The Basics to Successful Goat Farming Business
The goat farming business is one of the lucrative aspects of animal husbandry. Although goats can adapt themselves to almost all types of environments, it is recommended that for commercial production, a house with all modern facilities should be made available for use.
Try to make a south-facing house for your goats this is because Goat can’t tolerate heavy cold and rainwater as a draft-free building will help to keep your goat warm.
Therefore, you should endeavor to never allow the snow and rainwater to enter inside the house.
In the United States, for instance, there has been an increasing demand for goat meat and milk over the past years which is said can be attributed to the increase in the population of various ethnic groups residing in the US according to N.C. Cooperative Extension.
Female goats are called DOES or DOELINGS as babies. Male goats are called BUCKS or BUCKLINGS as babies.
If a male goat has been castrated (neutered with simple rubber banding) they are known as a WETHER.
The ONLY way to get milk from a goat is to get a female doe pregnant so she can have babies first.
Each time a goat has babies, this kick starts her milk production and is known as a FRESHENING. It’s very similar to humans.
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At first, the mother has a lot of milk, but then gradually for about a year, the amount of milk reduces.
Typically, goats have their babies in the spring, then at 8 weeks you can sell the babies and enjoy milk for almost an entire year.
You’ll want to breed your goat again in the fall if you want to freshen her milk again in the spring.
Don’t worry, you can still milk a doe while she is pregnant, but you’ll have to let her dry up 2 months before she is due so she can build up some nutritional reserves for her offspring.
Purchasing Your First Goat:
The first thing you need to know is that there are many different breeds of goats.
There are dairy breeds: Nubian, La Mancha, Alpine, Oberhasli, Toggenburg, Saanen, Sable, and Nigerian Dwarf goats.
There are meat breeds: Spanish, Tennessee, Boer, and Kiko goats.
Some fancy–pantsy breeds produce fibers for fabric: Angora and Cashmere goats.
And then there are the fun pet breeds: Pygmy and Fainting goats.
When starting, you should purchase TWO does or doelings.
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Goats are herd animals and they will be super sad (and LOUD) if left alone.
BUCKS can stink a lot when they are older and are pretty disgusting and aggressive.
If they are kept in close quarters with a doe, the flavor of your milk can taste bad!
They give off strong pheromones that change the female doe’s hormones too.
In the end, unless you want to start a herd of goats, you can just borrow a buck once a year for breeding time and be done with it.
With the Nigerian dwarf, you can get as much milk as possible with your herd and become a major/stable supplier of Goat milk.
Also, most North American farmers tend to focus more on cattle, pigs, and chickens without realizing that the goat market is becoming increasingly large and popular, with the demand for goat’s milk and goat meat rising yearly.
This makes the business of raising goats for profits very doable, as long as you do it right.
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