Ontario Goat Industry Britespan January 9, 2015

Ontario goat Who is Ontario Goat? Ontario Goat (OG) is a united producer organization proudly representing Ontario’s dairy, meat and fibre sectors. OG is dedicated to enhancing the goat industry through education, collaboration, innovation and strategic alliances. 

Ontario goat OG is governed by a Board of Directors of nine elected producers and works to advance the goat industry through lobbying and government relations, research and industry development, consumer marketing and promotions, communications, and organizational development. 

Ontario goat funding Voluntary check-off by dairy producers $0.005/litre Membership for meat producers $60.00

Number of goat farms in Ontario Ontario has 52% of the goats in Canada 36% of the goat farms in Canada Not sure of the accuracy 2011 census

Why the growth in the goat industry Shining star in livestock agriculture Growth potential No quota Demand

Meat goat sector

Goat meat Approx. 75% of the world population eats goat meat Goat meat is leaner and has less fat than chicken and other red meats Goats tend to deposit their fat internally before they deposit externally

Meat goat industry Don’t know how many producers? Slaughter in Ontario has remained static at approx. 42,000 per year Includes cull dairy does-represents bulk of meat goats Prices increased 35% since 2013 Fun fact-goat meat is called Chevon

Meat Goat barn

Meat goat barn

Meat goat barn

Meat goat sector Many new people want to get into the meat goat industry Lack of breeding stock Lack of knowledge Growing demand Recommend people start slow and learn as you go

Dairy goat sector

Dairy nutrition Cow milk and goat milk have similar nutrient compositions Higher in protein, energy and several vitamins and minerals Listed in table on handout Easier to digest than cows milk Smaller fat globule-improves digestibility Many people who experience lactose intolerance are able to drink goats milk without digestive discomfort

Goat milk production Average goat produces three litres of milk a day About 10% of a dairy cow production

Licensed dairy farms 240 producers Dec. 2015 161 licensed dairy goat farms in 2005 226 producers Nov. 2014 Producer numbers are increasing but not quickly Some consolidation – bigger farms 22 Premise Approvals in 2014 35 Premise Approvals in 2015 24 pending for 2016 Doesn’t mean a 10% increase in milk Young, keen producers

Milk volumes 2015-42 million litres Canadian Production 2014 49.7 million litres-364 producers Ontario produces 85% of the Canadian production 200% growth in 10 years

processing 85% of all fluid milk is manufactured into goat cheese 1% other products Yogourt Ice cream Butter Sour cream Changes with Saputo purchasing Woolwich and Gay Lea purchasing Hewitt's

State of the Dairy goat industry Goat milk is controlled by two main brokers Ontario Dairy Goat Co-operative Gay Lea/Hewitts Average price per litre of milk is $1-1.05/litre 2014 Cost of production is $1.368 released in July Based off 14 sample farms Top 5 farms $0.965/L Feed and interest on debt Continuing with study-2015 data collection is winding up with results to be released this summer Recruitment is still underway for the 2016 Dairy Goat Cost of Production and Benchmarking Study. As in 2015, data will be collected from 20 licenced dairy goat farms that represent a cross section of the industry.

Types of farms 33 hand milking operations 25 bucket milking Do very good jobs low somatic cell 182 pipeline

parlours Three currently-80 being the largest Two-three more for 2016 Largest herd milking 1600 3x per day

Biosecurity on farm Asked to sign a visitor log Biosecurity boots-minimum Ask to leave the boots at the farm Don’t walk in the feed Don’t touch the animals Disinfect hands after leaving Carry hand sanitizer

Before you dig call Call OMAFRA before begin a dairy project Make sure that the facility will meet requirements before start construction Environmental plan “So you want to be a dairy goat farmer” resource

Best Management Practices All licensed dairy goat producers and OG members received the manual

Facility requirements Pens Breeding Maternity Early care of kids Hospital pen Isolation/quarantine pens-can’t share the same air space Dairy Parlour Milk house Milk collection and storage system for max capacity

Facility goal Buildings that are large enough and are laid out to efficiently house the dairy or breeding herd at maximum production Restrict access by unauthorized people and wildlife Allow effective herd management and husbandry practices to be carried out Constructed in a manner that ventilation an be properly managed, ensuring the well-being of the goats

Amish barns Photo credits: Phil Wilman

New construction Photo credits: Phil Wilman

Hog barn renovation Photo credit: Phil Wilman

Chicken barn renovation Photo credit: Phil Wilman

Greenhouse construction Photo credit: Phil Wilman

Requirements

Ventilation Adequately ventilated to reduce the risk of respiratory disease and the chilling of kids Animal comfort Control Humidity Condensation Ammonia levels drafts

Kid ventilation Kids Winter 30m3/hour/kid Summer 120-150m3/hour/kid Drafts are deadly to kids Just because you are comfortable doesn’t mean the kid is Check temperatures and drafts at kid level Straw bales placed around the perimeter of the kid pen cheap way to block drafts

Relative humidity Optimum 65 to 75% Maximum 80%

Air temperature Maintained between Does and bucks 10-18◦C for newborn kids 6-16◦C for young kids over three weeks Free of drafts Well bedded Does and bucks Min. temp 6◦C Min. target 10-12◦C Max temp 27◦C Colder the barn the better quality feed

WATER Water is key to good health MUST BE CLEAN!! Each 50 kg (110lb) goat requires 3.8-11.4 litres of water per day Depends of diet, feed intake and weather conditions Lactating does require an additional 1.9 litres of water per litre of milk produced Set up of water bowls is critical Warm water Water available after milking

Record keeping You can’t manage what you don’t measure

lighting Window area should be equal to 1/20th of the ground surface area or supplemental lighting should be provided Lighting for breeding programs Goats are seasonal breeders Out of season breeding programs

Spacing-Metric in BMP Dairy barn Minimum 15ft2 group pens Minimum 6ft2 individual pens Kids <30 kg 3-5.5ft2 > 30 kg 8-10ft2 Meat Goat barn Does and bucks together during breeding 25ft2 per animal Does and kids 25 ft2 plus 10ft2 per kid

Bunk/aisle space Provide mangers, bunks or aisles for feed where goats are housed Size and position feeders such that both kids and goats can conveniently access feed Allow 0.3m bunk/aisle space per goat Goats with horns need more space Goats in late gestation need more space When feeding TMR or grain ration enough bunk space for all goats to feed at the same time

Feed bunk height Not much info available ideal height Minimizes contamination-feces-urine Feeders cleaned and disinfected easily

Housing Photo credits: Phil Wilman

Available resources So You Want to Be a Goat Farmer? Commercial Dairy Goat Farming Commercial Meat Goat Farming Buying Goats Selling Goats Kidding Due Date Calculation Chart Goat Meat Marketing & Holiday Calendar Goat Milk Nutrition Factsheet Goat Meat Nutrition Factsheet Goat Gazette

Welfare OG has MOU with OSPCA OSPCA Hotline 310-SPCA(7722) Farm and Food Care Farmers helping farmers 1-519-837-1326 If you see something that’s not right-call intervene before it is a disaster

website www.ontariogoat.ca Resources Information

Thank you Questions, comments, suggestions please feel free to contact me: Tel: 519-824-2942 Email: kkeels@livestockalliance.ca