Livestock farms often breed goat breeds to produce dairy and meat products. There are many such breeds. One of them is the Cameroonian goat. This is a dwarf animal, it is grown not only in Cameroon, but also in many European countries, as well as in the CIS countries.
Origin
Animals of this dwarf breed are also called Guinea, grassland gnomes. Some indigenous peoples of African countries call such animals African, Nigerian or forest goats.
The history of the origin of the miniature breed is closely connected with the crossing of two breeds - the Pygmy and the Nigerian. Both of these breeds are mentioned as separate. They are raised in livestock farms to produce meat and milk.
During natural genetic mutations, dwarf goat breeds appeared. But breeders continued to develop various breeds. The result was the breeding of a large number of dwarf breeds. Each of them has individual characteristics.
Hybrid breeds from African countries gradually spread throughout European countries along with sailors who took such goats with them. The Cameroon breed has become popular among many livestock farmers within a short period of time. This popularity is due to the high quality of dairy and meat products. Active cultivation of such goats began at the end of the last century and continues to this day.
In addition to the fact that such artiodactyls were used to obtain meat and dairy products, this dwarf breed is often bought as pets. Cameroon goats can be found even in city apartments and private houses as decorative pets.
Reviews
★★★★★
Oksana, 53 years old, obstetrician. Pskov. One day I accidentally went to an agricultural exhibition and really liked these miniature goats.
I have never regretted buying them; now they serve as real guards of my territory. The animals very quickly got used to me and all family members, but they don’t like strangers, they can rush at my feet and start butting. The cheese made from their fatty but tasty milk turns out excellent. ★★★★★
Ivan, 38 years old, journalist, Krasnodar. I started breeding dwarf goats 5 years ago.
It all started with 2 females and 1 male. Now I have a herd of 25 heads. They don't bring much milk, but it is very rich and tasty. I make goat cheese from it; restaurants in the city readily buy it. Hide
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Interesting facts about Cameroon goats can be found in the following video:
Cameroon goats are popular among farmers due to their charming appearance, friendly disposition, strong immunity and excellent productivity. Breeding and keeping these goats is not only very profitable, but also charges the owner and the whole family with positive energy every day.
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General information about the breed
Animals of the Cameroonian breed are characterized by a wedge-shaped body structure, it becomes larger towards the tail. Such characteristics relate mainly to dairy breeds of artiodactyls. Males and females may have horns that are slightly curved back. But many breeders of such pets prefer to dehorn them at two weeks of age. Hornless animals are becoming increasingly common.
The ears are erect, males and females have a beard, the latter also often have beautiful earrings. The legs are straight, slender, the hooves are most often amber in color. The body height of adult males is about 55 centimeters, and that of females is 45 centimeters. Also, the body weight of animals differs depending on gender.
Goats weigh no more than 45 kilograms, while females weigh an average of 17 kilograms. Newborn cubs weigh only half a kilogram.
The fur of such artiodactyls is of medium length, but some farmers raise this breed in order to obtain wool for further processing. Those animals that are raised in cold regions where low air temperatures prevail have fairly thick and dense wool. Thanks to this cover, they are warm even in severe frosts.
The color of the fur can be very different. There are individuals with white or caramel-colored fur coats; there are also gray, brown and charcoal colors. Purebred representatives of the breed are distinguished by multi-colored spots on their fur.
Females of the Cameroonian breed are distinguished by multiple births. One lambing can bring several cubs at once, there are no more than three. But in rare cases, you can get five newborn babies at once. Baby goats are born strong and independent, so they have a high survival rate.
To support the immune system of newborn babies, it is recommended to immediately feed the kids colostrum. If these are decorative pets, they can be left with their mother, but if the animals are raised for the purpose of producing dairy products, the cubs that are born must be moved to a separate place. Castration of non-purebred males is carried out before they reach three months.
A special nuance in growing the Cameroonian breed of goats is their poor survival rate when kept in a damp climate. Therefore, it is recommended to grow such artiodactyls in compliance with all necessary conditions. This breed is popular because it is easy to care for and is unpretentious in maintenance. Almost any conditions can suit her, except indoor dampness and drafts.
Such animals have a strong immune system, so they are rarely exposed to various infectious diseases, unlike their relatives of other breeds. Also, African artiodactyls are not very vulnerable to attacks by blood-sucking insects.
But breeders need to take into account that Cameroonian goats are vulnerable to various allergens. They can often suffer from the development of an allergic reaction to various herbaceous crops. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce plants into the diet gradually and carefully, closely monitoring the reactions of animals and their condition.
Appearance
The main difference between Cameroonian goats and other breeds is their compact appearance. Due to their miniature size, the animals are often called dwarf, mini or pygmy goats. The height of the animal is 50 cm, and the length of its body is 70 cm. Adult females weigh 10-15 kg, and males - 17-25 kg .
General description:
- barrel-shaped body;
- medium sized head;
- large erect ears;
- small erect ponytail;
- horns carefully curved back, which makes injury virtually impossible;
- small beard.
The body of the animals is covered with coarse short hair. The color is varied. It can be light gray, dark brown, piebald, caramel and jet black, as well as red.
Pros and cons of the breed
The Cameroonian goat breed is considered popular in European and post-Soviet countries, so many breeders have their own opinions regarding the disadvantages and advantages of these artiodactyls.
The undeniable positive qualities of the breed are:
- Since the animals are miniature in size, even adults can be kept in small sheds or pens; they do not require a large area for walking or grazing. This is also required for those people who keep Cameroonian goats as pets in a private house or apartment;
- African artiodactyls are quite unpretentious in their diet. They eat everything that their owner offers them and do not go overboard with food. In the absence of food, they even eat fallen leaves, thorny bushes or subshrubs;
- Cameroonian goats adapt to different climate conditions, so this breed can be kept in regions with different temperature conditions, in which temperature indicators go up or down;
- A positive quality for many livestock breeders is that the females of the Cameroonian breed are prolific, and this has a good effect on increasing the number of livestock farms. Also, such females are distinguished by their ability to reproduce throughout the year, and not just once a year, like females of other breeds or non-breeding females;
- such pets are characterized by a long life, they have developed natural resistant body functions, they rarely become vulnerable to the development of infectious diseases;
- Externally, representatives of this breed are attractive and friendly towards people and other pets. If they are kept as pets, the owners even train these animals and teach them to carry out various commands.
Cameroonian goats also have certain disadvantages, which manifest themselves in:
- increased fearfulness of animals, in which case they need increased attention from their owners;
- Representatives of this breed can even become depressed if they are alone too often. Therefore, it is recommended to keep animals in pairs or in a herd.
Choice
To obtain milk, it is better to choose a goat that has had at least one lamb. In such an animal, the nipples are already developed enough to create a minimum of inconvenience during milking.
On a note! Cameroonians also differ from Pygmy ones in the size of their nipples.
Pygmies have very small nipples and are poorly suited for milking. Cameroonians have much larger nipples and udders.
The methods for choosing the right Cameroon goat are the same as when choosing large dairy breeds:
- correct exterior;
- udder without defects and regular shape;
- checking milk yield before purchasing;
- no extra nipples.
For Cameroonians, having only two main nipples is a very important factor. For a large goat, this issue can be neglected, but since you literally have to milk a Cameroon goat with three fingers, the extra teats will be a big nuisance.
Young Cameroonians are milked using the thumb, index and middle fingers. After the second lambing, queens can be milked with a “fist”, but in this case the index finger is excluded from the process.
The video shows that Cameroonian has quite large nipples. But the “tame since childhood” thing is a marketing ploy.
Important! It is better not to eat the milk for the first 2 weeks, giving it to the kid. If the kid is left under the uterus, at first the remains will have to be milked
During the first 2 weeks, the uterus produces colostrum, even when it is no longer distinguishable from milk in color. But the taste is no good. After 2 weeks the milk becomes sweet
If the kid is left under the uterus, the remains will have to be milked at first. During the first 2 weeks, the uterus produces colostrum, even when it is no longer distinguishable from milk in color. But the taste is no good. After 2 weeks the milk becomes sweet.
Number of products
A healthy female Cameroon breed produces up to two liters of milk per day. But some breeders can get milk yields of up to three liters per day if milking is carried out three times a day. Goat milk is considered a raw material for production; most often it is used to make cheese. This product does not contain any extraneous aromas that negatively affect the taste.
The chemical composition of the milk of goats of this breed is characterized by increased fat content. They exceed similar indicators of their relatives, as well as representatives of other cattle. The fat content of Cameroon goat milk is about 6. Dairy products also contain substances such as potassium, phosphorus, and iron. Milk does not sour when stored in the refrigerator for ten days.
Feeding kids
The kids are born small, but after a few hours they become quite active and begin to suckle milk.
During the first month of life, pygmy goat kids need to be fed at least 4 times a day. The first feeding is at 6.00. Frequency – 5 hours. Mother's milk should be the food these days. At the same time, experienced breeders recommend immediately separating the kid from the goat and feeding it from a bottle. An exception can be made only if goats are bred for decorative purposes - then the kid can be left with the mother.
Two weeks after birth, it is recommended to introduce boiled oatmeal and about 5 g of salt into the baby’s diet. Subsequently, at intervals of 10 days, the menu is enriched with bran, crushed root vegetables, chopped hay and concentrated feed.
An approximate diet for the first three months might look like this (based on one kid):
- the first 10 days - colostrum (it should be warm);
- from 10 to 20 days - hay, salt and boiled oatmeal;
- from 20 to 30 days - bran, crushed oats, cake, chalk (about 10 g), boiled oatmeal;
- from 30 to 40 days - 1.2 liters of milk, bran and crushed root vegetables, hay and concentrates (50 g each);
- from 40 to 50 days – 0.6 liters of milk, 50 g of hay and bran, 75 g of concentrates;
- 50-60 days – 0.5 liters of milk, bran (50 g), crushed root vegetables (75 g), concentrates (125 g), hay (150 g);
- 60-70 days – 0.2 l of milk, bran (50 g), crushed root vegetables (100 g), hay (150 g) and concentrates (175 g);
- 70-80 days - bran and root vegetables in the same quantities as in the previous period, as well as 250 g of hay and concentrates.
Then, the young animals are also gradually transferred to adult food.
Conditions of detention
The breed of dwarf animals is considered unpretentious to the conditions of detention, so they can be kept together with relatives of other breeds. In addition, they are friendly and never show aggression. But it is recommended to equip such an animal with a room in which there will be various elevations, slides, and hills.
The requirements for the goat's rue are:
- the room should always be warm and dry, regardless of the time of year and the temperature outside;
- recommended temperatures are from 18 to 20 degrees above zero;
- Clean drinking water must always be present in the goat's rue; animals must be provided with access to it.
Important! During hot summer months, it is recommended to give goats chilled water. But in the cold winter, the liquid needs to be warmed up a little.
You can keep such animals in a regular barn. But it is recommended to insulate it using any available means - drywall, OSB, polystyrene foam, roofing felt. This is important in cold winter conditions. It is not necessary to install a heating system in such a room, since if there are several animals in it, they can heat it naturally. But when equipping such a building, you need to make a walking area, stalls, equipped with beds for each individual.
In summer, animals can be walked on pastures. But at the same time, due to the characteristics of the breed, it is necessary to take into account that they are active and mobile, they can jump over various embankments.
Proper care of their hooves is considered a condition for proper care of such pets. They must be systematically pruned with obligatory disinfection treatment.
It is recommended to create a diet for your pets that contains not only green vegetation, but also feed or grain, fresh fruits and vegetables. Many livestock breeders purchase special granular formulations for artiodactyls.
In the summer, the basis of the menu should be green vegetation - young branches, grass, leaves. To improve the amount of milk, it is recommended to create the following daily diet for one adult:
- green grass, hay or straw (depending on the time of year);
- compound feed;
- fresh fruits and vegetables;
- silage;
- branches.
Experienced livestock breeders for raising Cameroonian artiodactyls prepare in advance maple, birch or oak branches, and various types of shrubs.
Important! The ideal addition would be salt and chalk. They are located in close proximity to drinking bowls so that the animal has access to them at any time of the day. This is a source of substances beneficial to the body.
Animal diet
The menu of this breed should be balanced and varied . Be sure to include products such as:
- fresh grass in summer and hay in winter;
- vegetables: cabbage, carrots, beets;
- grain crops;
- apples;
- boiled potatoes mixed with feed;
- fresh Jerusalem artichoke;
- corn;
- chopped oats.
For good digestion, it is necessary to give animals at least a small handful of whole grains daily.
Provide animals with constant access to water. In the summer, drinking bowls with fresh and clean water must be installed on the pasture. And in winter, the water in the drinking bowls should also be warm.
Do not overfeed Cameroonian cats, as they love to eat, but this does not have the best effect on their health. Overeating leads to poor health, lethargy, passivity, and problems with bearing offspring. As mentioned earlier, their diet should contain less protein food, since it negatively affects the health of such goats.
Breeding Features
Females of the Cameroon breed are fertile. Therefore, it must be taken into account that the number of livestock will increase in a fairly short period of time. Adult females are capable of giving birth to cubs twice a season. Livestock breeders need to remember that it is not recommended to breed females and males from the same litter. Otherwise, this is fraught with poor heredity and weak immunity in their cubs.
Females reach sexual maturity at 4 months, and males become sexually mature at 7 months. But it is not recommended to mate animals until they are one year old. This will reduce the risk of developing various types of complications during labor in females.
Mating of animals of this breed occurs in various ways:
- carrying out artificial insemination. This procedure is carried out only by an experienced veterinarian. Using this method, the breeder manages to preserve all the features and advantages of purebred individuals;
- manual insemination. This method involves the participation of a veterinarian in the selection of individuals for mating. In this case, you will need a separate site;
- free mating.
It is important to take into account that free mating is possible only when all the animals kept on the farm are purebred representatives of the breed. Often breeders use the manual mating method. In this case, it is possible to control the number of individuals on the farm and know the timing of birth in females.
Females of the Cameroonian breed bear offspring for five months. Often the process of giving birth to babies occurs without complications and quickly. But livestock breeders need to monitor the birth process in order to eliminate the risk of any complications and troubles, and to help the woman in labor and the newborn baby in a timely manner.
Within a few hours after birth, the cubs frolic, behave actively, gallop, jump, and climb to heights in the goat's rue. To maintain the immune system of newborn goats, they need to be given colostrum immediately after birth.
During the first week, babies need to be given milk, then gradually add fresh vegetation to the diet. Young animals should be given lick salt; with its help, the development of white muscle disease can be prevented. For the first month, goat kids can add mixed feed, vegetables, grains, and fruits to their diet.
Fertility of Cameroonian goats
Goats are characterized by multiple births. Their pregnancy lasts 5 months, and from 1 to 4 kids are born at a time. Some farmers claim that females can bear offspring up to 2 times a year.
At birth, babies weigh only 300-350 grams, but are well developed physically. After a few hours, the kids are already running, jumping and eating on their own. They reach sexual maturity at the age of 7 months. However, it is advisable to prepare them for mating later, at 12-14 months.
At one time, a Cameroonian goat can give birth to up to 4 kids.
To prevent accidental mating, immediately after weaning from their mother, young kids and female goats are placed in different pens. The lifespan of Cameroonian goats is about 20 years.
What do breeders say about this breed?
Most breeders who raise Cameroonian goats note the many advantages of this breed. They are beautiful in appearance, their milk is delicious. Within a short period of time, the number of livestock can be increased.
Farmers also note the strong immune system of Cameroonians; they are rarely exposed to the development of any diseases. They behave actively, get along with their relatives, with other pets, with people. They quickly adapt to new conditions and are affectionate. This is a good option for beginning livestock breeders, as they are unpretentious to living conditions. They love communication with people, their character is affectionate and calm.
The disadvantage of this breed is its excessive need for attention from the owner. Such a pet will suffer from a lack of communication, so it is not recommended to keep it alone.
If such animals are raised on a farm, it is necessary to have several goats at once. And if they are kept as a pet in an apartment or private house, you need to provide attention, communication and constantly play with the animal. This goat will get along well with other pets.
Kamori
The birthplace of the breed is Pakistan. They are unpretentious in nutrition, tolerate heat well, and produce tasty milk. They have an amazing color, reminiscent of Arabic script. These goats have pronounced sexual dimorphism, the goat is 1.5-2 times larger than the goats. The height at the withers of goats reaches 100 cm, and that of male goats up to 120-130 cm. The length of the ears can reach 45 cm.
For one lambing, a goat gives birth to 2-3 kids. The meat of fattened goats is considered dietary, lean and helps with anemia. These animals have good immunity and high resistance to diseases. The milk is hypoallergenic and suitable for cheese making. Milk yield is from 1.5 to 6 liters per day. The character is calm and friendly.
Goat Kamori. Farm "Tender Wind"
Where can I buy? Price
So far, in our country it is quite difficult to purchase purebred Cameroonian dwarf goats, since they are not bred en masse. However, you can still buy them, for example, in small private farms or zoos.
- Breeder Alena Evstigneeva from the Central district of Krasnodar offers purebred goats and goats, with all documents. Each kid is included in the Animal planet registry.
- The private farm "Sunny Day" , located in the Vyborg district of the Leningrad region, offers African Cameroonian dwarf goats and goats, as well as young animals, to everyone at low prices. All documentation is available for each animal.
- The farm "Zoofarma" , which is located in the Prikubansky district of the city of Krasnodar, offers purebred Cameroonian goats of different ages and sexes. There are all the documents, it is possible to deliver to another city using your own transport for an additional fee.
The cost of a Cameroonian breeding goat can reach 35-40 thousand rubles. Goats will cost less, depending on age, number of lambings, and the presence of pregnancy; you can buy a female for 20-30 thousand.
It is customary to sell kids at a price of 10 thousand rubles, this is quite acceptable.
