Contents
In Our Country, goats have been bred since ancient times. And not only in villages, but also in small towns. These unpretentious animals provided milk, meat, down, skins. Goats were especially valued for their delicious, nutritious, hypoallergenic milk. This product is similar in properties to human milk. How many kids have grown strong and healthy on it! Useful goat’s milk and people of advanced age. Remember Robinson Crusoe: it was the goats of an unknown breed that helped him survive in a difficult situation.
Unfortunately, in ordinary families, thoroughbred goats were not dreamed of. And local animals were not highly productive. Today, in many farmsteads, the Gorky breed of goats is increasingly finding a permanent place of residence. It meets the requirements of goat breeders who want to get as much goat milk as possible. It diverges quickly, because the quality is better than cow’s.
History of the breed
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a new breed was bred. They crossed local goats ( goats) with Swiss (Saanen breed). The Swiss were brought to the Nizhny Novgorod (later Gorky region) province. The blood of foreigners had a beneficial effect on new generations, a new breed of goats appeared, which was called Gorky.
By the middle of the XNUMXth century, goats improved their quality and productivity through selection. Gorky goats are dairy breeds.
Description
Animals are mobile. They react to the slightest changes in the environment. There are also common interesting features.
Gorky goats are sociable, there are practically no fights between them. There is a special attitude towards the person who cares for them – they take him for the leader and follow him without hesitation.
When buying a goat of Gorky selection, you need to consider the description of the breed (see photo):
- The coat of animals is smooth, not too long, pure white, although small gray tan marks are allowed. Pure gray goats are rare.
- Gorky goat with a thin and light head, thin and transparent ears, with a high neck. Most often, goats are polled, goats are horned.
- Gorky breeders managed to achieve a special constitution: in a thoroughbred goat it is strong, at the withers up to 62 cm, at the sacrum up to 67.
- The chest should be wide and deep in girth up to 77 cm, and the back should be straight.
- The hooves are small, neat. Legs thin but strong
- The large belly should not sag.
- The Gorky breed is distinguished by a voluminous well-developed udder. The hairline is small and soft. Milk veins should pass to the belly, forming the so-called milk wells.
Productivity
Goats of this breed are very prolific. The birth of one goat in representatives of the breed is a rare occurrence. Most often, 2 or 3 kids are born. There are also champions who, after lambing, gave the owners four or even five lovely kids. According to statistics, hundreds of Gorky goats have more than 210 babies, as cheerful and mobile as in the photo.
Lactation usually lasts 10 months. From one individual, you can get up to half a ton of tasty and healthy milk with a fat content of 4,5 to 5,2%. Cheeses, cheese, butter and other dairy delights are made from it.
Some goats with increased productivity give up to 1 ton. The only drawback of the Gorky breed is that six months after the birth of the kids, the amount of tasty products is reduced.
No less tasty goat meat. The live weight of a goat with good care is from 43 to 50 kg, the goat weighs more – up to 65 kg. There are among the Gorky goats and champions – up to 75 kilograms.
But Gorky goats cannot boast of fluff. The coat is of medium length, and the down is insignificant, it is less than 10%. But goat skins are valuable: fur coats are sewn from them. Dressed goats are used to make high-quality leather shoes, exquisite bindings for expensive books and other masterpieces.
Features of home care
The Gorky goat is an unpretentious animal. It perfectly adapts to the harsh climate: it tolerates frost, heat, snow and rain. Today, she has firmly occupied the farmsteads of many districts of the Nizhny Novgorod (formerly Gorky) region. Ivanovo, Vladimir regions, the Middle Volga region, Chuvashia, Tatarstan are also not far behind, here too goats are held in high esteem.
Feeding
In the summer, goats of the Gorky breed are transferred to pasture. Even a small herbage is available for feeding. Any weeds, nettles are used. When breeding these domestic animals, it must be remembered that staying in one place of the pasture is unacceptable for them by nature.
In winter, it is necessary to give hay, brooms of deciduous and coniferous trees. Juicy food is well eaten by goats, so you need to grow potatoes, carrots, beets, pumpkins and other vegetables. Goats do not disdain flour mixers, in which food waste from the table can be added. At any time of the year, animals should have clean water. In winter, you can’t drink cold water, it needs to be slightly warmed up.
Arrangement of premises
In winter, animals are driven into a room called a goat’s house. It is sure to arrange shelves with bridges. Since the wild ancestors of the entire goat population are mountain climbers, it is also necessary to arrange elevations in the courtyard so that the Gorky goats can train.
No stoves are required in the goat house, the animals will warm the room with their breath. But drafts are unacceptable: the descendants of the Annensky breed get sick. You need to monitor the humidity of the air and its purity. The goat’s rue needs to be ventilated daily in winter.
Video about the features of care in the winter:
Hygiene
The paddock and goat house should be clean and dry. Look at the photo: straw bedding is a great option for a goat from the Gorky breed. Otherwise, dirt and dampness will adversely affect the wool. Dirty fur can harbor lice and bedbugs. Even if there are no pests, the treatment of animals of Gorky breeding is carried out for preventive purposes with special preparations.
Goat pests are not only on the skin, but also inside the body – these are helminths. Animals are soldered with drugs recommended by the veterinarian.
Conclusion
Today, more and more villagers prefer to breed goats of the Gorky breed. With proper care, pet owners provide themselves and their families with tender meat, nutritious milk. They can replenish the herd in a timely manner, getting strong and healthy kids at minimal cost. And how much pleasure the little Gorky goats bring to children: they arrange real circus performances!