When you look at the global statistics of poverty, it can get you worrying about what will happen tomorrow, but because you are wise, you have thought of goat farming to escape the predictions of poverty statistics.
Wow, being a beginner is challenging. It requires you to look at what your purpose is, goal, location and enough knowledge to carry on the project.
This guide is the right starting point for you and all others who will begin after you successfully in the goat farming business. (I believe you will share this article with them when they approach you for consultation)
Benefits of goat farming:
· Goat farming is a stable income and a source of employment to many poor people in the villages. Most of them rear the indigenous breeds because they are easy to maintain. The rise of Muchomo (goat Barbeque) business in the towns has contributed greatly to the high demand of goat’s meat on the market. This has helped the business of goat farming to increase in its profitability.
· Unlike other livestock farming, goat raising doesn’t require massive investment. You don’t have to invest intensively in labor.
· Goats multiply very fast by breeding which eliminates the need to buy goats in the future.
· When it comes to feeding, goats are very flexible because they can eat almost all kinds of grass including weeds.
· Goats also help in natural weeding. Goats tend to eat the shrubby plants that can’t be easily cut with a mower. As a result, the land acquires a clean, natural appearance after it has been grazed down by goats. More so, the goats’ droppings fertilize the land in which they are feeding which enables the field to flourish organically. If at all the fertilizer is collected, the farmer can earn extra income from those customers interested in organic farming.
· The maintenance costs for a goat farm are less and therefore manageable.
What is the primary product that you plan to produce at your goat farm?
When starting a goat farm, the primary product you plan to produce at your farm is the major guiding factor on how you will raise up your goats and set up your farm as well.
Some of the primary products you can choose from are as follows;
· Keeping goats for meat
· Keeping Dairy Goats
· Keeping goats for stock
· Keeping Goats as Pets
· Keeping goats for skin
· Keeping goats for fiber
· Keeping goats for manure
Keeping goats for meat
With the growing number of Muchomo businesses in the world’s major cities, the demand for goat’s meat has greatly increased which is a reliable promise of hope among the unemployed youth.
If you plan on producing goat meat, the best and most common breed to raise is the Boer goat. This breed has a large frame and it’s highly muscular making it ideal for meat breeds. Spanish, Kiko, Black Bengal, Beetal etc. are other breeds that are known to be highly producing meat goat breeds.
More information about raising meat goats can be got by checking out Penn State’s article about Meat Goat Production or Mississippi State’s article Meat Goat Management. All these resources will help you in making a well informed decision about goat meat farming for profit.
Keeping Dairy Goats
If your goal is commercial goat-milk production, the world’s most famous dairy goat breeds that you can chose from are the following; Alpine, Jamunapari, LaMancha, Nubian and Saanen goats. All these dairy goat breeds produce milk highly, although the quality and quantity of milk will always differ between breeds.
Goats can produce about 90 quarts of milk each month and usually lactate about 10 months out of the year. The milk got can be used to make other products like cheese which can earn you
For more information about managing dairy goats, check out this article about Dairy Goat Production from Penn State. The American Dairy Goat Association has resources for dairy goat breeders.
Keeping Breeding Stock
Breeding stocks can be of any type. That is, dairy or meat stock. However, to start this type of business, you will need to look out for pure breeds from trusted breeders with a good reputation and fully certified by the national standards body in your area.
It is also advisable to stock the most popular breeds with a high quality regardless of their high cost. These are more likely to be bought by customers much quicker. This will save you from over spending on animals which are due for selling yet they are still on the farm longer than planned.
Good quality breeds are known to be very productive with less health issues, this will save you money in the long run as well.
For more information about stock breeds, check out Oklahoma State’s Breeds of Goats guide or check out this post from Morning Chores- 18 Best Goat Breeds for Milk and Meat Production.
Keeping Goats as Pets
You should be very cautious if you are planning to keep goats solely as pets. This is because domesticated goats are not necessarily tamed. This means that they can cause danger to you and your family members when they are playing especially bucks. Bucks can be bad about headbutting and don’t care if they headbutt an adult or a child. This can be dangerous, especially if they have horns.
Goats are
naturally very curious. They relentlessly explore their environment with their
lips and will put anything into their mouths to check it out. Shirt buttons,
wire, metal, your hair and small fingers are all free game to stick in their
mouths.
They also love to climb. They will climb on anything like sheds, hay bales, fences and even cars if they get the chance.
Putting all the above cautions at the back of your mind, if you’re really interested in having a goat as a pet, you can look for most popular goat breeds to keep and these are as follows; the Nigerian Dwarf, the Pygmy goats and the Australian miniature Goats. All of these goat breeds are small in stature and easy to maintain for hobby keepers.
Housing Goats
In your goat farming business plan, the type of housing that you plan to set up is determined by the kind of goats that you want to raise. This is because, in a goat farming business, a good house that is well equipped with all the required facilities available, directly influences the overall production and health of your goats. Therefore a suitable house will greatly contribute to the profitability of your goat farming business.
A 16 square feet of housing area is required for each adult goat as well as a separate room for a doe who has just kidded (given birth to kids). Here, the kids must be kept in a dry and clean area until they reach 14 weeks of age.
You should also have a small stall or enclosed space where you could keep a sick goat or a nanny that’s about to give birth.
The housing structures must provide a shade from the sun, must be able to keep out the snow (that’s if you leave in those countries that experience seasons of snow), must be able to block the cold wind and rain.
The house should have a thin layer of bedding probably made with straw or wood shavings. This will help to keep the goats warm throughout the winter season. However, the bedding must be removed in the spring. Ensure that the kid’s bedding is kept dry and clean always.
Ensure good ventilation system inside the house and sufficient flow of fresh air and light.
Fencing goats
Make a large
fence of over 4 – 5 feet. Goats are foraging animals. They can go far searching
foods. To the goats, the grass is always
greener on the other side. Therefore,
they can jump quite high looking for a chance to squeeze out, so a large fence of
over 4-5 feet high is a must in the pasture. The fence must be suitable enough
for preventing harmful predators, such as dogs. 
Check fences regularly because goats are relentless when it comes to exploring their surroundings
Feeding Goats
Profitable production from goat farming business will mostly depend on proper feed supply and management systems. Proper feed management includes providing nutritious food, vitamins, minerals, energy, protein etc. So, before starting goat farming business it is a must to learn about how to and what to feed goat.
Goats are ruminants, similar to cattle and sheep and they eat almost all types of food that they find edible in front of them. Feed them forage of about 2-4 lbs each day as the main source of their diet. This can be got from hay or pasture. The hay can be clover or alfalfa. You can supplement them with grain in case you discover that they need extra calories especially those doe that have kids which need extra milk production. You must be careful with feeding too much grain to your goats because too much of it can cause various types of health problems.
You can also add a mineral block or vitamin with your goat’s regular diet. Goats also tend to prefer mineral mixes that have salt in them.
Along with nutritious feeding, provide them sufficient amount of clean and fresh water daily according to their demand.
Always check if your goats are getting enough feeds by touching their lower - sides. If you feel a ribby or when you can feel bones protruding, they need extra calories
Goat Health
One must always must always monitor his goats’ health by performing routine physical checkups in addition to providing them with a good housing and nutritious feeding for the business to be profitable. This is because, goats that are well taken care of don’t have many health issues. Hence a little expenditure on drugs and treatment in the long run.
You must vaccinate your goats regularly to prevent various diseases and health issues. For example, the mature goats require annual vaccination of enterotoxemia and tetanus.
Intestinal parasites
You must deworm your goats regularly for them to be healthy. Always do regular quick eye membrane checks on your goats to monitor if there is any effect of parasites on your animal. When you pull the lower eyelid down, the inner eyelid should be dark pink or red. If it’s light pink or white, your goat is anemic, probably due to worms and needs an immediate wormer. You should always use the recommended full dose of the chemical wormers to avoid creating wormer-resistant parasites.
Ensure to always Perform FAMACHA checks on your goats occasionally to check your herd for parasite loads. It’s easy, quick and can save your goat’s life. Your veterinarian can help you set up a parasite worming and checking routine.
Nutritional Illnesses
When goats have nutritional deficiencies they will fall sick because their system is lacking important elements for proper functioning. The two most common mineral deficiencies in goats are; copper and selenium deficiency. These can easily be avoided by providing your goats a good quality goat mineral mix that has copper and selenium in it.
Copper deficiency is usually first detected by poor coat quality. When you touch the hair of your goat’s skin and it feels rough and not shiny, it probably needs copper. Copper also helps goats’ bodies to fight off internal parasites. Goats that don’t get enough copper can become anemic due to parasite overloads. You can give your goat a copper bolus just in case the worm problem was due to a lack of copper.
Selenium deficiency is a little harder to detect. It causes reproductive problems and can result in weak kids at birth. Make sure that right before the breeding season (late summer/early fall) your goats are getting plenty of selenium to avoid issues.
Hoof Issues
Perform regular hoof trimmings using hoof trimmers to prevent all types of foot injuries. This is because goats’ hooves grow continuously, similar to horses. Therefore, if these hooves are left to grow beyond a safe length (for goats that are kept in wet, soggy conditions), they can become dangerous because they will easily harbor a fungus that will cause foot rot hence a strong odor on the farm. Therefore you should Plan on trimming hooves about once a month unless the goats have access to rocky areas or concrete, which will wear the hooves down some. Remember, your goats’ health is key to a goat farming business profitability.
For more information about goat diseases and health, check out Common Diseases and Health Problems in Goats from Purdue University.
Breeding Goats
When it comes to breeding, you must stick to the purpose of your farm. For example, if it’s to raise goats for meat production, you will ask yourself that who has such a meat breed of goats for sale near me? Or who has a buck of the particular breed that I need for my farm? We have to also understand that goats live in groups because they are social animals and therefore, for them to live a happy life, you must keep them more than two hence the need for breeding.
While choosing breeds, always try to select those which are very productive and grow well in your local weather. Also consider your local demands. Try to visit some farms in your area and observe what type of goats they are raising. You should also consult your veterinary doctor for advice on pure and high quality breeds to be able to make an informed decision.
Goats are short-day breeders which means that they come into heat as the days get shorter, so in the fall, the girls will become very vocal for no apparent reason which is an indicator of the breeding season. During this season, ensure that your herd is healthy and has access to plenty of selenium before and during the breeding season.
Does will give birth once a year to at least one kid. It’s common for goats to have twins and not unheard of for them to even have triplets. (TIP- if you plan on breeding goats continuously, having twins or triplets is hereditary, so females that were a twin or triplet are more likely to give birth to twins or triplets.)
Make sure that pregnant mommas have a warm, dry spot to give birth. You may want to have a separate stall for pregnant nannies so that they have a private place to give birth and you can watch them.
Goat births will usually go naturally as planned without any assistance from you. Be present for the birth to monitor her and make sure everything goes ok. Have your veterinarian’s phone number just in case of an emergency.
Your decision to start goat farming
Goats are a great livestock species to raise for beginners or someone that has small spaces. They have hilarious personalities and will not cease to amaze you with their curious minds and athletic abilities.
Make sure that you have a plan in place before you get goats, or decide what you want to do with your goats if you already have some! Goats can be a profitable venture if you go about it the right way.
If you want even more information about getting goats, check out the Beginners Guide to Raising Goats, the Complete Quick Start Guide to Raising Goats and Guard Animals for Goats.
Rule of a thumb;
Once you have started your goat farming business, ensure to always keep a record of your farm activities, including birth dates, breeding dates, vaccination or medication dates, feeding costs, milk or meat output etc. Thus you can make your goat farming business more profitable.
I believe that you have liked these guiding Tips about Goat Farming for every Beginner. Let me know how much it has helped you by sharing your comment below to share your experience with us. And don’t hesitate to ask anything related to goat farming business. Thanks!
