Farm Building and Machinery: Goat/sheep housing

Site Selection for a Sheep and Goat Farm

Due consideration should be given to the following points in site selection for a sheep and goat farm. Drainage: The area should be slightly sloped for effective drainage.

Wind direction: Animal houses should be partially or totally protected from the direction of strong winds depending on the wind intensity of the area.

Climatic factors: Such as temperature and rainfall.

Sheep and Goat Facilities

Essential sheep and goat facilities differ according to the system of management and climatic conditions. In modern production systems, where large flocks of sheep or goats are raised and managed, facilities to handle sheep and goats are essential for efficient management.

Some of these facilities are:

Fences, Handling pens, Housing (house/barn – different kinds of buildings) Dipping vats/spraying area Isolation ward for sick animals Manure disposal pit (away from the house), and Equipment (feeding and watering troughs, etc.)

Fences are important not only to protect animals against predators or theft but also to isolate them from other animals. Fences could be constructed from locally available materials with considerations for cost and durability. Materials resistant against termites are most durable. Alternatively, wooden posts of treated eucalyptus could be used. Barbed wire is commonly used but can damage the skin when animals try to squeeze through an opening. Fences require regular supervision and maintenance. In some instances trees or brush may be grown and fashioned into a live fence

Handling pens Sheep and goats need to be handled, either in groups or individually, for vaccination, treatment, mating, weighing, etc. Handling

Facilities Design

In simple terms, handling facilities comprise the following: low density holding areas, high density holding areas, forcing (or crowding) area, drafting (sorting) race, and handling (working) race.

Most producers can use nearby pastures and laneways as their low density holding areas. These areas need to be secure enough to prevent escapes (particularly lambs) from one area to the next. Consider using net wire fencing with openings no larger than 15 cm by 15 cm, secured to closely spaced posts.

High-density holding areas need to be built with medium to strong fencing materials. Densities of 2 sheep in full fleece per square meter allows enough room to drive the group into the yards, while leaving space for gates to swing, and dogs to work where they are used. It is particularly important that these areas are long and narrow so that groups are easily controlled while being driven up into the forcing (crowding) race. Recommendations in Australia and New Zealand are that these high-density holding areas be no wider than 10 m. If greater capacity is needed, it is better to lengthen them, rather than making them wider.

Features of the pen

Footbath

A footbath made of galvanized steel sheets or brick in cement mortar shall be provided at the entrance to the yard to protect the animals from foot-rot disease.
These baths may be embedded in the soil suitably.

Floor /Floor plan

The flooring may be either of moorum or of strong wooden battens and, where the rainfall is quite heavy; the latter type of flooring may be preferred.
In the case of wooden-batten flooring, the width of each plank shall vary from 7.5 to 10.0 cm and the thickness between 2.5 cm and 4.0 cm.
The sides of the planks shall be well rounded and the clearance between two planks shall range between 1.0 cm and 1.5 cm to facilitate the disposal of dung and urine.
The wooden-batten flooring shall be constructed at a height of at least one metre above the ground level.
In this case, a suitable ramp or steps of wooden planks shall be provided.
In the case of moorum flooring, a plinth wall between 15 cm and 30 cm in height shall be provided.
For the shearing and store room and shepherd's house, the flooring may be of moorum or brick in cement mortar, and the floor shall be levelled properly.

Roof

· The roof is important as it protects animals against the sun and rain. The under-surface of the roof should remain cool and watertight.

· To ensure adequate ventilation, the height of the roof and the design should be considered. A high roof encourages air movement but is more likely to be damaged by strong winds. In some cases a design with a chimney or roof vent could be useful to assist ventilation and remove ammonia that could easily accumulate.

· The following materials are used for roof construction in different locations: Iron sheet Grass/bushes Wood Stone/brick Earth .The majority of houses have roofing made of grass/bushes.

Gate

Each shed may be provided with one or more gates either on the long or broad sides of the sheds depending upon the dimensions of the shed.
The dimensions of each gate may be 0.8 m broad and one metre high. The gate leaf and frame may be made of wooden battens. It shall fit the entrance closely.

Elevated floor

Its initial investment is high.
In the wooden floor sheds, in a distance of 3m from the floor, the animals are reared.
This requires less labour and more irrigation land for the fodder production.
The elevated sheds will be clean and urine and dung will be collected in the floor and periodical removing is required once in six months.

Walls

· In warm climates walls are partially open to allow movement of air through the house. In some cases, however, complete walling is needed to keep out predators. Ventilation is important to remove heat, moisture and pollutants so that animals stay cool, dry and clean.

· Outer walls protect the animals from external influences while separation walls within the house prevent mixing among the animals.

· Attention needs to be given to construction of pens within the house. Pens serve as a means of controlling animals and for management purposes, such as controlling breeding. Areas for lambing/kidding and isolation of sick animals should be included.

· It is always wise to keep in mind the possibility of expansion when building houses for sheep and goats.

· An appropriate flock development plan has to be made to anticipate future construction needs.

Different sheds in an organized sheep and goat farm
The sheds of the following types are required for housing the animals,

General flock shed (Ewe / Doe shed)
Ram or buck shed
Lambing or kidding shed
Lamb or kid shed
Sick animal shed
Shearing and storeroom
Attendant's room

General flock shed (Ewe / Doe shed)

The flock shed shall be used for housing ewes or does kept for breeding purpose.
The shed shall be 15m (l) x 4m (w) x 3 m (h) and can accommodate not more than 60 ewes or does.
The shed should be three metre high and should have brick-on-edge floor.
In low lying and heavy rainfall areas, the floors should preferably be elevated and in temperate regions they may be made of strong wood.

Ram / buck shed

Rams or bucks kept for breeding purpose are housed individually in these sheds. Alternatively, wooden partitions can be raised in bigger shed to partition in to stalls.
The dimension is of 4m (l) ×2.5m (w) ×3m (h) and can accommodate about 3 rams/ bucks.
The shed shall be partitioned lengthwise to form three equal compartments.
The partition between each shed should not exceed one metre.
The partitions may be either of wooden planks or half-cut ballis.
The partition shall be not more than one metre high from the floor.

Lambing / kidding shed

These sheds shall be used as maternity rooms for pregnant ewe or doe and are housed individually in these sheds.
The shed shall be 1.5m(l)×1.2m(w)×3.0m(h), a manger for holding feed and hay and a bucket for keeping water shall be provided in the shed.
These sheds shall be made draught free.
In cold climates some warming device, like a room heater shall be fixed in maternity pens, so that new borns are protected from cold during winter.

Additional facilities

Dipping vat

Mobile dip vats have replaced the conventional dip vats made of concrete. Several years of effort to introduce dipping vats into tropical countries have had limited success, the major problem being maintaining the vats. Mobile dip vats made of plastic are meant to overcome the shortcomings of conventional, permanently placed dip vats. The size of plastic, mobile dip vats could vary according to flock sizes.

Feeding trough and hay racks -Feed troughs for concentrate and hay racks for forage feeding are required where these practices are conducted. The size of racks and troughs is determined by the body size of sheep and goats and by animal numbers. Approximately 30 to 40 cm per animal space is the minimum. Movable troughs are usually 2 to 4 m long. Fodder should not be put on the ground for sheep and goats. A feeding rack can be made from wood or other locally available material such as bamboo. The rack should be high enough to prevent adult sheep and goats from putting their heads in it and from jumping into the rack. The bottom should be above normal head height. It should be noted that the feeding behavior of goats is different from that of sheep and a barrier is needed to prevent animals from jumping into the trough. In a system called ‘tombstone or keyhole barrier’, each animal puts its head through an individual wooden barrier to eat without being able to push its body into the trough. Suggested dimensions for a concentrate trough are a width of 30 cm with a depth of 15 cm, with the trough standing on 15 cm legs. In general, troughs placed directly on the ground are not desirable because mud or soil can get into the trough, and sheep and goats are tempted to put their feet in. When only a limited amount of supplementary feed is given, it is essential that the trough is long enough to allow all animals to eat at once. Some troughs are fitted with a yoke to restrain animals during the short period of supplementary feeding. Such structures allow individual recording of the amount of concentrate consumed by each animal.