How To Start A Goat Farming Business

Goat Farming business is a profitable venture for you because goats do not need high maintenance and are relatively cheap to tend.

The returns are great since almost every part of the goat can be used.

Its meat is sought-after, its wool is utilized to create sweaters and jackets and most importantly, its milk is harvested.

You can explore goat farming in both in urban and rural areas.

YOU DO NOT REQUIRE HIGH INITIAL INVESTMENT TO RUN A GOAT FARMING BUSINESS

The initial investment you need for goat farming is quite low.

Due to small body size and the docile nature of goats, housing requirements and management are less.

Goats are prolific breeders.

Goats can thrive well in a wide variety of places like thorny bushes, weeds, crop residues, agricultural by-products, etc.

The good thing about a goat farming business is that even beginners will not have a hard time when it comes to starting with it, and actually have a really high chance of being really successful with your goat farming business.

This is why meat goat farming is being thought of by a lot of people because they know that a lot of money can be gained from it.

CARRY OUT A FEASIBILITY STUDY BEFORE YOU START GOAT FARMING

However you cannot just venture into goat farming business without studying the necessary requirements or cost it entails.

It is better to carry out a proper and detailed feasibility study in order to determine the practicality of the business, the financial implications and the cost of raising goats before you start.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO INTO GOAT FARMING

The majority of cost for your goat farming business are:

goats,
feed supplements,
health,
transportation,
land,
labour,
selling,
administration and
other miscellaneous costs.

The cost of your goat farming could be further subdivided into costs for acquiring the doe, buck and the breeding fees.

Feeding price involve costs for hay, grain and vitamins.

Since you want to make a living out of raising goats, you need to have an in-depth knowledge about goats and the basics of goat farming first before going into the business.

First, you should determine your reason of goat farming why you want to go into goat farming business.

LEARN FROM OTHER GOAT FARMING BUSINESS OWNERS

Since you have no experience raising goats and would like to get started, learn from others’ experiences.

You can learn from producers who are raising meat goats.

Also decide what type of goats and what breed of goats you would like to raise.

YOUR PURPOSE FOR GOAT FARMING DETERMINES THE BREED

Do you intend to raise the goats for meat?

Or do you want to grow the goats for milk or for wool?

This is important because certain breeds of goats are more applicable for milk production or meat cultivation.

To help you decide what goat breeds to choose, click here to read more about different goat breeds for your goat farming business.

After deciding on your purpose, you may now pick the breed of your choice.

For starters, there’s no need to buy the expensive ones.

As long as you have studied well what suits the breed you chose, you will do great.

Before purchasing your goats, an inventory of your available resources for your goat farming is necessary to determine how many goats you can start with.

These resources include:

pastures,
fences,
shelters and
how much cash is available for feed and all other running costs which you had put down earlier.

You do not want to start with the number of goats that your resources can’t manage.

It is better for you start with just a few goats and gradually increase the size of the herd as the pasture is improved.

The biggest mistake you can make, when purchasing a herd of goats, is buying too many goats.

It is always best to under stock so you don’t have to purchase much feed and you have fewer problems with internal parasites (mainly stomach worms)

It is best to purchase your first set of goats directly from the breeder who produced them and to buy them at his farm to avoid buying goats that won’t breed or produce kids.

When purchasing from the farm, you can see how they are raised and how healthy the environment which they live in is.

There is many different goat breeds that you can choose for your goat farming business.

Pygmy Goat
Fainting Goat
Boer Goat
Cashmere Goat
Kiko Goat
Nigerian Dwarf
Alpine Goat
Angora Goat
Nubian Goat
Saanen Goat
Spanish Goat

MAIN FACTORS YOU MUST CONSIDER FOR YOUR GOAT FARMING VENTURE

Goats are ruminant animals with backward-arching hollow horns, short tails and usually straight hair.

They have been and are still providing humans with food like meat, milk, cheese, butter, leather which is known as the Morocco leather and manure.

Goat meat has been proven to have low cholesterol compared to red meat.

Female goats are does and male goats are bucks.

Goats are herding animals, and for their benefit, you as a prospective goat herder should start with at least two animals.

Goats are prolific breeders and can reproduce twice in a year.

A female goat’s pregnancy can last for 4- 5months which is about 145days – 154days and can give birth to 1-4 kids.

Before mating the male and the female goats should be at least 10months and can be milked when goats reach 12 months.

When designing, developing, or purchasing your goat house, it’s important to consider:

the structural costs,

materials,

affordability,

functionality and

the environment.

Fencing and shelter should be primary consideration while feeders, water vessels, and service equipment would be secondary;

Some people that are in goat farming business do not provide shelters for their goats.

They let them find shelter in cedar thickets, under rock ledges or any other suitable shelter which the goats come across.

But your goats will do better and require less feed if they have shelter from rain, wind, and snow in winter.

The success of your goat farming business depends largely on where your goats are kept.

When setting up your goat house, it is paramount that you provide adequate space for a relevant number of goats.

Adequate space is important to minimize infighting among goats.

Most goats are naturally horned.

Many goat farmers remove the horns for safety and ease of management.

Goats with horns can get their heads stuck in feeders or fences and can sometimes injure each other as well as people.

PROTECT YOUR GOAT FARMING BUSINESS FROM PREDATORS

Perimeter fencing, often placed around the property boundary, needs to keep the goats in and predators out.

Like sheep, goats are vulnerable to predators such as dogs, foxes, bears, and coyotes.

You need to consider predator risk when restoring old fences and/or designing and building new fences around your goat house.

BREEDING OF YOUR GOATS – GOAT FARMING

Goats are generally seasonal breeders, meaning they approach heat (estrus) and breed during the fall as days grow shorter.

The normal breeding season for most goats is august to march, though some breeds and individuals will breed all year long.

If you do not breed your goats at their first heat, they’ll go into heat again (recycle) every 20 to 21 days until bred or they’ll return to anoestrus (their non-breeding state).

YOU SHOULD KNOW THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BREEDING

Breeding your goats can be done by inbreeding or line breeding, cross breeding and line crossing.

Inbreeding entails mating of related goats.

Cross breeding is done between two different goat breeds.

Line crossing means the crossing of different blood lines within a breed.

The final outcome of breeding goats eventually depends on you want and the method you choose in achieving it.

Most doe’s gestation period lasts about five months or 150 days. Some goat farmers breed their does once a year.

RAISING GOATS FOR MILK

When raising goats for milk in your goat farming business, you should know that a female goat starts mating at the age of seven to nine months and can be milked when it reaches a year.

Goat milk production is seasonal and goats usually lactate for eight to ten months.

During that time, they generate about 750 quarts or 1500 pounds of milk.

About 2000 pounds of milk is considered as adequate production to sustain a viable commercial operation.

In milking your goats, a regular schedule should be established.

Usually, you milk the goats twice a day with a 12 hour interval in a clean environment.

Be aware that when raising goats for milk, if you milk the goats less especially in early lactation, the production milk also decreases.

Make sure to milk the udder completely for continuous milk production.

You have to inspect for any abnormalities before milking

FEEDING AFFECTS THE PROFITABILITY OF YOUR GOAT FARMING BUSINESS

Feed typically is an important factor in a goat farming business.

Your feeding program greatly affects your herd’s productivity and overall profitability.

There is no one feed or feeding program for goats.

Base your own feeding program on the animals’ nutritional needs and the availability and cost of various feeds.

Goats require water, protein, energy, minerals, and vitamins but note that water is by far the most important nutrient.

Goats like other animals can go a long time without food but not without water.

You should always provide clean water for your goats to drink

It is necessary to build a fixed container of food and water that can easily be accessed by your goats.

Feed your goats food that contains vitamins and minerals especially phosphorus, calcium and salt.

Diet should be mostly pasture and/or shrubs, vines, and trees; as ruminant livestock, your goats’ digestive systems are designed for forage and other fibrous materials.

Energy is the most limiting nutrient, while protein is the most expensive.

Imbalances of vitamins and minerals can limit animal performance and lead to a variety of health problems.

Your goats need mineral salts for good bones and teeth; appetite and weight gain and improvement of the hair coat.

YOU SHOULD TRIM THE HOOF OF YOUR GOAT REGULARLY

Your goats need to have their hooves trimmed fairly often.

The exact schedule varies depending on the terrain of your goat farming and how active your particular goats are, anywhere from bimonthly to four times a year.

Give your goats something yummy to munch on while you trim, and try to make hoof trimming a positive or at least neutral experience for your goat

YOU NEED PROPER IDENTIFICATION FOR YOUR GOATS

It is important to be able to identify each of your goats easily and accurately in order to keep accurate records of how they are growing, who has had what vaccines, who was born when, and who their parents were.

In a small herd you often know each goat by name and matching description.

However, your veterinarian and your workers need a simple way to reliably identify your goats.

PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS IN SETTING UP A GOAT FARMING BUSINESS

Goat farming can be profitable, but you must pay strict attention to details.

You should control the feed costs and keep your production levels high.

That way, the cost of raising your goats will be relatively low in cost, and the returns eventually will be high.

Goat farming require a minimal investment and a high return on it.

Going for goat farming might feel tough at first, but with the proper knowledge, dedication, and hard work, a profitable goat farming business is sure to generate cash.

GOAT FARMING BUSINESS RESOURCES

GoatFarmingBusiness.com – You will find here loads of FREE Tips, tools& resources to help you easily and quickly get started in a business of goat farming

Goatfarmingbusiness.com/tips – Questions And Answers to Do With Goat Farming Business

Best Selling Goat Farming Business Books