Raising goats commercially can be a fun and profitable business, as long as we prepare ourselves carefully. Please read and find out the various advantages and what to consider to start raising goats.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Goat Breed
Step 1. Check the city ordinance regulations
Make sure there is no prohibition from the city planning office for goat rearing, especially if you live in urban areas. Contact the city planning office or other similar government office for information regarding restrictions on the types of goats that can be bred, prohibiting the maintenance of male goats that have not been neutered or other restrictions. Also check with landowners or village officials.
Decide whether to keep goats commercially or privately because the rules that apply will be different
Step 2. Plan to keep at least two goats
Goats are social animals and will be more cooperative and not easily run away when kept together. Keep at least two goats in one cage. Since male goats that have not been neutered cannot be kept with a mother goat, this means it is necessary to purchase more than two goats. Please read on for tips on determining the sex of the goat to buy.
Step 3. Determine the number and sex ratio of the goats to be purchased
There are three types of goats based on gender: female goats, castrated male goats and male goats (uncastrated). The female goat must be bred with the male goat in order to produce milk. But it must be remembered, keeping male goats that are not neutered is more troublesome. Male goats require a separate enclosure, emit a strong odor, and tend to be more aggressive. The easiest way to start raising goats is to buy two female goats and then contact other goat breeders (large scale) and pay for the opportunity to mate the male goats with our parents.
- Male goats that have been castrated cannot mate or produce milk. Goats like this are kept for slaughter or as personal pets only. This will happen when many male goats are born.
- If you are going to buy a male goat, as an investment, buy a male goat from a good lineage as evidenced by a genealogy letter. You will know exactly the advantages that will be brought by the male and will be able to avoid defects in the offspring of goats that are born later.
Step 4. Select the age of the goat at the time of purchase
Goats aged 8 weeks can be purchased. Generally, goats of this age are cheaper than adult goats, more docile, and easy to keep close to humans, but require a year to two years before they can be bred, produce milk or be slaughtered. Young goats ranging in age from 6 months to 1 year require shorter maintenance time before they mature, we can even choose to mate the goats before they are purchased (to produce milk immediately). The last and cheapest option is to buy adult goats, but you need to be wary of breeders who intend to sell goat breeds because they may only intend to sell low-quality livestock.
Step 5. Select the type of goat
There are goat breeds that are good for producing milk, such as the Nigerian Dwarf, La Mancha, and Alpine. Others are raised for slaughter and for meat. like Spanish or Tennessee. Finally, there are farms that keep the Angora or Cashmere breeds which have beautiful long fur and can be sold for cloth. Find out what breeds of goats are kept in your area, the adult size of each breed, the nature and stature of each breed. Some breeds of goats are more docile, some males have a stronger smell, or some are prone to certain diseases.
Before deciding, please read the guide on how to blush, cut and shave the goat's hair in question. If you feel that you do not master the cutting technique, please work with the slaughterhouse who will buy the meat goats that you have raised
Step 6. Manage funds
The cost of raising goats will vary from time to time and from region to region. as well as the profits to be made from selling milk, meat or goat hair. Funding arrangements regarding capital and profit are especially important if we are planning to go commercial in this case of raising goats. It is advisable to meet with existing goat breeders or read a manual that can provide an estimate of the costs involved. If the estimated cost required exceeds the available funds, it is necessary to decide to buy goats with fewer numbers or breeds that are cheaper to maintain. It must also be understood that this business of raising goats will not be profitable (return on investment) before two years or even more, especially if we start raising goats or there is an initial cost for making fences and cages.
- How much does it cost to care for brooders, males, or goats in one year? This question needs to be answered for each goat breed.
- If you are interested in producing goat's milk, know the maximum amount of milk that can be produced by one parent and also the price per liter of milk.
- For those who keep beef goats, look for information about the price of goat meat. Also, pay attention to when the price of goats fluctuates, such as during the Feast of Sacrifice, Christmas or Easter.
- How much money should be available for unexpected expenses such as for repairs to the cage and fence or the cost of going to the vet? If a goat dies, how much will it affect your financial condition?
Method 2 of 3: Setting Up a Maintenance Area
Step 1. Install a good fence
Goats are smart animals and are good at escaping small holes in fences or jumping over fences. Build a wire fence with sturdy vertical posts that are at least 5 feet (1.52 meters) high that are more difficult to climb or break than a wire fence model with horizontal posts. When maintaining brooders and males, separate, stronger male cages and higher fences must be made. This fence serves to separate the male from the brood so that there is no unplanned interbreeding between individuals.
- Goats of different ages should be separated, unless they are a parent couple with their cubs.
- Males will be more aggressive during the breeding season and when kept side by side with the brood. This means that separate cages are highly recommended rather than simply limiting unplanned mating.
Step 2. Make a goat pen
This is needed as a shelter for livestock when it rains or is cold. A simple goat cage with a half-open model for good air circulation is sufficient to keep goats in two season areas. Goats with thick coats are also more resistant to cold weather but it is better to consult with an experienced breeder. If you are going to raise livestock in winter areas, you must prepare a fully closed cage but the goats will still be released during the day.
Goats do not like stagnant water and humid weather. If the goat will be kept in a rainy, humid area, a large covered area must be prepared
Step 3. Remove poisonous or strong-smelling plants
Goats are attracted to all kinds of plants or even trash, although stories about goats chewing on cans or iron tend to be overdone. Some examples of plants that are toxic to goats are milkweed (asclepiadaceae sp), ferns (pteridium sp), and sakura (prunus sp), usually goats will not eat harmful plants if the availability of food is sufficient. Strong-smelling herbs have the potential to impart an unpleasant taste or odor to goat's milk products, such as onions, cabbage, buttercup (ranunculus sp) and parsley.
Step 4. Gather support equipment
Prepare containers for feeding and drinking. like a bucket. Compare feed to get feed with good nutritional content for chicks and brooders but at a competitive price. The feed should provide calcium and phosphorus intake in a ratio of 1.2: 1 to prevent developmental delays, or give additional mineral supplements. Please seek advice from an experienced breeder or veterinarian regarding the options available in your location.
Method 3 of 3: Start Raising Goats
Step 1. Remove the tiller horns
Most goat breeds will have horns, which have the potential to injure humans or other animals. Take steps to remove antlers from chicks after 2 weeks of age. This process will be painful for the chicks and difficult to do without help. It is recommended to seek the help of a veterinarian or experienced fellow breeders, especially those who are already able to provide anesthesia during this process.
If it is seen that the skin around the goat's head is easily peeled off when rubbed a little, this means that the goat's young are naturally hornless and do not need to go through the process of removing the horns
Step 2. Castration on male chicks
Even for breeding purposes, you only need one male for every 25-50 brood goats. Healthy male puppies that will not be raised as males need to be neutered after 2 weeks of age. Consult a veterinarian and ask for a tetanus shot to be given to the male pup before castration.
All male goats will have large testes, so even a neutered goat will look normal (un-neutered)
Step 3. Mating the broodstock
Mother goats must be bred with males after reaching mating age in order to produce milk or chicks. Watch when the brood enters the mating period and then separate this parent from the herd and then reunite with the male, make sure it's not the other way around. Two to four successful copulations guarantee pregnancy. The gestation period is about 150 days, but varies slightly between goat breeds.
Step 4. Express the goat's milk every day
The brood can already be milked during pregnancy and the udder looks enlarged. Milking can be done once or twice a day until approximately two months before delivery. This step is taken to ensure adequate nutrition for the mother and the offspring to be born. Milking can be continued after the chicks are six weeks old. The broodstock does not need to be bred until it is observed that milk production drops drastically.
Step 5. Find someone you can turn to for help in the event of a serious problem
Like when a goat is released from the cage or suddenly gets sick. If there are no other goat breeders, or there are no veterinary services near your location, purchase a goat breeding guide that covers topics such as regular health checks and identifying early signs of disease.
Step 6. Find a market niche for the product
Make sure there is a way to sell your farm products, be it meat, skin, milk or chicks. If your business is small, it's easier to sell directly to people in the surrounding community or become a seller at the nearest traditional market. If your farm is already producing more than the local market can absorb in this way, then online marketing or selling through agents will help with marketing and shipping your products.
Consider opening a farm to visitors and charging an entrance fee for people who want to visit and pet the friendly goats
Tips
- Disinfect all equipment used for milking and make sure the milking area is very clean. This greatly affects the taste of the milk produced.
- Always check the condition of the fence to prevent holes. Goats are good at finding and getting through even small holes – especially chicks.
- It's okay to be close to the herd of brooders or those who are really going to be kept, avoid being close to the herd of slaughter goats, it will be quite sad when it comes to being sold or slaughtered.
- Male goats often pour urine on their feet or face during the breeding season. This will leave a sticky, strong-smelling mark on the fur. This behavior is nothing to worry about, although some breeders find it unpleasant.
Warning
- Raising goats requires daily maintenance. If you are going on vacation, it is necessary to appoint another experienced breeder to supervise the cattle during your absence.
- When building a fence, avoid using thin wire and barbed wire. Chain links or wood panels are a stronger option, as long as there are no gaps for the goat's leg grips to make it easier for the goat to climb.
