BROILER GOAT REARING FOR MEAT PURPOSE
S.Bagchi, Secretary,Goat cooperative :
Broiler goat production is highly suitable technology in areas where green fodder is not available (or) due to lack of grazing land. It is one of the techniques to improve the economy of rural farming community. Broiler goat rearing has been found to be highly remunerative compare to rearing other farm animals and it has been advocated as a better substitute of livelihood for the rural farmer.
Goat Rearing is one of the highly demanded businesses in the world. We already in a situation where open grazing lands are decreasing and drought areas where the green fodder is limited. In this case, Broiler goat rearing is best option especially in rural areas. Broiler goat production technology has been found to be highly profitable when compared to rearing other farm animals. You need to understand that the selected goat kids for broiler goat rearing are just for meat production and not for breeding purpose.
Broiler goat has been evolved to enhance goat meat production in areas were land availability is scarce and fodder become dear. The browsing character of goats destroys the crops. Eventually goat rearing became very problematic. At this situation the new technology to grow goats in goat houses abandoning grazing, feeding high tech feed by reducing FCR to 2.5 and total removal of fodder fibre from the became a new innovation in animal industry.
• Goats became one of the family members of farmers
• It is mobile ATM
• Goats play an important role in the financial up liftment of farmers than any other animals
• Goat farming is a profitable self employment business
Broiler Goat Rearing is better option for meat goat farming in rural areas where there is no grazing area or green fodder. Your regular goat experience good enough to manage the broiler goat rearing business
New Feed Technology
It was a common knowledge that ruminant animals could not survive without consuming forages and fibre. Goats a small ruminant also could not be exempted. Why the ruminants eat forage was a technical question that resulted in the development of broiler goat. It is a fact that economics of feeding was the vital factor for feeding forage to ruminant animals. The unique capability of those animals to convert non edible fibre by virtue of rumen fermentation to digestible nutrients like microbial biomass and volatile fatty acids was the bottom line. When land availability became zero for such forage cultivation the technologists were encouraged to delve into the feed technology.
The advent of bypass nutrient technology paved the way to evolve new feeding system. It was proved that the dietary nutrients saved from rumen fermentation will reduce the nutrient losses in animal system. If dietary protein is fermented in rumen the availability of protein through microbial route at the lower tract would be less than 20%. However, if it could be bypassed it may yield around 60%. It is true for glucose and fatty acids. The above parameter was considered FCR and through practical trials it was found that broiler goat can achieve FCR 2.5 against 8 noticed in ruminant animals.
What are broiler goat kids?
As far as broiler goat raring is concerned, we don’t have any specific breed for this purpose. The kids produced from goats (whatever breed available in your area) can be used for broiler goat rearing (both male as well as female kids).
Advantages of Broiler Goat Rearing:-
The following are main advantages of Broiler goat rearing.
• As Broiler goats are meant for meat production, no need to worry about breeding technology.
• As broiler goats are not allowed to graze on open spaces, this provides to raise them in hygienic disease free environment. This can also protect them from any predators. Apart from this, these broiler goats can be protected from eating poisonous leaves/plants/shrubs in open fields.
• Easy to manage and can produce quality tender goat meat (chevon).
• Risk is less in broiler goat farming as they are raised in controlled environment.
• Broiler goats are protected from heat, wind, predators and any severe climatic conditions since they grow in controlled and protected shelters.
• Effective feed management is possible in broiler goat rearing.
• It is easy to monitor goats and record keeping is easy.
• Broiler goats will gain weight at faster rate due to the fact that the feeds are quickly converted into flesh.
• There is minimal chance of getting infections and diseases because they do not move outside the shelter.
• Broiler goat rearing allows collecting the manure. Farmers can earn additional income with this.
Parent stock
This technique is highly applicable to the farmers having goats or already involved in goat rearing. The kids produced from these animals can be used for broiler goat rearing. For example, suppose a farmer is having 50 goats. Out of these 50 goats, may be 20 goats kidded (delivered) on an average of 2 kids/goat at a time. So that farmer can get totally 40kids. Out of these 40 kids (20 male & 20 female), the kids which are having higher birth weight and those not used for further breeding can be selected for broiler goat rearing.
Housing
Low cost housing should be constructed in such a way in a raised platform (about 1 meter height from ground level) by using bamboo/wooden poles or ‘pakka’ building by establishing concrete pillars. Floor and side walls may be made of wooden material. Roof may be thatched with coconut leaves, grass or asbestos sheets. . Average floor space per kid is 0.75 to 1 sq. metre. Floor should have atleast 1 cm space between bamboos/wooden planks to allow passage of dung and urine down to the ground.
FODDER GRASS NEEDED FOR GOATS
• In grazing system, goats select their grazing as their nutrient requirement
• In grazing system, goats like to feed 80% on leavers and 20% on grass
• Goats like liberty
• Goats bored in a short period itself on feeding the same type of feed. It changes the feed as per the variation in the season or climate. You can identify the plants liked by the goat in a short period
• Feed manger should be placed at 5 feet height
• Goat likes to feed plants at flowering stage, hence harvest the fodder at the flowering stage
• Goats feed many times in a day and spend more time on feeding than sheep. Hence divide the feed ration into 3 to 5 doses and don’t disturb them while feeding
FEEDING HABITS OF GOAT
• Goats waste feed from 30 to 40% more than sheep and hence this habit has taken into consideration while cultivating grass
• Goats need more sodium salt than sheep
• Heavy goats disturb the lighter weight goats so keep the same weighing goats in one compartment
• Goat has its own territory border and it will not allow other goats in its terotory, so provide recommended space
• Goats digest more fibrous feed than sheep
• It secretes more saliva
A few information regarding goat:
- 1. Birth weight of kid: 7 to 8% of mother weight.(1.5 to2Kg)
- 2. Breeding age: Female: 10 to 12monts of age(it depends on body weight)
Male: 1 ½ years. - 3. Age at which sale: 9 months.
- 4. Reproductive cycle: 18 to 21 days.
- 5. Pregnancy period: 145 to 150 days.
Selection of breeds
• Consider the breeds suitable for climatic conduction.
• Consider native breeds like Black bengal,Sirohi,Barbari, Jamunapari, Beetal etc.
• Foreign Breed: Boyer cross breed.
• Different age group in desirable in a farm.
Goat farm should be consists of
a) 30% of goats in 2teeth age.
b) 30% of goats in pregnant stage.
c) 40% of goats should be of second or third kindling stage.
Age: Purchase the goats,
• Having two and four permanent teeth stage.
• (Two permanent teeth is 1 ½ years of age.
• Four permanent teeth is 2 ½ years of age.)
• Two years of age goat, which is already gave birth once and now ready for breeding.
• Ready for breeding.
How to purchase goats?
• Generally purchase the goats at the farm or from breeder.
• To identify the pox like disease, apply the palm against the hair coat of skin.
• Don’t allow the animal in to the farm immediately of the purchase. keep separately for 20 days.
• Identify the sick ones and sell them.
• Deworm the goat after 20 days.
• Get the information about vaccination schedule from vet & vaccinate properly.
• Don’t allow the visitors in to the farm.
• Active goats with large, soft udder, not pendulous are desirable for purchase .
• Avoid the purchase of goats having, tumors and to parasites.
Housing:
• Goat requires 15 to 20 sq feet per animal.
• Shed should face east, west.
• Shed should be 15 to 20 feet breath.
• Side wall should be 1 ½ feet height from the floor and the remaining can be made of wire mesh.
Goat shed
• Floor space for adult: 12-15 square feet covered space and 20-24 square feet open space
• Fill the floor with coarse soil about 1 ½ feet height.
• Deep litter material: 7kg / goat for 4-6 months, for 10 goat (yield 2 ½ ton manure).
• Floor should be made in slopes.
• Shed one side should be covered area and the other side should be open.
• One feeder and one waterer for every 10 goat.
• Keep the feeder at 3three places at 1 ½ feet height and one water duff.
• Waterer and manager should be kept clean.
• In some places slatted floor shed in practiced.
• Slatted floor should be 2’ to 2 ½’ height from the floor.
• One inch gap should be allowed in each repair.
• Dung and urine of goats dropped in to the floor and it can be cleaned once in 3 to 4 months.
Is slatted floor necessary?
• Slatted floor shed in not necessary for our climatic condition.
• It is recommended for heavy rain fall area where the soil is always wet.
• In foreign countries and in very large size farm where they keep 4000 to 5000 goats it is recommended to reduce labor cost.
Comparative study on weight gain of goats reared on deep litter and slatted floor
Details Slatted floor Deep lither
Birth weight 2.11 2.13
3months weight 7.40 7.50
6months weight 11.47 11.53
9months weight 14.87 14.77
12months weight 17.70 17.68
15months weight 20.37 20.13
18months weight 22.98 22.90
No additional weight gain in goat reared in slatted flood.
Selection of kids
The goat kids about 15 days to 1 month old i.e before starting to eat green leaves and are having higher birth weight and not used for further breeding can be selected for broiler goat rearing. The selected kids will not be allowed to feed on green fodder/grazing green grasses in open spaces.
Method of rearing
The selected kids are reared intensively by providing concentrate feed (goat feed) @ 5 g mixed with equal quantity of rice gruel (broken boiled rice) initially i.e. at start (15-30 days). Then gradually increase the amount day by day as per feed intake (eg. 7g, 10 g, 15 g like that). Apart from these you can add, coconut cake, rice bran or ground cake with minimum level (1-2 g/day/kid to maximum of 150-200/day) pure water also should be available at all times (24 hours). Liver tonic (Tefroli/Livol etc.) and Fish oil should be given twice in a week @ 2.5 ml/animal per day initially and increase upto 5-10ml/kid/day. The young kids should be allowed for mother’s milk twice or thrice in a day.
Caring of kids
• Clean the nostrils of the kid.
• Allow the kid suckle on udder, after cleaning the udder in warm water.
• Colostrums milk should be given within 15minitues of birth.
• Cut the nasal cord 1” away from the body and apply tincture iodine.
• If the kids soiled with urine and dung the mother goat will not accept it, to avoid this apply mother milk on the kids body.
• Allow the kids with the mother for abot 3to 4 days .
• Don’t allow the too small kids with the mother to graze.
• If necessary, castrate the male kid in 3months of age.
• The kids can grow by feeding the other goats milk, whenever necessary.
• Kids can fed with the warm cow milk at the temp of 35c.
Growing methods
• Allow the kids up to 3months with mother & then allow them separately.
• Growth will be faster, between 3 months to 6 months of age.
• Growth will be medium between 6 months to 9 months of age.
• After 9 months of age, growth rate is slow in correlation with the food intake.
• Sale the male kids under 9 months of age and female kids on 1 ½ year of age is preferable.
• Mineral mixture deficiency usually not met in goats reared under grazing.
• Salt lick is necessary for goat reared in shed. It should be hanged in the shed.
• Iodide salt should also be supplemented with feed.
• Goats need different kinds of tree fodder; hence don’t feed the goat on same type of feed.
• Cultivate different types of fodder to feed the goat.
• Growth rate greatly reduced in every shortfall in types of fodder.
• Provide a mixture of 50% of grass and 50% of green leaves in goats ration.
• For example a goat feeding 6kg of fodder, provide it as 3 kg of grass and 3kg of tree leaves.
• Growth rate will be more, when you provide concentrate feed along with grass and tree leaves.
Breeding management
• For breeding, male above 2 years of age and female 1 ½ years can be used.
• One male for 20 female is necessary.
• Male should keep separately, and allowed to the female in the night time only.
• Goat able to breed throughout the year.
• We can use marker on the male to identify the female which mated.
• Non pregnant females again return to heat after 21 days.
• Pregnant animals do not come to heat usually.
• To get healthier kids, we should follow the correct feeding practice.
• Breeding performance increases, in cases of shorter inter kidding period.
• Females return to heat 45 to 60 days after kidding.
• We can get three kidding in two years period.
• Change the male once in every 2 years, but not select the male from the same flock for breeding.
• Change the female which kidded 5 times.
• Once in two years, cull the old, infertile, under growth ones from the farm.
Care of male
• Male should be given grains or concentrate, along with greens during breeding (age of 2 ½ years).
• Allow 25 to 30 female for a male.
• Don’t graze the male along with female.
Care of pregnant doe:
• 60 days after mating provide extra nutrient to the conceived female.
• Provide green fodder.
• Nearing parturition female should be grazed separately, keep them in separate stall. Relaxation of glutial muscle noticed in nearing parturition female.
• Provide exercise.
Feeding management
We can follow 3 types of feeding management
- 1. Grazing or free range system.
- 2. Grazing and feeding concentrate or semi-intensive system.
- 3. Stall feed or intensive system.
Grazing system
• In good grazing season, growth is 50 to 60 gram/ day.
• In poor grazing season, growth is 35 to 40 gram/day.
• In this system no uniform growth rate seen.
Grazing and concentrate feeding system (semi intensive)
• Provide extra ration at the evening & night after grazing.
• Provide grass or concentrate feed.
• If concentrate feed, provide 15% of its body weight or greens in adlibitum.
• Quantity of greens provided will vary depends on the grazing.
• For example provide 100 to 150g concentrate feed to the 20kg weighing goat.
• Harvest & store the cowpea plant at the early pod stage and provide to the goat instead of concentrate feed.
• In case of feeding green fodder, make sure that it should be of 50% grass & 50% leaves of the fodder.
Care of meat purpose male
• It is essential to provide concentrate feed at the last month of gestation.
• Purchase the kids born in single. Kid’s birth wil be more.
• Growth will be very high up to 5 months of age.
• Growth will be slow after 9 months of age.
• Wean the kids at the age 2 ½ months.
• Provide starter ration.
• Provide 50% grass + 30% legume + 20% tree leaves, in addition provide concentrate ration 1% of its body weight along with mineral mixture and iodized salt.
• Sale the male at festival season.
• Consider the points like color, whorl for sale of religious purpose.
• Price the animal by weight basis.
• Avail the open of sale by advertisement and internet.
Cultivation of mixed cropping pattern
• More fodder is produced under mixed crop pattern than the individual cultivation.
• For example three rows of Co3 or Co4, with one row of hedge Lucerne.
• Two rows of fodder sorghum with one row of soybean.
• Three rows of ______________grass with one row of stylo
• It increases the fertility rate and provide necessary nutrient to the growing fetus.
• In case of own preparation for concentrate mixture, prepare it for 15days alone and keep it in well ventilated area.
To prepare 10kg of concentrate feed mix:
- 1. Cereals (maize, cumbu, sorghum, broken rice) – 3.4 kg
- 2. Oil cake – 1.5 – 2kg
- 3. Bran – 3 – 4 kg
- 4. Mineral mixture – 200g
- 5. Iodized salt – 100g
Few concentrate mixtures for goat
- 1. Dried cowpea 50%
- 2. GNC 20%
- 3. Maize 27%
- 4. Mm 2%
- 5. Salt 1%
Average weight gain 80G/day
- 1. Dried cow pea plant 70%
- 2. Broken maize 28%
- 3. Mm 2%
- 4. Salt 1%
Average of weight gain 125G/day
- 1. Poultry waste 30%
- 2. Cotton seed cake 20%
- 3. GNC 7%
- 4. Sorghum 30%
- 5. Molasses 10%
- 6. Mineral mixture 2%
- 7. Salt 1%
- 8. 200 to 300G cotton seed
Average weight gain 53-6G/day
Green fodder management
• Chaff the agricultural waste and spray 2% of common salt on it and it can be feed to the goat.
• Chaff or grind the agricultural residue and spray urea solution on it and keep it air tight for 21 days and it can be feed to the goat.
• To meet shortage of green fodder in summer Silage feed is required.
Importance of green fodder
• Green fodder plays major role in supplementary protein, fiber content, vitamin and minerals and also control the animal’s body temp to a great extent.
Green fodder can be classified into four groups,
• Grass fodder :Co3,Co4
• Cereal fodder :maize, sorghum
• Legume fodder :Hedge Lucerne, stylo
• Tree fodder :
Preparation for breeding season (Flushing)
• Provide 25% additional feed 2to3 weeks before breeding season.
• Provide 150G of concentrate 2to3 weeks before breeding and 3weeks before parturition.
• Due to flushing, multiple ovulations occur, thereby increases the changes of more number of kids.
• Provide concentrate feed, to kids of 45days old.
• For kids 50 to 100G/day.
• Adult one 250G/day.
• One saltlick sufficient for 20 goats.
• Selection of Goat Breeds in Broiler Goat Rearing:
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• There is no specific breed used for broiler goat rearing. The kids produced from goat breeds available in your area can be used for broiler goat rearing. These include both male and female goats. In Broiler goat farming, you must select goat kids 2 weeks to 4 weeks of age which is usually before these kids start eating green leaves. The selected goat kids for broiler goat farming should have good birth weight and they must not be used for further breeding. The selected kids in broiler goat rearing should not be allowed to feed on green fodder or grazing green grasses in open fields.
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• Goat House Construction in Broiler Goat Rearing:
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• You must ensure proper ventilated and elevated shed is required for Broiler Goat Rearing. When it comes to broiler goat housing, you can build low cost goat house with a raised platform about 1 meter height from ground level by using bamboo/wooden poles. The goat house floor and side walls can be made with wood. House roof can be built with coconut leaves, grass or asbestos sheets. It requires floor space of 1 sq.meter per broiler goat kid. Make sure the floor has at least 1 cm space between wooden planks to allow passage of goat dung and urine down to the ground. This raised platform can protect from any snakes, other predators.
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• Goat Care in Broiler Goat Rearing:
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• The broiler goat kids should be monitored regularly for any abnormal behavior and unusual feeding habits. It is advised to have your vet visit the farm once in a week. Any sick broiler goat should be isolated from the flock. Never mix male and female goats as our purpose is not breeding. Providing clean water 24 hours a day ensures healthy growth. Never allow goats to eat from other goat feeds. Clean the house floor and disinfect the house frequently to maintain hygienic conditions. Never allow broiler goat kids of the house or to open spaces.
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• Goat Feeding in Broiler Goat Rearing:
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• Timely and proper feeding is another important factor that influence the growth rate especially body weight in broiler goats. The selected goat kids for broiler goat farming are reared intensively by providing concentrate feed @ 5 grams mixed with equal quantity of broken boiled rice at initial stages (2 week to 1 month). As time passes, you should gradually increase the feed amount day by day. The feed intake should increase like 7grams , 10 grams , 15 grams like that. As supplemental feed, you can also add, coconut cake, rice bran or ground cake with minimum level of 1 to 2 grams/day/goat kid to maximum of 150 to 200 grams/day/goat kid.
Liver tonic and fish oil may be given twice in a week @ 2.5 ml/goat/day initially and can increase gradually up to 5 to 10ml/goat kid/day. You can buy goat feed available in the market or prepare on your own by given feed ingredients.
• Health Care in Broiler Goat Rearing:-
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• De-worming is regular practice of caring your broiler goats. Your veterinary doctor is right person to talk about this. Generally, de-worming is done once in 3 months. Make sure all the animals get vaccinated before entering into your farm.
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• Marketing of Broiler Goats:-
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• Goat meat is always preferred across the globe. As population is increasing, meat lovers are increasing so the demand for goat meat (chevon) is never ending.
Marketing of broiler goat is very easy and you can sell these goats at your farm gate itself. Avoid any middle agent and try to sell directly for more profits. In case of broiler goat, you can sell them when they attain about 25 kg weight or at the age of 3 to 4 months.
Deworming of goats
Symptoms of worm burden,
• Lose in weight gain.
• Pot belly.
• Jewel edema.
• Anemia.
• Rough hair coat.
Prevention
• Deworm the animal 2 or 3 months once.
• Deworm, once before the onset of monsoon and once during monsoon.
• Deworm, two times after of the monsoon.
• Deworm should be done under consultant of vet.
Diseases of goat
- 1. PPR
- 2. FMD
- 3. HS
- 4. Anthrax
- 5. ETV
- 6. Brucellosis
- 7. Coli form & salmonella diseases
- 8. RF Goat feed: Available in the market or you can also prepare own feed mix by using following feed ingredients
Ingredients———————————————————— Parts
Deoiled ground nut cake 12
Horse gram 30
Wheat/maize/jowar (grain) 30
Rice polish/wheat bran 15
Dried unsalted fish 10
Mineral mixture 1.5
Common salt 1.5
Vitamin AB2 D3 25 gms/100 kg of feed mixture
Marketing
In India goat meat is preferred by all. So marketing of broiler goat is not a major problem. Direct marketing is highly profitable. Involvement of middleman can reduce the price of animals. Broiler goat meat is soft and minimize goaty odour. Marketing should be done at the attainment of 25-30 kg or at the age of 3-4 months whichever is earlier.
Breeding of parent stock
Parent stock should be allowed for mating by using good quality male (superior breed) or by using frozen semen at about 45 days postpartum (after delivery). Thereby the farmers can get continuous supply of goat kids for broiler goat production. Furthermore, the female goats produce more number of kids in their life time. Repeated mating by using same male should be avoided.
Synchronization of estrus
In a large herd, synchronization of estrus by using PGF2 alpha injection and timely breeding by using good quality frozen semen or natural service by superior male will enhance not only conception rate but also the farmer can bring all the animals to deliver (kidding) at a specified period.
Advantages
- No need to observe oestrus signs.
- Fixed time breeding at 72 hrs and 96 hours following PGF2 alpha injection.
- Delivery of all mated or inseminated animals at a particular time.
- Highly useful for broiler goat rearing
- Management is easy.
- Reduced inter-kidding interval (in between the deliveries)
Records keeping
- 1. Stock register
- 2. Feed register
- 3. Health radiation register
- 4. Breeding register
- 5. Sales register
A farm woman can manage about 10-20 kids at a time without any extra labour. It is highly profitable to the farmers who are already involved in goat rearing. The kids should be sold off at about 3-4 months or at the attainment of 25-30 kgs whichever is earlier. A farm woman/farmer can produce more number of broiler kids in short period of time. Apart from these the reproductive efficiency of female goats can also be highly exploited by proper planning of breeding.
Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
Image-Courtesy-Google
Reference-On Request.
