A Good Home for Cows and Goats

1Why cows and goats need a good shelter

• It protects them from rain, cold nights and strong sun.
• It keeps them safe from thieves and wild animals, and stops them wandering into neighbours' crops.
• A clean, dry shelter prevents many diseases.
• Feed, water, dung and urine are kept in one place, so it is easy to feed, milk and treat the animals and to collect manure.

2Characteristics of a good cowshed

1. A good site: on raised, well-drained ground where rainwater does not collect, away from bad smells, and close enough to the house to keep watch.
2. A strong roof that does not leak, with edges that stick out to keep the rain off.
3. Good ventilation: fresh air can move through, but there are no strong cold draughts.
4. A hard floor, often of concrete, that slopes gently so urine and washing water drain away. A hard floor is easy to clean; it should be rough enough that cows do not slip.
5. Enough space so that animals are not crowded. Overcrowding spreads disease.
6. A feed trough and a water trough, raised off the floor and easy to clean.
7. Dry bedding of dry grass, straw or wood shavings, changed often.
8. A manure pit or channel to collect dung and urine for compost or biogas.
9. Separate spaces for calves, for sick animals and, if possible, for milking.

3Characteristics of a good goat house

Goats hate wet ground, and damp floors give them worms and sore feet. So a good goat house has:

• a raised, slatted floor, about half a metre to a metre above the ground, with small gaps so droppings and urine fall through;
• a roof and walls that keep out rain and cold wind but let in fresh air;
• a feeding rack above the floor, because goats will not eat feed that has been soiled with droppings;
• clean water and separate pens for young kids and for the male goat (the buck).

4Zero grazing

In Rwanda, many families have only a small piece of land. So instead of letting cows wander and graze, they keep them in the shed all the time and cut and carry fodder, such as Napier grass, to them. This is called zero grazing. It protects crops, saves land, makes it easy to collect manure, and keeps the cows away from ticks in the grass. The fodder plot should be close to the shed to save work.

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