How To Take Care of Goats For Profit – Important Steps To Begin Rearing Goats
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Surfing Goat Dairy, Malama Maui tour, Maui Visitors Bureau. Photography by Peter Liu (@PeterLiu47)
Article by Ted Allen
The importance of knowing how to take care of goats cannot be stressed enough. Did you know that more people actually choose goat milk over cow milk? The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimated the number of goats to be at 920 million, larger than the number of cows.
Moreover, several cultures, particularly those bound by religion and limited by logistics, patronize goat meat over beef and pork. Export sales of goat products continue to be on the rise, and more and more countries are getting onboard. If you are considering raising animals for profit, then goats are your option – and now is the best time to start.
The first step in how to take care of goats for profit is to know your animals. There are different types of goats and while they’re all essentially the same, they each have specific needs that you must satisfy. There are also different tips on how to raise each type, so it’s a good idea to do a bit of research to be able to know the kind of food, shelter, etc. to invest in.
Goats are easy to raise as long as you know what to do. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with your animals, you can concentrate on providing them with quality pasture. Experts consider pasture that can accommodate six to eight goats every acre sufficient. You’ll be happy to know that goats can enhance cattle-grazing by consuming the weeds or grass that your cattle don’t touch. Of course, if you don’t own cattle, you can increase the land’s stocking capacity by rotating a variety of forage species.
The next step on raising goats for profit is to make arrangements for shelter. Quality is key here. You want your goats to live in a barn or pen that can protect the from the harsh elements, particularly the winter cold, a common cause of sickness and death among goats. 20 square feet worth of space for each goat is considered healthy, although slaughter goats generally need less space than lactating goats. Machine sheds, old outbuildings, and old dairies may qualify as good shelter. The trick is to provide space that’s open and dry.
Finally, it’s time to invest in the right equipment and machinery. Examples are those for maintaining the hay, clipping the grass, and putting up the fences, just to name a few. There are also instruments designed for the goats’ grooming, such as those for tagging, shearing, and trimming. As long as you’re committed to the task, it won’t be difficult learning how to take care of goats for profit.
