Effects of housing system on welfare and milk yield and quality of Girgentana goats

• Main Authors: G. Leto, G. Russo, G. Brecchia, M. Alabiso, A. Bonanno, A. Di Grigoli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2011-03-01
• Series: Italian Journal of Animal Science
• Subjects: Girgentana goats, housing system, welfare, milk.
• Online Access: http://www.aspajournal.it/index.php/ijas/article/view/2146

In the past years, in Sicily, goats of the Girgentana breed have decreased so drastically in number that they risked extinction. Among the causes, particular blame can be laid at the traditional housing system, in which the goats, after coming back from pasture, were tethered in individual wooden stalls. Such a system is still considered necessary by breeders in order to avoid aggressive and harmful behaviour on the part of the animals, due to the presence of their long horns (Giaccone et al., 1994). This belief negatively interferes with the action recently initiated for the recovery and regeneration of the breed (Portolano et al., 2002); in fact, the tie stalls housing, increasing manpower, limits the increase in size in herds of Girgentana goats...