1. Ontario Goat Industry
Britespan
January 9, 2015

2. 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. 

3. 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. 

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

5. 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

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

7. Meat goat sector

8. 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

9. 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

10. Meat Goat barn

11. Meat goat barn

12. Meat goat barn

13. 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

14. Dairy goat sector

15. 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

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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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.

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

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

23. 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

24. 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

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

26. 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

27. 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

28. Amish barns
Photo credits: Phil Wilman

29. New construction
Photo credits: Phil Wilman

30. Hog barn renovation
Photo credit: Phil Wilman

31. Chicken barn renovation
Photo credit: Phil Wilman

32. Greenhouse construction
Photo credit: Phil Wilman

33. Requirements

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

35. 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

36. Relative humidity
Optimum 65 to 75%
Maximum 80%

37. 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

38. WATER Water is key to good health MUST BE CLEAN!!
Each 50 kg (110lb) goat requires 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

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

40. 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

41. 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

42. 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

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

44. Housing
Photo credits: Phil Wilman

45. 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

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

47. website
Resources
Information

48. Thank you
Questions, comments, suggestions please feel free to contact me:
Tel: