1Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales y de la Salud, Universidad Cardenal Herrera CEU. Moncada, Valencia, Spain
2Departamento de Ingeniería Electrónica, E.T.S.E. Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
*Corresponding author: Email: cjfernandez@uch.ceu.es
Self organizing maps (SOM) were used to analyze data from ninety four herds. Data were obtained from surveys and management practices were evaluated. The 18% of farms were dairy goat farms with milking machines, with a herd size of 100 to 200 goats and most of these bought compound feed. 12% has the same characteristics but farmers prepared their own diet. 16% were similar to previous prototypes, but farmers in addition to dairy goat production kept sheep as well. 23% of dairy goat farms practised hand milking. 14% of dairy goat farms had larger herd size (200–400) and fed goats with total mixed rations. Remaining 17% were sheep farms dedicated to lamb production for meat purposes. Such information can be used for better utilization of available resources in a particular area.
Goat herd, food management, SOM
