Goats were household members in Europe from ancient times until recently, as attested by their frequent appearance in proverbial sayings such as âthat gets my goat.â And goats are still important on family farms in tropical countries, because goats will eat almost anything you give them, including plants that are too dry and tough for pigs, cattle and even sheep. Goats turn waste into milk. Goats are easily managed by women, who can sell the milk or give it to their children.
But goats can be fussy. In a recent video, Kenyan farmers from the village of Dagopoke in Mwigito explain that goats are clean animals and will not eat feed or drink water that is contaminated with fees and urine. This video explains how to take common vegetation like banana stems, sweet potato vines and grass, dry them for three days before feeding them to the goats. If the feed is dry, the goats will drink more water and give more milk. The video Dairy goat feeding (in French Alimentation des chĂšvres laitiĂšres) also explains how to use concentrated feed and salt in the diet, and gives a couple of recipes to ease the suffering of goats with bloat and diarrhea.
The video is a must see if you have a project which encourages folks to keep goats.
âDairy Goat Feedingâ was made by Anzo Noel Alabi, Mark Ndipita, Mercy N. Mburu, Milcah Mutuku, Francis Chepyegon, Josephine Rogers, Marcella Vrolijks and Paul Van Mele. Production was sponsored by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
