GOAT FARMING
Dr.Arjun kumar rao,BVSc & AH, MVSc Scholar
Department of veterinary Anatomy, Dr.G.C.Negi college of veterinary & animal sciences
Chaudhary sarvan kumar H.P. Krishi vishvavidyalaya Palampur-176062
Email id- radhekrishna3198@gmail.com
Registration No. Himachal Pradesh State Veterinary Council:- HVC1387/2022
Abstract
A versatile animal the goat produces milk, meat, hide, and fleece for human consumption in addition to manure for use in enhancing soil fertility. With low overhead cost, basic housing, easy upkeep and favourable all atmospheric conditions, goat farming is feasible. For the sale of its products there are markets everywhere. On poor quality grazing areas, goat farming can be quite effective in production alongside other animals (such as sheep & cattle). Goats are efficient in producing high quality lean meat from inferior grazing material that is undesirable to other livestock. Resourceful person can guide the farmers regarding modifications of the existing goat rearing system by different integrated faming methodologies.
Key words: Farmers, Livestock, Resourceful, methodologies.
Introduction
In India goat rearing is one of the oldest occupation. Mahatma Gandhi known as the ‘father of nation” once referred to the goat as the poor’s cow. Even in the current atmosphere this comment is significant. In Switzerland goat is nicknamed as ‘swiss baby’s foster mother”. By investing a small amount of money a business can be launched by farmers to increase his earnings. Although it pays a vital role in saving the rural uneducated youth from unemployment. The economic returns from keeping goat are high as compare to other farm enterprises in relation to input & output ratio. The success of goat rearing depends upon the number of kids raised and marketed every year. In other words we can say the production is equal to reproduction in goat farming.
Total goat population in India is 135.17 million; goat contributes around 6.43% of total livestock population in India (19th livestock census, 2019). According to the food and agriculture organization (FAO), India was on the top producers of the goat milk in 2008 (with 4 million metric tons production). Goat meat is consumed by 75% of people worldwide. It makes up 5% of meat consumption globally & 8% of red meat. Saturated fatty acids and cholesterol are in small level in goat flesh compared to the other varieties of red meat .it is seen as healthier option. in India goat sector contributes around 14,453 crore, out of which 6851 crore from meat, 4588 crore from milk, and 648 crore from skin, which is 8% of total GDP from livestock sector and generate 4% employment directly or indirectly in country. Approximately 20 million small and marginal farmers depends upon goat rearing.
The following considerations must be made in order to successfully run for goat farming:-
- Selection of good goat breeds:
- Selection on the basis of size of the animal:-
Large size breeds of goat:-Jamunapari, Beetal, Jhakrana.
Medium size breeds of goat:- Sirohiri, Marwadi, Mehsana.
Large size breeds of goat:- Barbari, Black Bengal.
- Selection of breeds on the basis of climatic zones- Plainer environments are better suited for goats of Jamunapari ,sirohi & Barbari breeds. Therefore these breeds can be used more and more by owners for the promotion, development and business in goat farming.
- Selection of breeds on the basis of milk production:-Jamunapari,Surti, Beetal, Barbari, are the best milk producer goats.
- Selection of breeds on the basis of meat production:-Black Bengal, Assam files, Ganjam, Jhakrana, Osmanbadi etc. are the best meat producer breeds of goats.
- Selection on the basis of fur and Mohair production:-Chegu, Chanthangi, Gaddi, Kashmiri, etc. They may be considerd for best pashmina production.
- For the production of milk, meat, and byproducts like hide and manure, almost all the goat breeds are viable options.
- Feeding management:- As we know that goat is a grazing animal. The unique anatomical makeup of their prehensile tongue and mobile upper lips make them easy to graze on very short grasses and also can browse on bushes, trees and shrubs. The total capacity of an adult goat is around 5-7 kg green fodder per day and for better yielding of meat and milk they must be provided with leguminous fodder and good concentrate in their diets. One kilograms of grass or leaves and 100-250 grams of grain / concentrate mixture (Bran, cakes, corn etc.) can be fed to an adult goat. Depending upon the age and body weight of animal the amount of food can be increased or decreased.
- Feeding management of pregnant doe:- The pregnant doe must be supplied with concentrate mixture of 250-350gm/day and for the smooth delivery of young ones 7-10 days before parturition concentrate mixture may be gradually reduced and replace it with fodder in the daily ration.
- Feeding management of New born Kids:- The colostrum must be given up to the five days for the development of better immunity. Over feeding must be avoided the kids from scour or neonatal diarrhoea. If more than one kids are born and the milk from the doe is not sufficient then cow milk may be provided up to two months. The sufficient intake of milk is about One tenth of the body weight of kids daily.
- Housing management:- Goats can thrive in all weather conditions prevailing in the country. But for better farming here goats need good shelter from heat, cold, rain and wild animals. To reduce the cost of construction and as per the affordance of small and marginal farmers locally available raw material must be used in the construction of housing .The house must be East-west orientation and should be constructed on the elevated land to prevent it from water logging or marshy areas.
- Housing space for bucks:- These must be separate housing for bucks provided with the Floor space of :- 2.4 ×1.8squ meters.
- Housing space for doe:-The does may be provided with group housing of atleast1.8squ meters per doe and about 60 does can be placed in a single pen.
- Housing space for kids:- The sufficient space for kids will be about 1.8×1.8squ meters. In winters gunny bags, wheat straw, or sow dust may be provided as a bedding material for kids.
- A Bamboo nettings and side walls must at the height of 1.2 meters from floor so that easy ventilation and direct sunlight penetration can take place easily.
- Breeding management:- Goat are the very good breeders. As we know that the age of sexual maturity of female goats is around 7-12 months and after sometime they gives birth to young ones. In addition to this some of goat breeds having very high conception and fecundity rate while the male goats becomes sexually mature at the age of 12 months. The males of 8-10 year age are best for the breeding purpose. The gestation period of goat is around 150-155 days and it is advisable to mate them again in 60-90 days when they comes in heat. Frequent wagging of tail and white discharge from vagina are the peculiar signs of heat in goats. At that time the goat should be brought in contact with the male goat. In goats the oestrus cycle repeats in every 17-21 days and the doe remains in heat from 18-36 hours. For the better conception the mating should be done within 10-15 hours of onset of heat symptoms. March to May and September to November are the two best breeding seasons where there will be the peak in conception rate. For the best production performance a breeder male must be replaced with new one after every two to three years. A breeding register must be maintained in the goat farm for day to day records so that best progeny can be obtained.
- Health management:- It includes proper vaccination, time to time deworming of animals and prevention and control of different infectious diseases which leads to production and reproduction losses in farm animals. To protect the new born from neonatal diarrhoea, pneumonia and enteritis.
Deworming should be done at least twice in a year to prevent endoparasites while to get rid from the ectoparasites like ticks and mites broad spectrum anthelmintic are recommended at regular interval.
The vaccination against the viral diseases like PPR, BT, FMD and against the bacterial diseases like Brucella, Anthrax etc. should be done periodically except at the advance stages of pregnancy.
Isolation of sick and newly procured animals from the herd must be done to check the further infection.
- Adoption of new technologies by goat farmers:- Day by day for the improvement in productivity of goats new and advance technologies are getting available to accelerate such traditional systems of production .The farmers must routinely visit the well develop commercial goat farms and nearby krishi vigyan kendras to receive training on scientific goat farming. Availability of good quality breeding stock and an increased level of adoption of new technologies would be essential to make them goat farming more profitable.
- Marketing strategy and publicity for sale of goats:- farmers should have to made little efforts to advertise and popularize their goat farm and quality of their products by means of newspapers, social media, hoardings, pamphlets etc. The advertisement and publicity may increase their visibility, resulting in increase in demands and better prices for their goats. Such strategies may leads to develop them as a commercial goat farm in future to produce better quality breeding animals.
Conclusion
Particularly among small and marginal farmers and landless agricultural labourers, goat farming is gaining popularity as a source of additional household income. It is the primary source of income for some of the tribal communities of Himalayan region. The economically underprivileged, tradition bound groups that do not already raise goats should be encouraged to do so for the improvement of their lives. Goat farming is playing vital role in providing employment to the rural uneducated youth. Training on the improved practices of goat farming may develop access to resources, skill and marketing channel which interns increasing the socio economic status and self sufficiency of farmers.
Refrences :-
- .Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries-DADF (2019). DADF annual report 2018-19. Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, Retrieved From http://dadf.gov.in/sites/default/filess/Annual%20 report
- 20th Livestock Statistics, Government of India.
- https://www.igfri.res.in/cms/Publication/Annual%20Reports/Annual%20Report%202019.pdf.
