Description of the Toggenburg goats

Toggenburg goats quickly acclimatize, which is why they can be found in different parts of the world. Farmers also choose them because they grow quickly, produce large offspring, and they are also long-lived goats.

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Toggenburg goats

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Descriptive characteristics of the breed

Toggenburg goats have a harmoniously built body, convex ribs and a developed sacrum.

The standard, common color for Toggenburg goats is light brown. And on their muzzle there are two characteristic white stripes, as in the photo. The forehead and nose may be a lighter shade. The ears are also a light shade, but their inner side is distinguished by a dark shade. In color, the permissible deviations are a shade of brown.

Toggenburg goats have a relatively short short coat, it is silky. The coat is longer on the back and legs. The ears of this breed look up, the neck is long.

The standard for this Toggenburg breed is the height of the withers, which is in the range of 26-28 inches. An adult goat weighs about 120 pounds, and if it is a goat, then all 160 pounds.

Toggenburg goats have a well-developed udder. As a rule, such goats have no horns, they are polled, only occasionally there are representatives with horns. Such is the external description of the Toggenburg goats.

Lactation

Farmers also choose Toggenburg goats because of their good lactation. Lactation in these goats lasts approximately 260 days a year. This means that a farmer can get more than 700 kg of milk per year from one such goat. This milk is 4% fat.

From this milk you can make decent quality cheese. Such a long lactation period is another reason why farmers prefer these goats. They allow you to get milk in the winter season.

Fertility

A high degree of fertility is another advantage of this breed of goats. Goats once every 8-9 months can bring their owner offspring in the amount of one, two or three kids. Goats that have just been born quickly get on their feet, at the age of eight months they already weigh 30-40 kg. This weight is already half the weight of an adult goat.

Pros and cons of this breed

To summarize, the advantages of this breed include:

  • Animals are resistant to almost any kind of climate, they feel fine in cold conditions. They can also be bred in the mountains.
  • Even in winter, a farmer can get a decent milk yield from a Toggenburg goat.
  • Animals grow fast and live long.
  • From the milk of Toggenburg goats, decent varieties of cheese are obtained.

The disadvantages of this breed include the fact that they require special conditions for themselves, they need high quality food. If this is neglected, then the taste of milk will not be as pleasant.

How to care and maintain?

Despite the fact that Toggenberg goats can withstand any climatic conditions, they do best in cool weather, they do not tolerate heat very well. In winter, the temperature regime where they live should not be below 5 degrees of cold. You also need to ensure that the room where the goats are kept dry. This breed suffers greatly from high humidity. Make sure that there are no garbage pits near the dwellings of these goats so that the animals do not breathe degradable products.

The floors in goat barns should be made of concrete. When you make the floor, do not forget about the slope so that there is somewhere to drain liquids. โ€œMagsโ€ made of wooden boards are placed on top of the concrete, a small layer of straw is covered on them.

Each goat should have its own stall, it will be separated from the others with a wooden partition. Goats and young offspring should be kept separate from adult females.

In order for young offspring to gain weight and grow even better, you need to provide them with access to fresh air and daylight.

Every day, an adult goat needs about 7-8 kg of fresh green grass. In winter, this is daily 3 kg of hay, as well as mineral and vitamin supplements.

As a delicacy for goats, root vegetables are perfect. They love potatoes, both raw and boiled, pumpkin, beets. The daily diet of a goat should include 15 mg of salt and 10 g of chalk. These ingredients are added to animal feed or water.

Toggenburg goats need to be fed according to the regime, at the same time every day. In summer, goats should have access to pasture with fresh green grass. In small quantities, even in summer, animals need mineral and vitamin supplements.

How to breed?

Breeding this breed seems to be a profitable undertaking. Animals often bear offspring, and the younger generation grows rapidly.

It is better not to breed all goats, but only individuals of the breed that are highly productive. The male producer should be active, it is desirable that he be healthy, have a smooth coat, without external defects. The best male sire will be a goat that has purebred parents. Too young goat, which is not yet 1,5 years old, should not be allowed to breed. But older goats, 6-7 years old, are no longer suitable for this.

Goats should be shed between September and March, when they have their hunting period. Starting from May, the mating period ends, this is not a productive period for conceiving new offspring.

Mother and kid of the Toggenburg breed

Goat pregnancy lasts 150 days. A pregnant female should receive careful care. This includes a sufficient amount of quality feed, a dry barn, mineral and vitamin supplements in the diet.

Newborn kids, as a rule, are immediately weaned from their mother. They are placed in a dry and warm room. Until the age of three weeks, they receive maternal milk milk as food. Then they also add mineral and vitamin supplements to the feed. Every day they receive 5 grams of chalk and salt with food. When the goats turn one month old, they are already released for walking, to the pasture.

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Anna Evans

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