Slated wooden floor of a goat house is raised on four beams, a, b, c and d as shown in the illustration above. the weight of the floor plus the build-up above it is a total mass of six (6) tons. the structure holds 80 goats with an average mass of 25 kg per animal. the uniformly distributed load (u.d.l.) in n/m to the nearest whole number acting on:
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Answer:
Sheep and goats are important sources of milk and meat. Both readily adapt to a wide range of climates and available feed supplies. They also have similar housing requirements and will therefore be treated together.
Management Systems
Depending primarily on the availability and use of land, three systems of production are practiced:
1 Subsistance, in which a few animals are tethered during the day and put into a protective shelter at night.
2 Extensive, in which the flock/herd grazes over large areas of marginal land unsuited to agriculture. The flock is usually shut into a yard at night. Both these systems are practiced extensively in East Africa.
3 Intensive, in which the animals are confined to yards and shelters and feed is brought to the flock. This system offers the greatest protection for the flock from both predators and parasites. Although it may make the best use of limited land resources, this system also increase labour and the capital investment required for facilities.
Housing
Housing in tropical and semi-tropical regions should be kept to a minimum except for the more intensive systems of production. In the arid tropics no protection other than natural shade is required. In humid climates a simple thatched shelter will provide shade and protection from excessive rain. Sheep and goats do not tolerate mud well; therefore yards and shelters should be built only on well drained ground.
Figure 10.54 shows a sheep/goat house for 100 animals. Unless predators are a serious problem, gum poles can be substituted for the brick walls. If thatching is difficult to obtain, a lower pitch roof of galvanized steel is feasible, but some insulation under the roof is desirable.
Where housing facilities are provided, it will be necessary to have in addition to water, feed troughs and permanent partitions, provision for temporary panels to help divide and handle the flock when necessary to carry on such operations as disease treatment, docking, shearing, milking and lambing.
In temperate climates and at high altitudes a more substantial structure may be needed. An open-front building facing north provides wind protection and a maximum of sunshine. A rammed earth floor with a slope of 1:50 toward the open front is recommended. A concrete apron sloped 1:25 and extending from 1.2m inside to 2.4m outside will help maintain clean conditions in the barn.