Graduate Student Literature Review: Current recommendations and scientific knowledge on dairy goat kid rearing practices in intensive production systems in Canada, the United States, and France

Abstract

Dairy goat kid rearing is the foundation of future milk production, yet little is known on this topic. References available to producers are limited, making it more difficult for dairy goat farms to reach their full production potential. This review paper aimed to identify the current recommendations on dairy goat kid rearing practices for intensive production systems and to assess whether the different recommendations were based on scientific literature. Recommendations on dairy goat kid rearing practices, from birth to weaning inclusively, were presented and compared between countries under similar intensive production systems, including Canada, the United States, and France. The different areas of rearing investigated included kidding management, colostrum management, liquid and solid feeding, health management, disbudding, housing, weaning, and growth monitoring. Gaps in the literature were identified in all areas except for disbudding. More research on the topic of goat kid raising practices would be beneficial to refine and validate current recommendations.