Thread by @SeruyaFarm

Meat Goat #farming

THREAD
The meat goat business is one area you can exploit, given the deficit in red meat supply in Kenya and globally.

MEAT BREEDS
The available indigenous breeds are the Small East African and the Galla Goat. They adapt to many climates.

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They also have good characteristics and are preferred for meat. Their high adaptability means they can do well in many parts of Kenya.
No particular colour defines the Small East African Goat as it comes in various shades. Bucks attain live weight of 30 to 40kgs, does 25 to 30kgs

Have slow growth and low meat production so meat is the best option. They are hardy, survive in tough environment and resistant to parasites and diseases.
Galla goats is large and mostly referred to as boran or somali breed and has subtypes of Degyir and Degeun. Docile goats.

Female galla goat can weigh 45 to 55kgs while males reach 70kgs.
They don't do well in high altitude where its cold n wet but will thrive in low and medium altitudes. Can produce good quantity of milk, 0.5lt daily.
These two indigenous breeds do better when crossed with others.

Crossing between Anglo Nubian, Boar and Small East African with Galla goats give the best outcome. There are breeders in Kajiado and North Eastern that can supply new farmers.
Is anyone able to provide credible contacts for goat breeders?
Please do share.
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For better goat production, planned forage, feeding, breeding and best husbandry practices will ensure you get value for your money.
This is one venture that once in it, you will learn a lot and benefit immensely.
Such best practices increase meat production and profitability.

FEEDING
Mention feeding and farmers think about costs and labour intensity.
If you have paddocks, lucky you as all you need to do is plan the paddocks to ensure they have enough supply of grass and weeds/shrubs. You can supplement the nutrition with minerals and other forage.

For Zero Grazing
You need good supply of both forage and minerals.
Feed goats only clean dry or fresh fodder. Daily cleaning of feeding and water troughs is critical n ensure they have constant supply of clean water. To avoid wastage, chop feeds into small pieces using chopper.

Provide a variety of feeds like legumes, grass,fresh chicken remnants and leaves.
You will also need a brush cutter machine to harvest grass and weeds.
Feeding program should be fixed to 3 times a day and same time daily. If using molasses apply sparingly to avoid soaking.

Wet any dusty feeds to make it palatable. Mineral licks should be provided. Leguminous feeds like desmodium should be limited. To achieve the best balance, always mix feeds with hay, grass or straw, and chopped napier. Avoid too much leucaenia as it poisons goats.

I use a brush cutter to cut wild grasses, weeds and shrubs from my neighbourhood to feed my animals. This reduces cost of feeding drastically. I also plant grasses on leased land and harvest almost daily. Napier around the farm can help. Hire casual labour specifically for this.

Possible Feed Combinations:
Pasture and Fodder: Napier, Pigeon peas, desmodiun, hay, leucania spp, sesbania, potato vines, and natural grass.
Crop Residues: maize stover, sorghum stover, groundnut straws, rice bran, and bean straws.
Meat goat concentrates are in agrovets.

Alternating with commercial concentrates will ensure the goats fatten. Having a smaller digestive tract means goats need highly concentrated feeds. Ensure you provide the best feed combination at different stages of growth to ensure maximum yield.

STRUCTURE
This should be dump proof with proper ventilation. Avoid direct winds and ensure there are no sharp objects. Control pests and wild animals. You can put slates on the floor to allow falling of droppings. Provide adequate spacing. Roofing of sleeping area is important.

Feeding area should be open air kraal to allow sufficient sunbathing.
Using readily available materials would save you the cost of construction and ensure it doesn't eat into your profits.
You can use timber or waste metallic sheets to make feeding troughs. Put barrier bars. B

Barrier bars on top of the trough ensure they dont climb on the feeder to soil the feeds.
Enclose the feeding place with a perimeter fence of about 1.5m high and use meshwire to allow aeration and monitoring.

PESTS AND DISEASES CONTROL
A livestock farmer must have a pest control program as most pests act as parasites and cause diseases.
Fumigation is important.
You must have a vet on call to always check on your goats whenever you notice something abnormal. Don't wait for diseases.

Vaccinate your goats based on schedule and provide both mineral and multivitamin supplements. These ensure the goats remain healthy and immune to opportunistic infections.
Branding will ensure you can identify your goats.
Install CCTV to monitor your kraal against malpractices.

MARKETS
Approach your local market as the first option. However, value addition can ensure you target city and global markets.
Sell to restaurants that have high daily consumption of goat meat.
Linking up with exporters to the Middle East could give you an added advantage.

Are you in meat goat farming? What is your experience and know-how in ensuring profitable venture
Do you want to start? What do you know so far?
Your contribution and criticism on this thread is welcome.
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