Goat farming faster with limited resources
Like 2 Dislike 0 Published on 13 May 2020
Goat farming is the raising and breeding of domestic goats. It is a branch of animal husbandry. Goats are raised principally for their meat, milk, fibre and skin.
Goat farming can be very suited to production with other livestock such as sheep and cattle on low-quality grazing land. Goats efficiently convert sub-quality grazing matter that is less desirable for other livestock into quality lean meat. Furthermore, goats can be farmed with a relatively small area of pasture and limited resources.
animals that a goat farmer can raise and sustain is dependent on the quality of the pasture. However, since goats will eat vegetation that most other domesticated livestock decline, they will subsist even on very poor land. Therefore, goat herds remain an important asset in regions with sparse and low quality vegetation.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the top producers of goat milk in 2008 were India (4 million metric tons), Bangladesh (2.16 million metric tons) and the Sudan (1.47 million metric tons).
Goat meat contains low amounts of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. It is considered to be a healthier alternative to other types of red meat.
Male goats are generally not required for the dairy-goat industry and are usually slaughtered for meat soon after birth.
The skin of goats is a valuable by product of goat farming. Up until 1849 all Rolls of Parliament were written upon parchment usually made from goat skin.Another populer use is for drum skins. Parchment is prepared by liming (in a solution of quick lime) to loosen the hair follicles. After several days in this bath, the hair can then be scraped off and the under surface of the skin scraped clean. After that the finished skins are sewn into a wooden frame to dry and shrink.
Provision of simple shed with low cost housing materials is enough for sheep and goat for its optimum production efficiency.
Sheds with mud floor are suitable for most of parts of the country except where high rainfall is observed.
The sheds should be constructed in an elevated area to prevent water stagnation.
Fodder trees can be grown around the shed, which acts as a source of feed for the growing goats.
Clean drinking water should be available for goats.
Sheds should be constructed with proper ventilation.
Walls of the shed should be free from cracks or holes, while constructing.
Floors of the shed should be firm and should have the capacity to absorb water. The floors should be constructed in such a way, so that it should be easily cleaned.
Types of sheds depend on the system of rearing.
Open type housing with a covered area and run space is generally enough.
The run space should be covered by chain links.
The covered area is used for shelter of animals during night and adverse climatic conditions.
For a comfortable house east-west orientation with generous provision for ventilation /air movement to dry the floor will be suitable.
Thatched roof is best suited one due to cheaper cost and durability.
However corrugated asbestos sheets can also be used for organized farms to minimize the recurring costs andto have longer durability.
Gable roofing is generally preferred.
For small sheds lean to type roofing is advisable.
When the animals are taken for grazing during the day time and sheltered only during night, the covered space will be enough.
When the animals are housed intensively, the pen and run system of housing is suitable.
There is no restriction for the length of the shelter, however breadth of shed should not exceed 12 meter and optimum breadth of shelter is 8 meter.
Height of ewe should be 2.5 meter and height at ridge should be 3.5 meter.
The height of chain link used for open space should be 4 feet. The length of the overhang should be 75cm – 1 meter.
Separate feeders and water troughs should be placed for concentrate feeds, green fodders and water.