How to open a goat farm 1

               INTRODUCTION TO

                 GOAT FARMING

Goats are of high importance because of the many functions they provide. The rearing of goats provides a small but nevertheless significant supply of animal protein in the form of meat and milk. This is particular important for families of low-income farmers and the landless that do not have the resources to keep a cow and cannot afford to purchase meat and milk. Access to land for smallholders is becoming increasingly precarious due to fragmentation, poor implementation of land policies, and irregular sales and allocations.

1. Advantages of Keeping Goats

• Goats serve as an inflation proof bank account which can be used when cash is required, and the kids are the interest of that account, thus spreading of risks.
• They know wide climatic adaptation, by browsing not competing for roughage with other ruminants and making efficient use of fibrous feeds.
• They can function as the “poor man’s cow” for smallholder families.
• Goats have a small size: relatively cheap to purchase, and suitable for home slaughter, sacrifice and gifts.
• There are fewer cultural restrictions on ownership and handling of goats by women and youth than for cattle or other large livestock.
• There is a fast reproductive rate: early maturing, short kidding interval, twins common, quick returns on investments, quick building up of flock.
• There are no religious taboos.

2. Disadvantages of Keeping Goats

• Goats are inquisitive, need proper fencing and/or stabling or active herding to prevent crop damage.
•  Formal goat market chains are less developed or less accessible than other livestock value chains.
• Small value makes formal credit systems uneconomical or impossible.  Goats are susceptible to respiratory diseases and internal parasites.

2 . Management System in         Goat Farming

Depending on the ecological zone and the production purpose, different farming- and management systems can be distinguished: intensive, tethering, semi-intensive and extensive system.

2.1 Intensive  system or zero grazing
This system is more suitable for improved (dairy) goats in the humid and sub-humid eco-zones. In the intensive system the goats are confined to a shed and the roughage is provided by a “cut and carry” system. In an intensive management system the sheds are usually separated in a single pen for the buck and possible single pens or group pens for the does. Kids are kept in group pens, which are usually separated by sex. In this system controlled mating is practiced. Roughage (grass/fodder crops) can be cultivated and/or collected from roadsides and fodder- and other trees. Fodder banks of tree legumes can be established and properly handled crop residues can be utilized.

Advantages of intensive system are :

•  It keeps goats from damaging crops and prevents traffic accidents.
•  Goats can make efficient use of crop residues, kitchen waste/peelings and agricultural by-products.
• It is well suited to productive animals, exotic breeds and their crosses which are more susceptible to diseases.
•  It reduces burden of internal and external parasite.
• It allows for close observation (heat detection, health, feed/water availability).

2.2 Tethering

Tethering describes a system in which goats are kept in a shed during nighttime, whereas during daytime they are tethered in the vicinity of the house, along the roadside or on public grounds. Tethering of goats is practical only for very small herds. Only adults are tethered, while young kids are often let loose. Often the sexes are not separated in the shed, so mating is uncontrolled. Feed and water should be provided in the shed.

• Two Mathods Are Common

• Tied to a peg

Goats, sometimes 1 to 3 together, are tied to a peg by a rope of 3-5 meters length. By shifting the peg or choosing a different tree or post, the goats are offered a fresh grazing/browsing area.

• Tied to a ring on a wire between 2 pegs

A rope of about 2-3m long is tied to a ring which slides on a wire about 3-5 meters long .
Care has to be taken that the goats do not get entangled or even strangled and that the goats will not be attacked by dogs/predators. It is advised to provide a small area with fresh grazing and/or browsing each time. To prevent trampling of the grass the pegs should be shifted 2 to 3 times per day to offer fresh grazing. The tethering area must offer some shade, especially when the tethering period is prolonged and includes the hottest part of the day (between 11 am and 4 pm).

Semi-intensive system

In the semi-intensive system the confinement of goats is restricted to nighttime and
part of the day. Animals are let out for grazing during a restricted part of the day, usually 3-5 hours supervised by a herdsman. The advantage of this system is that it gives the goats the opportunity to supplement their diet and do some selective feeding to overcome dietary deficiencies.
During the confinement, stall feeding is practiced. Very often young kids are left behind in the shed, corral or yard. Separation of the sexes is rarely practiced, uncontrolled mating is common. An option within this system is grazing the goats in fenced paddocks.

Extensive production system

Extensive goat husbandry systems usually involve larger numbers of animals. The
goats graze and browse large areas of land that are usually marginal in nature and/or are unsuitable for other agricultural use. The system is more common in the arid and semi- arid climates. Extensive systems are common for meat and hair goats, but are rarely used for dairy goats, although some goats may be milked temporarily for family supply. A very low level of unpaid family labour represents the main input, although for large herds paid labour may be employed. Little management is practiced except to let them graze in day time and to lock them up for the night in night pens or yards. Breeding is uncontrolled. The goats are watered during the day at streams, lakes and ponds or water is provided from wells. After the harvest of crops the animals can feed on the residues and weeds left in the field. Sometimes mixed herds of sheep and goats graze together. The droppings in the night yards can be collected as manure.