How to start goat farming business

Are you a goat farmer or you are just thinking about starting a goat farming business?

Whichever category you fall into, you are in the right place to learn the basics of how to start goat farming business.

Learning as much as possible about goat farming business is important for your success in this business.

We usually advise our readers to try as much as they can to get the first-hand knowledge from a goat farmer.

This will help you learn more about goats and their different rearing methods.

For those of you who don’t know already, commercial goat farming is a very profitable business.

Goats are easy to handle and produce lots of delicious and healthful milk as well as low-fat meat.

In addition, goat manure makes great fertilizer for crop cultivation.

How To Start a Profitable Goat Farming Business

If you want to establish a successful goat farming business, then you need to read this till the end.

This step by step goat farming guide will comprehensively explain the process of starting a goat farming business.

1. Do a market survey for goat farming

Should you raise goats? This is probably the first question you should ask yourself before starting a goat farming business.

No doubt, the profitability of this business is high.

However, you must be sure that all factors for making a profit out of commercial goat farming are right.

This may require you to do a market survey for goat demand in your area.

The outcome of your market analysis for goat farming will help you determine a suitable goat breed to rear.

2. Select a suitable goat breed

Your market analysis will help you determine which goat product to produce. That’s why we recommend you do that first.

You can produce meat, milk, fibre or skin from goats. So, with the result of your market analysis, you already know what to produce.

Next, select a perfect goat breed to start your commercial goat farming business.

3. Get goat farming training from a farmer

Locate a livestock training centre in your area and complete training on goat farming.

This is very necessary for the success of your goat farming business.

Getting hands-on training on goat farming will help you become familiar with the best goat rearing methods.

Reading lots of books on commercial goat farming will help.

However, there are aspects of goat farming that you may not find clear details in books.

So, there is a need to learn first hand from a goat farmer.

The topics to cover in your goat farming training will include;

• How to care for goats
• Performing health checks for goats
• Identifying goat breeds
• Goat health management
• Caring for kids
• Feeding and feed production in goat farming
• How to properly milk goats etc.

4. Buy good quality goat farming equipment

At this point, you need to buy pieces of necessary equipment for managing your goat farm.

You need to buy fencing materials, feeding troughs, vaccines, buckets, rakes, wheelbarrows etc.

Theses pieces of goat farming equipment will make the management of your goat farm very easy.

With good fencing materials, you can make the goat farm safer for the goats to graze.

5. Setup a good goat housing and fencing

Goats, whether you are raising them for meat or milk, need basic protection from the elements such as snow, wind, rain, heat etc.

It is also a necessity to build a simple goat house to keep them safe and free from predators.

Goats are notorious for getting out of enclosures, so you’ll need some seriously tight fencing for them.

A hoop house can provide enough shelter for goats. And during the grazing season, trees or windbreaks, a three-sided shed, or a pole barn with just a roof may be enough for your goats.

Goats can’t tolerate heavy cold and rainwater.

So, keeping them out of strong winds, rain and winter snows is just enough.

If you are kidding in the winter, you will typically need a solid building for your pregnant and/or lactating does and the kids.

For commercial goat farming, you will need to build a special housing to keep the goats in.

Make sure there is enough fresh air and sunlight in the house.

Also, ensure that you install a proper drainage system in the house for easy cleaning.

6. Make pasture to reduce the cost of feeding

If you have enough space on your farm for this, it will be wise to do this. Make a pasture for your goats to graze on.

This will drastically reduce the cost of feeding your goats.

You can save more money while your goats feed on fresh healthy food on the farm.

A good way to make a pasture for your goats is by fencing the entire area.

Fencing for goats needs to be secure, not just to keep them in, but to keep predators—foxes, bears, dogs, coyotes, and more—out.

Consult an expert to help you plant good plants which your goats will graze on on the farm.

7. Buy a starting buck and some does (male & female goats)

The health status and the quality of your starting buck & does go a long way to determining your success in goat farming.

Make sure your starting stock is prolific, diseases free and of good quality.

If you don’t know how to select the best goats for your goat farming business, contact an expert.

You may need to go with a veterinary doctor to check the health status of the goats.

When buying the buck and the does, the number of does should be more than the bucks.

You can buy one or two bucks to service several does in your goat farm.

8. Breed the does so that they will reproduce

When it comes to breeding, there are certain goat breeding facts you need to be aware of.

In case you didn’t know, goats need to breed and have kids before they can produce milk.

You should also know that a male goat can breed as young as 7 weeks old.

But, this is not advisable because you want to produce strong healthy goats from mature parents.

The does go into heat every 21 days and lasts about 1-3 days.

Some breeds, like Nigerians, Boers, Spanish & Fainting, Pygmies and (sometimes) Nubians can breed all year round.

When the does are in heat, keep them together with a buck for mating.

The bucks can go several rounds without feeling weak unless in winter when the weather is too cold.

After mating, the average gestation period of a doe is between 145 to 155 days.

So, you can expect the does (female goats) to start kidding after 155days.

9. Take care of bucks

To produce good quality kids, you must make sure the buck is in good shape.

Feed them properly with high-quality food containing nutritional ingredients.

Also, ensure that the buck is in good health before breeding.

10. Provide fresh food for your goats

To keep your goats healthy, you must always provide them with healthy and fresh food.

Also, always ensure that you provide the goats with clean and healthy water.

This will also increase your production and help the goats to fight diseases.

11. Balance your income and expenditure

In the first year of starting your goat farming business, you may see some losses in your accounting.

Do not panic or close down the business immediately.

Usually, in your first year, you must have spent a lot of resources on fixed costs.

Those costs will not repeat again until after a very long time.

As you continue to produce goat products from your farm, you will soon break even and start making profits.

How to start goat farming business – 11 Tips

Okay, since we have come to the end of this fantastic read, here is a summary of all the tips shared.

1. Do a market survey for goat farming
2. Select a suitable goat breeds
3. Get goat farming training from a farmer
4. Buy good quality goat farming Equipment
5. Setup a good goat housing and fencing
6. Make pasture to reduce the cost of feeding
7. Buy a starting buck and some does (Male & Female goats)
8. Breed the does so that they will reproduce
9. Take care of bucks
10. Provide fresh food for your goats
11. Balance your income and expenditure

If you follow these steps on “how to start goat farming business” then you will definitely get the highest production for your business.

Now, tell me in the comment, which of these tips did you miss out in your goat farming business plan?

Is there a topic on goat farming that you need clarification on?

Just leave a comment and you will get a reply immediately.

To your success, cheers!!

Here are some articles specially handpicked for you to read also;