Domestic goat description for the child. Where to keep goats and what to feed at home? Grammatical structure of speech

19.12.2019

Goat breeding is one of the most profitable areas. Goat products include meat, milk, wool, down and hides. The main advantage of goats is their high adaptability, so goat breeding at home will not cause you much difficulty.

How to choose the right goat

But, in addition to standard branches, corn stalks and are good materials for making brooms. Give up to 5 brooms a day.
As far as watering goats is concerned, animals should be guaranteed free access to water or given water at every meal. Give your goats only clean water. In winter, the water should be warm or at room temperature.

Examples of

An approximate diet for feeding goats in summer:

Give compound feed or soaked bran in the morning.
After milking, release the cattle to pasture, preferably with access to water.
In the evening, give compound feed and juicy feed -,.
Put some hay at night to give the animals something to chew on.
As a mineral supplement, give chalk with bone meal (12 g per head per day). Do not forget about water - animals should always have it in free access.

It is necessary to feed goats in the winter (stall) period 3 times a day at a strictly defined time. Sample diet:

In the morning, feed half of your feed (compound feed, vegetables or table scraps, hay and brooms).
During the day, give succulent feed, as well as hay and brooms.
In the evening - compound feed, roughage, hay.

Correct milking

A good dairy female can produce 5 to 8 liters of milk per day. But it is important to learn the correct milking technology. Each animal must be acted upon individually.

Milking begins one month before lambing. Gradually massage the udder, trying not to cause pain. Before the lambing itself, the massage is stopped, otherwise the goat will not allow it to be milked.
If the female is in good health, the first milking can be done one hour after lambing. If you keep a goat to get milk, then it is better to select the offspring immediately and artificially feed them.

Before milking, the goat must be given warm water. To keep the goat calm, you can give her her favorite food (a piece of bread,).
Observe udder hygiene when milking. To do this, it is enough to wash it with warm water and wipe it dry. For many adult females, this event is becoming familiar.

Sitting under a goat is very inconvenient, so it is advisable to arrange a low platform for milking. Perform all manipulations with soft, not abrupt movements. Lightly massage the udder for a good flow of milk.
Grasp the nipple with all your fingers, squeeze and pull down. To cleanse the milk canals, the first trickles must be drained.

Milk must be completely milked, as its remains can cause mastitis in the animal. After milking, it is advisable to treat the udder with an odorless emollient.

Breeding and lambing

The life span of goats is 10 years or more. The reproductive ability of animals is directly dependent on what kind of care the goats were provided with and what they were fed with. Individuals who have reached one and a half years of age are allowed to the first mating.

First you should familiarize yourself with existing methods mating and choose the most optimal one. Experienced pastoralists use three main methods: manual, free and harem mating. The most popular and reliable method is the purchase of a goat manufacturer.

Pregnancy is confirmed 2 months after mating, when the udder becomes slightly fuller, and when touched, the goat squats. The succumb female looks more calm, moves smoothly and carefully.

The succumb goat has an increased appetite. You need to feed her more abundantly. In the second phase of pregnancy (pregnancy), add 10 g of crushed chalk per day. Stop milking a month or a month and a half before giving birth, gradually reducing the number of milkings.
Pregnancy lasts 147-150 days. If you want to get two offspring a year, you can re-mate within a month after lambing. However, this time can be skipped, then the goat will continue to lactate.

A couple of weeks before lambing, clean the goat's rue, whitewash the walls, insulate windows and doors, and eliminate drafts. IN last days before lambing, regularly monitor the uterus, since in severe frosts, newborn kids may die.

If the female is well developed, labor takes 1-3 hours and does not require human intervention. A couple of hours after lambing, the afterbirth leaves.

Important! With strict adherence to all recommendations for caring for young goats, they should add from 3 to 5 kilograms every month.

Major diseases

Write in the comments which questions you did not receive an answer to, we will definitely respond!

To replenish the livestock of goats, you should adhere to the recommendations regarding the selection and further maintenance of goats and breeding males. In addition, you need to carefully monitor the pregnancy of females, and after childbirth, properly care for the kids. These features are the main ones when breeding goats at home.

Since this process requires increased attention of the owner, we recommend that you read this article, which describes in detail the signs of hunting and pregnancy in females, possible difficulties in the lambing process, as well as recommendations for feeding lactating females and newborn kids.

Breeding goats

The selection of goats and goats for further breeding is based on a comprehensive assessment of individuals. A properly selected herd includes animals selected for pedigree, physique, conformation, as well as on the basis of data on productivity and quality of previous offspring. Based on the results of the assessment, the best animals are selected, and individuals that do not meet the selection criteria are slaughtered for meat or sold to other farms. It is necessary to keep all the data on the results of the match, as they will be necessary for the matching of pairs (Figure 1).

Note: When selecting goats for breeding work, you need to take into account the direction of breeding: wool, down or dairy. For downy and wool breeds, the leading role is played by the volume of fleece and wool shearing, and for dairy breeds - the volume of milk yield per lactation.

Selection criteria for breeding animals include:

Assessment of individuals by origin: these data can be obtained only with the help of zootechnical registration and tagging of goats, since the productive and breeding qualities of males and females play an important role in breeding.
Bonding -the process of dividing goats into groups (or classes) in terms of conformation, constitution and productivity. Bonding can be carried out individually and classically. The first method is used only for animals of the first and elite class, which are kept separately. The results of the bonding carried out are recorded in the accounting journal. For class bonding, the same indicators are used, but the results of the check are not recorded in the journal.
Evaluation of productivity, in addition to bonding, includes weighing animals, measuring the amount of fluff and wool, as well as the fat content of milk and its amount.
Assessment of goats by the number of offspring: the first selection of future producers is carried out 2-3 weeks after birth. This allows you to immediately castrate individuals unsuitable for further breeding. Initially, 5-6 times more young goats are selected than are required to replenish the livestock. The selected kids, together with their mothers, form a separate group, which is kept in the best pastures and receives enhanced feeding. The second selection is carried out when the goats are weaned from their mothers, that is, at the age of 4-6 months. The third selection takes place already at the age of one year and is based on performance indicators and individual bonding. In the autumn period, the best exterior goats are selected from a group of selected animals. Their number should exceed the required three times.

Figure 1. Appearance of the goats-producers

During the last selection of goats, about 70 queens are selected for them, suitable for productivity. The animals are kept in the same flock, and they provide good feeding and living conditions. The resulting young growth is also kept separately and evaluated taking into account the performance of each specific goat of the manufacturer.

The correct selection of goats to queens plays an important role in the breeding process. To do this, it is necessary to comprehensively evaluate the animals even at the stage of selecting individuals for breeding.

There are several types of selection, each of which has certain characteristics:

Individual selection animals for mating are carried out only among individuals of the elite class. The essence of the selection is that for each female a separate goat is selected, which is most suitable for her in terms of productivity, conformation, fertility, constitution and origin.
Group selection more often used for females of a classy herd. For queens of the same class, separate brood goats are assigned. The essence of this method is to breed the offspring better than the previous one, therefore, the performance of the goats should be better than that of the queens. This type of selection is most often used in non-breeding farms.
Homogeneous selection is aimed at consolidating and improving a certain type of animals in the herd. The basic principle: the best with the best gives the best. Therefore, with this type of selection, the uterus and the goats-producers must fully meet the necessary requirements. In addition, homogeneous matching can be used to improve certain features. For example, if the uterus has a thick, but short hair, they are mated with goats with long hair of medium density in order to obtain the most productive offspring in terms of wool.
Diverse selection is based on the principle of "worst with best is better". For example, for second-class queens, elite breeding goats are selected to improve the performance of down and wool. Crossbreeding and hybridization are also referred to as heterogeneous selection.

An extremely important role for both breeding and non-breeding farms is played by the choice and further maintenance of the goat-producer. In most farms, it is used for only three to four months during the year, and the rest of the time is kept on a balanced maintenance diet. Already by the beginning of the breeding season, the goat should be ready for reproduction, therefore preparation for mating begins three months before its start.

To do this, the goats must be fed with concentrates (up to 1 kg per head per day), so that the animals quickly reach the factory condition.

The main requirement for a breeder is full compliance with those qualities that they seek to improve in the herd. Therefore, when choosing an animal, the key role is assigned to its origin and the productivity of its ancestors.

Physical characteristics of a good breeding goat following:

Good health and constitution;
Vivid manifestation of characteristics characteristic of the breed;
Descent from a fertile family (it will be better if the goat is from twins or triplets);
High mobility and sexual vitality.

Too heavy animals, with a loose constitution and phlegmatic character, cover a much smaller number of queens. In addition, individuals with a large prepuce are not suitable for breeding. In a good goat, the genitals should be normally developed.

With the wrong diet or insufficient feeding, the goat can have problems with reproductive function. First of all, this is negatively affected by the insufficient content of phosphorus, protein, vitamins A, E and iodine. These components are essential for normal testicular development, libido and sperm quality.

Also, problems with reproduction can arise with insufficient content of magnesium, zinc, cobalt and copper in the feed. Weather and conditions of detention play an important role for mating. If too high temperature air sex drive in goats decreases or completely dies out, so in summer animals should be kept in cool shaded rooms.

For the maintenance of producers, individual pens with a size of 2 * 1.5 * 1.5 meters are used. The height of the walls of the pen should be one meter (Figure 2). Each pen should have its own trough for feed, water and concentrates. Twice a day they are released for a walk or a separate pasture. For mating, it is better to allocate a separate room to facilitate the process. During the mating season, even males with a calm and balanced character become more active, and it is difficult to keep them. Therefore, a goat is first brought into the mating room, and then the uterus is admitted to it.

Figure 2. Drawing of a stall for keeping a male producer

Mating goats should be checked regularly by a veterinarian. In particular, you need to feel the testes, and if any abnormalities or diseases are found, the goat is either treated or slaughtered for meat. Lame goats are not suitable for breeding either, so their hooves must be regularly cleaned, trimmed or treated.

If off-season mating is necessary (from May to July), hormonal drugs can be included in the diet of the animals, but their dosage should be determined by the veterinarian.

Goat mating

When mating, you need to know by what signs you can recognize the hunt. At the beginning or end of the breeding period, these signs may be weak or completely absent. The strongest signs of hunting appear from September to February.

The duration of the sexual cycle (from the first day of hunting to the beginning of the next) is 18-24 days, depending on the breed and individual characteristics of the animal. The hunt can last from 12 hours to four days.

It should be borne in mind that hunting is more pronounced in the middle of the season (from October to December). At this time, a greater number of fruitful fertilizations occurs (Figure 3).

Signs of hunting in goats are as follows:

The external genitals become swollen, pinkish, or even red.
Behavior becomes restless, she often bleats.
The goat begins to sniff more often, as it is attracted by the smell of the goat. To enhance the manifestation of hunting, you can stock up on a special "goat rag". The glands located behind the horns of the goat are rubbed with a piece of tissue and stored in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. If necessary, the female can sniff the jar with a rag.
The animal constantly twists its tail from side to side.
Vaginal discharge appears. At the beginning of the hunt, they are thick and opaque, then they become clear and liquid, and at the end of the hunt they again become thick and become white.

Figure 3. Signs of hunting

Changing behavior becomes a hallmark of hunting. The uterus begins to incite other animals in the herd to worry and jump on herself. In goats, like other animals, during the hunting period, the so-called standing reflex is manifested, when she calmly allows her to sit on it.

How to mate correctly

The first hunt in young goats begins at the age of four months, but the animal can happen only after reaching a weight of 32 kilograms. Depending on the mode of feeding and maintenance, females reach the body weight necessary for mating by 7-9 months.

In some farms, goats do not hatch until 12-18 months. This reduces milk supply but prolongs productive life. However, it should be borne in mind that a later mating (at one year old or one and a half year old) can lead to obesity of the animal, which will negatively affect the obtaining of offspring. An obese goat is less likely to hunt, and cysts may appear on the ovaries, preventing fertilization and obtaining offspring. To reduce weight, you need to revise the diet and increase the animal's physical activity.

Note: Usually, signs of heat will begin to appear ten weeks after the longest day of the year. Between September and February, most goats are ready to mate and are easily fertilized. In April, signs of hunting begin to weaken and practically do not appear until September of the following year. A small percentage may be sexually active a month before and after the start of the breeding season. But this indicator mainly depends on the conditions of keeping and feeding the animals.

For good hunting and obtaining high-quality offspring, it is necessary to correctly create a diet of animals:

Insufficient amounts of phosphorus and copper can delay hunting or lead to irregularity;
The lack of magnesium can delay hunting and reduce the fertility of animals;
With a lack of vitamin A, ovulation is delayed and fetal development worsens;
Hot weather impairs the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus;
Severe stress also negatively affects fetal implantation and can even lead to abortion;
Some grasses that goats eat in pastures, such as white and red clover, are high in estrogen. This can lead to the formation of cysts on the cervix, which will complicate the movement of sperm and delay fertilization.

After cage on the goat, you need to make a mark, and on the next hunt repeat the mark in a different color. An adult and healthy goat can cover up to 50 queens. Young animals should not be given more than one cage at six hours, and daily rate should not exceed two pairings.

Some animals exhibit a phenomenon called the "goat effect". If the uterus had little contact with the male before mating, transferring her to the goat's pen can stimulate signs of hunting and lead to successful fertilization.

Farms that sell milk must carry out winter and summer (or spring) goats. A goat fertilized in September will produce offspring in February, and a queen mated in March will bring a goat in August. Animals with the same fertility differ in lactation depending on the time of the goat. Queens that hatch in February will produce more milk than those that hatch in August.

Note: The difficulty of off-season mating is that goats do not show signs of heat until September, when daylight hours begin to decrease. In order to induce off-season ovulation, a hormonal or light method is used.

The essence of the light method is that for the manifestation of hunting goats need a certain length of daylight hours (about 12 hours). Therefore, for its artificial reduction, the rooms in which the goats are kept are darkened. This method of stimulating hunting is good in that it does not require the use of chemicals to use it.

Figure 4. Conducting mating

For out-of-season mating, agents containing progesterone-like substances are used. The tampon is moistened with similar drugs and inserted into the goat's vagina, where the hormone begins to be absorbed into the body and provokes hunting. You can use this method at any time of the year to increase the herd population.

However, these medications should not be used on already coated goats, as this can lead to abortion. In addition, goat milk is prohibited from being consumed during hormone treatment. After mating, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the goat, and immediately before lambing, start (stop milking). How to do this correctly, the author of the video will tell.

Which mating is preferable, manual or harem?

There are several types of mating. Most of them are used in all farms specializing in goat breeding.

Free mating considered the most simple. Males and queens are kept together during the entire hunting period, that is, up to two months. In this case, the goats cover the queens without human control. And although this method of mating is the simplest and cheapest, it is considered ineffective from a rational point of view. First of all, with free mating, the productive period of using the goats is reduced. In addition, in this case, it is difficult to conduct breeding work. Often there are cases when, after free mating, the goat is not interested in goats for several months. To avoid this, the male should be given daily rest from the females and kept separately for five to six hours.
Harem mating it is also considered not rational, but still more thoughtful in terms of breeding. The goat is kept together with a certain group of queens during the breeding season. In this case, it is impossible to regulate the use of the goat, but control over the quality of the offspring is carried out.
Manual mating carried out under the complete control of a person. A certain uterus is brought to the manufacturer, which suits him according to the main characteristics of the breed. For correct mating, the uterus is fixed in a special machine. For fertilization to take place, one normal cage is enough, which can be determined by the characteristic shock. The goat should not be allowed to cover the same uterus several times.

All the described mating methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, harem mating does not require human intervention, since males and females are kept together, and fertilization occurs as soon as the goats enter the hunt. Manual mating requires human intervention, since only one uterus is implanted to a specific male. In the case of a harem mating, you can get a large number of pregnant goats in a short time, but in this case the purity of the breed is not observed and the resources of the goat are uneconomically spent.

Goat pregnancy

Pregnancy of a goat requires a special diet for the animal and appropriate housing conditions. First of all, you need to determine the fact of pregnancy and calculate the approximate period of lambing.

How to tell if a goat is pregnant

The easiest way to determine the presence of pregnancy is by observing the manifestations of hunting. If, three weeks after mating, the goat does not show signs of heat, then fertilization was successful. If, after a three-week period, hunting resumes, this means that the embryo has resolved for some reason. Such an animal must be examined and, in the absence of diseases, repeat the mating.

You can also determine pregnancy by the level of progesterone in milk. Compliance is checked at the time of the expected resumption of heat (approximately 18-22 days after the last mating). In most queens, hormone testing can be done as early as 20 days after mating. If the progesterone level is elevated, there is every reason to assume that the goat is pregnant.

Figure 5. Determination of pregnancy in goats

Another way to determine pregnancy is to test for estrone sulfate in milk and urine. An analysis can be done 35-50 days after the intended fertilization. Most accurate and modern way diagnosing pregnancy is ultrasound examinationbut this method is not very common due to the high cost.

Note: In some farms, the abdomen is palpated to determine if the uterus is thickened and enlarged.

In goats with the first pregnancy, the udder begins to increase in size in the fourth month of pregnancy, and in old dry individuals - not earlier than the fifth. In addition, in pregnant uterus, the belly increases in size and becomes barrel-shaped (Figure 5).

How long does a goat get pregnant?

The duration of pregnancy in goats is 145-155 days. Fertilization of the egg takes place in the oviduct, after which the egg moves into the uterus, is fixed on its inner wall and the fetus begins to develop. Already 60 days after birth, the fetus is fully formed and during the rest of the pregnancy it will simply gain weight. Quite often, the simultaneous fertilization of several eggs and the development of fetuses occurs, since goats often release two or three eggs during one ovulation. After birth, fetal membranes emerge from the uterus, which are called the afterbirth.

During pregnancy, the goat should gain weight steadily. This is especially true for queens that carry several fruits. Therefore, the diet of animals should be complete and saturated with vitamins and nutrients. The most intensive nutrition is needed in the last 4-5 weeks of pregnancy, when the most intensive fetal growth occurs (Figure 6).

Top dressing and selenium injections 4 weeks before the goat.
Increased intake of vitamin A into the body of a pregnant goat, which is responsible for reproductive function... Most of all it is contained in green hay, but for a pregnant uterus, and this amount may not be enough, so the vitamin is injected artificially.
In sunny weather, goats should be taken for a walk to produce vitamin D.
It is recommended to gradually increase the amount of grains in the diet of pregnant goats to saturate their body with nutrients.

Figure 6. Diet of females during pregnancy

Skinny goats are more likely to be in ketosis. If the animal refuses to feed, and it begins to convulse, propylene glycol should be introduced immediately to prevent death of the individual.

Goat lamb - what to do?

Goat is an absolutely natural process that does not require human intervention if the goat is healthy and the pregnancy has developed without complications.

Lambing signs (video)

The main signs of approaching childbirth in goats are as follows:

The animal may refuse to feed;
Signs of anxiety appear;
The goat begins to bleat quietly, dig the bedding, often looks back;
The animal pushes every 5-10 minutes;
With the approach of childbirth, the udder begins to fill: in adults, this occurs immediately before childbirth, and young queens - about a month before the goat;
A week before childbirth, a cavity forms between the ischial bones due to the fact that the ligaments connecting the pelvis and tail vertebrae relax;
After the fetus takes the birth position, the goat becomes less voluminous, and depressions may appear in the groin;
External genitals begin to swell;
With the onset of attempts, a cervical plug comes out of the vagina - a transparent mucus of a strawy hue. If the color of the mucus is white or cream, you should contact your veterinarian, as the animal may have vaginitis;
About a day before giving birth, it decreases by one to two degrees rectal temperature (normally it is 39-40 degrees).

And although in most cases childbirth does not require human intervention, it is still worth being present during the process in order to provide assistance to the animal if necessary. The video shows the main signs of lambing and childbirth in a goat.

How to properly run a goat before lambing?

Pregnancy is a difficult time for the goat's body, therefore, before lambing, the animal is started (milking is stopped) so that the body has time to gain strength.

Note: Most often, a goat stops producing milk on its own, but if this does not happen, about a month and a half before giving birth, milking is stopped artificially.

All juicy and green feeds are excluded from the diet for the start-up period. After the cessation of milk production, they are reintroduced into the diet, but excluded when the first signs of lambing appear, and better - a few days before.

Milking should not be stopped abruptly. Launching requires gradualness:

First, the number of milkings is reduced (for example, two milkings are carried out instead of three);
When the goat is milking only once a day, the amount of milk received is reduced. In other words, it should be slightly underfilled;
Gradually they switch to milking every other day and after two, and when the one-time amount of milk reaches one glass, milking is completely stopped.

It is important that the udder of the animal becomes firm a few days after starting. To prevent disease, you need to carefully express the stagnant milk.

Lambing date calculator

The gestation period for a goat is approximately 149 days (5 months). Determine the time of fertilization simply by the absence of repeated hunting, an increase in milk yield immediately after estrus and a gradual increase in the abdomen.

Since it is desirable to be present at the birth of the goat, using the table below (Fig. 8), you can determine the date of birth to within a week.

Figure 7. Approximate calendar of lambing in goats by mating time

A more accurate lambing period is determined by the signs of the approaching birth.

How to feed a goat after lambing

After the termination of milking (starting), it is necessary to correctly formulate the diet of a dry goat so that the animal receives a sufficient amount of nutrients for the development of fruits and support the vital functions of its own body.

The basis of the diet should be concentrates (up to one and a half kg per day). Two weeks before lambing, their number is reduced by half, and the goat returns to a normal diet three days after giving birth.

Particular attention should be paid to the quality of the feed. Rotten, spoiled, or moldy foods can cause disease or even cause miscarriage. It is advisable to supplement the diet with warm water with bran, boiled root crops and high-quality hay.

Goat birth

In adult goats, the first attempts are almost imperceptible. Young animals may become anxious within 24 hours before the goat. After pushing, an amniotic fluid appears from the vagina, which bursts almost immediately. In it you can see the front legs on which the head of the goat lies. it correct position a fetus that does not require human intervention. If the pregnancy is multiple, the kids appear at intervals of 20-30 minutes (Figure 8).

Human intervention in the birth process is required in such cases:

If the head is not on the legs, but is wrapped on the back or under the limbs;
Only the head appeared from the amniotic fluid, and the legs were pressed under the breast;
The goat comes out backwards with bent legs.

Providing assistance during childbirth boils down to the fact that the fetus needs to be given a normal position. To do this, a hand, previously disinfected and lubricated with petroleum jelly, is inserted into the vagina and the legs or head of the kid are straightened. If the fetus goes backwards, you need to tie a rope around its legs and periodically tighten the kid during attempts.

Figure 8. Natural lambing in goats

The afterbirth should come out on its own within three hours after delivery. It categorically cannot be pulled out or cut off. If the afterbirth has not gone away six hours after giving birth, you need to seek help from your veterinarian. In some cases, complications may arise after childbirth:

If the kid is born in an unruptured amniotic sac, the shell should be pierced as soon as possible so that the animal does not suffocate.
Difficult childbirth sometimes leads to the birth of weak kids with no signs of life. In this case, it is necessary to remove mucus from the mouth and nose of the animal as soon as possible, then open the kid's mouth and quickly blow air into it.
In severe cases, artificial respiration may be required. To do this, the kid is placed on its back, the front limbs are extended and they begin to bend them, pressing them to the chest.

The umbilical cord of a newborn kid most often breaks off on its own. If this did not happen, it must be cut off about 10 centimeters from the body of the animal, treated with iodine and tied with a disinfected thread, stepping back 2-3 centimeters from the abdomen.

Immediately after birth, the goat should lick the newborn kids to improve blood circulation. In addition, the mucus that the uterus licks speeds up the discharge of the placenta. After the birth of the kid, you need to quickly dry it so that it does not catch a cold. For this, special lamps or heaters are installed in the goat room. But you can also just wipe the kid dry with straw or a towel.

In 30-40 minutes after birth, the kid should suckle the mother, therefore the wool around the thighs and on the udder of the uterus must be cut off, and the udder itself must be thoroughly washed and wiped dry.

The first streams of colostrum should be drained into a separate bowl and not given to the kid, as the liquid may contain microorganisms. The next colostrum can be safely given to a newborn kid, since it is this nutrition that plays a key role in further development kid. Colostrum has the following properties:

Has a laxative effect on the digestive tract;
Accelerates the release of original feces;
Improve immune system and make kids more resistant to pathogens.

If the kid cannot find the udder on its own, he needs help, and for the first three days after birth, it is necessary to ensure that the newborn feeds every two to three hours.

Quite often, young kids have difficulty sucking. And since you cannot deprive them of colostrum, you need to water the kids by hand. For this, a probe is used, which can be any rubber tube (length 35-40 cm, diameter - 7.5 centimeters). You can buy a probe at a pharmacy. To pour colostrum into the tube, use syringes or regular plastic bottles... The probe is slowly inserted into the kidney's esophagus about 20 cm of the tube length. An example of a diet and methods of artificial feeding of kids are shown in Figure 10.

When caring for kids that suck the udder on their own, you need to make sure that the milk is clean and milked well. It happens that goats do not want to accept a kid and do not let him near an overcrowded udder. This is especially true for young goats. To feed the goat and free the udder of the uterus from milk, the goat is fixed in the stall, the goat is brought in, and the goat is released only after the udder is completely free. After that, the goat should calm down, and if she began to lick the goat, it means that she accepted him.

Note: In the first weeks after birth, newborn kids feed exclusively on milk. Therefore, the uterus should receive complete food rich in vitamins and minerals. The diet of a lactating goat must include table salt, crushed chalk and bone meal. This is a source of essential minerals, in the absence of which the kids transferred to pastures begin to gnaw on the ground or hairballs, which often ends in death.

Two to three weeks after the goat, the amount of milk decreases, while the needs of the goat grow. During this period, you can begin to feed the animal with concentrates, hay and succulent feed. The best food for kids is considered to be oatmeal, or its mixture with cake. Silage or chopped root crops are given as juicy forages. As the kid grows, the proportion of feed and concentrates increases.

Feeding the kids is carried out as follows:

For animals, special enclosures are built - "dining rooms", which enclose and make manholes below. There kids can eat concentrates or juicy feed separately from their mothers.
The koshar-basic method has also become widespread. The queen bees are kept separately from the kids, in the base or in the pasture, and are brought in for feeding several times a day.
With the koshar-basic method, it is possible to preserve lactation longer, since the uterus can feed calmly, and the kids are not disturbed. In addition, this method allows you to quickly accustom the kids to dry food, become more resilient and healthy.

Figure 9. Diet of feeding newborn kids

Methods of artificial feeding of kids:

For orphan kids or kids from multiple litters, it is customary to feed whole milk or milk substitutes (WMS). Milk replacer is also used to increase the volume of goat milk for sale.
CMR is diluted with warm water in a ratio of 1: 4 or 1: 5. After that, the mixture is filtered and the animal is watered.
When the kid reaches the age of 45-60 days, drinking milk replacer can be stopped, since the animal is already able to eat dry food.

For artificial feeding of kids, you can use a regular bottle with a teat, as well as buckets, pots or drinkers for piglets, along the perimeter of which teats are located. To prevent spontaneous flow of the mixture, the teats should be at a 45 degree angle, and the distance from the teat to the bottom of the drinker should be at least 35 centimeters. It is important to take into account that the goats of the meat breed drink more milk. The author of the video will tell you how to properly feed the kids with milk from the bottle.

For the prevention of digestive disorders, formalin is added to the milk mixture (1 ml per liter of milk).

An important step in caring for kids is dehorning and castration. Dehydration is carried out immediately after the appearance of the horny tubercles. To do this, use special chemical substances or electrical appliances.

The castration of goats is carried out already at the age of two to three weeks, after the first selection. The latest allowable period for castration is 10 weeks, because older animals are difficult to tolerate the operation. It is important that during castration it should not be too hot so that the wound does not start to rot.

The goat has long been considered one of the favorite domestic farm animals. Now more and more often it can be found in the household. This is because the goat is one of the most productive animals. They make it possible to receive several liters of milk every day, which is very healthy, nutritious and tasty.

Content benefits

Gallery: breeds of domestic goats (25 photos)

Animals are divided into three main types:

In order to get these animals on your farm, you need to familiarize yourself with each species separately, as well as learn more about each breed of this species.

Dairy

Individuals of dairy breeds appeared much later than meat goats. Initially, in ancient times, this animal was bred solely for delicious and nutritious meat. Milk goats have been with humans for over a thousand years. During this impressive time, this breed has been improved. Today the most popular dairy breeds are:

Zanenskaya.
Gorkovskaya.
Nubian.
Alpine.

Representatives of a particular breed are very easy to distinguish from each other. It is very comfortable. When buying, you can always determine by external data whether the breed is being sold to you.

Zanenskaya - the most highly productive and unpretentious goat of this breed. One goat can produce about eight liters of nutritious milk per day. This breed is distinguished by excellent health, it does not have a predisposition to goat diseases, infectious diseases she's not sick either. She can live almost anywhere in the world. The individual easily gets used to various climatic conditions.

This goat feeds on any grass, and it doesn't matter whether it is fresh or dried. The goat is completely unpretentious in food. The animal of this breed has a very gentle and friendly character. She is very flexible and affectionate. The goat can recognize the owner by his voice.

The Zanensky goat is not sheared, its hair is short. Her productivity is very high. In order to raise this goat, no extra costs are required. The goat is unpretentious in everything. An individual can be distinguished by its characteristic features: it has a wide chest, a spherical udder, a high neck, strong long legs, it has a wide forehead, a chest protruding forward, and its muscles are very developed.

Nubian is a very interesting, attractive pet. Its milk yield can reach four liters per day. In addition to being a productive goat, it is also fertile. On average, one goat can give birth to three to four kids per lambing. A characteristic feature of this individual is its cleanliness. She very carefully looks after herself and her offspring, so there is no specific smell from this breed as such. The coat is pleasant to the touch, silky, in a variety of attractive colors.

External characteristic signs Nubian goat: slender thin legs, long neck, drooping ears, elongated body, large udder with extended nipples. This breed has one drawback in keeping - they are very thermophilic animals, so they can be kept outdoors only from spring to autumn. In winter, a warm room must be equipped for them.

Gorkovskaya - her milk yield reaches about 500 liters per year. This is a good indicator. Goats have a wonderful undercoat. If you comb it out on time, you can collect up to 400 g of fine fluff from one goat. The offspring of a goat brings two to four kids per lamb.

Alpine - the largest dairy goat. The weight of an individual can reach 60 kg. You can milk it all year round, and in this case, you can get about a centner of milk from it a year. As a rule, the first time an animal brings one goat, later the same goat can lamb with five goats at once.

Meat

These breeds are grown specifically to obtain high-quality dietary, nutritious meat from them. They bring relatively little milk. A goat can produce about two liters of milk per day. Representatives of meat breeds are distinguished by their massiveness. They gain weight very quickly. At three months, a small kid can already weigh about 40 kg. The animal has a peculiar disposition, as a rule, she is unfriendly and quarrelsome. He treats the owner with a negative attitude. Can bully and fight. The most popular types are:

Greek.
Boer.

Boer - a very calm goat. Her attitude towards other animals and humans is almost neutral. It can be perfectly kept in the herd. Rather, this breed is an exception to the meat breeds in that it is the only one that does not fight or bully. The breed is quite large. An adult can reach 90 kg, and a male - 130 kg. Its meat is highly valued, it is tasty and does not have a specific smell and taste. The Boer goat is in good health. The goat is very unpretentious in care, does not require additional conditions when growing.

Greek - Outwardly very cute, her main advantage is productivity. This goat is so unpretentious in keeping that it can even be in the open air for a whole day. She feels great on rocky slopes, where she can find food for herself. Milk yield of a Greek goat can reach 100 liters per year, for the representatives of the meat breed this is a high figure. Its meat is highly valued, it does not have a specific smell and taste.

Mixed

This is the most versatile type for farms... From them you can get a relatively small amount of meat, milk and wool of excellent quality. A characteristic feature of this type of goat is their unpretentiousness to almost any climatic conditions. They perfectly tolerate both frost and heat. The only thing they can't stand is the damp climate. A striking representative of this species is the Altai mountain goat.

The breed was obtained by crossing the Don goats with the Altai ones, thanks to which it received constructive and productive qualities. The animal is strong, small, proportional in constitution. She has a wonderful undercoat. The down from such a goat is of high quality. About 500 g of milk can be obtained from an individual per day. Their meat is tender and does not have a specific smell. Down can be used to make downy shawls.

The downside is the crossed horns.

How to choose the right kid

When choosing, you must consider:

Feeding conditions

Goat feeders should be positioned so that they do not have to enter the pen while feeding. On one of the walls of the barn, where animals live, it is necessary to make a nursery in which hay will be. The nursery can be made of metal rods; you need to attach them to the wall at about a height of half a meter. And under the nursery, you can put a simple box into which small stalks of grass will be poured. Mineral additives and salt can also be added to this box. On the opposite side of the nursery, according to the same principle, you need to equip a drinker.

All summer goats can feed exclusively on grass. And they eat almost any grass. In winter, you can feed the goats with hay. An animal needs about 3 kg of food for one day. Therefore, it should not be difficult to calculate how much feed one goat needs for the winter. In winter, brooms from various trees, prepared from the summer, should be introduced into the goat's diet.

Brooms can be willow, rowan, birch. One broom will be enough for the animal per day. They are considered a nutritious and healthy food supplement in winter.

Keeping goats is not a big deal and additional expenses. The animal does not create difficulties for anyone. Goats get along well with other animals on the farm. All they need is optimal living conditions.

The animal can live in a barn, under a canopy, in a stable. You can graze it in any meadow or glade.

The animal is not afraid of frost, sunlight, even in excess, will only benefit it. The goat categorically does not tolerate dampness, so the room where it lives must be only dry, light and well ventilated.

In the southern regions, animals are kept simply under a canopy. In the northern regions, it is necessary to insulate the room so that in winter the room temperature is +6 - +7 degrees. If there are small kids, the temperature should be at least +7 - +8 degrees.

An individual can be settled in a barn with other pets, it will get along well with everyone. If the goat is calm, you can not tie it, so it will feel calmer. If the goat has the ability to fight, it is imperative to tie it up. It is better not to keep the goat together with the milking goat, otherwise the milk will acquire bad smell... Small kids should be kept in a separate room.

Animals should not be kept indoors where the floor is cement. The best option is an earthen floor. It needs to be raised about 20 cm from the ground and covered with straw. But we must not forget to make a slight slope and drain on the floor. Then the impurities will flow down the drain, and there will be no persistent unpleasant odor in the stable.

Goats are domestic animals that are easy to breed if the farmer has even the slightest experience in caring for any other farm animal. The main condition for breeding goats is to observe the rules of feeding and keeping. But since grooming is not a big deal for the farmer, these animals are so popular. They even began to be called breadwinners for the poor, since goat milk is much healthier and more expensive than cow's milk.

Attention, only TODAY!

Keeping goats and caring for these amazing animals is not difficult even for novice farmers. The goats are distinguished by excellent health and excellent adaptability to any conditions. In addition, they readily eat almost any feed, which makes their breeding quite profitable. But despite such good indicators, animals still need some care. You will learn how to properly care for goats in this article.

Features of the maintenance and care of young animals

Let's start with keeping the young. It should be noted that kids usually have a good survival rate. In addition, young animals, already a month after birth, are quite capable of looking for food in the pasture on a par with adult animals.

Proper care of young animals begins from the moment the goat is born. After the baby first sees the light, the farmer should immediately clean it airways from mucus. After this, the newborn must be given to the mother so that she licks it.

Some farmers make the classic mistake, especially during the winter season. They immediately take the kid to a warmer room, for example, to a house. After such an "act of mercy", the goat refuses to recognize the baby, considering him a stranger. Therefore, the mother's licking of the goat is an obligatory part of the ritual.

After birth, you must immediately give the baby goat mother's milk... Colostrum contains necessary substancesthat contribute to the development of the digestive and immune systems.

Up to about 20 days, the goat's main diet is milk. They eat it four times a day. After this period, it is necessary to give the kids five grams of salt and chalk. By the age of three months, this figure should be increased to 10 grams per day.

After a month of life, young animals need to be fed with concentrates, it is necessary to start with 50 grams per day, gradually increasing the rate. In such a way that by the age of three months, the goat has eaten about 300 grams of concentrated feed per day.

At the age of three months, kids usually switch to the adult diet completely. Remember that young animals do not need to be restricted in water.... The kids should drink plenty. In addition, even in the winter season, kids should definitely walk outside.

Features of keeping and caring for females

The weak point in animals is the hooves, which, by the way, need to be trimmed regularly. Therefore, the floor in the room should be wooden and covered with sawdust and straw bedding. In addition, it is recommended to equip the stalls with special loungers. Goats really don't like sleeping on the floor.

Note that goats have a fairly thick coat. Therefore, it is recommended to comb them out with a stiff brush about once every two days. In addition, for hygiene reasons, the hair near the udder must be trimmed.

Council. Goats are in very good contact with various domestic animals, moreover, it is even possible to live together with other livestock or poultry. The only exception is chickens. They are the most common cause of head lice in goats. Therefore, at home, it is recommended to keep chickens separate from goats.

Summer animals most They spend days in the pasture, so some people think that caring for goats at this time of year is not at all necessary. This opinion is erroneous; pasture maintenance also has its own characteristics.

First, you need to choose a pasture so that trees are present there. If they are not there, then you need to make a canopy that will allow the goats to hide from the sun or rain.

Secondly, animals need to ensure unhindered access to water. If a milking goat lacks fluid in the body, you will not get a good milk yield.

Features of the maintenance and care of males

Goats are very rarely kept on small farms. Keeping a male in the courtyard is not profitable for novice farmers, so they usually invite a breeding male only during the mating period of animals. If you decide to acquire a male goat tribe, then you need to know the following rules about keeping it.

The goats should be kept as far away from the females as possible. Ideally, this should be a small but separate room. The fact is that males have a rather specific smell, and goat's milk has the ability to absorb foreign aromas. If you want the goats to produce odorless milk, the male must be kept separately.

The goats are needed only for the fertilization of females, therefore, the animal needs special care before mating. Given that the purpose of keeping a goat is insemination, the animal should not be overweight. Obesity usually leads to decreased sexual activity and infertility. Therefore, strictly control the daily diet of the male.

Do not get carried away with feeding the goat with cereals, it is better to focus on coarse and green feed. The use of compound feed is recommended, but in moderation. Mineral supplements and vitamins must be present in the daily diet.

Don't forget to keep an eye on appearance animal. Many farmers do not pay enough attention to this aspect, remembering the goat only during the mating season. Take regular care of your animal's coat and hooves.

Remember to regularly show your breeding goat to your veterinarian. An adult and healthy goat can cover up to 50 females without any problems, and with a 100% guarantee of fertilization. If the mating is carried out at an unplanned time, then it makes sense to acquire hormonal drugs... They help to increase sexual activity.

Otherwise, there is no difference in conditions of detention between males and females. The animals consume the same food and live in the same conditions.

As you can see, keeping goats at home and caring for them is quite possible for novice farmers. Finally, I would like to add that goats are very sensitive and loyal animals. Show them attentions, pamper them with something tasty, just talk with your wards. In gratitude, the animals will delight you with consistently high milk yield.

Igor Nikolaev

Reading time: 8 minutes

A A

Livestock farming is one of the most profitable and attractive types of small private business. However, keeping livestock requires certain skills. Therefore, novice farmers should pay attention to domestic animals such as goats. Their simplicity in keeping and feeding makes them attractive for breeding at home. In addition, if pig breeding and cattle breeding in our country are highly competitive industries, then the goat breeding niche is practically free.

Before choosing a specific goat breed, you need to decide what exactly you want to get from the goat. These animals provide milk, meat, fluff, wool, and skins.

The choice of the type of animal depends on the choice of the direction of goat breeding.

Dairy and downy directions in our country are the most popular.

Dairy goats

The dairy direction of this industry is the most profitable, since goat's milk is a valuable dietary and even healing product.

Profitability is ensured by high purchase prices for these products at a relatively low cost.

The main dairy varieties of goats include:

zaanen;
alpine;
toggenburg;
gorkovskaya;
megrelian;
russian white.

Depending on the breed, one milking goat can produce from five to eight liters of milk per day. Maximum milk production occurs after the second or fourth birth and then remains at a consistently high level.

The milking period lasts for 7-11 months, and each individual is capable of producing up to a ton (and sometimes more) of valuable raw milk.

Downy goat breeds

Some types of goats have a valuable coat, which is much lighter, softer in comparison with sheep's wool, and is not inferior in thermal insulation in anything.

The most popular among downy goats in our country are:

orenburg;
black down;
mountain-Altai;
near the Don.

One animal can be combed from 350 to 700 grams of valuable down.

The skins of young goats and goats are used for sewing warm winter clothes, and their meat is quite suitable for human consumption. In addition, for good conditions keeping and feeding such goats can produce up to three hundred liters of milk per year (per goat).

Meat goat breeds

Goat meat in its taste characteristics is no worse than lamb. If you decide to breed these pets for meat, then special attention should be paid to such breeds that are capable of quickly gaining significant live weight.

The breeds with such qualities include:

It should be said that in goat breeding, the meat direction is considered concomitant, not the main one. For example, Saanen goats are still bred for the purpose of obtaining milk, and mainly animals that are unnecessary in the economy are sent for meat - young goats with low reproductive qualities, old males and goats with low rates milkiness. And, due to established traditions, in most of the territory of Russia, goat meat is in much less demand than other types of meat.

In general, goats of any species produce several products suitable for subsequent marketing. It is this fact that attracts entrepreneurs, since it allows them to quickly recoup relatively small initial costs and start earning income.

Goats of any breed direction are kept on a pasture-stall regime. On pastures, goats are in a warm period, when there is enough green vegetation in pastures (in our country this period lasts about 185 days). The rest of the time, the animals are kept in a room (called a goat's rue) around the clock and fed with pre-prepared feed.

The two main principles of keeping goats properly are:

creating a comfortable living environment for animals (primarily in terms of the premises);
the correct selection of a food ration, which should take into account the age and current condition of the animal.

Requirements for the goat's rue

A room for keeping goats must meet the following basic requirements, which must be observed regardless of the current period of keeping (grazing or stall):

it must have good ventilation, since goats react poorly to damp and polluted air;
the goat's house should be kept clean and dry;
a good level of illumination is needed, since this directly affects milk yield;
young and pregnant or newly born females should be kept separate from the main herd. The same goes for brood goats;
keeping goats in winter requires adherence to a certain temperature regime. The most comfortable temperatures are 18-20 degrees, but this is not always possible to achieve. The main thing is that in the place where adult animals are kept not colder than +10 degrees, and where young animals are kept - at least + 12 degrees. In summer, this climate should also be observed, since overheating is no less dangerous than hypothermia.

It is important to remember that in any kind of keeping goats need freedom of movement. Therefore, it is not recommended to tie them up indoors or in any other way restrict this freedom.

Without the organization of proper nutrition, neither breeding nor keeping goats will give the desired result. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the nutritious diet. Its composition directly depends on the current state of health and age of the animal.

For example, feeding goats and pregnant queens, as well as brood goats, is different from the diet of the main herd.

During stall keeping, goats are fed up to four times a day, and during grazing - up to two times.

In summer, goats get their main food on pastures. It is at this time that the peak of milk production in females falls, since juicy green food contributes to good milk production. However, this does not mean that animals do not need to be fed at this time. Every day they need to be given:

concentrated feed - up to 200 grams;
root crops and vegetables - up to 1 kilogram;
dry hay - a small amount at night.

During stables, the diet should be varied to compensate for the lack of green forage.

The daily allowances are given below:

hay - up to 3 kilograms;
grain additives - up to 1 kilogram;
vegetables and root crops - up to 2 kilograms;
fresh high-quality silage - up to one and a half kg.

In addition to the listed feeds, which are dispensed in portions, the stalls should always contain:

hanging brooms (from harvested tree branches with leaves);
salt crystals - licks.

With the onset of the second half of pregnancy, the proportion of concentrates in females should be increased. This will help the intrauterine development of future offspring. Approximately two to three weeks before childbirth, the proportion of light feed is gradually increased in the diet.

Do not forget about the watering of animals, which must also be subject to a certain regime. On pastures, animals must be watered three times a day: twice (in the morning and after grazing) - in stalls, once - in the pasture. During the round-the-clock winter stables, goats should be watered twice a day.

Correct design of feeders and drinkers is also very important. This, firstly, makes it easier to dispense feed; secondly, it does not allow animals to get into the feeder and scatter or contaminate it. Basic requirements for the feeding area:

feeders should be raised half a meter from floor level;
the sizes of drinkers and feeders are selected depending on the age of the animals and types of feed:
the feeder for silage and roughage should be of a nursery type, 65 centimeters wide and 75 centimeters high. The length is selected depending on the age and number of animals - for each adult you need 30 centimeters of the feeding front, for young animals - 20;
for concentrated feed and root crops, the width of the feeder should be 40 cm, and the height should be 30; feeding front is the same as in the first case;
combined feeders for roughage and silage: width - 60, height - 75 cm; feeding front - no changes;
combined feeders for concentrates: both width and height - 25 centimeters with the same feeding front;
special feeders for young animals: width - 20 cm, height - 10; front length per animal - 15 centimeters;
drinkers: width - 40 cm, height - 25 cm; feeding front - 30 and 20 centimeters for adults and young individuals, respectively.

It is important to keep the feeders clean all the time, promptly removing from them the leftover food remains after the last distribution. The water should always be fresh and not very cold.

Care

Constant daily care of the goats is equally important.

You need to take care of them in compliance with the following requirements:

keeping clean and dry in the goat's house. Manure should not accumulate, therefore, it must be carefully removed at least once a day. This is especially important if the goats are kept with other animals. To ensure dryness on the floor, a litter is organized from: straw, if the floor is wooden; mixtures of peat with sawdust, if the floor is concreted;
indoors along the walls, you need to equip wooden couches. Goats love to sleep on a dais, so raised benches or shelves should be provided in stalls. Litter on such beds is not needed, only a little straw is placed on the kids;
you need to carefully monitor the condition of the hooves and, if necessary, trim them. This is especially true when animals are kept in stalls, since hooves are usually grinded in a natural way on pastures. When pruning, care should be taken not to injure the animal's limb.

The kids require the most attention.

They need a warmer room, fenced off (or better - generally separate) from the adult herd. If necessary, you need to change the bedding of the kids (usually two, or even three times a day). In general, raising young animals is the most difficult not only in goat breeding, but also in other livestock industries.

If the care and maintenance of these animals, although troublesome, is not difficult, then the work of breeding goats requires increased attention and certain skills. There are many nuances here: the initial purchase of animals, preparation of a goat-producer, mating goats, care and feeding of pregnant queens, raising newborns, and so on.

Breeding goats can be started in various ways: either acquire young animals, or a pregnant uterus, or immediately purchase a parent flock.

The latter method is the most costly, however, if the breeder aims to rapidly increase the livestock, then it is the most effective.

To obtain offspring, the female during the hunting period is brought together with the male producer.

The time of the onset of such a hunt can be determined by the restless behavior of the goat, a decrease in its appetite and swelling of the genitals. If, three weeks after mating, the hunt is not repeated, it means that fertilization was successful. If hunting resumes after the specified period, the goat should be covered again.

September is considered to be the optimal start of the mating season. If insemination took place at this time, then the kids are born in the period from late February to early March. This will allow the babies to get stronger before the start of the grazing period.

There are two ways to grow offspring:

feeding by the mother herself. Newborn kids in the first months of life feed on mother's milk and are constantly with the uterus;
artificial feeding. Cubs are weaned from the female immediately after their birth, and then they are fed from a bottle either with mixtures or with milk from the mother.

The second method is usually used when raising dairy goats, as it allows the female to quickly return to prenatal milk yield.

Immediately before mating, the nutrition of both the goats and the queens should be strengthened, since the animals must be sufficiently well nourished for successful fertilization.

In one day, an adult brooding goat can cover two to three females with a break of four to five hours. Goats bear offspring for about five months (the average period is 150 days).

Despite the early puberty of females (at five to seven months), they should not happen at this age.

The optimal age for the first cover is one and a half years. About two weeks before the expected birth, preparations should begin. maternity ward". The room should be thoroughly cleaned, removed all manure, whitewashed with milk of lime, changed the litter to a clean and dry one, and insulated the doors and windows (to avoid drafts).

Before the birth itself, it is necessary to observe the uterus, so that in an emergency, you can either help her or call a veterinarian.

A healthy and well-fed female does not need outside help during childbirth.

The process itself lasts from 20 to 40 minutes. If there are several pups in the litter, then they are born with an interval of 10 -15 minutes.

The afterbirth comes out an hour or two after the end of labor.

If it does not separate within four to five hours, call your veterinarian urgently.
The wet bedding together with the afterbirth must be immediately removed and buried. The newborn needs to be free of mucus from the eyes, mouth and nostrils. If the umbilical cord is not broken, it is carefully cut off with disinfected scissors at a distance of seven to ten centimeters from the abdomen. It is imperative to disinfect the umbilical cord with iodine tincture or with a solution of potassium permanganate. After this, the baby is allowed to lick the mother (this is how she remembers its smell), then it is wiped off with a dry and clean cloth and placed in a warm, dry place.
Special attention should be paid to the absence of family ties between the brood goat and the females it covers.

Otherwise, the risk of degeneration of the breeding nucleus and deterioration in the quality of the offspring increases. To avoid this, it is best to buy females and males from different breeders and, if possible, be interested in the related composition of their herds.