Barns designed for happy goats are better for the environment too

Goats are inquisitive creatures and skilled in seeking out twigs, leaves and grass. They play with anything they come across and are exceptionally good climbers. These behaviours are appropriate for a mountainous environment, rocky terrain and food that can be difficult to reach. The urge to behave in this way is still present in Dutch dairy goats, even though they have for many generations been kept in conditions different to those of wild goats. ‘Farmers certainly try to accommodate goats’ natural behaviour in today’s barns,’ says Daniel Puente Rodríguez, a sociologist in the Animal Farming Systems department at Wageningen Livestock Research. ‘However, the question is whether this is really possible given the design of goat barns.’

Society at large is also concerned about other issues relating to livestock farming, as are the farmers themselves. Tighter restrictions are being placed on emissions of greenhouse gases and nitrogen, with each agricultural sector having to play its part. That includes goat farmers. ‘Goat manure stays in the barn for a long time. And even when it is removed, it’s stored in the farmyard where the emissions continue.’ 

Goat manure was never a major problem in the past as goats played a marginal role in Dutch agriculture. But goat farming as a sector started to grow substantially in the 1980s. ‘Since the 1980s, consumers have wanted a more diverse choice of food and they have had more money to spend,’ explains Puente. ‘On top of that, cow’s milk was subject to a quota for thirty years so new farmers often went for goats instead.’ The goat population now is almost 800,000, making goat farming a medium-sized sector after chickens, pigs, cows and sheep. The barn design has however stayed the same, which is another reason to review the setup for goat barns.

Goat farmers have been using the same kind of barn for centuries, with what is known as the deep-litter system. In this system, the floor is covered in straw. Puente: ‘Farmers and the general public have positive views on keeping animals on straw — a romantic image.’ Straw makes the barn less monotonous, providing slight height differences and opportunities for play. But it also has disadvantages. First, it is becoming increasingly expensive because arable farmers also use it to improve the soil. Furthermore, Puente has doubts whether straw is the best kind of surface from the point of view of the goats’ welfare given that goats naturally enjoy walking on rocky terrain.

Goat farmers have been using the same kind of barn for centuries, with what is known as the deep-litter system. In this system, the floor is covered in straw. Puente: ‘Farmers and the general public have positive views on keeping animals on straw — a romantic image.’ Straw makes the barn less monotonous, providing slight height differences and opportunities for play. But it also has disadvantages. First, it is becoming increasingly expensive because arable farmers also use it to improve the soil. Furthermore, Puente has doubts whether straw is the best kind of surface from the point of view of the goats’ welfare given that goats naturally enjoy walking on rocky terrain. 

There is another problem with this surface, though. The farmer adds more straw every day to cover up the manure and avoid having the goats stand in it. The barn therefore fills up gradually with more and more straw until the farmer decides to empty it. A thick layer of manure and straw is the ideal place for the formation of the nitrogen compound ammonia and the greenhouse gas methane. Ammonia is released from urine in the top layer of straw, under the influence of oxygen. There is no oxygen deeper down and that lets bacteria convert the organic material into methane. Puente: ‘These gases are continually being released in deep-litter barns, and the same biochemical processes simply continue when the straw is taken outside.’

The ideal goat barn would be one that benefits goats, the environment and the farmer. But that doesn’t mean every barn should have exactly the same design. Which is why the researchers came up with three designs as an inspiration for policymakers and farmers. One is the River Valley Barn, a concept based on what would be a natural environment for goats: a river valley with rocky slopes and some trees and bushes. The manure is removed immediately, with the faeces separated from the urine. ‘That makes a huge difference to emissions. Based on the scientific literature, we estimate methane emissions would be 85 per cent less than with the old deep-litter barns.’ Puente says it is harder to estimate the effect of the new system on ammonia emissions as this has not been studied to date. 

There has just been a small pilot project looking at the plateaus. ‘The goats really like them.’ Puente hopes they will soon be able to test the three new designs in their entirety. His ultimate aim is to persuade the whole sector to make the switch by showing them the hard data — and happy goats.