22 Advantages of Goat Farming Business On A Small Scale

Last updated on April 29th, 2022 at 08:18 pm

The advantages of goat farming business are numerous and irresistible that you could go into it on large scale and become an employer of labour. So, what’s the profit you can be made from the goat rearing business in a month, and how you can start off in the backyard.

Simply put, this business is a lucrative one, for instance, you can milk your goat by hand if you’re operating on a small scale, find details at: https://infomediang.com/milk-goat-by-hand

Commercial goat rearing has also been a contributing factor to a nation’s economic growth. A variety of products can be gotten from goats like meat, milk, manure and fibre.

The milk gotten from goats can also be used to produce skimmed goat milk powder, full cream milk, goat milk cream, and goat butter. It is also a source of nutritious and healthy meat for men.

The skin of goats can be used to make leather products. Here we will be discussing the advantages of setting up a goat farming business and the required steps to take.

Advantages of goat rearing

1) It can be reared with other livestock.

2) It contributes to the growth of the rural economy and general national income.

3) Products like milk, meat, serve as a source of income for the poor.

4) Meat and milk from goats are easily digestible. Appenzell Goat is one of the best breeds in terms of milk production

5) Their small size makes it easy to manage.

6) Taking care of them does not require hard work, much equipment and isn’t capital intensive.

7) Goat rearing businesses do not need a large rearing space due to their small size.

8) They are pleasant and loveable to have around.

9) Goats are good breeders.

10) Goats reach their reproductive stage between 7-12 months of age.

11) The risk of goat rearing is low in terms of weather conditions.

12) The male and female goats cost the same price in the market.

13) Rearing goats is not against any religious belief or practice.

14) Goat Milk and meats are free from cholesterol

15) Goat milk and meats are easily digested by all age groups.

16) You can make millions from goat rearing with little stress

17) There is no need to construct expensive housing for goats.

18) Goats are accomodating, they can share their space with other animals.

19) Goats easily adapt to climatic changes. They can survive in both high and low temperatures than most animals.

20) Return on Investment (ROI) on goat rearing is commendable as they reproduce more than most animals.

21) Goats attain slaughtering age fast.

22) Their milk is best for human consumption than other livestock species.

How to Startup Goat Rearing Business

To carry on and be successful in this business, you need a workable business plan and follow through with it. Let’s discuss the steps for starting up a goat farming business venture.

Choose a good location

Select a good location for your farm with all the required facilities available to ensure the success of the business.

Facilities needed for goat farming:

• Access to a clean and fresh water supply.
• Necessary equipment should be available.
• Presence of source of food.
• The presence of green grasses keeps the animals productive, healthy and reduces cost of feeding
• Access to full-time labour.
• Access to veterinary services and means of transportation.
• Market where you can purchase supplies and sell your products easily.

Selecting the Right Goat Breed

There are various species of goats available for rearing. Some examples include:

• Dwarf goats of Nigeria,
• Cashmere goats,
• Pygmy goats,
• Black Bengal goat,
• Boer goats,
• Mountain goats.

These goat breeds are not all reared for the same purpose. While some are for meat production, others are for milk production.

Pygmy goats

Pygmy goats are of African origin and are used mostly for goat shows while some people rear them as pets.

Nigerian Dwarf

The Nigerian Dwarf goats are popular and come in different colors such as chocolate, gold, black, etc.
Lamanchas, Nubians, Oberhasli, Alper, and Togenburgs are some dairy goats reared specifically for milk production either in commercial quantity or for family consumption.

Boer goats

Boer goats are of South African origin and are reared for meat production. Research has shown that Boer goats are quite costly and demand is usually higher than supply. Cashmere goats are known for wool production.
In all, selecting the right breeds for goat farming at a commercial scale will guarantee a profit. Find out the suitable breed for your area before starting up.

Shelter for Your Goats

You don’t plan to raise your goats in an open air so providing housing for them is important. There are various designs of housing for goats according to their mode of production.

In small-scale farming, you can keep the goats in the same place with other livestock animals but in commercial farming, this is not recommended if you must have better results.

Proper housing secures the goats from predators and different goat diseases. Ensure to adequately ventilate the house to allow for fresh air, provide an appropriate drainage system and keep it neat and dry also.

Feeding Your Goats

Goat feeding management is very important in commercial goat farming ventures. They eat plants, grasses, weeds, shrubs, and herbs.

They do not eat flesh. Apart from these feeds, they also need a good supply of proteins, energy, vitamins, fiber, and water to develop properly.

Care & Management

Keep their environment clean. Always feed them clean food and water. In commercial farming, keep the does, bucks, and kids in separate spaces. Take extra care of the pregnant does and keep the kids for few weeks with their mother after birth.

Common goat diseases

There are different types of viral diseases that affect goats. For example, goat pox, PPR, mouth and foot, and diseases and some bacterial diseases like brucellosis, and anthrax, etc. are very dangerous for goats.

• Pneumonia,
• diarrhea,
• goat pox
• PPR
• ketosis,
• anemia,
• anorexia,
• arthritis,
• anthrax,
• bronchitis
• coccidiosis.

Do ensure to test them regularly whenever notice unusual behavior. To avoid some of these diseases, they should be checked regularly, avoid contaminated feed

Symptoms of diseases in goat

• mucus discharge from their noses and eyes, fever, anorexia,
• inflammation of the nasal
• buccal cavities
• respiratory difficulty.

If you noticed any of the above symptoms, call your Vet doctor.

Vaccination

Timely vaccination is very good to help keep off health problems. Hence, adequate vaccination is compulsory to prevent these types of diseases. Vaccinate the does at the fifth month of gestation period. Vaccinate the kids PPR vaccine when they reach 5 months of age.

Marketing

This is the most important aspect, especially in commercial farming. Products from goats like milk and meat are in high demand locally and globally. A lot of people like goat milk and meat. With this, you already have an available market for your products.

The secret of starting goat farming business (Total Expenditure)

Note:

• Male goat: bulk or billy
• Female goat: doe or nanny

The expenses incurred in production and profit made from sales are dependent on the location, a farming practice adopted, breeds, feeding cost and more.
With proper planning and management, you are sure to make good profit from this business.

Young goats (kids) are cheaper in rural areas in Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Kano, Yobe, Ogun etc so when you’re starting the local areas, find out about their weekly market days.

For instance, if you want to start goat rearing on a large scale, you can comfortably start with N200, 000. Yes, you read that right. As you don’t need huge capital like you would for cow.

Provided you already have a fenced plot of land you want to use, here is what you would do with N200, 000 to start goat farming business.
Price of a goat kid falls between N5,000 to N6,000

• 4 male kids (N20, 000)
• 12 male kids (N84,000)
• Total=N104,000

Doe (females) are usually more expensive than males. Then keep the remaining N96, 000 for their feeds and other exigencies. One good thing about goat is they eat food remains and grasses.

Profit from goat farming business

A female goat (doe) usually gives birth twice in a year. They have a shorter gestation period making them produce in a large scale within a short period of time.

Imagine 12 nannies each giving birth twice in a year. Less than two years, you could have as many as 40 goats. And less than 5 years, you could have as many as 100 goats or more.

Some of the fully grown nannies give birth to twins twice in a year. That translates to a great ROI for you

Marketing: The weight goat is its worth, meaning a full market size goat could be sold for N20, 000 or more depending on location.

Five sales mean N100, 000. Don’t spend the profit realized on something else, invest in the business and watch it grow within six years, you can definitely be an employer of labour.

When you’ve fully expanded your goat farming business, you can be making at least N300, 000 per month as profit.

Essential Tips for Goat Farming

You need to have good knowledge of how to raise goats if you must make profits from it. Here are a few tips for rearing goats and earning maximum turnover.

• Keep them strong and healthy.
• Choose high productive breeds for your business.
• Learn more about the business before starting up.
• Make sure the goats have enough free areas to move around.
• Provide all essential equipment for the process.
• Provide adequate fresh and clean water, food and fresh grasses to meet their daily needs.
• Never feed them with polluted food.
• Be extra careful with breeding buck, pregnant doe, and kids.
• Give extra nutritious food to the bucks during the period of mating.
• Consult a veterinarian frequently to check on their health status.
• During the summer period, give minerals and salt with a lot of water.
• Keep them away from rain and cold to prevent mortality.

Final thought:

In our e-book, we outlined the towns and villages where you can buy goats at cheaper rates for your business. And the best location to sell them when they have grown.

The goat farming business is profitable, less risky, and very easy to manage. It can also be used to create job opportunities and result in economic growth.

Though there may be little risk, proper care and management will ensure that the business stays profitable.