Milk goat inventory in Iowa as of January 1, 2024, was 24,000 head, 11 percent below January 2023, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Sheep and Goats report. Total meat and other goat inventory was 45,000 head, 10 percent below the previous year.
Continue reading “Iowa Milk Goat Numbers Down 11 Percent From 2023”
The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Dairy Team will host its annual Dairy Goat Management Seminar on Saturday, Dec. 9 at the Dordt College Agriculture Stewardship Center, 700 7th St. NE, Sioux Center. The event will begin with registration at 9 a.m. and the program runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
This year’s focus is on milk quality and functional type animals.
Continue reading “Annual Dairy Goat Management Seminar Dec. 9 near Sioux Center”
Program will inform dairy goat producers about current milk quality and management
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Dairy Team will host its annual Dairy Goat Management Seminar on Saturday, Dec. 9 at the Dordt College Agriculture Stewardship Center, 700 7th St. NE, Sioux Center. The event will begin with registration at 9 a.m. and the program runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
This year’s focus is on milk quality and functional type animals.
Continue reading “Annual Dairy Goat Management Seminar Dec. 9 near Sioux Center”
Dairy goat webinar continues with a look at disbudding management
The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy team will continue its quarterly dairy goat webinar focusing on “Disbudding Management” June 2, 2021, from noon to 1:15 p.m.
Over the last several years, the Iowa State University Dairy Goat Welfare team has performed a series of kid disbudding project to evaluate alternate approaches to traditional heat disbudding and pain mitigation approaches.
Continue reading “Evidence-based Approaches to Dairy Goat Kid Disbudding”
This first webinar will focus on managing and feeding the transition doe as dairy goat producers head into the freshening season. This webinar will provide strategies for improving herd health, feeding and overall management of the transitioning doe to optimize milk production, reduce metabolic disease and produce healthy kids.
Veterinarian Vicky Lauer will give a presentation on pre and post fresh doe management, covering herd health concerns around the time of kidding. Lauer is a professional services veterinarian for Armor Animal Health, where she focuses on improving cattle and goat health through optimum management and prevention strategies. She works with multiple goat dairies and kid raisers throughout Wisconsin and has a small herd of registered Nubian dairy goats as well.
Morgan Allen will discuss feeding and managing the transition doe, bridging nutrition from dry/pregnant to milking/not pregnant. Allen is a nutritionist with Big Gain Inc., where she focuses on dairy cattle and dairy goat nutrition. She also owns a small commercial dairy goat farm located in southeast Minnesota.
There is no fee to attend the program; however, registration is required.
This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agricultural and Food Research Initiative Competitive Program, Antimicrobial Resistance number: 2020-04197.
Register by Jan. 5 at https://iastate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJArc-iprTMrHdY3MPEMW5ut7pFXCcUfeaic, or contact Jennifer Bentley, dairy specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, at jbentley@iastate.edu, 563-382-2949.
Registrants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Information will also be provided about future webinars, as dates and topics are announced.
Iowa currently ranks third in total milk goats, with the inventory up three percent from January 2018 standing at 32,000 dairy goats and 217 licensed dairies.
The Iowa State University Extension Dairy Team has recently completed a survey of the licensed goat dairies in Iowa and is processing the data. However, to start the conversations with dairy goat producers, the dairy team held its first program with concurrent programs in Orange City and Elkader on December 14.
Continue reading “Dairy Goat Producers Rally To New Program”
The Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach Dairy Team will host “Fine-Tuning Your Dairy Goat Management” as a part of their annual Dairy Directions program on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the ISU Extension and Outreach office in Orange City and the Keystone AEA in Elkader.
Continue reading “Dairy Goat Management program to be held Dec. 14 in Orange City and Elkader”
Milk goat inventory in Iowa as of January 1, 2018 was 31,000 head, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Sheep and Goats report. Iowa ranked third in total milk goats. The inventory was up 2 percent from January 2017. Total meat and other goat inventory was 35,000 head, an increase of 9 percent from the previous year.
Continue reading “Iowa Milk Goat Numbers Up 2 Percent From Jan ’17”