Goat farming: essential tips for beginners
Goat farming is not a completely new endeavor. This form of animal husbandry has been practiced since time immemorial, and there are many people from other parts of the world who are making this their main livelihood. These days, a lot more people are seeing the benefits and potential gains to be made from raising goats. But is this form of animal husbandry as easy as buying goats and crossing your fingers?
Well, not quite. Here are a couple of tips to consider if you are considering setting up a goat farm for the first time.
1. Decide what type of goat farming you would like to practice. There are 4 types of goat farming. One is raising goats for the sole purpose of collecting milk. Goat’s milk can be used as buttermilk, candy, cheese, cream cheese, ghee (clarified butterfat), kefir (fermented alcoholic goat’s milk), substitute for cow’s milk, and yogurt. You can also use goat’s milk to produce beauty products such as lotions, skin creams, soaps, and other specialty milk-based soaps.
The second type of goat farming is when the aforementioned animals are raised for meat. You can sell the meat as a fresh product or for use in sausages, salted meat, and cuts of smoked meat.
The third type of farming is when you choose to raise goats for their fiber. There are basically two breeds of goats that produce excellent fibers. It would be the angora goats (they produce mohair) and the cashmere goats (they produce cashmere wool). The hairs of both animals are appreciated for their softness and warmth; and products made from these products are often subject to very high prices. Other breeds that are bred for their fibers are the nigora and the pygora; both produce middle-class wool.
And lastly, you can also raise goats that will be sold as pets, which is, by the way, one of the emerging profitable businesses these days.
By deciding early on what kind of farming you would like to practice, you can choose which breed of goats, tools, and machinery you should also buy.
2. Always hire the services of a veterinarian. A veterinarian is a necessary partner in this kind of endeavor, and you should consult him for almost every aspect of goat farming. From choosing what feed or supplements you can give the animals, to setting up accommodation, and most importantly, providing you with documentation (to be presented to the local government) that you are treating your animals well and that there are no problems on your farm. . that may constitute animal cruelty or abuse.