BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR DAIRY GOAT FARMERS
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
Chapter 1: Basics of Establishing a Goat Dairy in Wisconsin 1
Introduction 1
Finding a Market 2
Investing in Facilities and a Herd 5
Planning for Success 6
Time, Labor, and Management 7
Building Your Team 8
Inspection and Licensing 9
Record Keeping and DHI Testing 10
Other Sources of Income 11
Assessing Business Feasibility 12
Goat Dairy Start-Up Checklist 13
Chapter 2: Managing Milking Does 14
Dairy Goat Breeds 14
Milking Doe Facts 17
Basic Terms in Dairy Goat Husbandry 18
The Fresh Doe 19
Feeds and Feeding 20
Intake and Feeding Behavior of Goats 23
Eating and Intake Characteristics 24
Grazing Key Points 25
Feed Tests 26
Animal Comfort 27
Producing High Quality Milk 29
Proper Milking Procedures 30
Somatic Cell Count 32
DHI Records 34
Ultra Sounding the Doe 35