In situations where grazing is not the exclusive approach, goat farming still promises to be one of the most lucrative livestock enterprise opportunities for West African small and medium-scale farmers, if managed under a semi-controlled system. It involves environmentally complete goat farming but with reduced exposure to disease from free-ranging the herd and lower feed cost than full confinement farming (semi-intensive goat production). It is very suitable for meat production where goats can be strategically fed, monitored and fattened to reach market weight in 8-10 months to cater for high demand periods like Sallah festivals and festivals in general.
Adopting this type of approach is not a right of every producer on the farm—it requires carefully planned management that includes accommodation, feeding, breeding, veterinary and health care, and record keeping. The individual elements of these need to be coordinated otherwise deaths and above average fluctuations in growth and margins could be higher. In this article, we will briefly discuss 11 top goat keeping management practices which stimulates growth rates, minimises losses and maximises meat quality for competitive markets.
1. Strategic Breed Selection for Meat Performance.
The foundation to profitable goat products relies on breeding the appropriate goat for meat produce, adaptation and quick growth. West African Dwarf goat and Sokoto red goat are popular breeds in West Africa because they are able to survive in tropical conditions, resistant to diseases and have acceptable carcass quality. Of the two breeds the West African Dwarf goat is especially suited for low disease risk and high humidity areas suited to humid grassland pasture and good feeding management, the Sokoto Red goat is bigger and provides an increased yield in meat production with a high level of management. Breeding from high quality sources with good provenances should provide consistent growth and minimise risk of in-breeding weak characteristics into the herd. Crossbreeding should not be done indiscriminately unless there is a definite production objective, because it can result in slow growth and lower meat conversion efficiency, if poor genetic management practices are followed.
2. Good Housing design and environment management.
Housing is important to goat productivity, particularly for semi-intensive systems where goats are grazed to a certain point and then brought back into the unit. It is important to build the goat pen properly so it will not have dampness, be properly vented, and will keep animals safe from predators and weather. Slatted or concrete floors should be used to minimise parasite build up as they are easier to clean. Proper spacing is also important to prevent overcrowding of which will contribute to stress, aggression and spreading of disease. To minimise unnecessary mating and avoid injuries, farmers should have the housing system set up so that there are separate sections for the kids, for the pregnant does and for the bucks. The health benefits of good housing are not only improvement in hygiene but also direct benefits in terms of feed efficiency and rate of gain as environmental stress factors that may otherwise reduce growth rate are avoided.
3. Management and balanced feeding
For goats, feed intake is the single most influencing factor of their growth rate and meat quality, particularly in semi-intensive systems using feed supplementation in conjunction with grazing. In a balanced diet roughage like grasses and browse plants should be supplemented with energy and protein sources like maize bran, soybean meal and groundnut cake. In addition, farmers should look to add mineral licks, which help avoid deficiencies that can hinder growth or reproduction. Clean water is always provided as it has been found that low water intake and poor digestion efficiency will directly affect the feeding intake. The objective is to obtain an acceptable average daily weight gain through rationation of natural pasture and formulated rations based on the daily requirements. Feed management is crucial to hasten goats to market weight within 8-10 months for a more lucrative and predictable production system.
4. Deworming
One of the most handsome challenges in Goat farming is poor growth and high mortality, caused by Internal and External parasites. As a result of the worm infestation, weight loss, anemia and decreased host resistance to disease. A strict farmer deworming program must be followed that usually includes 10 day or 20 day treatments every 3 months or as suggested by a veterinarian following faecal checking. Use approved acaricides and clean up of housing facilities must be part of the control measures for dealing with external parasites such as ticks and lice. Rotational grazing can also decrease parasite burden due to the disruption of the environment in which worms live their lives. By keeping goats free from parasites, they are able to put nutrients into meat rather than fighting infections and improve meat quality and marketability will be direct benefits.
5. Controlled Breeding and Kidding Management.
The adoption of breeding management strategies helps ensure a consistent quality production of healthy kids and help prevent inbreeding and production issues. Should be bred only when reaching good weight and providing good nutritious food, of which age is determined by breed and nourishment, generally 7 to 9 months. Controlled mating systems enable farmers to better trace parentage and improve genetic selection in the future. Pregnant pets should be placed in clean, quiet pens during the kidding to minimise stress and complications. Calving farmers also need to ensure that they manage the colostrum supply in the first hours of a calf being born as it has a vital immunity to the newborn kids. Good kidding care can have a major impact on minimising losses due to early death and help to establish a solid basis for early growth to produce marketable stock.
6. Health monitoring and vaccination programmes
The prevention of diseases is far less expensive to the farmer than cure – in goat husbandry. It is essential that farmers build a vaccination programme that covers for the most frequent diseases: Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), enterotoxemia and foot rot. Herd behavior needs to be monitored regularly to pick up any changes in eating habits, isolation from the herd or odd bowel movements caused by illness. Inspect animals for signs of sickness and isolate them immediately. It minimises contact with pathogenic organisms through clean water and clean feeding troughs and cleaned housing. A good health management program will provide goats with high quality carcass production, consistent weight gain, and a consistent healthy population without a break for unnecessary outbreaks.
7. Track and document performance
While it is not very obvious the ability to keep accurate records is an important aspect of making goat production a viable business of a larger enterprise. It is important for farmers to keep records of breeding dates, kidding data, feed intake, weight gain, treatments and mortality. These records can be used to help detect management shortcomings that may be having a negative impact on productivity, and identify high performing animals. Farmers can monitor growth rates and make decisions if goats are not making target growth to achieve a market weight in 8-10 months. Good record-keeping also provides answers to financial planning problems; feed cost compared to sale value would help the farmer decide on herd expansion or slaughtering. Records are needed for other reasons besides improving efficiency; if there are no records, it will be hard to determine the actual profitability of the farming operation.
8. Strategic fattening for Market Demand Periods.
Fattening is a focal feeding program aimed at increasing the body weight and conforming to good meat quality prior to market sale particularly during high demand periods like Sallah. Goats are fed high energy feeds during this period, which encourages them to gain muscle and fat in a healthy manner without any issue. Farmers may also limit grazing and increase concentrate feeds to allow ruminants to receive adequate nutrients to produce fast growth. Fattening is usually started 6-8 weeks prior to sale and adequate time must elapse for weight gain to be noticeable. This strategy can yield higher market values as finished goats command higher prices because of their carcass value, tender meat and appearance.
9. Grazing Management and Rotational Feeding Systems
In semi-intensive systems grazing is an important factor in goat nutrition. But improper grazing can result in livestock being exposed to an overpopulation of parasites and/or sub-optimal regeneration from the grazed pasture. It is important to divide land into sections and let the pasture rest so that the goats can graze up one area before moving on to the next. This increases the quality of forage and decreases parasite levels. After grazing, supplementary feeding should be administered to assure nutritional balance. Farmers should also introduce plants that are used for browsing, to boost protein intake and efficiency in protein digestion. When grazed in an appropriate way, the goat will be healthy and take advantage of the natural feed resources.
10. Stress Management
Goats respond to stress just as they do to other animals, and the stress response directly affects their feed intake, immunity and growth performance. Insufficient space, abrupt changes in surroundings, unforeseen handling, excessive noise can lead to less productive situations. Farmers should be calm and take time to establish the same routines daily to minimise stress in their goats. Space, clean environment and good ventilation also play a positive role in animal comfort. Grouping of animals to socialize should be carefully controlled to prevent bullying, particularly among bucks. Behavioral management, an important aspect of successful farming operations, is vital to achieving higher feed conversion, weight gain and quality of meat when goats are not stressed.
11. Marketing Strategy and timing of sales
In addition to goat production, strategic marketing is also key to successful goat farming. Farmers should know how to reactivate the market for the periods when it is likely to be very crowded, or for religious, holiday or cultural events when the price is much higher. Selling goats at 8 to 10 months will provide the balance between feed cost and market weight. It is also suggested that the farmers should establish a relationship with the traders, butchers and market to obtain a healthy buyer. Well-fed and healthy-looking goats will also command better prices, and presentation is also important. Acclaimed timing and marketing strategy optimises investment in breeding, feeding and health management resulting in maximum financial advantage.
Conclusion
A semi-intensive system of goat production is a viable option for goat farmers to seek better growth rate and lower mortality with better meat quality with proper management. With careful breeding, careful feeding, practicing herd health, superior shelter and management and diligent record keeping, farmers consistently can generate market goats in 8-10 months. All the 11 management practices mentioned are very important for improving productivity and profitability particularly in high demand products such as Sallah. Well-planned and carried out goat production may be a consistent source of income and a sustainable agribusiness.
