Goat Farming: Care for a Profitable Business

Goat Farming: Care for a Profitable Business

Sachin Dongare¹, Indrayani Gawas², Chaitali Dongare³, Mohit Bharadwaj⁴, Manoj Kumar Singh⁵

¹ Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Livestock Production Management, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar

² Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Plantation, Spices, Medicinal and Aromatic crops, College of Horticulture, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Kokan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Maharashtra

³Assistant Professor, Department of Livestock Production and Management, Lokmangal College of Agriculture, Wadala, Solapur, M.H.

⁴ Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Animal Nutrition, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar

⁵Assistant Professor, Department of Livestock Production management, SVPUA&T, Meerut, U.P.

Corresponding Author Email id- sachindongare12345@gmail.com

Introduction

Goats, also referred to as “Common man’s cows,” some of the primary meat-producing animals in India. One of the most expensive meats, (chevon) is already in high demand national and international market. In its broadest sense, goat farming refers to the raising of goats for the production of milk, meat, and fibre. The goat business is more likely to fail if it is started without any planning, seeing the success of other goat farmers without knowing the scientific aspects. The following factors can contribute to the success or failure of a goat business.

Reasons for loss of goat rearing –

• Spending a lot of money on unnecessary places like goat sheds, such as building unnecessary walls of cement concrete, building concreate floor or building barns.
• Goats should not be bought from unfamiliar places, from far away, in large quantities as it increases mortality and causes more losses.
• When selecting goats, not properly looking at breed, breed characters or trait or not checking their heredity.
• Avoid transporting of pregnant goats by long distance.
• Not taking cares before, during and after transportation of goats and mixing new goats into herds of old goats.
• Starting goat rearing with more than 20 + 1 goats.
• Do not managed green, dry fodder to the goats before bringing them in to the barn. If you buying fodder without producing it in your field, it will definitely affect the total profit.
• Neglecting necessary vaccinations and deworming.
• To start goat rearing in large numbers without visiting the successful herds and unsuccessful goat breeders, without explaining the good and bad things in their herds.
• Not keeping necessary records and not making necessary changes in the business considering the records.
• Not be selling the goats according to different purposes, such as goats for Eid, goats for breeding, goats for meat, goats for fairs etc.
• Lack of hygiene in the barn, crowd of goats and lack of air circulation can increase the mortality of goats.
• There should be no separate barns for different groups of goats, such as separate keeping the dry goats, pregnant goats, kids, bucks and disease animals.
• Not offering more than 10% of colostrum to the kids’ weight within 2 hours after kidding.
• Lack of preparation of full year plan of sales management such as market sale, fair sale, breed sale, goat for Eid sale, 31^st December, sale of Gatari, Dussehra, Dhulivandan etc.

Changes in management –

This business can make a good profit if it is designed in a good way at minimum cost of production using all available resources. Separate the kids that have good birth weight and manage the diet for their rapid weight gain. Sick goats in the herd should be treated in time and separated from the herd till they recover. If goats are found to show certain symptoms and die, it is necessary to autopsy such goats and find out the cause of death and start first aid on other goats in the herd. The distance between two kidding of goats should not be more than 8 months and the breeding buck should be changed every 2 years. Approximately 20% of the total number of females in the herd (those who fall ill, give birth to one kid, do not breed, do not calm down, age and others) should be replaced by new females in the new herd every year.

It is necessary to take insurance cover if you are doing goat rearing business on a large scale. So that large losses can be avoided. There should be a visit to the veterinarian at least once in 15 to 30 days so that proper advice can be given on business errors. Blood and lentils of selected goats should be tested once a year. This is because the necessary diet, anthelmintics and first aid can be decided accordingly. In order to increase profits, special attention should be paid to clean meat production and export. Goats are required to be given special growing food and feed during their gestation period. Which regulates the growth of foetuses. Goats need to get the required mineral mixture in the form of regular licks or powders. Goat rearing information should be taken from the right place (training) and then the business should be started. The profit margin of goat rearing is depending on the number, the mortality rate in that heard. To the kid’s top quality dry and green fodder should be given form dicotyledonous class.

Feeding of goats during pregnancy-

In order to give birth to a good weight, strong kid, it should be properly managed during the gestation period of the goat.  Pregnant goats should be given easily digestible fodder and adequate amount of fodder. They use these dietary nutrients for fetal growth; It will also increase the storage of nutrients in the body of the goat. As the kidding date approaches, more food should be offered in addition to fodder to provide high nutritional value. Pregnant goats need to be given extra feed allowance after 90 days of gestation. If good quality fodder and food is not given during pregnancy, goats give birth to small kids or the kids die during pregnancy.

During the last 3 to 4 weeks of gestation, 250 to 350 grams of concentrate should be given daily along with the best quality fodder for good growth of fetus. Extra care should be taken especially during the gestation period of twin or thrice kidding goats. Goats should be vaccinated against intestinal parasites one month before kidding. With proper care during pregnancy, kids are born strong, weighty and active. Further growth of these kids was also rapid.

Care of new-born kids immediately after birth –

• Kids need special care in the first 24 hours after birth. The kids need more energy at this time to adapt the change in to the new environment.
• In general, does clean the kids by licking and dries. If this is not the happening, such kids should be wiped clean with a dry towel. If towel is not available, dry kids with using dried soft grass. The dryness of the kid’s body helps to regulate breathing.
• In the first 20 minutes after birth, the kids stand up and try to suckle it mother. If the kids are weak, they need help to stand for sucking.
• Cut the umbilical cord from body distance of 2 to 3 inches with sterile scissors or sharp blades and apply tincture iodine or any disinfectant. This means that the gut will not be infected, the kid will not get sick and die.
• Kids should take colostrum in half to one hour after birth. If the kid does not get a proper sucking by itself, colostrum should be removed from the does and fed with a bottle with a nipple. Total colostrum feeding should be 10 percent of the kids body weight and offered into 3 to 4 times in day.
• Proteins, vitamins, iron, etc., which are essential for the healthy growth of the kids as well as the large amount of protein required for rapid growth.
• If the colostrum is not available for doe it should be used form orphan does or artificial colostrum should be prepared with using water 264 ml + milk 575 ml. + Castor oil 2.5 ml. + 1 egg + 10,000 IU Vitamin A+ Aromycin 80 mg. officered into 2 to 3 times a day.
• After colostrum feeding to the kids, wipe the mouth with a cloth or wash it with water. Because due to colostrum sickness flies and ants to settle on mouth and causes irritation to the kid.
• New-born kids need to be fed colostrum or milk at short intervals as their stomach is small. Milk should be given at least four times a day. If new-born kids are kept with their mother all day, the kids can drink as much milk as they need.
• If there is no mother milk for the goat, then feed the milk from another goat. Cow’s milk is useful if goat’s milk is not available.
• From age of second week, kids do not stop near the mother. It will go away and rest or play, run. This increases the movement of their bodies.
• However, goat milk production is not increasing as required to the kids. Low goat milk production adversely affects the growth of kids and their intensity is felt more in case of twin / three kid. In such cases, high protein creep feed content of 20 to 22 per cent should be given to the kids.
• Kids do not need to be given separate water for drinking in the first week. Then add water in small pots as required.

Fodder Planning –

Kids start chewing fodder from 1 to 2 weeks of age. For the best growth of kid’s good quality dried grass or dicotyledonous green fodder should be given (garlic grass, sorghum, berseem) at the beginning. Tie a small straw of fodder and hang it up close to the wall to reach the mouth of the kids. The kids like to eat this kind of fodder. Gradually increase the amount as needed. This leads to the growth and development of useful bacteria in the abdomen. The kids should be separated from the mother after eight weeks. They should be given a small amount of concentrate along with good quality fodder. Don’t give too much green fodder to young kids. This may cause diarrhoea also the kids are afraid of intestinal poisoning. For this, don’t give too much fodder. Since the kid 25 days old, give a small dose (50 gm) concentrate in the diet will help the goats to grow faster. If good quality fodder is given to the kids (lucerne grass, berseem) the rapid growth of kids occurs also feeding costs can be reduced. Increase the daily diet to 50% with increasing age of kids. In general, a kids can gain 8 kg or four times its original weight in two months.

The growth rate of goats in the first two months is proportional to the milk production of does. In the subsequent period, milk of goats should be gradually stopped and kids are reared on feed and fodder. On a nutritious diet and management, a kid is expected to weigh 15 kg by the age of three months. The growth of kids in the first three months depends entirely on diet. Therefore, it is necessary to take more care of diet management to reduce mortality and rapid growth. About 65% of the expected weight up to one year of age is gained in the first three months. The highest 43 per cent weight gain occurs in the first, 28 per cent in the second and 29 per cent in the third month.

Care at raising kids

The rate of rejection of its own kids is higher in first time kidding. Raising abandoned or mother-dead kids is a bit of a harder. Because orphans do not accept other goats. For this, the orphan kid should be fed on the body of the goat whose kid has gone. Blindfold should be applied while suckling. The goat recognizes its kid by its smell. Therefore, rub the milk on the body of the kids from orphan goat or nose of the does so that the goat accepts the orphan goat. If this is not possible, remove the milk of another does or cow and bottle should be done.

References

Shalander Kumar and Sharma M. C., CIRG, Makhdoom. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. https://icar.org.in/node/8040

Banergy G. C. Handbook of animal husbandry

Kattimani T. S.  and Patil A. 2021. Advantages and collages in goat farming, epashupalan

Prasad Jagdish, (2000). Goat, sheep and pig production and management. Kalyani Publication, New Delhi. pp.10.

Dr. Achariya., Handbook of Animal Husbandry

Christopher D. Lu. And Michel Potchoiba. 1988. Small ruminant research. 1(2): 105-112

Aparna H. 2022. Feeding management in goats- review. Pushudhan praharee

Sahoo. 2019. Goat farming for improving livelihood security of farm women. Technical bulletin 33, Central institute for women in agriculture.

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https://www.pashudhanpraharee.com/profitable-business-goat-farming-goat-farming-project-report-of-1005-goats/

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