Perhaps you are thinking of entering the agriculture business in the way of livestock farming and herding. You may in fact be dreaming of putting up a Nigerian dwarf goats for sale sign and getting good business for it also. However, you should know a thing or two about raising these creatures prior to plunging in head first.
The first thing that you should decide is if you will solely breed them and sell the offspring, or specialize in enlarging your herd for dairy and meat purposes. Either way you should decide on either of these options or maybe take on both.
When you do decide to go into raising these animals, you will be a goatherd. So it will be useful for you to know also the knowledge that a goatherd has. You should know some beginner basics starting from barn maintenance and other things such as diet and hygiene management.
Proper barn maintenance is the key to sustaining a healthy flock or herd. Regular cleaning and sanitation is needed, particularly in warm or hot weather. Excessive waste and urine particularly in enclosed areas will lead to a gradual buildup of ammonia. This ammonia buildup will affect the respiratory systems of the animals, thus making them more susceptible to pneumonia.
Goat hooves must also be regularly trimmed and cleaned. In the wild, hooves are worn out naturally, while in captivity they cannot be worn down as there is lack of mobility. Maintaining the hooves in terms of standard length will prevent accidents due to lengthy hooves, which can include broken legs and sprains. The hooves must be trimmed every two or three months at least.
The diet of your new goats must be as fresh as possible with goat or general livestock feed of around 12 to 18 percent protein content mixed in. Do some research as to how to get the proper ratio mixes to give in terms of age and gender. It goes without saying that a fresh supply of water everyday goes a long way in ensuring good health.
Should you also be thinking of starting a herd for breeding purposes, you must be familiar with the breeding cycles. Young goats can mate as early as seven weeks old. The herd can multiply quite fast as there is no fixed mating period for them. Theoretically they can give birth two to three times a year as their gestation periods are only around one hundred and fifty days or less.
There are definitely other considerations to take into account before starting a goat breeding venture and business. This article just covered some main considerations and points to ponder. There are however other things that you should consider and do research on also. You may get more tips and advice by going to fellow breeders and also looking at animal husbandry websites on the internet.
The first thing that you should decide is if you will solely breed them and sell the offspring, or specialize in enlarging your herd for dairy and meat purposes. Either way you should decide on either of these options or maybe take on both.
When you do decide to go into raising these animals, you will be a goatherd. So it will be useful for you to know also the knowledge that a goatherd has. You should know some beginner basics starting from barn maintenance and other things such as diet and hygiene management.
Proper barn maintenance is the key to sustaining a healthy flock or herd. Regular cleaning and sanitation is needed, particularly in warm or hot weather. Excessive waste and urine particularly in enclosed areas will lead to a gradual buildup of ammonia. This ammonia buildup will affect the respiratory systems of the animals, thus making them more susceptible to pneumonia.
Goat hooves must also be regularly trimmed and cleaned. In the wild, hooves are worn out naturally, while in captivity they cannot be worn down as there is lack of mobility. Maintaining the hooves in terms of standard length will prevent accidents due to lengthy hooves, which can include broken legs and sprains. The hooves must be trimmed every two or three months at least.
The diet of your new goats must be as fresh as possible with goat or general livestock feed of around 12 to 18 percent protein content mixed in. Do some research as to how to get the proper ratio mixes to give in terms of age and gender. It goes without saying that a fresh supply of water everyday goes a long way in ensuring good health.
Should you also be thinking of starting a herd for breeding purposes, you must be familiar with the breeding cycles. Young goats can mate as early as seven weeks old. The herd can multiply quite fast as there is no fixed mating period for them. Theoretically they can give birth two to three times a year as their gestation periods are only around one hundred and fifty days or less.
There are definitely other considerations to take into account before starting a goat breeding venture and business. This article just covered some main considerations and points to ponder. There are however other things that you should consider and do research on also. You may get more tips and advice by going to fellow breeders and also looking at animal husbandry websites on the internet.
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