A GUIDE NOTE ON GOAT FARMING IN INDIA
Dr Annarao1, Dr Indrale Utpala2 and Dr Shantkumar3
- Senior Veterinary Officer, VH Kalagi Tq: Kalagi Dist: Kalaburagi
- Senior Veterinary Officer, VD Mangalagi Tq: Kalagi Dist: Kalaburagi
- Senior Veterinary Officer, VD Kallur Tq: Humnabad Dist: Bidar
Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Karnataka State, India
Goat farming advantages
Goat is early domesticated animal, easy to rear. Can be easily managed by women and children. Goat milk composition closely resembles to human milk in combination hence goat is known as foster mother of human. Goats can adopt wide variety of climate. Goat is a versatile animal also known as poor man’s cow. Goat meat and milk has higher market potential, goat farming acts as insurance against agriculture and horticulture. Goat manure is rich source of nutrients and has 2.5 times more nitrogen compared to cow manure, hence acts as primary input in agriculture and horticulture for higher yield and better output. High demand for goat products and lower initial investment made goat farming more popular in India. Each part of the country has its own variety of goat breeds. Milk, meat, manure, skin and kid are the important products of goat which has very high demand round the clock of the year. Hence goats are known as moving ATMs.
Guidelines for Goat farming start up
Before start of goat farming, one should work in a running farm about one month to know the care and management practices in the goat farming activity especially feeding practices. Select a local breed of goats, start from 10 pregnant ewes and go on rearing over a period of time. Never start with high number of animals initially because it will end up with low number due to poor management practices and diseases outbreak. Start from 10 and reach to 100 is best slogan in goat farming. Once goats are adopted to your farm environment and you are ready to handle more number of goats than you can increase the number of goats. Don’t purchase too young, too old, diseased, under nourished, non-pregnant female goats initially. Different breed goats sustain well in different locations. So never run behind breeds. Locally available breeds do well in that particular locality and it will have high demand in that particular locality and easily available. Long distant breed rearing is not profitable in goat farming. Don’t invest more amount in goat shed. Shed should be constructed from locally available materials. Floor should be mud type, avoid concrete floors. Shed should protect goats from predators and environmental extremes. Clean potable water should be always available for goats. Deworming for every 3-4 months should be done after the random faecal examination from the goats in the farm. Vaccination should be followed as per the recommendations of local veterinarian. Semi intensive type of rearing is most preferred in our country. Complete stall feeding is not economically viable and it is very difficult manage fodder to the goats. Shed should be divided into units like pregnant ewe unit, buck unit, kids unit etc. for the better management practices and profitable outcomes. Drainage facility and decompose unit are the integral part of goat shed.
Care and management of pregnant goat
Pregnant goats should be isolated from other goats. Never mix with bucks. Feeding of little extra concentrates and sufficient quantity of potable water should be made available. Never mix aborted goats and pregnant goats. Vaccination, deworming and medication should be done carefully in pregnant goats with the instructions from local veterinarian. Pregnant goats should not be chased by dogs or children. During journey pregnant goats should be transported carefully and at any cost overcrowding in the farm and overlading in the vehicle should be avoided. Kidding should be always carried out with the assistance of expert labour or qualified veterinarian.
Care and management of young one
After the birth immediately young one should be cleaned, umbilical cord should be ligated with iodinated thread and cut at the base. Kid should be allowed to suckle the milk as early as possible so that it should have sufficient colostrum at early period after birth. Hypoglycemia and hypothermia are the important clinical conditions observed in kids who were not fed with mother milk properly. Feeding of coccidiostats, vaccination and deworming should be carried out as per the instructions of local veterinarian. Feeding of colostrum and milk is the key component to reduce the kid mortality in the farm. Thiamine deficiency is the most common problem in kids. Regular vitamins and minerals supplementation will help in faster growth of kids.
Ram fattening, a new initiative in goat farming
Purchase of 3-4 months male goat kids or male kids which are born in the farm are collected and reared for the commercial aspect. Here the rams are separated from the mother in early age, so immunity will be less. Deworming should be followed immediately after the purchase of kids followed by vaccinations as per the local disease history. Avoid mixing of rams with other age group goats, it may lead to transmission of diseases like Coccidiosis, PPR, worm infestation and external parasitic infestation. Rams should be dewormed and vaccinated with enterotoxaemia before starting of concentrates feeding. For better profit 4-8 months rearing should be done with ideal management practices. Mixed Respiratory infection and enterotoxaemia out breaks are very much common in ram fattening units with high morbidity and mortality rates. Regular health checkup, trimming of hooves are necessary part of ideal management practice.
Marketing
Marketing is the key point of success in goat farming. Good market practices is always ends with profit in goat farming. Marketing of rams above 6 months and pregnant goats should have high price for better returns. Culled goats should be sold whenever there is a shortage in goats or high demand in the market. Never sale goats at lower cost. Online market is also a better option for high demand and price. During Bakrid festival, Durga festival, village festival there will be high demand for goats, so market in this period will gives high returns in goat farming.
Health care aspect
Recently goat farming industry facing lot many health issues especially external parasitic infestation, worm load, mixed respiratory infection, foot rot, abortion storm and sudden deaths. High morbidity and mortality cause severe economic losses in goat farming. Regular faecal examination and screening tests are to be carried out in the farm to know the infection status in the farm. Regular deworming, vaccination and dipping are advised to reduce the parasitic load in the farm. Newly brought goats should be isolated over a period of time, after dipping, deworming and vaccination should be allowed in the farm. Never mix different age group goats and different flock goats during grazing. Adult goats act as carrier for many infections including Coccidiosis. Sick goats are separated and should be treated promptly in the farm. Never miss any vaccination schedule even though disease outbreak is very rare. Feeding of immuno stimulants, mineral mixtures and coccidiostats are advised in the farm. Mixed respiratory infection is getting worst in recent years. Regular PPR and HS vaccination should be followed in the farm with prompt isolation and treatment of sick goats. Reproduction problems like dystocia, retention of placenta, abortion, anestrus and repeat breeding should be handled as emergency basis by a qualified veterinarian.
Challenges in goat farming
Shortage of feed and fodder, famine condition, sudden death of goats, high disease outbreaks, poor skilled labors, non-availability of veterinary services, shortage of labors, shortage of grazing lands, high rate of kid mortality, high culling percentage in the farm, poor market facility and lack of bio-security system in the farm. Challenges can be overcome by good management practices in the farm.
Tips for ideal goat farming
Goat farming is one of the best initiatives and start up in animal husbandry. Labour and in put requirements are very much less in goat farming. Goat farming will help in early return in short period of time. Selection of ideal site, low-cost goat shed, local breed farming, semi-intensive type of rearing, regular deworming, dipping and vaccination are the essential input in goat farming. Hygiene in the farm, clean water and good quality of feed and fodder with veterinary care are the necessary part of goat farming. Over feeding of concentrates will causes lactic acidosis, potentiates gastric disturbances and increases the risk of outbreak of enterotoxaemia outbreak in the farm. Avoid purchase of diseased and undernourished stock for goat farming. Ideal market practice, periodical health checkup, regular screening of feed, fodder, water and goat health are integral part of ideal management practices in the goat farming. Follow bio-security practices in the farm. Anaemia due to high parasitic infestation, poor feeding practices observed most of the farms. Regular dipping, deworming and supplementation of oral haematinics will over the problem. Adopt artificial insemination, feeding software, animal identification tag system, market based on live body weight for the better efficient output in goat farming. Goat farming should be guided by a local qualified veterinarian.
Conclusion
Goat farming is the one of the most popular farming in India because of its high potentiality in early return in investment, employment generation, low labour input, high demand for chevon and milk. Even other industry person is migrating towards the goat farming because of its high-income generation potential with fast returns of investment. Feed and fodder scarcity and rapid disease outbreaks are the shortcoming of goat farming. Veterinarian plays a vital role in an ideal goat farming practice.
References
- JAGADISH, P., 2010. Goat, Sheep and Pig Production and Management. 4th, Kalyani Publishers., pp: 1-160
- JOHN MATTHEWS., 2016. Diseases of the Goat. 4th Wiley Blackwell Publishers., pp:1-395
- Livestock census Report 2019
- MSD Veterinary manual
- PUGH, D. G., and ANBAIRD., 2012. Sheep and Goat Medicine. Second Edition. Penny Rudolph Publications., pp:1-640
- RAHANE, A. S., and SHELKE, R. D., 2020. Economics of goat rearing business in Ahamad Nagar district of Maharashtra. M. Sc Thesis, VNMVK Parbhani, Maharashtra, India
- TRUPTI S K and ANNARAO. 2021. Advantages and challenges in goat farming epashupalan.com
- VIHAN, V. S., 2010. Diseases of Small Ruminant. 1st Satish Serial Publishing House., pp: 1-399
- https://www.manage.gov.in/stry&fcac/Project%20Report%20on%20Goat%20Farming.pdf
