Czech goats: description of the breed, rules of keeping and how much it costs

Czech goats are described by breeders as a meat and dairy breed with a calm, balanced character. The Czech breed is distinguished by a brown coat color, high quality meat and wool. Females of the Czech breed give a lot of milk. Milk yield remains voluminous throughout the life of a goat. Goat care does not require special skills from breeders. Correct and thoughtful content ensures high results.

History of the breed

The breed appeared in the second half of the 20th century. It was the result of crossing Czech Harz goats of black and brown color and Alpine goats of a brown shade.Work on getting the species was carried out for several years. The Czech brown goat breed was included in the official lists in the second half of 1974.

During the 1990s, the breed experienced hard times. The prerequisites for the species to be declared endangered were associated with the polledness of individuals. Later, when the standards changed, polledness did not become an obstacle to breeding, specialists made several attempts to improve the species. By 2000, Czech goats were back in popularity.

Description and characteristics of Czech goats

Standard indicators of females and males differ from each other.

Indicator	Females	Male
Weight	55 kilograms	75-80 kilograms
Height at withers	85 centimeters	75 centimeters

Goats have black beards, massive horns. Goats are slender and graceful. A feature of the females of the Czech breed is that they give a lot of milk. The owners note that the goats know their nicknames, respond well to them, behave calmly with relatives, and show patience in different situations.

Information! Fur color may vary. It varies from red-brown to grey-brown.

Pros and cons

The Czech breed is distributed all over the world. Individuals are valued for delicious milk, the ability to produce high quality wool, and also unpretentious care.

Benefits:

Females provide good milk yields. The duration of the period when the female gives milk lasts 10.5 months out of the whole year.
Milk from Czech individuals is in special demand. Milk does not smell, it is stored for a long time.
Animals are unpretentious in food, able to endure low air temperatures without loss.
The fertility of females is stable and of high quality: they bring 2-3 kids.
He althy animals that eat well, get the necessary vitamins and are vaccinated on time, are almost not susceptible to infection.
Females have a high level of intelligence: they respond to the nickname, calm and balanced.
Most individuals do not have horns, which greatly facilitates their care.

The cons are the susceptibility of Czech animals to heat. At elevated air temperatures, the productivity of females decreases markedly. They become lethargic and inactive. Short-haired Czech goats are prone to insect attacks. If it's hot outside, then horseflies and mosquitoes attack goats in pastures, preventing them from fully eating and resting.

Subtleties of maintenance and care

Czech goats are kept in goat houses equipped according to quality standards:

When choosing a location, consider the slope. It is necessary so that urine flows down special trenches and does not stagnate indoors.
The walls are specially strengthened so that in winter the air inside the goat's house does not fall below +18 degrees.
Animals need an 8-hour light day, so in winter they provide for the possibility of artificial supplementary lighting.
Czech goats are clean animals. They don't like their bedding covered in debris, so they need to be cleaned up daily.

Separately, we should mention the care of animal hair. Pets are washed with shampoos intended for horses. After washing, the coat becomes shiny, brighter. In addition to washing, it is customary to comb out the wool with special silicone gloves. This is a device that is put on the hand, then carried out along the croup of the animal from the center to the sides.

Information! When breeding males and females in different stalls, care should be taken to ensure that goats and goats of the same kindred line do not intersect in one place in order to prevent accidental mixing.

Feeding animals

The diet should contain the following types of feed:

Rough. This is hay, tree branches, dry leaves, coniferous soft needles. The daily weight of roughage is 3 kilograms.
Concentrated. These are types of cereals and cake. The indicator of this category of feed in the daily menu is 0.8-1 kilogram.
Juicy. Feed that adults need. This includes: potatoes, carrots, beets.
Mineral. Complexes supplemented with vitamins and minerals, which are given to pets on a set schedule.

In summer, Czech goats are recommended to regularly graze on green grass, from which they receive the necessary elements, increase their own defenses, and strengthen immunity.

Information! When feeding grain or other feed, it is forbidden to pour it on the floor of the goat's house. To do this, equip special feeders that will protect food from microbes.

Features of breeding

Maturity of goats occurs at 4-6 months. Breeders with experience recommend to have goats in the second year of life, then the offspring are strong and hardy. Mating is carried out from August to December. It is recommended to breed animals once a year. Females carry offspring from 21 to 23 weeks. Usually the offspring is 2-3 kids.

Breeders do not recommend crossing Czech males with outbred females. In the second or third generation, after these matings, a decrease in milk yield in females is inevitable. The best option is to cross Czechs with other breeds. The offspring of thoroughbred animals is characterized by high quality milk, meat, wool.

Diseases and their prevention

Czechs rarely get sick, but owners should know what to do when symptoms of common diseases are found:

Acute tympania. This is a condition characterized by lack of appetite, bloating, and lethargy. Tympania is possible in cases where the diet of goats is replete with products that cause fermentation. Help is provided by a veterinarian. In addition to drug treatment, a change in diet is necessary.
Gastroenteritis. A dangerous disease that occurs in young animals. It is characterized by complex constipation, pain. The reason is a change in diet.
Pneumonia. The reasons are: hypothermia, stress, change of diet. Pneumonia involves a change in body temperature, the appearance of wheezing. Therapy includes a course of antibiotics.
Mastitis. The disease is typical for females. The udder becomes inflamed, flakes appear in the milk, pus is released. Without a course of antibiotics, further milking of the goat is impossible.

To avoid diseases, it is necessary to put preventive vaccinations on time. Goats are vaccinated according to a special schedule set by a veterinarian.

How much does it cost

Czech goats are recommended to be purchased from breed breeders. The cost of an adult animal starts from 10,000 rubles. A goat can be brought from the Czech Republic, but one should take into account the need to quarantine it after import and check the vaccination card.