Cameroon goats: description and milkiness of the breed, conditions of detention

Miniature goats originally stand out in a variety of breeds. Cameroon dwarf goats have become more common in farms. According to breeders, these are disciplined, not harmful animals that practically do not get sick and develop well in various climatic conditions. Pets are clean, do not require special attention and give delicious nutritious milk.

History of occurrence

The homeland of dwarf animals is the African continent. It is believed that the origin of Cameroonian goats is due to the Pygmy and Nigerian breeds, which are still bred today for meat and milk.Thanks to sea travelers miniature animals came to Europe. Many families keep Cameroonian goats as pets.

Description and characteristics of Cameroon goats

Animals belong to the group of goats of dwarf breeds. 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 white, cream, gray, brown and even black.

The coat is not very long, but some farmers breed the animal for wool.

The breed is multi-fertile. A goat can have up to five kids. A he althy adult goat gives milk in the amount of 1.5-2 liters. There are individuals from which you can milk up to 3 liters of fat milk per day, subject to three times milking.

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 different climatic conditions. Therefore, the breed is bred in regions with different temperature conditions;
females can bear children throughout the year;
pets get along well with other animals, actively contact with humans. If you patiently work with goats, they learn to follow commands, respond to the nickname.

When breeding a breed, negative qualities must also be taken into account: animals are very shy, so they need calm handling, they do not develop well in conditions of loneliness, so it is recommended to have at least a couple of pets.

Subtleties of keeping and caring for animals

If there are other small cattle on the farm, then a separate paddock is allocated for miniature animals. For each pet, a stall with a sunbed is equipped.

Cameroonian goats do not tolerate dampness, so the room must be kept dry, the optimum temperature is 17-19 ° C.

Feature of the breed - jumping ability. Therefore, in order to maintain a he althy physical form 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 care for their hooves - cut and disinfect.

What to feed this breed

The diet can be conditionally divided into summer and winter. In the warm season, goats graze on 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 are:

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 s alt are poured into separate containers. Goats also like to feast on brooms - farmers store birch, oak, maple bundles. Drinking bowls should always have fresh water, which in winter it is advisable to warm up a little.

Features of breeding

There are practically no problems with breeding animals, since females can bring offspring twice a year. Pregnancy lasts 5 months, childbirth usually takes place without pathologies. The presence of a farmer is desirable in order to provide assistance to the female if necessary.Kids are born strong and after 3-4 hours can move independently. In the first 7-10 days, babies eat milk, but gradually switch to an adult diet by the age of one month.

Animals of the same litter are not recommended for mating, as the likelihood of hereditary abnormalities increases. For fertilization, methods of artificial insemination, manual mating are used. The best option is manual mating, for which the farmer specifically selects individuals. It is important that the procedure can be planned in advance, controlling the number of livestock. If the farm has goats of other breeds, it is necessary to prevent them from crossing with Cameroonian ones.

Diseases and their prevention

Keeping Cameroon goats is not a problem, as the animals are resistant to infections and undemanding in food.But one must take into account their tendency to overeat. Pets, gaining weight, become passive and lethargic. Also in the diet limit the amount of food with a high protein content, the excess of which can cause an allergic reaction.

Pets do not tolerate damp indoors. In the pen, you need to constantly change the litter so that rot does not appear on dirty hooves. The symptoms of infection are inflammation between the toes, causing pain and lameness. During treatment, the diseased hoof is cut off, 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.