allow the front legs to move easily around it, yet not be so narrow as to pinch those internal organs. There should be plenty of heart girth, the depth right behind the front legs and this area should be fairly flexible to provide plenty of expansion for the lungs.
 






Dairy goats need room for the rument to expand in order to digest large amounts of fiber.

 

The front of the rib cage on a nice, deep-bodied dairy doe should extend a bit in front of the point of the shoulders. It should have enough width in the chest floor between the front legs, to give those organs room to expand and do their job, yet not so wide as to interfere with efficient comfortable movement, so they can range far and wide to forage, if needed. Each rib should be of flat bone and set wide apart, angled down and back to give as much room as possible to protect the vital organs. The beginning of the stomach system in a ruminant is in the back of the rib cage with the bulk of the rumen extending behind the ribs and set under the loin. The ribs round out and down almost in an oval shape, but are more narrow at the top where they connect to the spine and wider down below, angling back into the breast bone underneath. If the ribs are close together and more vertical, they make for a short tight body that just can't carry the sheer amount of body capacity a dairy goat needs.
 
The loin should be wide, well muscled and able to support that deep wide barrel of the body, where the rumen pokes out and where the bulk of kids reside during pregnancy. The barrel should drop down, blending smoothly into the front of the udder, leaving plenty of room for milk making tissue in the udder, without a lot of excess body tissue where they join. The body should be relatively long in proportion to height of the animal. Plenty of that length is in the rib cage, but some will be hanging under the suspension bridge called the loin and some under the rump above the udder. Too short of a body and there is no room for the rumen to expand or for kids to be carried comfortably, other than to displace the organs. Too long, and the weight will weaken the topline over time.
 
The skin is the largest organ in the body and in dairy goats it wraps the whole body in a silky supple covering. A thick skin often covers a shorter-bodied rounder animal that tends to put more of its feed into weight, rather than milk. A thin silky skin tends to go with the true dairy type body. The reason we look for fine supple skin is that while they are out browsing in thick bramble and woody browse, anything that catches, causes the skin to roll. Often the point of the thorns or the tip of the branch will slide over the skin rather than digging in, ripping and tearing looser thinner skin.
 
The dairy scorecard, by which dairy goats are compared for judging purposes, calls for short fine hair to cover that lovely skin. Less hair and a finer texture makes it easier to milk cleanly. Owners who spend time milking find that longer hair, particularly on many Swiss-type breeds, needs clipping to remove the excess hair that gets caught and pulled while milking.
 
It is typical in the U.S. for most dairy goats to be clipped for show, and also for ease and cleanliness in the milking parlor. Goats with short, fine hair naturally need less maintenance that way, saving both time and extra work.
 
I have learned to appreciate the things that make a dairy goat body functional: the deep wide bodies, the fine silky skin, and tight short coats. And I am amazed at how varied the expressions of that body type can be—in each breed. A bit more here or there and still they fit the functional ideal.
 

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Carolyn's Mozzarella Pressed Cheese; Rich Chocolate Goat Milk Pudding; & Goat Milk Cream Cheese






 
Carolyn's Mozzarella Pressed Cheese Recipe
By Carolyn Alley

Heat two gallons goat milk (sometimes I add a bit more—no need to be right at two) to 85°F and add rennet. I use 1/2 tablet rennet dissolved in about 2 tablespoons cold water, but I'm sure liquid rennet would work. (A whole tablet will do 5 gals.) Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice (I use Realemon), cover and let it set until curd forms. (Usually between 45-60 minutes.) I then break up the curd with my hands and slowly heat it up to 110°F. I don't time it per se, but I think it usually takes about 20 minutes. I stir this all the time because I don't want the curd to stick together yet. When it reaches 110°F, I hold it there, continuing to stir, for 15 min. (I like the squeakiness of that amount of time.) Then I drain it in a muslin type cheesecloth lined colander, pushing out as much whey as possible. (Reserve some of the whey as the pressed cheese will go back into that later.) It then goes into the press.
 
Since I usually make the mozzarella cheese in the evening, I let the cheese set in the press overnight. In the morning (or whenever it comes out of the press), submerge it in the reserved whey which has been heated to 185°F. I then let it set in there until it is cool. I used to take the cheese out, wash it off with cold water, dry it off and put it in a plastic bag. But, when the room temperature cheese got to refrigerator temperature, moisture would form inside the bag and I'd have to dry it all over again. I discovered that if I put the pan of whey with the cheese still in it, in the refrigerator, the cheese gets refrigerator temperature cold and after I rinse the cheese in cold water (I just put it under the cold water out of the faucet), dry it off, moisture doesn't form inside the bag. I don't age this—use it right away.
 


Rich Chocolate Goat Milk Pudding
By Shere Crossman

4 cups fresh goat milk
 1-1/3 cups honey
 1/4 cup butter
3-4 squares baking chocolate
 2 teaspoons vanilla
8 tablespoons cornstarch
 2 well-beaten farm-fresh eggs
 
Combine honey, cornstarch, and chocolate in saucepan. Gradually add goat milk and beaten egg. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat, until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Chill.
 For further enjoyment, use a graham cracker crust and layer sliced bananas with the pudding, or decorate/top with whipped cream or Cool Whip. May also top with crushed chocolate chips and almonds. This dessert can also be served frozen.
 Hint: I did try substituting the baking cocoa powder instead of the chocolate squares and it wasn't very good. Everyone here liked the baking chocolate instead!



Goat Milk Cream Cheese
By Nicci Pretti

4 cups whole goat milk
 1 cup cream
 2 tablespoons buttermilk
 Salt
 Herbs (optional)
 
Heat milk and cream to 90°F, then stir in buttermilk. Pour into mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place bowl in warm area and wrap with towels; let sit for 24 hours. After 24 hours should have consistency of yogurt and not move when bowl is moved side to side. If it does move culture needs more time to develop and let it sit another 6-12 hours. Once it's firm pour into cheesecloth lined colander with catch bowl. Allow to drain 15 minutes, then fold cloth over cheese and cover colander with plastic wrap. Place colander with catch bowl in fridge for another 12 hours. Remove from cheesecloth and salt to taste and add herbs if desired.
 
Reshape cheese into balls and wrap them with cheesecloth. Put back in colander to drain more, and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit 36-48 hours depending on the firmness desired.
 

[Mustang Sally Farm]

What is the state of the meat goat industry in the country?That is really hard to tell because such little information can be found on the topic.There appears to be a devoted core group of people who are trying to get such a venture lifted off the ground.It would be safe to say at this point it is still at the hobby level and there is interest from others to join in but at the same time others are leaving this livestock venture.It is kind of a good news, bad news livestock venture.It comes back to the age old problem of where is your farm located,those closer to urban centres have better access to markets while those of us in the rural countryside have limited markets for our goats.Its a real catch 22 and sometimes seems not worth all the trouble one has to go through.Some areas seem to get more help from the powers to be while other areas seem to be left out of any programs that is meant to help this entry level livestock industry.Does the Goat and Sheep Federation in country support those of us in the rural countryside?What about this so called road map for the industry?The talk from the Govt. side was to have the rural countryside help launch the meat producing side of this industry because the land mass was better suited for the rural provinces or was/is it all talk and no action.The one thing the Independant Producers of the Provinces can be thankful for is the announcement that no animal can be transported from the north unless it passes all the testing needed but the one test they forget to include is testing for CL.Those of us who farm in areas that  has been always free of FMD do not want those breeders from the north to ship sick and crappy livestocks into our areas that might make our livestock sick and ruin our small but struggling goat/sheep meat industry.There has been some movement on the Govts. side to make sure those of us in the provinces will not have to worry about this problem with sick and diseased animals coming into our areas and causing real headaches for the producers who wish to get into such a livestock venture.The breeders in the north might not be happy with all this extra testing but its the same in the west here,all livestock must pass testing for known diseases before they can be moved outside of the areas they were housed from.The Philippines is just catching up with international standards that has been in place for years here in the west.The extra costs of this testing is always passed on to the customers who wish to buy and ship off to their place of farming.Really its a international standard for cloven hoof animals.Look at it as an insurance policey against diseases.This industry seems to be taking baby steps to get to where it needs to be and maybe,just maybe this is a good thing.Sometimes moving too fast only leads to trouble down the road.Ten years ago,the country was CAE and CL free,not today.If these laws were in place back then,these 2 known diseases would not be an issue today in country.Now that these 2 known diseases are in country today,how do we get rid of them for our protection.

Its a known fact that in countries like China the masses are leaving the land to get jobs in the cities.Puts more strain on the country to locate realiable sources of foods to feed their masses.In the future these countries will need to import more and more protein to feed their hungry masses.The Philippines is in a prime position to capitalize on this opportunity to supply protein to a country like China and if the laws are in place in the Philippines to have our cloven hoof animals disease free then this will only benefit our industry for future exports.Countries like the USA have already identifiied China as a country with a hugh need for protein and they will capitalize on exports if no one else will.The Philippines has a better growing season for forages and is closer to China than the west is.The wild card might be Brazil which is also has its eyes on China.Its a known fact,when people have higher income levels,they buy more protein for their daily needs.Exports markets might be available for the country and also the middle east which is known for a hugh taste for goat and sheep meat.There is also the domestic market in country that needs to be addressed.

On the surface,it now appears there is an ample supply of island born boer bucks to supply anyone who wishes to buy one for upgrading their stocks or to become a breeder themselves.The country has a good supply of boers and commercial boer bucks are more affordable than ever.There is no need to import anymore as breeders have already bred enough numbers to supply the demand as needed with Alaminos leading the way.Instead of importing more, monies would be better spent if the powers to be would supply certain rural areas with these local island born boers.

The meat goat industry is still at the hobby level over any real large business venture.It is with regret, I announce the closing of the Rizol mega goat farm located in District 1 of Negros Oriental with over 700 hybrid and a limited number of purebred boers due to in part,poor to no business plan,poor sales and high overhead as they will move into cattle production.At the same time I know of a backyard breeder with only 1 boer buck and 1 boer doe who is producing outstanding boer offsprings.Just goes to show you that even a small producer can breed some really top of the line goats.

Best of luck to all who wish to get into this side of the goat industry.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

What is the present state of the meat goat industry in country?Information is hard to come by and in its present state is still more or less in the hobby phase.

Until real major meat goat operations fire up which might be awhile because one stumbling block is the 5hec. allowance by law in country.Hard to raise any real numbers on such small acreage.This alone will put off some of the investors on the sidelines.When ones does a budget and real business plan its hard to see any real returns if the operation is relying on off the shelf concentrates over free ranging.The farmgate prices are low and if one relies on their local livestock sales yard or the travelling traders,not much to show for all your efforts and hardwork,little to be gained.

How will this industry really grow.Well with the Govts. plan to raise meat goats and sheep in the provinces under the road map plan for this industry and adding these extra numbers will boost production numbers,this is a plus but at the same time,better quality stocks require better quality feeds and off the shelf concentrates are not cheap to buy.Feeding a mediocre goat better quality feeds does not translate into a better quality goat,you will only make it fat and at added costs to you,the producer.More Govt. funding is needed to explore the different forages and grasses that will help any producer not rely on name brand concentrates to keep their herd in top shape and producing well enough see real performance that translates into real profits.A producer will need to sell x amount of goats yearly as breeding foundation will help put more monies in your pocket.

In our last reasearch into pellets or silage.Our conclusion is that one will need to produce enough feeds on their land and with the extra forages grown the costs related to pellets is very expensive compared to making silage but silage done wrong will kill your goats or any other livestock.More research from the Govt. side to educate those in the provinces how to make silage properly and a discount on the heavy duty plastic needed will be much more cost effective over the expensive outlay of cash for a pellet making machine.
The average producer in the rural countryside will find it very difficult to feed concentrates to goats when the money should be spent on their own families.Silage might have some value for meat production.

The smart producer will be the first producer to find a way to feed their goats cheaply and effectively and have their own outlet for the meat they produce over selling to traders or the local sales yard.Find your own market and build up a customer base for your product.

The future is bright as this red meat is on the rise.Like with any livestock production,some will succeed and some will fold.Do your homework and come up with a plan,failing to plan usually results in failure.

Meat the need:
Mustang Sally Farm

[Mustang Sally Farm]

It may now appear,the so called road map for meat production in the provinces might have been overstated.The Govt. plan might be more of no plan at all for the goat and sheep small holders in the rural countryside.Consider that most of the goat and sheep raisers are in the rural country not to include this group of raisers makes no sense for this industry as a whole and will hinder rather than progress this industry into a viable livestock industry where producers have a real chance of making money from this industry.

Now rather appears,those in a position to help raise this industry into something that is viable over a hobby will have to step up to the plate and offer their respected areas help with better breeding stocks to help make their stocks more productive for the market place.This is merely buck passing at its best.The Govt. gets to wash their hands of any committment and leaves the private sector to put up stocks at their own costs with no compensation to the producer,might be a win,win for the Govt. but to a producer its just another problem he/she has to deal with on a daily bases in this industry.Rather than helping this industry progress in the rural countryside the no plan will only prolong the progress for this industry.

Lets hope all will work out in the end for those interested to become part of this exciting industry.

meat the need:
Mustang Sally Farm

[nemo]

sad to say political economics is also involve here.

there is less money  in goat raising compared to swine, poultry and aquaculture at the moment.

most of the government resources and private companies are  focused on earning investment / political investment..

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Doc
The country is still importing goats and sheep.This past Oct.10-13 another shipment arrived from the USA under 300 heads from the PL480 program.The Govt. is still buying goats and sheep.True,this is a small industry compared to the hog,poultry and aquaculture industries but it has real promise as goat meat consumption rose by about 8%  last year.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Another year will be closing soon and a new year begins.This year was the start of the foundation work for our own made in the Philippines dual purpose goat,the RP Genemaxer,breeding plan and stratergy in place long before the work started.

Group A were does taken from nubians,Group B were does taken from hybrids.Both groups bred to a purebred Saanen buck to make the Snubian.Very good birth weights for both groups.Selected line breeding will take place in 2012 and the selected does from this group will go on to be bred to an island born purebred Alpine buck,for extended lactations and higher milk fat.In 2012 we will secure an island born purebreed Alpine buck out of known dairy lines.The very last breed to enter this picture will be purebred Boer bucks to increase muscle for meat production.

Our end result will be a multi layered level or 5 breed dual purpose goat with a lacatation twice that of meat types,making to goat viable for milk production and have enough muscle to be worth its weight for meat production.It was always my belief through my years of experience and consulting with others in this industry that the goat or goats that wil perform the best in the country will come from crossbreeds or hybrids over the average purebreeds.On the other hand it takes purebreeds to make the end result.We feel confindent that we have made the right choice with our plan for a made in the Philippines dual purpose goat having value for both milk and meat.From a management point of view,easier to take care of one breed over many breeds.We look forward to our end result for the future of this industry.

Mustang Sally Farm
R7,D1 Independant Meat Goat Producers Union

[Mustang Sally Farm]

One of the big differences between dairy goats in a tropical setting over N.America is the fact that dairy goats in milk production in the west are fed a diet of higher dry matter over fresh forages.This is something we will be looking into much more closer when we progress with our dairy goats to see if milk production will increase or not.It may very well be that a diet of dry matter might be one of the keys to producing more milk given that the genetics are already there and fine tuning their diets might hold real promise.The genetics are coming into the country but it appears there is no real breeding plan and tracking seems almost  a non issue.The truth of the matter is this,breeding top genetics to unknown lines is never a given and the outcome at times can be very disappointing.The goal should always be breeding your best to your best to produce even better than what you started out with.Mixing and matching, knowns to unknowns is a gamble at best and in fact might be placing you down a long road that will take even longer to corrrect.One must know the strenght and weaknesses in your herd and select the best for herd improvement,or it becomes a big waste of time and money.

Tracking the results allows the breeder/producer to select for even better results and without tracking the results,all a big guessing game.The industry is making progress every year and in time this industry might become a model for other tropical countries to follow and the Philippines will have the practical experience to share.

Will be very interesting in 5 years time to see if PL480 will make the improvements needed to boost this industry in something the country can be proud of and less reliant on dairy imports.Made in the Philippines looks alot better over made in some other country.

R7-D1 Independant Meat Goat Producers Union

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Since Aug 2011, we have noticed that pre-weaned kids really love to eat rensonii.The 2 terminal triple cross bucklings in a new research project at Mustang Sally is showing an interest in rensonii at 1 week old and this is good news to any goat meat producer.Having kids on solid food at this younger age will help with their stomach developement and weaning at an earlier age.This is telling us that rensonii has potential as a forage for pre-weaned goats to move to solid foods along with indigo and mulberry as we have noticed with our first group of 1 month old kids back in Aug. of 2011.

The second group with the terminal 3 way cross meat goats will be fed only forages grown on the farm to monitor grown rates and muscle developement until the age of 1 year and then slaughtered and a close inspection on muscle growth can be examined.The meat goat producer who will find the right combination(s)of forages to feed their stocks,will be the most successful goat meat producer.Feeding off the self concentrates will not allow for successful meat goat production in the long term.Finding the right combination of mixing forages and grasses will benefit the growth of goat meat production in the countryside and should these be formed into pellets or mash form,so much the better.

Drying forages when times of the year the forages are plenty will allow the goat meat producer to have feed on inventory for the dry periods when forages are not so plenty and allowing the producer to be much more consistant with their feeding program.

R7-D1

[nemo]

Sir Mikey,
post some pictures so others could appreciate your breeding program...

and hopefully be adamant in these business.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Some of the vitamins and minerals that our goats benefit from are as follows:

Various vitamins and minerals will help you make educated decisions regarding your feed and supplements.Good health and resistance to parasites and disease is helped by good nutrition.

Vitamin A:  Aids in resistance to infection and contributes to proper growth and tooth and bone formation.  Zinc is necessary for the mobilization of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D:  Plays a dual role as both a vitamin and a hormone.  It aids in absorption of calcium and phosphorous and prevents rickets.

Vitamin E:  An antioxidant, vitamin E stabilizes membranes and protects them against free radical damages.  Helps protect tissues of the skin, eye, and liver and vitalizes the testicles for improved virility.

Vitamin B1:  Protects against gastronintestinal disturbances, constipation and intestinal inflamation-thiamin,helps fuel the body by converting blood sugar into energy.

Vitamin B2:  Important in energy production and essential for normal fatty acid and amino acid synthesis.

Vitamin B3:  Aides in replacement of cells that rapidly replace themselves, especially in the skin.  Deficiencies may be seen as dermatitis and diarrhea.

Vitamin B12:  Plays a role in the activation of amino acids during protein formation.  Need for vitamin B-12 increases during pregnancy-cobalt.

The vitamin B chain is the chain of amino acids,building blocks for life.

Biotin:  Aides in the incorporation of amino acids into protein and reducing the symptoms of zinc deficiency.  Plays a major role in the production of hair/fiber.

Calcium:  Essential for proper bone development and critical to structure and strength.  Calcium absorption is vitamin D dependent.  The ratio of calcium to phosphorous is critical as high phosphorus and low calcium diets have been linked to tissue calcification and bone loss.Aso needed for milk production.

Phosphorus: Many enzymes and the B vitamins are activated only in the presence of phosphorus.  Closely tied to calcium and fluctuations in one mineral will be reflected by subsequent fluctuations in the other.  The natural ration of calcium to phosphorus in bones and teeth is 2:1.  Proper ratio also aids in the prevention of urinary calculi.

Potassium:  Used in intracellular fluid transmission.  Maintains cellular integrity and water balance.  Hot weather or stress may deplete potassium.

Iron:  Necessary for production of red blood cells.  Anemia can be aggravated by parasites.

Magnesium:  Associated with tissue breakdown and cell destruction.  Helps in formation of urea and important in removing excess ammonia from the body.  Aides in reduction of stress in hot weather.

Cobalt:  Can replace zinc in some enzymes and deficiency shows up as emaciated and anemic animals-vitamin B12

Iodine:  Deficiencies may include impared physical development of the fetus, a lower basal metabolic rate and poorly formed bones.

Copper:  Deficiency may result in low white blood cell count, kinky or poor quality hair/fiber and impaired growth.Washed out looking hair coats.

Selenium:  A trace mineral that plays a major role in normal development of the fetus during pregnancy and vitality of newborn-vitamin E

Zinc:  Functions indirectly as an antioxidant and is used in bone metabolism and plays a major role in necessary skin oil gland function.