| Ravenwood Ranch |
| Copyright 2007. Al l Rights Reserved. Created by Taylormade Web Design. Last Updated October 5, 2007. |
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| Where Quality Counts |
Feed
Our goats are fed a good quality grass-alfalfa hay during the winter months. During
the summer our goats are out on pasture, and supplemented with hay as needed. Free
choice loose minerals, salt, and clean, fresh water are provided at all times. Oats are
provided during breeding season and lactation. We have our feed analyzed to
determine if it is adequate to meet the nutritional needs of our herd. Our goats are fed
hay out of large round bale feeders constructed out of 4x4 inch mesh. These feeders
are raised to mimic the browsing position and minimize waste.
Pasture and Housing
Our meat herd lives outdoors year round. They live in a pasture near the house
during the winter. We move them to a large, willow-filled pasture during the summer
months. Our fencing is a combination of stucco-wire with a strand of electric around
the bottom to deter predators and keep sneaky goats in. Three sided shelters provide
protection from the elements.
Social Groups
Our meat herd consists of a large group of females. They live, sleep, eat and play
together. Goats are a very social animal and form strong bonds. It is common to see
3 or 4 generations of goats snuggled together in a family group. Doelings who
re-enter the herd after weaning always end up sleeping curled right up to their Moms.
For this reason we make every effort to keep the family groups together.
Breeding
We breed via live cover in October for March kids. Our bucks wear marking
harnesses so we can have accurate dates on the does.
Kidding.
Our does kid out on pasture during the spring months. We monitor them closely but
do not interfere if they are not having trouble. More often than not the kids will be up
and sucking in no time flat. If we do encounter a problem we have individual stalls
where we can confine the new mom and her babies till they are up and running. We
iodine navels, ear tag and give Vitamin A, D, E and Selenium injections to the kids at
birth. We elastrate our buck kids within the first 3 weeks of birth with the mindset
that earlier is better. Dams raise their kids on pasture, utilizing the abundant green
forage to provide milk for the growing kids.
Weaning
We wean our kids at approximately 3 months of age. Kids are separated from their
dams and put onto kid starter ration with coccidiostat. We provide our kids with
abundant high quality hay and clean, fresh water to ensure optimal nutrition for
growth. We continue to feed our kids on a high plane of nutrition through finishing.
Kids are available for purchase anytime following weaning. We typically retain
replacement doe kids based on their dam's performance in our meat herd, as well as
their own growth, development and conformation. Bucks are available on a very
limited basis as it is our feeling that only the very best genetics should be retained as
breeding stock.
Predator Control
We have two Maremma livestock guardian dogs that live with the goat herd full time.
The female tends to wander the perimeter and "patrol" while the male sticks close to
the herd. It is fascinating to see them work together with such a strong, natural
instinct.
Preventative Health Care
We follow a preventative health care program with our goats. We vaccinate with an
8-way vaccine and inject our does with Vitamin E and Selenium approximately 2
weeks prior to kidding. We deworm twice per year using an oral drench. We hoof
trim as needed.
Biosecurity
There is a biosecurity program in place on at Ravenwood Ranch to minimize the
disease risk to our animals. If you are
interested in coming out to view our
animals please contact us to set up an
appointment and learn more about our
biosecurity requirements.
Please do not hesitate to email
me if you have any questions about
our management system.
Our goats are fed a good quality grass-alfalfa hay during the winter months. During
the summer our goats are out on pasture, and supplemented with hay as needed. Free
choice loose minerals, salt, and clean, fresh water are provided at all times. Oats are
provided during breeding season and lactation. We have our feed analyzed to
determine if it is adequate to meet the nutritional needs of our herd. Our goats are fed
hay out of large round bale feeders constructed out of 4x4 inch mesh. These feeders
are raised to mimic the browsing position and minimize waste.
Pasture and Housing
Our meat herd lives outdoors year round. They live in a pasture near the house
during the winter. We move them to a large, willow-filled pasture during the summer
months. Our fencing is a combination of stucco-wire with a strand of electric around
the bottom to deter predators and keep sneaky goats in. Three sided shelters provide
protection from the elements.
Social Groups
Our meat herd consists of a large group of females. They live, sleep, eat and play
together. Goats are a very social animal and form strong bonds. It is common to see
3 or 4 generations of goats snuggled together in a family group. Doelings who
re-enter the herd after weaning always end up sleeping curled right up to their Moms.
For this reason we make every effort to keep the family groups together.
Breeding
We breed via live cover in October for March kids. Our bucks wear marking
harnesses so we can have accurate dates on the does.
Kidding.
Our does kid out on pasture during the spring months. We monitor them closely but
do not interfere if they are not having trouble. More often than not the kids will be up
and sucking in no time flat. If we do encounter a problem we have individual stalls
where we can confine the new mom and her babies till they are up and running. We
iodine navels, ear tag and give Vitamin A, D, E and Selenium injections to the kids at
birth. We elastrate our buck kids within the first 3 weeks of birth with the mindset
that earlier is better. Dams raise their kids on pasture, utilizing the abundant green
forage to provide milk for the growing kids.
Weaning
We wean our kids at approximately 3 months of age. Kids are separated from their
dams and put onto kid starter ration with coccidiostat. We provide our kids with
abundant high quality hay and clean, fresh water to ensure optimal nutrition for
growth. We continue to feed our kids on a high plane of nutrition through finishing.
Kids are available for purchase anytime following weaning. We typically retain
replacement doe kids based on their dam's performance in our meat herd, as well as
their own growth, development and conformation. Bucks are available on a very
limited basis as it is our feeling that only the very best genetics should be retained as
breeding stock.
Predator Control
We have two Maremma livestock guardian dogs that live with the goat herd full time.
The female tends to wander the perimeter and "patrol" while the male sticks close to
the herd. It is fascinating to see them work together with such a strong, natural
instinct.
Preventative Health Care
We follow a preventative health care program with our goats. We vaccinate with an
8-way vaccine and inject our does with Vitamin E and Selenium approximately 2
weeks prior to kidding. We deworm twice per year using an oral drench. We hoof
trim as needed.
Biosecurity
There is a biosecurity program in place on at Ravenwood Ranch to minimize the
disease risk to our animals. If you are
interested in coming out to view our
animals please contact us to set up an
appointment and learn more about our
biosecurity requirements.
Please do not hesitate to email
me if you have any questions about
our management system.
| Ravenwood Ranch Meat Goat Management |
