I come to talk about the ´Menino Vaqueiro´ ( Cowboy Kid) production system at EFA Dom Fragoso, where goat farming is carried out. We are Ana Luiza and Gabriel, students at Escola Família Agrícola Dom Fragoso, located in the Santa Cruz community, Independência-CE.
At school, we learn how to care for goats, which are essential for the production of milk, meat and reproduction. The goats are acquired through donations from our parents/guardians and/or other collaborators, and even through purchases and exchanges.
Goats are versatile and survive better in the semiarid region than cattle and horses. On a daily basis, we students belonging to this system are in charge of extracting milk, which is done manually, at the milking counter. In addition, we are responsible for feeding them, based on forage and feed.
We take the animals out to pasture in the morning, so that they can feed on plants that grow in the soil. We are also responsible for carrying out sanitary management in the pen, which involves cleaning the pens and drinking troughs, so that they live in a habitable place and always have clean water available.
When the little ones are not castrated at the ideal time, a bad smell can arise, which affects not only us, the students, but also the goats, and there is also a risk of contaminating the milk through contact. Castrating goats controls this strong and unpleasant smell, controlled reproduction, reduces aggression, improves the quality of the meat and makes it easier to manage in the breeding environment.
Thus, raising goats, when carried out responsibly and with adequate care, not only contributes to the sustainability of the educational organization, but also teaches essential values such as respect for animal life and environmental preservation, which are fundamental for the development of conscious and efficient agricultural practices in the technical course in agriculture.