As the culinary world advances, more people are consuming more bizarre meats. Though there are ethical discourses on consuming exotic meats, goats are not one of them: as they are very popular sources of proteins in asian countries. With that being said, considering their very high demand locally, breeding goats for their meat is a wonderful business opportunity that could generate good profit.
If you’re considering this business opportunity and would love to invest on goats to start your breeding farm, be sure to read through this article for 9 factors that makes up a successful goat farm.
1. Raising the Potential Infant
Most beginner breeders would start their farm with an infant goat. An infant goat would allow breeders full control in developing their personality and shaping their overall health, as there isn’t much fixings to begin with. In finding the right one, wise breeders would often consider the following first:
- Preferably Male (they are biologically stronger and sturdier)
- For females, it is preferred that they have a history of reproducing healthy children
- Ideally 1.5 – 2 years old. Younger goats are more prone to illnesses
- An overall good health with no disabilities
- Has room to grow
- A shiny and clean coat
- Comparatively long and large
- A good appetite
- Active and sparky
2. Designating The Right Living Spaces
Designate the right living spaces for your farm. Be sure that its living space is far from any hazardous areas that could bring about dangerous bacterias and diseases. Also, create a clear distinction between your living spaces and theirs. Goats are generally aggressive animals, and could destroy your property when angered.
3. Constructing the Right Cage
Depending on the breeder’s needs, there are multiple ways to construct the perfect cage for your farm. However, it is ideal that the cages have a good airflow and access to good sunlight. As for size, the general rule of thumb is as follows:
- The cage size for two infant goats: 1 x 1.2 meters
- The cage size for one male adult goat: 1.2 x 1.2 meters
- The cage size for one female adult goat: 1 x 1.2 meters (for her tail)
- The cage size for a nursing mother and her two kids: 1.5 x 1.5 meters
4. Cleansing and Sanitation
Be sure to regularly clean and sanitise your goat’s living spaces. A clean habitat allows goats to move freely and prevents them from getting infected with harmful bacterias and diseases that may harbour in the unkept areas. Common ways to clean their living spaces are to dispose wastes as soon as possible and replace their food stations with fresh food every now and then.
5. A Good Diet
A goat’s best nutritional diet would include greens and specialised concentrated supplements. For greens, most breeders would feed their goats non-toxic wild grass or nuts for protein source. As for the concentrated sustenance, breeders would often feed their goats over-the-counter pellets and corn that provides them the right dose of protein, carbohydrates, and other important vitamins.
6. Domestication
Since goats may have unpredictable tendencies, it best that you try to domesticate them before they could harm other goats for no reason. Do not, however, domesticate them out of fear – as they too are living creatures with feelings. Position yourself to be in control, but allow them to do their civil natural activities as they please.
7. Medical Care
Like all breeders alike, it helps that you have a good relationship with medical professionals for general check ups up to emergency situations. Goats, like every living creature, are at risk of diseases when they do not receive the right medical attention.
One of the most common illnesses these goats are diagnosed with comes in a form of parasites in their digestive systems. These worms can be harmful when they are not treated, and you should consult medical professionals on how you could treat them.
8. Concentrated Sustenance and Extra Supplements
Aside from feeding them the basic diet, it helps that you invest on extra supplements to maintain the animal’s general health. Additionally, and according to each breeder’s needs, some supplements could help your farm produce healthier and more children.
More so, a concentrated diet would detox your goat’s digestive system. Concentrated sustenance comes in different forms (e.g. flour based products and corn) and could be the primary source of their protein. The ideal dose of concentrated sustenance would be half of the ideal weight gain. For example, if the breeder wants their goat to gain 150 grams, then the recommended amount of concentrated sustenance could be 75 grams.
9. Mating and Reproducing
Assisted mating is a common practice by breeders to ensure that their animal’s children are in top shape. The process starts by monitoring their animals’ physique, and then introducing them when the time is right. Most female goats are ready to reproduce by the starting age of two months. Other than that, several tell-telling factors includes:
- Growing genitals. Goes moist and wet when touched
- Antsy
- Fidgeting tails
These signs would often last about 30 hours and would repeat for every 17 days. It is wise then that breeders introduce the two together in a cage to procreate. Also, do try to avoid incest mating – because more often than not, they wouldn’t produce a healthy offspring.
This marks the end of 9 factors that makes up a successful goat farm. Note that these are just some basic tips from us, so prior research and consultation is strictly advised. With that, we wish you good luck on your goat breeding journey!