Practical guidance for everyday goat care
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Milk and food production
How to feed your goat
Goats in The Gambia usually find much of their food themselves by grazing and browsing. The aim is not to buy expensive feed every day, but to make sure the goat gets what she cannot find for herself.
Let your goat graze and browse
Grass, leaves, shrubs and other safe local plants can provide most of the daily food when enough good vegetation is available.
Always provide clean water
Make sure clean drinking water is available every day, especially when the goat returns to the shelter and during hot weather.
Keep a mineral or salt lick available
A mineral or salt lick helps provide minerals that may be missing from natural grazing.
Give extra local feed when needed
During the dry season, or when natural food is poor, give suitable local feed such as good crop residues, groundnut haulms, leaves or other locally available goat feed. Avoid mouldy or spoiled feed.
Some goats need extra attention
Pregnant goats, mothers producing milk, growing young goats and thin or recovering goats may need more good-quality food than other goats.
Newborn goats
In most cases, the mother is the best food and care for her newborn kid. The first hours are especially important.
Make sure the kid drinks soon after birth
The first milk, called colostrum, is very important. Check that the kid finds the udder and drinks.
Let the kid stay with its mother
Give mother and kid a quiet, dry place together. This helps them bond and makes it easier for the kid to feed often.
Keep the kid dry and warm
A wet or weak newborn can lose strength quickly. Dry it if needed and protect it from rain, cold wind and a wet floor.
Watch that the kid keeps drinking
A healthy kid should become more active and return to the mother to drink. A kid that stays weak, does not stand or does not drink needs attention.
If the mother cannot feed the kid
Ask an experienced goat keeper or local livestock or veterinary worker for help as soon as possible. Bottle feeding or another milk source should be a backup, not the normal first choice.
Health care
The most useful health care is simple: prevent problems where possible, notice illness early and ask for help before a sick goat becomes very weak.
Look at your goat every day
Know what is normal. A healthy goat is alert, eats, moves normally and stays interested in the herd. A sudden change is often the first warning sign.
Watch for signs of illness
Pay attention if a goat stops eating, becomes very weak, has severe diarrhoea, coughs or has trouble breathing, has discharge from the eyes or nose, develops sores around the mouth, or behaves very differently from normal.
Vaccination matters
PPR is an important disease of sheep and goats in The Gambia. Ask the local livestock or veterinary worker when vaccination is organised and which other vaccinations are recommended in your area.
Worms and other parasites
Worms can make a goat thin, weak or anaemic and can cause diarrhoea. Parasite problems can change with the season. Ask local livestock or veterinary staff when treatment is needed instead of giving dewormer by guess.
Keep the sleeping area dry and clean
A dry shelter, clean water and removal of wet or dirty bedding help reduce disease and parasite problems.
Separate a clearly sick goat when possible
If a goat may have an infectious illness, keep her apart from the others while you seek advice. Clean shared water and feeding containers before other goats use them.
Ask for help early
Contact a local livestock or veterinary worker when a goat is seriously ill, cannot stand, has difficulty breathing, has severe diarrhoea, does not eat or drink, or when several goats become sick at the same time.