As long as you are prepared, raising goats can be enjoyable and lucrative.There are many reasons to start a goat farm.
Step 1: Check the local regulations.
If you live in an urban area, your local government may not allow goats.If it limits farmers to certain breeds, ban only uncastrated male goats, or imposes some other limitation, you should contact the nearest government office.You should check with your landlord or homeowner association as well.Different regulations may apply, so make it clear if you are raising goats for commercial or personal use.
Step 2: Get at least two goats.
If kept alone, goats are more likely to try to escape.There should be at least two goats in each enclosure.Uncastrated males can't be kept with females, so buying more than two goats is required.There are tips on choosing the sex of goats.
Step 3: Determine how many male and female goats you want.
The three main types of goats are females, bucks and wethers.Raising a buck can require a lot of extra work, but does need to be impregnated by one before they produce milk.A strong odor and being aggressive are some of the characteristics of bucks.If you want to start a goat farm the easiest way is to buy two does and pay another farm to breed your does with its buck.Neutered males can't breed or produce milk.They are usually purchased as pets.When goats give birth to extra males, many goat farms end up with wethers.Spending more for one with breeding papers is a good idea if you do purchase a buck.It is less likely to breed defects into your herd if you have a better idea of its traits.
Step 4: Pick the age of the goats.
Depending on sex, young goats are called kids or doelings.They are cheaper than older goats when they are around 8 weeks old, but they need one to two years of care before they can be bred, produce milk, or be sold as meat.A junior kid between 6 months and 1 year old will take less time to mature, and may even come with the option to have it bred before purchase, so it produces milk sooner.An adult or senior goat may be the cheapest option of all, but be wary of goat farmers selling useful milk producers.They might be trying to sell the lowest quality goats.
Step 5: You can choose a goat breed.
The Nigerian Dwarf, La Mancha, and Alpine goats are suited for milk production.The Spanish or Tennessee breeds are usually raised for meat.Angora or Cashmere goats are raised to sell their hair for fabric.You can find out which breeds are raised in your area, how large each breed grows to, and the physical and personality characteristics of the breed.Some breeds produce bucks with a stronger smell or are prone to certain health problems.Before you make a decision, you should read up on how to slaughter goats or milk goats.If you don't want to slaughter a goat on your own, look for commercial slaughtering operations nearby that will buy your goats.
Step 6: Don't plan out costs.
The costs of raising a goat varies from region to region, as does the profit you can earn from selling goat products.It's important to get a good idea of costs and expected profit when raising goats for commercial purposes.Try to talk to several goat farmers or read recently published goat farming guides in your area to get a good estimate of the following costs.If the estimate is higher than your budget, you may have to purchase a different breed of goat.If you need to pay for fencing or raise young goats, a goat farm may not be profitable for two years or more.How much does raising a doe, a buck, or a kid cost?If you can, try to find numbers for your goat breed.How much milk does a goat produce?How much can you sell it for?How much does a goat cost to slaughter?Do they sell more during certain times of the year, such as Muslim holidays, Christmas, or Easter?How much money do you have on hand for unforeseen costs?Will the death of one of your goats cause financial hardship?
Step 7: Excellent fencing is built.
Goats can crawl through small gaps or climb over fencing.The higher the fence is, the harder it is to climb or slip through it.If you have both bucks, you should build a strong buck pen that is sturdy and tall.This fence will prevent your goats from breeding because it will keep your bucks in rut.Unless children are kept with their mother, goats of different sizes should not be kept together.Even if you don't care about breeding, the separate enclosure is highly recommended because bucks can become aggressive when in rut and near females.
Step 8: A goat shelter is needed.
In the winter and when it's raining, your goats need a place to go.A pole barn is fine.Check with an experienced goat farmer before buying a thick coat goat.If you live in a mild climate, a three-sided enclosure will provide fresh air, if your area experienced cold winters, create a fully enclosed, draft-free environment, but let the goats out during the day.Goats don't like wet weather.If you live in a rainy area, you may want to provide a larger enclosure.
Step 9: Plants that are poisonous should be removed.
Goats will eat almost anything, although stories of them eating cars and tin cans tend to be exaggerated.Milkweed, bracken fern, and wild cherry leaves are some plants that can be poisonous to goats if not provided with enough variety and quantity of other foods.Onion, cabbage, buttercup, and parsley add an unpleasant taste to goat's milk.
Step 10: Purchase supplies.
You can find food and water buckets.Determine which grains are cost-effective for feeding your goats by comparing them.Certain feeds may require additional mineral supplements and the feed should provide significant amounts of calcium and phosphorus in a 1.2:1 ratio to prevent health problems.You may be able to get advice from an experienced goat farmer.
Step 11: .
The horns of most goat species have the potential to seriously hurt other animals or humans.After the young goat is two weeks old, horn stubs should be removed.This can be difficult and painful for the goat.One who knows how to administer anesthetization is recommended by an experienced goat farmer.The goats are hornless if the skin on their forehead is easy to move around by rubbing.
Step 12: Most young males should be castrate.
If you are breeding goats, you only need one buck per 25–50 does.Young, male goats that you don't intend to breed should only be castrated if they are healthy.Before you perform the castration, you should have a tetanus shot.Male goats grow large testicles, so even a castrated goat may not look like it.
Step 13: Do you want to breed your does?
Once the doe has reached breeding age, you will need to breed them with a buck.If a doe goes into estrus, remove it from the herd and introduce it to a buck.It's usually enough for two to four breedings.A normal period is around 150 days.
Step 14: Milk goats daily.
Once the udder is enlarged, does can be milked.Milk one or two times a day until two months before the baby's due date.The mother has enough to feed the newborn goat.Once the baby is six weeks old, resume milking.You don't need to breed the doe again until the milk production drops.
Step 15: In case of serious problems, find experts to consult.
If one of your goats develops a health problem or escapes its enclosure, you should know who to consult.If no goat farmers or livestock veterinarians live nearby, you can find a book on goat farming that covers topics such as performing a health check and identifying signs of disease.
Step 16: Where to sell your product?
If you are selling meat, fiber, dairy products, or goat kids, you need to find a market to purchase them.It is easy to sell to individuals in your community or become a vendor at a farmer's market for a small operation.If you have more products than you can sell, you may be able to sell them to a commercial vendor who will take care of delivery for you.It's a good idea to charge people to visit your farm.If you want your goats to be pet-friendly, you may have to train them.