When it comes to profitable businesses, goat farming stands up as one if them. They are two popular ways to make money as a goat farmer. The first way is to produce your own goat meat and sell it to your local market or even friends.
Another way is to raise goats that produce milk. Goat milk is not only consumed but it is used to produce food items such as candy, yogurt, cheese and even beauty products such as soaps, creams and lotions.
The fiber got from goats can also be used to produce wool such as cashmere and mohair wool. This wool is then used to make quality cloths and bags.
Raising goats as a business can bring you some nice income but only when done right. Below are some guidelines to follow in order to be a successful goat farmer:
1. When starting out in goat farming the first thing to do is make a decision on what you want to achieve from your goat farm. Do you want to raise goats for milk, meat or fibers? You can raise different types of goats at the same time but you should know that will cost you a lot of money to setup. So it also advisable that when you are just beginning to start with a small venture.
2. The next step is to choose the right breed for your project. If you want to keep goats for fiber then Cashmere, Angora, Nigora and the Pygora goats are best for that. If you want to produce quality meat then the South African Boer, West African Dwarf, Kiko, Brush, Myotonic and the Spanish goats are good for meat production. And for milk production the Alpine, La Mancha, Anglo-Nubian, Toggenburg, Saanen and Oberhasli goats produce quality milk.
3. You should build your goats a goat pen. This house will give your goats shelter from extreme weather that they can’t handle and also protect them from predators. You can build the goat house in a way that it will have a separate feeding area, sleeping area and milking or shearing areas.
4. In order to be up to date with industry news you have to first learn all you can about commercial goat farming. Then make friends with other goat farmers who will give you tips and advice on how to get good returns in investments from your goats.