Teagasc National Goat Conference

The Teagasc National Goat Conference will take place on Wednesday April 20th in the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise.  This is the first of its kind since 2007 and is a rare and unrivalled opportunity to attend a dedicated Irish goat conference with an impressive array of speakers from Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands covering topics such as goat health and nutrition, kid rearing and the goat industry both in Ireland and abroad.

 

The start time is 10.30am and the line up is as follows:

 

First session (Health):

John Matthews (Goat Veterinary Society) - Goat Health & Diseases;

Gert van Trierum (Denkamilk) - Kid Rearing & Health;

Theo de Waal (UCD) - Parasites of Irish Goats & Survey Results. 

 

Second session (Nutrition & Husbandry):

Anne-Riet Boerenkamp (InsoGoat) - Goat Nutrition & Husbandry.

 

Third session (Industry & Products):

Roger Sutton (Delamere Dairies) - One of the two major UK goat milk processors;

Elizabeth Bradley (Carlow Farmhouse Cheese) - Artisan Cheese Production in Ireland;

Larry Maguire (Galway Goat Farm) - Setting Up a Small Cheese Business: Experiences & Challenges. 

 

The course must be prebooked and the fee for the day is €35 which includes dinner and tea or coffee.  Full details and booking is available here.

Feeding Goats in Late Pregnancy

The latter stages of pregnancy are often considered the non-productive part of the milk production system. However, correct goat nutrition in the last few weeks of pregnancy is vitally important to ensure doe and kid health and maintain performance.

Extra Nutrition is required to; 

• support foetal growth,
• support mammary tissue development,
• prevent pregnancy toxaemia (ketosis) and milk fever,
• ensure the birth of strong, healthy, kids of moderate birth weight.

The full technical note is available for download here and covers:

• Body Condition Score;
• Energy;
• Protein;
• Forage;
• Concentrates.