Goat Farming Business Plan

1. Why Goat Farming

Goat is a multi-functional animal and plays a significant role in the economy

and nutrition of landless, small and marginal farmers in the country. Goat
rearing is an enterprise which has been practiced by a large section of
population in rural areas. Goats can efficiently survive on available shrubs
 and trees in adverse harsh environment in low fertility lands where no other
crop can be grown.

In pastoral and agricultural subsistence societies in India, goats are kept as a

source of additional income and as an insurance against disaster. Goats are
also used in ceremonial feastings and for the payment of social dues.

In addition to this, goat has religious and ritualistic importance in many

societies. The advantages of goat rearing are:

The initial investment needed for Goat farming is low.

Due to small body size and docile nature, housing requirements and
manage mental problems with goats are less.

Goats are friendly animals and enjoy being with the people.

Goats are prolific breeders and achieve sexual maturity at the age of
10-12 months gestation period in goats is short and at the age of 16-17
months it starts giving milk. Twinning is very common and triplets and
quadruplets are rare.

In drought prone areas risk of goat farming is very much less as

compared to other livestock species.

Unlike large animals in commercial farm conditions both male and

female goats have equal value.

Goats are ideal for mixed species grazing. The animal can thrive well
on wide variety of thorny bushes, weeds, crop residues, agricultural by-
products unsuitable for human consumption.
 Under proper management, goats can improve and maintain grazing
land and reduce bush encroachment (biological control) without causing
harm to the environment.

No religious taboo against goat slaughter and meat consumption

prevalent in the country.

Slaughter and dressing operation and meat disposal can be carried

without much environmental problems.

The goat meat is more lean (low cholesterol) and relatively good for
people who prefer low energy diet especially in summer and sometimes goat
meat (chevon) is preferred over mutton because of its "chewability"

Goat milk is easy to digest than cow milk because of small fat globules
and is naturally homogenized. Goat milk is said to play a role in improving
appetite and digestive efficiency. Goat milk is non allergic as compared
to cow milk and it has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties and can be
used for treating urogenital diseases of fungal origin.

Goats are 2.5 times more economical than sheep on free range grazing
under semi-arid conditions.

Goat creates employment to the rural poor besides effectively

utilizing unpaid family labor. There is ample scope for establishing cottage
industries based on goat meat and milk products and value addition to skin
and fiber.

Goat is termed as walking refrigerator for the storage of milk and can
be milked number of times in a day.

2. Facts about Goat Farming

Demand for products related to goats and goat keeping itself is an indication
about good prospects in goat farming. There are some important facts that
you have to keep in mind, while you start goat farming. You can opt either
dairy goat farming, which solely focuses on milk production, or meat goat
farming that deals with production of meat. Decide the number of goats you
want to have in the farm, relative to the overall space in the farm.

Goat housing is an important aspect in goat farming. Location with low as

well as hilly areas that are away from highway and boasts of good irrigation,
quality air, tree shades etc is suitable for goat housing. Goat housing must
have good height so that goats can stand tall. There should be good
ventilation, sufficient space for feeding, proper drainage system. Housing
should give protection against wild animals, weather conditions. Floor space
of at least four-meter square is required for an individual goat.

Fresh water supply, milking space, dry space for keeping feeds etc are also
required. Good dry flooring with proper bedding is required.

Then select the best goat breed by checking lineage as well as breed,
conformation or body shape. Look out for the growth pattern, milk production
capabilities, and fertility before selecting the goats for farms.

South African Boer, Sirohi, Sojat, Barbari, Nubians, Tennessee meat goat,
Kiko etc are some of the good meat goat varieties. Alpine, Nubian,
Toggenburg, LaMancha, Saanen etc are some of the goat breeds for dairy
farming.

There is need for live stock management to the taking care of goats in
various conditions. In the case of does, special care is required during
pregnancy until kidding. Breeder bucks, kids need different care.
Management of goats fattening is vital, in the case of meat production.
There should be a proper management schedule for all activities in the farm.
There should be enough staff to carryout the activities like feeding, cleaning,
hair trimming, dehorning, hoof trimming, hair trimming, separation etc. As
chances of infection are greater, effective cleaning mechanism is necessary.

Free grazing system is suitable for farms, which are larger, but management
of wandering goats is a big task. Letting goats to graze during days at
controllable space will be good, as it will help them to graze good herbs as
well as grass.

Kids will get chance to run around and feel the suns heat. The goats feed
must contain proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, etc. Forages,
goats feeds made from grains along with energy supplements will be useful
for keeping goats in a healthy manner. Special feed is required for goats
meant for meat as fatty goats fetches more money.

For breeding farms may use breeder bucks or artificial insemination

depending upon the facilities available. In the case of dairy farms, milking
machines are necessary for milking the goats.

Good storage facilities for milk are necessary. Presence of fulltime

veterinarians and regular health checkups is necessary. Relocation of ill will
help in prevention of spreading of illness to other goats. Keeping goats is a
business with pleasure, as they are lovely animals.

3. Stall Fed Farming

STALL-FED GOATS can ideally fit into the intensive integrated farming
system (IIFS). The small animals are the most efficient converters of farm
and crop residues into excellent organic manure. Several farmers have
successfully run stall-fed goat farms, and they have found that such an
integrated farming venture was more productive and profitable as well.
Goats relish the stalks and residues of most of the nutritious cereals, and
they do well particularly when mixed with green fodder such as grasses and
subabul. Special goat-feeds can be formulated using farm-grown millets and
oilcakes. As the cost of the feed and also the labor gets distributed over
other farming operations, the actual cost of raising the goats becomes
minimal. The rich goat manure is ideal for fertilizing fishponds and all other
crops. It is also a good base material for vermicomposting.

Goat farming needs less capital when compared with dairying, and the
animals can be raised in small farms. The floor space requirement per adult
animal is about one square meter. Stall-fed goat farming is an
ideal occupation for the small, marginal and landless agricultural laborers. A
properly fed and managed milky goat will yield at least as much milk (on
average two liters per day) as low yielding desi cows. The she-goat will
deliver 2-4 kids at each parturition after a short gestation period of 150 days.

A few exotic goats such as Saanen, Toggenburg, Angora, Anglo-Nubian,

British Alpine, French Alpine have been found to be well adapted to Indian
conditions, and they are crossed with superior Indian breeds to get good
progeny. The popular Indian breeds are Sirohi, Jamnapari, Surti,
Tellicherry, Beetal, Malabari, Barbari and Gujarati. The milky-type
animals are ideal for integrated farming system.

A small shed with good cross ventilation is enough to keep a small herd. A
deep-litter system with paddy husk and groundnut shell as bedding material
is ideal for raising goats. The biological activity in the litter keeps the
housing warm in winter and cool in summer. The bedding material will last
for about six months, and after that it will have to be changed.

The bedding has to be turned periodically to remove the foul odour in the
pen.
The bedding material collects all the dung and urine efficiently and it is found
to be an enriched organic manure. An adult goat will add about a tone of rich
manure to the farm every year.

Though the goats are robust animals and are resistant to many diseases,
they need to be vaccinated against foot and mouth disease, rinder pest and
tetanus regularly. The animals need to be de-wormed at least twice a year to
keep in good stead.

Goat farming with stall-feeding can be managed in small yards just like
poultry, and it will prove to be an economical and rewarding enterprise for
the small, marginal and landless farmers.

Exercise Paddock for Stall Fed Goats

When goats are reared in stall fed system it is of utmost importance to

provide the exercise paddock. An enclosure measuring 12m x18 m is
adequate for 100 to 125 goats. Some shade trees may be planted to provide
adequate comfort in summer. The animals should be allowed to roam about
in the enclosed area for some fixed period to have sufficient fresh air and
exercise.

4. Goat Management

Package of Common Management Practices Recommended for Goat

rearing Modern and well established scientific principles, practices and skills
should be used to obtain maximum economic benefits from goat rearing.
Some of the recommended practices are given here under:

4.1 Goats Housing management:

Construct shed on dry and properly raised ground. Avoid water-logging,
marshy areas. In low lying and heavy rainfall areas the floors should be
preferably elevated. In temperate Himalayan region the floor may be made
of wood. The shed should be 10 ft. high and should have good ventilation.
Bucks should be housed in individual pens. Does can be housed in groups up
to 60 per pen. Provide proper shade and cool drinking water in summer.
Dispose of dung and urine properly. Give adequate space for the animals.
Avoid over stocking or crowding.

Goat Shelter / Housing

For efficient production in dairy goats, good health and comfort to the animal
is a must. To achieve this, housing of goats is important. The house should
protect the goats from sun, rain and cold nights. To prevent water logging the
floor of the pen should be raised by about 1 to 1.5 meters from the ground
floor. Slotted floors help in easy collection of manure and urine.

To protect the goats from cold air a wall of at least 1.5 meter high should be
built. If the floor is made of clay it should be compact and sloppy towards
one corner.

Housing

Goats come originally from the open mountains and do not like being closely
confined. They like plenty of fresh air and love a clean and dry sleeping
place. Under village conditions, goats generally do not require any special
housing. They should, however, be protected against bad weather and wild
animals. Under farm and city conditions, it is economical to provide special
housing for goats. Several pens may be made according to the number of
goats.

In case of milky goats, separate pens for lambs should be constructed at the
very adjacent of the dams pen. The partition between the mother and the
kids should be such that both can see each other. The buck should be housed
away from the milking goats. The house should have plenty of fresh air,
sunshine and well drained. The materials for constructing goats house may
be of anything like bamboo, wooden or pukka.

Efficient Goat Shelter for Hot Zones

Scientists at the Central Institute for Research on goats (CIRG) at Farah near
Mathura have designed an effective and low-cost housing for goats. The
high-roof shed covered with fire-proof material has been found to be cooler
than housings made using conventional reeds, hay thatches and asbestos
sheet.

The scientists have established that a shed with its main axis running east-
west provides a cooler environment underneath, and it was the best for hot-
arid conditions. The open type shed has an advantage over the closed ones.
The width and size of the shelter vary with the animal size, and for goats and
sheep the optimum has been determined to be five to six meters. The length
will depend on the strength of the flock or herd.

The height of the shelter in the hot regions should be between three and five
meters, and a height less than this will result in poor ventilation. The heat
loss through radiation to cool sky is also curtailed in low roof shelter. The
shape of the roof can either be flat, sloped or A shaped. The A-type roof has
definite advantages over the rest in the hot region, as one side of the roof
will save the other half from direct solar radiation by casting its shadow. This
helps in cutting down heat gain from the roof of the shelter.

Of the different materials used for the roof, the fire-proof tar-coated type has
been found quite effective. Shelter surroundings should be kept as green as
possible to avoid heating up of the shed. For good ventilation and to protect
the animals from the direct hit of hot winds, the eastern and western sides of
the sheds should be covered up to a meter height. The roof and eastern and
western sides of the sheds should be covered up to a meter height. The roof
and walls should be white outside and colored inside. Painting the sidewalls
white outside reduces the surface temperature inside by 12 to 22 Degree
Centigrade when compared to unpainted walls in places where temperatures
remain above 37 degree centigrade.

Water can be sprayed on the floor and roof of shelters periodically to reduce
heat load on the animals during peak summer. The scientists have also
prepared the details of shed under loose housing system. Adult breeding
goats or nannies are to be housed in groups of 60 to 80 goats. Milch goats
should not be allowed to run together in their house for getting roughages
and concentrates. They should be fed in separate stalls or in a group of eight
to ten does.

Goats in an advanced stage of pregnancy, at least four to seven days before

kidding, must be housed individually. Kids from one week after birth to sub-
adult stages should be kept at the rate of 20 to 25 per shed. By making
suitable partitions in a larger shed, unweaned, weaned but immature and
near-matured kids can be housed separately. Drought-free small rooms to
house 15 to 20 newly born kids are essential to raise a good breeding stock.
The bucks should be kept away from the milking goats, in small groups of 10
or 15, Isolation sheds to keep sick and diseased animals must be provided
far away from the rest of the sheds.

Besides housing, other facilities to store concentrate feed, medicine, dipping

tanks and related material ought to be provided. Feeding and water troughs
should be included within the housing shelters and care taken to ensure feed
and water supply all the time.
4.2 Selection of Goat breeding stock and its management:

Animals in good health and having good physical features must be

purchased in consultation with Veterinarian/ Bank's technical officer.
Purchase animals which are ready to breed and in prime stage of production.
Identify the newly purchased animals by suitable identification mark.
Vaccinate the newly purchased animals against the diseases. Keep the newly
purchased animals under observation for about 15 days and then mix with
the general flock. Unproductive animals should be culled promptly and
should be replaced by the newly purchased animals or farm born one.
Animals are to be bred at the interval of 8-9 months for maximum
productivity. Cull the old animals at the age of 6 years and above. Avoid the
kidding during peak periods of summer and winter.

Goats breed selection is very important aspect in the goat farm as this is the
main asset of your business which is going to give your business a boom and
a good uplift. Selection of breed is very important point in profitable goat
farming business plan. There are different breeds out there which is
considered as profitable breed selection basically it depends on the region
and climate there are many breeds available but i am covering some of them
which is considered profitable for north india region. They are categorized in
two part.

Pure Breed Selection.

Sirohi

Jamnapari

Tota Pari

Barbari
 Beetel

Black Bengal

Cross Breed Selection.

Cross breed of sirohi and black bengal (sirohi buck and black
bengal doe)

Cross breed of jamnapari and sirohi (jamnapari buck and

sirohi doe)

Cross breed of black bengal and beetel. (beetel buck and

black bengal doe)

There may be a number of cross breed selection depends upon the breed of
Buck and Doe.The rule of thumb in breed selection is the environmental and
climatic condition where the breed is best suited for. For example:

Cross Breed Concept in goats:-Sirohi the goat breed of sirohi district of

rajasthan is well suited with the Rajasthan hot and dry climatic condition. If
you want to raise pure sirohi breed in different region of india apart from the
rajasthan the mortality rate increases because of the climatic condition with
which they are not adapted to. But what if we want sirohi breed in my farm.
As in my case i have sirohi breed too here comes the Cross Breed
Concept. All you need a cross breed sirohi i.e take a female mother
goat(doe) of your area. for example in jharkhand climates are very hot in
summer and chilled in winter the Black Bengal breed is well adapted with
jharkhand climate. So take black bengal doe and sirohi Buck the first
cross of the product would be 70% sirohi or 30% black bengal (Note:the
percentage genetical behaviour may vary depends on the mating breed.)
Now this breed would be well adapted with the jharkhand climate.same
apply with the other breeds too.

4.3 Goat feeding management:

Goat fodder plan is very important aspect of the goat farming a proper
fodder plan and cost management of fodder is required to make good profit
in this goat farming business. Here in this section i will discuss how to make
an effective fodder to boost your goats growth in lesser time also i will
discuss the different feeding style like complete stall fed system and partial
stall fed system.

In addition, with the dry fodder green fodder is very important to provide
essential nutrients to the goats. Grazing of goats is very important for this
you must have a surplus grazing area with greenery so as for proper
movement of the goats which helps in their digestion and enhance
metabolism.

Generally, in my goat farm i prefer partial stall fed system that is goats are
given dry fodder or booster in the stall fed condition and freed for grazing
from morning 11 to 3 noon. Then they enter the farm and again stall fed.

How to make goat dry fodder? The composition and Preparation Technique.
To make fodder of 100 kg following are the ratio of composition (Note: I am
using local regional language to describe the ingredients so as to benefit the
regional readers.)

1. Chokar 45 kg

2. Makai Darra 25 kg
 3. Badam Khalli 15 kg

4. Korai (Chana chilka) 12 kg

5. Mineral Mixture 2 kg

6. Salt 1 kg

These are the ratio which i am using and getting the positive result also the
growth of the goats in farm is very high in almost 8 month kids become adult
and acquire the maximum weight. This is the 100 kg ratio and may be used
in any amount of fodder preparation.

This fodder must be mixed with kutti in half ratio and given. For example if
kutti is 1 kg then mix this kg fodder. Under the partial stall fed condition
hence the almost all nutrients supplied by grazing this concentrate with kutti
given twice a day i.e morning and evening 1 kg twice for one goat means
3 kg every day (2 kg kutti and 1 kg concentrate). Apart from this concentrate
green fodder is also very important provide the goats with green fodder
every day or leave them for grazing. There are many things to discuss and
need to be cover hence i will write every topic in different post this was the
only general idea you must stick with to start a goat farm.

Sweet Haylage
A new Feed technology Haylage is prepared out of green forage to preserve
it for long time. It is prepared by leaving the green forage cut on the field to
dry its moisture level to 55% and baled out to store. In some cases it is
packed in air tight packs so that its freshness will be maintained. In order to
densify to reduce the volume hydraulic press is used. Such densified bales
are packed air tight. There sino advantage of enhancing the nutritive value in
such
preparations. Therefore, a new feed technology is evolved to produce a new
feed Sweet haylage.

The sweet haylage is prepared by using dry hay mix with sugar/sugar
syrup/jaggary and pro biotics, enzymes and water to maintain the moisture
to 55% and pH 6. The above product is pressed hard and packed air tight. It
is then left for curing. During this time the fibre particularly the ADF gets
degraded to more digestible carbohydrates, Protein gets protected and over
all palatability of the feed increases because of sugar and aroma. The
metabolisble energy of the hay increases and thus the fibre feed becomes
better forage for dairy cows to replace the green forages.

In UAE the availability of green forage is scarce. All the dairy farms are totally
depending upon hay and fibre feeds to meet the minimum NDF: ADF of 20:
28. In order to commercialize the feed the following items could be
incorporated into the formula.

1. Alfalfa hay

2. Wheat bran/dust

3. Soya husk

4. Canola husk

5. Dry grass

6. Any other fibrous feeds available

The process plant comprises of the following

1. Grass chopper
2. Syrup coater/mixer

3. Hydraulic press 450 psi

4. Shrink packing/plastic bagging

The packed product could be transported and stored with an advice to be

fed after 30 days of treatment.

In UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain where green fodder and fiber feeds are very
expensive the above technology would be a boon for dairy industry. Once the
above product is started to manufacture further development on the
technology could be tried out.

Fodder production for Sheep and Goat

Legume Fodders

1. Cowpea / Lobia - Thattaipayuru / Karamani

It is an annual crop.

This crop is grown in tropics, sub-tropics and warm temperature

regions.
 It is grown for feeding in green form, for hay making or for ensiling in
mixtures with sorghum or maize.

It can be grown during kharif, Rabi and summer seasons.

It is suitable for year round cultivation.

Varieties include Co 5, Russian giant, EC 4216, UPC - 287 and local

varieties.

Recommended seed rate - 40 kg/ha.

Harvest 50-55 days after sowing (50% flowering stage).

Variety Co 5 is suitable for growing under irrigated conditions (June -

July).

Particulars of the variety Co 5:

Green fodder yield t/ha--18 to 20

Dry matter content (%)--14.64

Crude protein content (%)--20.00

Plant height (cm)--- 93.00

No. of branches---- 2-3

No. of leaves----12

Leaf length (cm)12.1

Leaf width (cm)---8.2

 Leaf stem ratio8.3

Plant Habit-- Semi spreading

Plant typeIndeterminate

2. Desmanthus- Hedge lucerne / Velimasal

Desmanthus is a perennial crop.

It is grown throughout the year under irrigation and during June -

October as a rainfed crop.

Sow the seeds at 20 kg/ha in solid stand on the side of the ridges over
the lines where fertilizers are applied at a depth of 2 cm and cover with
soil.

Irrigate immediately after sowing, life irrigation on the third day and
thereafter once in a week.

First cut on 90th day after sowing at 50 cm height and subsequent cuts
at intervals of 40 days at the same height.

Green fodder yield is 80-100 t/ha/year.

3. Lucerne

Lucerne is also termed `Queen of forages'.

It is a deep rooted perennial forage legume adapted to a wide range of

conditions ranging from tropical to alpine.

It is very palatable and nutritious forage legume containing 15 - 20%

crude protein on dry matter basis

Lucerne adds nitrogen to soil and improves soil fertility.

It is grown for green fodder, hay, silage but does not tolerate close
grazing.

Varieties include Anand 2, Sirsa - 9, IGFRI S - 244, and Co 1.

Variety Co1 is suitable for growing during July - December.

Not suitable for very hot and very cold climates.

Recommended seed rate --20 kg/ha.

First harvest 75 - 80 days after sowing. Subsequent harvests are made

at intervals of 25 - 30 days.
 Characters of Variety Co 1:

Green fodder yield (t/ha/year)- 70-80 (In 10 harvests)

Seed yield (kg/ha)- 200 -250

Protein content (%)- 20 - 24

Dry matter (%)- 18 - 20

Plant height (cm)- 60 - 80

Mean clusters per tiller- 12 - 15

Mean No. of pods per tiller- 22 - 25

Mean No. of seeds per pod- 4 -6

4. Stylo

Stylo is an erect growing perennial forage legume native of Brazil.

It grows 0.6 to 1.8 m tall.

Stylo is adapted to tropical climate and tolerant to low fertility soils,

acidic soils and soils with poor drainage.
 Stylos are drought resistant legumes coming up well in areas receiving
a minimum rainfall of 450 - 840 mm annually.

The crude protein content of stylos ranges from 15 to 18%.

Season is June - July to September - October.

For line sowing (30 x 15 cm), the seed rate is 6 kg/ha and for
broadcasting 10 kg/ha.

First harvest can be taken 75 days after sowing at flowering stage and
subsequent harvests depending upon the growth.

It is to be noted that during the first year, the establishment after

sowing is very slow and the yield is low.

Later on when the crop establishes well due to self seeding it yields 30
to 35 t/ha/year from the third year onwards.

Stylo is a good pasture legume.

Cereal Fodders

1. Fodder maize Makkacholam

o Maize is an annual crop.

o It is grown on a variety of soils, but well drained fertile soils are

best suited.

o Maize is mostly grown as KHARIF crop i.e. sowing in June - July. In

south India it makes best growth in RABI and also in SUMMER.

o It can be grown throughout the year with irrigation facility.

 o African tall, Vijay composite, Moti composite, Ganga - 5 and
Jawahar are some important fodder varieties.

o Maintain a seed rate of 40 kg/ha and dibble one seed to a

spacing of 15cm between the seeds in the row which are 30 cm
apart.

o The average green fodder yield is 40-50 t/ha and the dry matter
yield is 10-15 t/ha.

o Staggered sowing is recommended for supply of green fodder for

a long period.

o Harvest the crop when the cob is in the milky stage.

2. Fodder sorghum - Cholam / Jowar

o It is cultivated mainly for grain and also for fodder.

o Sorghum is a drought resistant annual crop.

o It thrives in tropical climate with a temperature range of 25-

35oC.

o It is not suited to higher elevations (more than 1200 m).

 o It can be grown under an annual rainfall of 300-350 mm.

o It can be grown on any soil except on very sandy soils.

o Suitable varieties for irrigated area (Jan - Feb and Apr - May) are
Co.11, Co. 27, Co.F.S. 29

o Suitable varieties for Rainfed conditions (Jun - Jul) are Co.11,

Co27, Co.F.S.29

o Suitable varieties for Rainfed conditions (Sep - Oct) are K7,

Co.27, Co.F.S. 29,K 10

o Co.F.S. 29 is a multicut variety and released by Tamil Nadu

Agricultural University during 2001. It is cross between TNFS
9602 and Sudan grass.

o Seed rate is 40 kg/ha (only 12.5 kg/ha for Co.F.S. 29).

o Sorghum can be harvested after flowering stage for green fodder.

o If it is a single cut, it should be harvested at 60-65 days (50%

flowering) after sowing and if it is a multicut, the first cut is 60
days after sowing and subsequently once in 40 days.

o For Co. F.S. 29, each harvest has to be done at 65 days interval
(5 harvests in a year).

Grass Fodders

1. Hybrid Napier - Cumbu Napier Ottupull / Bajra Napier Hybrid:

 This is a perennial grass fodder.

It possesses more tillers and leaves than Napier grass and is more
vigorous and higher in fodder yield and quality.

Crude protein ranges from 8 to 11%.

Co.CN4 is a recent hybrid Napier grass released by TNAU, Coimbatore,

which is a cross between Cumbu Co.8 and Napier grass F.T.461. Yield
range is 380-400 tons/ha. It produces more tillers with soft and juicy
stem, free from pest and diseases and non-lodging. It can be cultivated
throughout the year under irrigated conditions.

KKM-1 Cumbu Napier: This is a hybrid grass that

gives average green fodder yield of 288 tonnes per ha per year. The
quality is good with high calcium, magnesium and phosphorus and
very low oxalate content.

Pusa Giant, NB 21, NB 37, IGFRI 5, IGFRI 7 and IGFRI 10 (developed

from Indian Grassland Research Institute, Jhansi) are superior hybrids
developed in India.
 Co1, Co2 and Co3 are also superior varieties released from Tamil Nadu
Agricultural University. These varieties are suitable for growing
throughout the year in all districts of Tamil Nadu.

40,000 slips are required to plant one hectare.

First harvest is to be done on 75 to 80 days after planting and

subsequent harvests at intervals of 45 days.

HN grass can be intercropped with Desmanthus at 3:1 ratio and can be

harvested together and fed to the animals.

2. Guinea grass

It is a tall (1-4.5 m), tufted and fast growing highly palatable perennial
grass.

It has short creeping rhizome.

Establishes readily by seed or plantation of rooted slips.

Crude protein ranges from 4 to 14%.

Hamil, PPG -14, Makuni, Rivers-dale are some of the varieties.

 Co1 and Co 2 are varieties of guinea grass released by Tamil Nadu
Agricultural University.

Suitable for all types of soil with good drainage.

Does not come up well on heavy clay soil or flooded or waterlogged

conditions.

Seed Rate: Seed 2.5 kg/ha , Slips 66,000 nos./ha

Spacing: 50 x 30 cm.

First cut 75- 80 days after germination or 45 days after planting of

slips. Subsequent cuts at intervals of 45 days.

Green fodder yield is 175 tonnes /ha per year in 8 cuts.

Guinea grass can be intercropped with Hedge Lucerne (Velimasal) at

3:1 ratio and can be harvested together and fed to the animals.

3. Para Grass - Neerpull / Thanneerpull / Erumai pull:

It is a perennial grass suitable for cultivation in humid areas.

 It is grown in seasonally flooded valleys and lowlands and can
withstand water logging and long term flooding.

It cannot grow on dry lands in arid or semi - arid areas.

It is sensitive to cold and makes little or no growth during winter

months in sub-tropical regions of India.

Water logged soils are best suited for this crop.

It can be grown on sandy soils also, provided water supply is

sufficient.

Seed setting is very poor in this grass. It is propagated exclusively by

stem cuttings.

It can be planted at any time in South Indian conditions, but June - July
planting is advisable under rainfed.

There are no improved varieties of this grass (only local).

Thin shoots are used as planting material. Stems with 2-3 nodes are
planted in 45-60 cm rows at 20 cm spacing. The stems are pressed
into wet soil leaving the two ends sticking up.

800-1000 kg of stem cuttings are needed for planting one hectare.

The first cut is taken 75-80 days after planting and the subsequent
cuts at 40-45 days interval. Totally, 6-9 cuts can be taken in a year
with an average green fodder yield of 80-100 t/ha.

This grass is fed in the green form and is not suitable for conservation
either as hay or as silage.
4. Blue buffel grass - Neelakolukattaipull Var. Co 1:

This is a perennial grass highly suitable for pasture land.

Cenchrus is a promising green grass type which performs well in

dryland cultivation under rainfed conditions.

Cenchrus cilliaris (Anjan grass) and C. setigerus (Black anjan grass)

are the two commonly grown species but low yielding in nature.

C. glaucus is yet another type found to grow well in dry land areas but
superior than the other species.

Well drained soil with high calcium content is suitable.

Seed required is 6-8 kg/ha.

First harvest on 70th or 75th days after sowing and subsequently 4-6
cuts depending on growth.

A pure crop yields 40 t/ha/year in 4-6 cuts.

Tree fodders

1. Subabul - Soundal (Koobabul)

 This is fast spreading fodder tree which produces enormous seeds.

Suitable season for sowing is June-July.

Varieties- Hawaiian giant (lvory coast) and Co1.

Rainfed: (Sep - Oct) K 8, Giant lpil lpil and Co 1.

Plants can be harvested in as early as 6 months after planting.

However, the initial cutting should not be done until the trunk has
attained at least 3 cm diameter or the plant has completed one seed
production cycle.

Harvests can be repeated once in 40 - 80 days depending upon growth

and season.

In drought prone areas, allow the trees to grow for two years to ensure
deep root penetration before commencing harvest.

The trees can be cut at 90 to 100 cm height from ground level.

As green fodder under irrigated conditions, a pure crop yields about 80

to 100 t/ha of green fodder.
 Under rainfed conditions 40 t/ha of green fodder is got after 2 years of
initial growth and pruning to a height of 100 cm.

2. Glyricidia

It is a small, semi-deciduous tree with pale bark.

Glyricidia sepium and Glyricidia maculata are the two species

available.

G. maculata is more useful as green leaf manure. It also fixes

atmospheric nitrogen and thereby improves soil fertility.

G. sepium tolerates a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions.

Growth is most rapid in regions where annual rainfall exceeds 900 mm,
but it will grow where rainfall is as low as 400 mm per annum.

It grows in soils ranging from heavy clays to sands and on rocky eroded
sites; however, it is intolerant of water logging.

The plant is used for fuel wood, animal feed, green manure, shade,
poles, and living fences and as support plants.

Used as an ornamental and as a shade tree for coffee.

 Propagated through seed or cuttings.

It is able to produce profuse branching and fresh growth after every

cutting.

If cultivated along the border in one heactare, it will supply enough

green leaf manure for 2 to 2.5 hectares of land.

3. Sesbania Agathi

The leaves of Sesbania trees are highly palatable and well liked by
goats.

The protein content in this is about 25%.

Grown throughout the year under irrigation.

Comes up in soils with good drainage.

Seed rate is 7.5 kg /ha, sow the seeds at a spacing of 100 cm x 100 cm
(100 cm between ridges and 100 cm between plants within the ridge).

First cut after 8 months and subsequent harvests at an interval of 60-

80 days.
 Green fodder yield of 100 tonnes per year is obtained from one
hectare.

3.4 Goat Care and Breeding

Goat care is a serious responsibility. Goats need companionship. Hence, it is

better to keep two goats or have a sociable animal to give a single goat
company. Goats need spacious shelters, which is free from dampness and
drafts. There should be good ventilation so that the freshness of the air
maintained inside the shelter.

Barns with three sides and pitched roof are ideal for all weather condition.
Fences for the shelter or the shelter compound should be taller as goats tend
to climb. For bedding place, dry straw or dry shavings of wood. Make sure
that wild animals or dogs could not get inside the shelter, as those animals
can harm goats.

There requires special care regarding the diet of the goats. Goats do not
prefer soiled food. Its better to feed goats with forages like browse and hay,
grain based feeds as well as nutritional supplements. They are quite
sensitive to sudden changes to the diet. Bring changes to the feed program
regarding timing of feeding, feeding type as well as feeding amount, in a
gradual manner.

Water offered for the goats must be clean and give it in clean containers. On
average goats might consume two to five gallon of water everyday and this
depends on the breed as well as size of goats. During warm weather, its
good to offer water at shorter intervals and during cold weather hot water is
advisable.

Access to veterinarian at regular basis will help in detecting any illness or

infections. If goats show any changes in their food habits or some other
routine, it is better to have checked up. Trim the hoofs of the goats regularly,
and medicate it if any infection is there. Put flycatchers inside the shelter, as
during warm weather flies tend to disturb goats. Shave the goat during
summer if the locality is hotter. Worm the goats using paste wormer at least
once a year.

The season stretching from latter part of summer to earlier part of winter is
good for goat breeding. There are eighteen to twenty-one estrus cycle for the
does. Goat breeders make use of Natural breeding or artificial insemination.

Does become fertile at a very young age of two months. Healthy does and
goats of seven months or older can breed and give healthy kids, most of the
time twins. It takes five months for a doe to give birth.

Goat cheese making is becoming popular these days as goat cheese has
good nutritional value. For Goat cheese making, goat milk, buttermilk, ladle,
fresh lemon juice, colander, cheesecloth etc are required.

For making goat cheese, mix all required ingredients well together in the
bowl. After pouring it to pan, heat it up to 170 degrees, and then cool it for
twelve hours naturally after covering it with plastic wrap.

Drain the cheese mixture-using strainer after placing cheesecloth. Once

drained remove the cheesecloth and then store it in container that is airtight.
Making goat cheese is possible at homes. Overall Goats are valuable
animals. Be its milk or skin or fat or meat or excreta, everything has value.

Goat Breeding Care:

It should be planned to obtain 3 kidding in 2 years period by adopting

optimal management conditions.
For every 25 does one buck should be provided in one breeding season.
Breed the animals 12 hours after the onset of the first symptoms of heat for
maximum conception. Unreadable animals must be examined thoroughly as
directed by veterinary doctor for prompt elimination of causes for anoestrus
or cull them if necessary.

Care of Goats during pregnancy:

In advanced stage of pregnancy, the does must be transferred to either

kidding pens or separately earmarked space for kidding with in the main
shed after thoroughly disinfecting it. After kidding, the does should be
provided with warm bran mash for two days.

Lactation Parameters

Av.
Lactatio Lactation Peak
Daily
Breeds n Yield Length Yield Dry Period
Yield
(kg) (days) Kg.
Kg.

Jamunapari 160 190 0.900 3.20 115

Beetal 175 180 1.25 - 125

Barbari 95 152 0.75 2.100 155
Sirohi 73 158 0.700 - -
Malabari 66 172 0.500 0.696 145
Jhakrana 121 114 0.988 - -
Note + or - + or - + or - + or - + or -

Goat milk is easily digestible because of smaller sized fat globules making
softer curd. It also has much less allergic problems than milk of other species
of livestock. It has medicinal qualities. Goats can be milked as often as
required preventing milk storage problem.

Kidding Management
Have the pregnant does graze a pasture close to your house, so that you can
easily check them. If you supplement your does with a concentrate or hay,
feed it at night. Somehow late feeding delays birthing toward the early
morning hours in the majority of animals.

It is a good idea to have some kidding pens ready for weak kids. It is not
always easy to detect pre-kidding signs in goats: however, mucous discharge
is a sure sign that kidding is imminent. Following birth, the navel of newborn
kids should be dipped in iodine.

Care of Kids:

Almost immediately after birth, the kids, if healthy and strong, are on their
legs and make attempts for their mothers teats. Failure to reach the teats,
however, is of no consequence, because the kids do not require nourishment
for several hours after birth. If more than one kids is born, it may be
necessary especially when they are very young, to ensure that the smallest
of them gets its due share of milk, because it may be prevented from doing
so by the stronger kids. In case the udder is too full, a proportion of the milk
should be drawn from as otherwise the weight of the udder will cause
discomfort to the animals. As soon as there is teats should be held by the
hand and pressed into their mouths. Once they have drawn a little of the
milk, it will not be long before they take to the normal methods of suckling.

Generally, male kids are heavier than the female kids. At birth, a male kid of
the Beetal breed will weight about 3 kg. and a female kid about 2-3 kg. For
the first three or four days after kidding, goats milk like cows milk is
considered unsuitable for human consumption. This milk, the so-called
colostrums, is yellowish in appearance and is viscous it coagulates on
boiling. It is natures first provision of food for the new born and it must be
given to the kids whether they are to be reared on the goat or artificially.
Colostrums acts as a laxative and, because of its large contents of vitamin A
and serum globulin, it confers immunity against certain diseases.

When about two weeks old, kids begin to nibble green food or dry fodder,
and it would be well to see that small quantities of these are within their
easy reach at this time. It is also important that kids are allowed plenty of
open air and sunlight. In the hot weather, this can best be done by keeping
them in an enclosure build round a tree so that they may also be provided
with shade. The enclosure should be large enough to allow them plenty of
exercise.

At the age of 2 to 3 months, the suckling may be practically discontinued

and at four months the kids should be completely weaned because by this
time they will become fit like the older goats to eat solid food, although they
may as well be allowed to suckle a little longer.

Male kids, unless they are required for breeding purposes, should be
castrated at the age of 2 to 3 months for it has been proved that castration
improved the quality of meat. Otherwise, they should be kept separated from
the female kids.

The rearing of kids may be either natural or by hand rearing and each has its
advantages and disadvantages. In India, it is the natural method that is
usually practiced and this consists of in leaving the kid to take what amount
of milk it can obtain from its mother. Hand rearing is resorted to when
weaning is practiced or when the goat dies. There are two methods of hand
rearing one consists of feeding the kid with a bottle and the other is feeding
it off the pail. Both methods are learned by them easily, but bottle feeding is
to be preferred because the saliva that is produced during the process of
suckling the milk aids digestion. Kids will also readily take to feeding on a
foster mother when they are put on her teats.
Male kids for breeding should be fed and handled in much the same way as
doe kids, except for the fact that they require a little more milk as well as
gram ration than the female kids on account of the larger size they have to
attain. Kids with body size below normal should be discarded, as they seldom
prove good breeders when mature. They should be fed well at all ages to
keep them in good condition, but excessive feeding should be avoided,
particularly when they are old because, if fat, they become sluggish and are
slow breeders. Where the animal is unduly fat, its grain ration should be cut.
At one year, a buck should receive 1.8 kg of grain mixture the allowance
being increased by 50 per cent during the breeding season. A liberal amount
of fodder should be given. An average of 7 to 8 kg. of green fodder per day
should be adequate for a full grown Jamunapari buck when entirely stall fed.

Nutrition of Newborn Kids

Colostrum is the first milk produced after parturition. Colostrum contains a

high content of immunoglobulin (antibodies), vitamin A, minerals, fat and
other sources of energy. Antibodies are proteins which help the goat kid fight
diseases.

The ability of kids to resist diseases is greatly affected by the timing of

colostrum intake and the quantity and quality of the colostrum fed. Reports
from cattle indicate that if left alone, 25% of the young do not nurse within 8
hours and 10 to 25% do not get sufficient amounts of colostrum. Colostrum
should be ingested or bottle-fed (in case of weak kids) as soon as kids have a
suckling reflex.

In cases of extremely weak kids, they should be tube-fed. The producer must
be certain that all newborn kids get colostrum soon after birth (within the
first hour after birth, and certainly within the first 6 hours) because the
percentage of antibodies found in colostrum decreases rapidly after
parturition.
It is crucial that the antibodies in colostrum be consumed before the kids
suck on dirty, pathogen-loaded parts of its mother or stall. In addition, the
ability of the newborn kid to absorb antibodies also decreases rapidly 24
hours after birth. Newborn kids should ingest 10% of their body weight in
colostrum during the first 24 hours of life for optimum immunity.

The extra colostrum produced by high lactating does during the first 24
hours following kidding can be frozen for later use when needed. Only first
milking from healthy animals should be frozen for later feeding, and the
colostrum from older animals that have been on the premises for several
years is typically higher in antibody content against endemic pathogens than
is colostrum from first fresheners.

Revaccination against tetanus and enterotoxaemia (over-eating disease) 2 to

4 weeks before the kidding date is commonly used to improve the protective
value of the colostrum against these conditions. Ice cube trays are ideal
containers: once frozen, cubed colostrum can be stored in larger containers
and the trays used for another batch. Ice cubes are the perfect size for
newborn kids, thus thawed colostrum is always fresh, and wastage reduced
to a minimum.

It is recommended to thaw colostrum either at room temperature or at a

fairly low temperature. Colostrum should never be overcooked during the
thawing process.

When to kid and when to wean?

Kidding season and weaning age depend on several management and

marketing factors. However, kids born in very late winter and early spring
(March-early April), when grazed with their mothers on lush, high quality
small grains or cool-season forages, will grow faster and will be healthier
than kids born during the heat of late spring and early summer when forages
mature and worm burdens increase.

Letting the kids nurse and graze with their mothers for as long as the doe
stays in good enough body condition so as not to impair the success of its
next breeding season is a sound management practice that will ensure rapid
growth of the goat kids.

Weaning is a very stressful period for kids and coccidian infestations

generally show up at weaning. It is important to frequently observe weaned
kids. Kids showing signs of coccidian infestation should be treated
immediately; otherwise they will dehydrate and die. Coccidian can damage
the lining of the intestines and if not treated properly surviving kids may not
grow to reach their normal size and production potential.

Take care of new born kids by providing guard rails.

Treat / disinfect the naval cord with tincture of iodine as soon as it is cut with
a sharp knife. Protect the kids from extreme weather conditions, particularly
during the first two months. Dehorn the kids during first two weeks of age.
Male kids should be castrated for better quality meat production. Vaccinate
the kids as per the recommended schedule. Wean the kids at the age of 8
weeks. Proper selection of kids on the basis of initial body weight and
weaning weight should be initiated by maintaining appropriate records for
replacing the culled adult stock as breeders.
Additional feed requirements of lactating does must be ensured for proper
nursing of all the piglets born.

3.5 Protection Goats against diseases:

Proper Scheduled Vaccination is very important to overcome the mortality
rate in goats. Here i will be covering every vaccine shedule which is i am
following in my farm.
After goat purchase and before entering into the goat farm deworming is
compulsary and following vaccine must be scheduled.

The Common vaccine schedule prescribed by doctors are:

FMD(Foot and Mouth disease) vaccine name is polyvalent FMD vaccine

given once in a year dosage is 3ml. S/C given in february & December.

Anthrax vaccine name is anthrax spore vaccine given once in a year

dosage is 1 ml.S/C in the month of May -june

ET(Enterotoxemia) vaccine name is ET Vaccine once in a year dosage is 5

ml.S/C in the month of May june

CCPP(Contagious Caprine Pleuro Pneumonia) or IVRI Vaccine dosage is 0.2

ml S/C once in a year.

PPR(Peste Des Pettis Ruminants) or PPR Vaccine with a dosage of 1ml S/C
given once in a 3 Year.
Marketing:

The marketable product of goat farming includes the fattened kids, manure,
culled animals. Marketing avenues for the above products are slaughter
houses and individual meat consuming customers and agriculture farms.
Therefore, availability of either slaughtering facilities or traders who will
purchase live animals should be ensured to convert the fatteners into
wholesome meat and meat products. Further, demand for manure from
nearby agriculture farms must also be ensured.

Routine Operations
Handling of Goats
Goats are seldom difficult to handle and frequently learn to come for food
and milking when called. They dislike being held by horns and ears and care
should be taken not to disturb the nostrils. For an ideal handling it is
preferable to hold them with neck or head collars.

Castration The Bucks

It is done at the age of 2 to 4 weeks although castration at

later stage is successful. For this method the Burdizzo's
castrator is used. Care should be taken to pass the
spermatic chord of each testis in two places, half apart. At
that time testis should be held by hand in such a way that it
never reaches near the hinge of the castrator. After
castration there may be swelling of the testis which soon
becomes normal within 2 or 3 days.

Advantages of Castration

1. The palatability of the meat increases.

2. The body weight increases at a rapid rate.

3. The quality of the skin becomes superior.

4. The profit from such castrated goat is always more.

Dehorning The Goats

Dehorning is done to avoid keeping horned and polled goats together. It is

practiced within one week of birth by using caustic potash.

Care of the Goat Feet

Goats frequently suffer from overgrown feet, a condition which causes much
unnecessary discomfort and even deformity and arthritis old age. These
conditions can be prevented by pairing the hooves when they become
overgrown.

Marking Goats

Three means for marking goats are ear-tattooing, ear-tagging and ear-
notching which should be carried out with-in one week after kidding.