Raising goats can be an enjoyable and profitable business, as long as you are well prepared. Read on to find out the various reasons for caring for these animals and what you need to know if you want to start a farm.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Choosing the Goats
Step 1. Check your local zoning regulations
Your municipality may not give you permission to keep goats, especially if you live in an urban area. Contact the competent office of the Municipality or the Region to find out if there are limits for breeding certain breeds, if only uncastrated male goats (beaks) are prohibited or if some other limitation is imposed. Also make sure you have permission from the landowner, owners association or committee.
Be clear about whether you want to keep goats for a commercial or personal purpose, as different rules may apply for different types
Step 2. Try to get at least two goats
Goats are social animals, they tend to be uncooperative or try to escape if they are alone. Always put at least two goats in each pen. Since uncastrated males cannot be kept with females, it may be necessary to purchase more than two. Here are some tips on how to decide which goats to buy.
Step 3. Decide how many boys and girls you want to have
There are three main types of goats divided by gender: females, uncastrated males, called beaks, and castrated males, also called castrated goats. It is necessary for the beak to impregnate the female before she begins to produce milk, but be aware that raising the uncastrated male takes a lot more work. The beaks must be kept in separate enclosures, they can emit a strong odor and are often quite aggressive. If you are starting a new farm and want to make it simple at first, you should buy two females and possibly pay another breeder for his beak to impregnate your goats.
- Neutered males are unable to reproduce or produce milk. They are usually bought as backyard pets. Many goat farms generally castrate a few when their goats give birth to too many males.
- If you buy a beak, consider spending a little more to obtain the pet's health records. This will give you a better idea of his physical traits and will be less likely to raise a diseased or defective flock.
Step 4. Choose the age of the goats
Young goats are called kids or goats, depending on the sex. When they are around 8 weeks old, they are usually cheaper than more mature ones, and often become friendlier when they grow close to humans. However, they typically require a year or two of care before they can be mated, produce milk, or are sold for meat. A 6 month to 1 year old puppy takes less time to develop, but you may also want to consider buying her already paired (so that she produces milk earlier). Finally, an adult or elderly goat may be the cheapest option of all, but be wary of farmers who want to sell "profitable milk producers". They are probably trying to sell the lower quality goats of their flock.
Step 5. Choose a goat breed
Some are suitable for milk production, such as the Nigerian dwarf goat, La Mancha and Alpine goats. Others are typically bred for meat, such as the Spanish or Tennessee breed. Finally, some companies raise Angora or cashmere goats to sell their fur to textile factories. Research the breeds that are bred in your area, how large the specimens become, and the physical characteristics and personality of each breed. Some tend to be more docile, in others the beak emits a stronger smell, others are more prone to certain health problems.
Before deciding, you should learn how to milk dairy goats, raise goats for slaughter or for the coat. If you don't plan on slaughtering goats yourself, you need to find commercial businesses in your area that do this work and can buy your animals before you think about raising goats for meat
Step 6. Plan your costs
The costs of starting a goat farm vary over time and from region to region, as does the profit you can make from selling goat products. If you are planning to raise the flock for commercial purposes, it makes sense to know the costs and make a profit. Try talking to different breeders or find out by reading recently published guides on breeding in your area to get a good estimate of the various costs involved. If even an approximate calculation is over your budget, you should consider buying fewer specimens or a different breed. Keep in mind that a goat farm is not profitable in the first two years or longer, especially if you are raising kids or have to bear the costs of initial start-up, such as building fences.
- How much can it cost to raise a female, a beak or a kid for a year? Try to calculate the costs related to the breed you are interested in if you can.
- If you want to raise goats for milk, do you know how much milk a goat produces? How much can you sell it for?
- If you are raising goats for meat, how much can you make from selling a goat for slaughter? Is it more profitable to sell it at a specific time of the year, such as during Muslim holidays, Christmas or Easter?
- How much money do you have for any unforeseen expenses, such as repairing fences or veterinary care? If one of your goats dies, could you run into financial hardship?
Part 2 of 3: Prepare a Fence
Step 1. Build an excellent quality fence
Goats are great at passing through small spaces or climbing fences. Fences of at least 1.5m or more, with "unsurpassed" wire stretched between the posts, are certainly more difficult to climb over or slide through than fences built with simple horizontal beams. If you have both males and females, be sure to build two distinct sturdy enclosures, keeping their beaks in a particularly sturdy and tall enclosure. This separate space will prevent males in heat from reaching females (also in heat); in other words, it will prevent your goats from reproducing at unscheduled times.
- If you have goats of noticeably different sizes, you shouldn't keep them together, unless it's the cubs with their own mothers.
- Males can become aggressive when in heat and close to females, so keeping them in separate enclosures is highly recommended, even if you don't care for any unplanned breeding.
Step 2. Build a shelter
Goats need a place to stay during the winter and when it rains. A small barn is fine. Goat breeds that have thick coats can withstand cold temperatures, but check with an experienced grower first. If you live in a mild climate, a three-sided enclosure allows you to circulate fresh air; However, if your area has cold winters, build one completely enclosed, with no drafts, but allow the goats to stay outdoors during the day.
Goats hate puddles and humid weather. If you live in a rainy area, you should set up a larger covered enclosure
Step 3. Remove poisonous or bad smelling plants
Grazing goats chew almost anything, although the stories they tell about them eating cars and cans are a bit exaggerated. Milkweed, fern, or wild cherry leaves are examples of plants that can be poisonous to goats, but if you provide them with enough variety and quantities of other foods, they are unlikely to feed on these. Smelly plants like onion, cabbage, buttercup, and parsley can leave an unpleasant taste to milk.
Step 4. Purchase all necessary tools and accessories
Get food and buckets for water. Compare various grains to see which one is most nutritious and convenient for feeding your goats. You need to make sure that foods contain significant amounts of calcium and phosphorus in a ratio of 1, 2: 1 to prevent health problems, while some foods may need to be supplemented with additional minerals. An experienced goat farmer or veterinarian will be able to advise you on the options in your area.
Part 3 of 3: Start Taking Care of Goats
Step 1. Cut the kids' newly popped horns
Most goat species grow horns, and if they are allowed to grow they can potentially seriously injure other animals or humans. At any time when the kid is two weeks old, you can remove the horns, or "dehorning". This process can be painful for the goat, and difficult for you to accomplish without proper assistance. You should therefore seek help from a goat husbandry expert or veterinarian, especially someone who knows how to administer anesthesia before starting the procedure.
If you see that the skin on the forehead shifts easily with a rub, the goat is probably naturally hornless and does not require dehorning
Step 2. Try to castrate almost all young males
Even if you want goats to breed, just one beak is enough for 25-50 females. Male kids you do not intend to mate should be neutered when they are two weeks or so later, but only if they are in good health. See a veterinarian to give them preventative tetanus shots before castrating.
Males grow large testicles, so even if the kid has been neutered it may look like a beak
Step 3. Have the females mate
If you want your goats to produce milk or have puppies, you need to mate them with their beaks when they reach fertile age. When a female goes into heat you have to take her out of the flock and put her in the male's pen and not do the opposite. It is usually sufficient to "cover" it two to four times to ensure pregnancy. The standard gestation period is around 150 days, but it can vary depending on the species.
Step 4. Milk the goats every day
They can be milked during pregnancy when the breasts have enlarged. Milk them once or twice a day until about two months before the expected date of delivery. This break provides the mother with enough nutrients to properly feed the kid when it is born. Resume milking them again when the puppy is six weeks old. It is not necessary to mate them again until the milk production decreases significantly.
Step 5. Look for experts who you can consult in case of serious problems
Know who to contact if one of your goats develops a health problem or runs away from the pen. If there are no goat farmers or vets in your area, get a goat book that addresses the basics, such as performing a health check and recognizing the signs of major diseases.
Step 6. Find ways to sell your products
If you are selling meat, fleece, dairy products or kids, you need to find a market that is interested in buying. If you are dealing with a limited quantity, it can be easier to sell to individuals in your community or to the farmer's market. However, if you have many products that cannot be sold in this way, you can think of an online trade, organizing shipments, or sell them to a wholesaler who will take care of marketing them for you.
Consider opening your farm to the public and invite people to approach the friendly goats and pet them
Advice
- Sterilize all milking equipment and keep the area very clean. This is important if you want to keep the milk tasty and flavorful.
- Check fences often for holes. Goats can escape from even very small holes, especially cubs.
- Feel free to get attached to breeding and companion goats, but avoid becoming friendly to meat or slaughter goats, as you may suffer from them.
- Beaks often urinate on their own paws or snout during the breeding season. If you notice a strong odor or sticky material on their fur, it is probably due to this behavior. You don't have to worry, although many farmers find it unpleasant.
Warnings
- Goats require daily care. If you plan to take a vacation, you will need to hire an experienced breeder to replace you during your absence.
- When building fences, don't use fine wire mesh and barbed wire. Metal chains or panel structures are much more robust, as long as the goats are unable to climb.
