Description and milk yield of Cameroon goats, conditions of their keeping
Miniature goats stand out in the original variety of breeds. Cameroon dwarf goats have become more common on farms. According to the breeders, these are disciplined, non-harmful animals that practically do not get sick and develop well in various climatic conditions. The pets are clean, do not require special attention and produce delicious nutritious milk.
History of origin
The homeland of dwarf animals is the African continent. It is believed that the origin of the Cameroon goats is due to the Pygmy and Nigerian breeds, which are still bred for meat and milk. Thanks to sea travelers, miniature animals came to Europe. Many families have Cameroon goats as pets.
Description and characteristics of Cameroon goats
Animals belong to the group of dwarf goats. On average, the length of the wedge-shaped body is 66-70 cm, the height at the withers does not exceed 50 cm. Males weigh 20-23 kg, and females - 12-16 kg. Small animals have a friendly disposition, get along well with people. The color of animals is quite diverse - the fur grows in white, cream, gray, brown and even black shades.
The coat is not very long, but some farmers breed the animal for wool.
The breed is prolific. A goat can give birth to up to five kids. A healthy adult goat produces milk in a volume of 1.5-2 liters. There are individuals from which you can milk up to 3 liters of fat milk per day, provided that they are milked three times a day.
Main pros and cons
Cameroon goats are not demanding in keeping, they are resistant to infectious diseases. Shows the breed and other positive qualities:
- unpretentiousness in the diet. Even fallen leaves and thorny bushes can be fed to animals;
- adaptability to various climatic conditions. Therefore, the breed is bred in regions with different temperature regimes;
- females can bear offspring throughout the year;
- pets get along well with other animals, actively communicate with humans. If you patiently deal with goats, they learn to follow commands, respond to the nickname.
When breeding a breed, it is necessary to take into account negative qualities: animals are very shy, therefore they need calm treatment, they develop poorly in conditions of loneliness, therefore it is recommended to have at least a couple of pets.
The subtleties of keeping and caring for animals
If there are other small ruminants on the farm, then a separate paddock is allocated for miniature animals. For each pet, a stall with a lounger is equipped.
The peculiarity of the breed is its jumping ability. Therefore, in order to maintain a healthy physical shape in grazing areas, goats need to equip an "obstacle course" - hills, slides or even ladders. Due to the increased activity of goats, it is necessary to regularly look after their hooves - cut and disinfect.
How to feed this breed
The diet can be roughly divided into summer and winter. In the warm season, goats graze in the pasture, the basis of feeding is green grass, twigs, hay.
Animals are also fed fresh fruits and vegetables. The basis of the winter diet is:
- compound feed, food waste (daily rate per individual - 150-250 g);
- fruits, fresh vegetables - 800-900 g;
- silo - 200-350 g.
Feeders should always be filled with hay, straw. To replenish the vitamin and mineral reserve, chalk and salt are poured into separate containers. Goats also love to feast on brooms - farmers stock up birch, oak, maple bundles. Drinking bowls should always have fresh water, which should be slightly warmed up in winter.
Breeding features
There are practically no problems with breeding animals, since females can produce offspring twice a year. Pregnancy lasts 5 months, childbirth usually takes place without pathologies. The presence of a farmer is desirable to assist the female if necessary. The kids are born strong and after 3-4 hours they can move independently. In the first 7-10 days, babies eat milk, but they gradually switch to an adult diet by the age of one month.
Animals of the same litter are not recommended for mating, as the probability of hereditary abnormalities increases. For fertilization, methods of artificial insemination, manual mating are used. The best option is manual mating, for which the farmer specially selects individuals. It is important that the procedure can be planned in advance by controlling the number of livestock. If the farm has goats of other breeds, you need to prevent them from crossing with Cameroon.
Diseases and their prevention
Keeping Cameroon goats is not a hassle, since the animals are resistant to infections and undemanding to eat. But we must take into account their tendency to overeat. Pets, gaining weight, become passive and lethargic. Also, in the diet, they limit the amount of feed with a high protein content, an excess of which can cause an allergic reaction.
Pets do not tolerate dampness indoors. In the pen, you need to constantly change the litter so that rot does not appear on dirty hooves. Symptoms of infection are inflammation between the toes, causing pain and lameness. During treatment, the diseased hoof is trimmed, the foot is treated with an antibiotic, special ointments.
Cameroon goats are popular with farmers, which is not surprising. After all, the life expectancy of animals is 17-20 years, they are not capricious in care and diet. And thanks to their miniature size and friendly behavior, goats are quite capable of playing the role of pets.
