Goat toys no game for meat industry growth
Goats living in feedlot pens at the University of Queensland's Gatton College are being given "toys" to help them beat stress and boredom - and to stop them beating up each other.
Successful feedlotting is vital to the growth of an industry already worth $20 million a year to Australia, which, with 10,000 tons of meat annually shipped to mainly Asia and Europe, is the biggest exporter in the world.
It doesn't take a goat long to become bored locked in the 6m by 13m feedlot pens, resulting in fights, destructive behaviour, depression and, importantly for a viable industry, slow growth.
Mark Flint, a PhD student at Gatton College, has spent the last two years on a study into the behavioural and physiological requirements of successfully feedlotting goats, supervised by Dr Peter Murray, a lecturer at the University's School of Veterinary Science and Animal Production.
Taking the lead from the pork industry and from zoos, Mr Flint and Dr Murray have added toys, in the shape of old tyres, planks and plastic pipes hung from wire, to some of the feedlots at the College.
"We realised goats are a lot more inquisitive than sheep, so while you can feedlot sheep and they will probably sit there and amuse themselves, goats get bored and aggressive and start to exhibit destructive behaviour," Mr Flint says.
Initial indications are that the goats with something to occupy their minds are growing more quickly in comparison to those who have nothing in their enclosures.
Besides keeping the goats occupied, other crucial factors in the feedlot research are the development of the most productive and economical animal and finding the ideal size for pens and the number of animals each should contain.
As well as the feedlot project, research is also being carried out at Gatton College and by the West Australian Department of Agriculture aimed at producing an animal which has the hardiness and adaptability of a feral goat, but with more meat.
This is being achieved by importing the Boer, the world's premier meat goat, originally from South Africa, and crossing it with ferals, as well as with breeds such as Angora, Saanen and Cashmere.
For further information, contact Dr Murray
07 5460-1256 (work).
