Hello followers. Welcome to another day of our GOAT FARMING TRAINING
Goat farming can be a lucrative and rewarding business, but determining the amount of capital required to start a goat farm can be a daunting task.
The first question that comes to the mind of an ordinary man is how much it will cost to venture into goat farming. Keeping this in view, today, we will talk about the capital you need to start your goat farming business in Kenya.
And we will try to explain what things will cost you and at how much, so that people who wish to do Goat farming business can get an approximate idea of expenditure and income.
Moreover, Goat rearing or Goat Farming is a business that farmers and livestock owners can easily start for additional income.
In today`s training, we shall provide you with estimate capital and revenue with an assumption that you will be starting your goat farming business with 200 goats and 10 he-goats for the purpose of selling the goats for meat.
NOTE: You can modify this estimates as per your wishes. For example, if you think starting with 200 goats is a lot for you, you can modify this estimates to any number of goats you wish to start with.
IMPORTANT POINTS IN OUR CAPITAL ESTIMATION CALCULATION
Our calculations are based on the Black Bengal goat breed. In this, 200 goats and 10 he-goats will be purchased.
Manure produced from Goat Farm can be used to produce fodder for goats.
However, if a goat or he-goat dies, it is necessary to buy a new he-goat / goat for farming instead.
NOTE: We have pronounced he-goats for (Male Goat) and goats for (Female Goat).
Technical Details
- Goat Breed – Black Bengal
- Number of He-goats – 10
- Number of goats – 200
- Sex Ratio – 20:1
- Breeding Interval – 8 Months
- Goat Breeding Ability / Breeding – 1.5 (This means a goat can produce three children in 1 year. Or, on average, you can run it with a value of 2.7)
- The Age of The lamb Sold In The Market – 11 MonthsÂ
- Maturity Age of Goat – 10 to 12 MonthsÂ
- Death Rate of The Lamb – 15%
- Percentage of Lamb – 85% (Note: Goats can have one to four babies at a time)
- Goat Farming System – Semi-IntensiveÂ
EXPENSE OF THIS GOAT FARMING PROJECT
In the expenses, the construction cost includes the space where the goats will reside.
- Each Goat needs 10 square feet of space, and each he-goat needs 15 square feet of space.Â
- The lamb needs 4 square feet place.Â
- In addition, the cost of 1 square foot of land is Ksh.260.Â
- The price of the feeding food is ksh.7 per Kg (Using current prices of hay feeds in the market)
- You have to include labour charges for the farm.Â
- In addition, the cost for Goat insurance will be include in the project report.Â
Therefore;
- Space in square feet / he-goat: 15 square feet
- Space per goat: 10 square feet
- Every lamb needs a space: 4 square feet
- Cost of construction: Ksh.260 per sq ft (this is the cost of buying land + construction of goat houses)
- Cost of goat farming equipment for mature goats per goat: Ksh.30
- Cost per acre to produce green grass for goat: ksh.10,000
- Goat feeding quantity for one month before and after breeding per goat: 60 kg/per month (A goat eats 1Kg to 2Kgs of feeds in a day)
- The quantity of feeding he-goats for two months in a year (Only in breeding season): 75kg/per month
- Lamb food quantity for 30 days after birth per lamb: 6.75 kg per month
- Price per kg of the above-mentioned food: Ksh.7
- labour wages per month: Ksh.15,000
- Goat insurance: % of the total cost of breeding goats: 5%
- Veterinary expenditure: per year on each mature goat and He-goat: Ksh.70 per year
TOTAL STARTING CAPITAL COST
This project for goat farming includes several things like shedding, equipment, Borewell Pump, and others.
- The cost per square foot of land is Ksh.260.Â
- The total number of Goats need 2000 square feet of land.
- The total number of lambs need 1840 square feet of land.Â
- The cost of purchasing one goat is Ksh.4,000.
- The cost of purchasing one he-goat is Ksh.6,000.
- The total number of he-goats need 150 square feet of land.Â
One time Capital Cost
Ksh.260 per sq. ft., and the cost of shed 200 goats at the rate of 10 sq. ft. per goat is Ksh.520,000 (One goat needs 10 square feet and 200 goats need 2000 square feet, multiply 2000 by ksh.260).
The cost of shedding 10 he-goats at the rate of 15 square feet per goat is Ksh.39,000 (multiplying 15 by 10 will give 150, now multiply 150 by Ksh.260)
For about 460 lambs, at the rate of 4 square feet per child, 1840 square feet of space is required. The cost of its shedding is Ksh.478,400 (Multiply 1840 by Ksh.260)
Cost of buying equipment like trough and bucket used in goat farming project: ksh.3,000
Borehore (Optional): ksh.100,000
The cost of buying 200 goats at the rate of Ksh.4,000 per goat: Ksh.800,000
The cost of buying 10 he-goats at the rate of Ksh.6,000 per he-goat: 60,000
Total Starting Capital Cost: Ksh.2,000,400
MONTHLY RECURRING WORKING CAPITAL
Working Capital includes the operational cost of any project, and here we are with the entire operating expenses of the goat farming business.
- Our estimate labour cost is Ksh.10,000 per month.Â
- The insurance cost of the goats is equal to 5% of the total cost of purchasing goats.Â
- The cost of producing food for goats is Ksh.10,000 per acre.
Goat Farming Project Cost
Ksh.10,000 per month as the cost of labour.
Insurance cost 5% of the cost of buying goats: ksh.43,000 per year (860,000 × 5%) and Ksh.3,583 per month
The cost of feeding 200 goats, feeding 60kgs to one goat in a month. And the rate of feed is Ksh.7 per kg: Ksh.84,000 per month (200 goats will eat 12,000 kgs of food in one month. Multiply 12,000 by Ksh.7)
Feeding cost of 10 he-goats at the rate of 75 kg per month per he-goat: Ksh.5,250 per month (10 he-goats eat 750 kgs in one month. Multiply 750 by Ksh.7)
The cost of feeding 460 lambs in a month is 6.75 kg per month per lamb: Ksh.21,735 per month (460 lambs will eat 3,105 kgs of food in a month. Multiply 1725 by ksh.7)
Ksh.10,000 per acre for 6 months (Assuming feeds take 6 months to grow) to produce food for goats on 7 acres of land: Ksh.70,000 for 6 months and Ksh.11,666 per month. (Not this cost varies from one place to another depending on the cost of leasing land in your area)
Vaccination, medicines and electricity charges per month: Ksh.30,000
NOTE: Since we are going to grow our own feeds in 7 acres of land of land to suppliement feed bought from other farms, our cost of feeding will be reduced by half: Ksh.55,492 (The cost of feeding 200 goats: Ksh.84,000 per month + Feeding cost of 10 he-goats: Ksh.5,250 per month + The cost of feeding 460 lambs: Ksh.21,735 per month = ksh.110,985. Divide this cost by half)
Total Monthly Recuring Working Cost: Ksh.10,000 + Ksh.3,583 + Ksh.11,666 + Ksh.30,000 + Ksh.55,492 = Ksh.110,741
INCOME REPORT IN GOAT FARMING PROJECT
Earning Criteria from Goat Farming Project:
*11-month old he-goat sale rate/ per goat: ksh.4,500
*11 Months Goat Sale Rate/ Per Goat: ksh.4,000
*Income from fertilizers will not be included in this Goat Farming Project Report because we can use manure to produce our own food for the goats.
*The sex ratio between Born goat and he-Goat is taken as 1:1.
Report YoY of the Herd of Goats
In the beginning, you bought 200 goats and 10 he-goats. After one year, you can sell 230 he-goats and 230 goats. The following table shows all about the herd of goats.
NOTE: The number of goats born as from the second year onwards can increase if you decide not to sell all of your born goats and keep some to grow your herd.
According to the above calculations, starting your farm with 200 goats and 10 he goats, will guarantee you making a profit of not less than Ksh.1,000,000 in after every 11 months of selling your grown new born goats.
Remember growing your herd also increases your profits/income.
Dairy Goat Farming – Cash Flow Budgets
The maintenance of a dairy goat farm is dependent on proper budgeting and cash flow on the farm. Click on the link below to watch a YouTube video that teaches you how to maintain proper budgeting and cash flow.
Dairy Goat Farming – Starting Capital, Controlling Inbreeding, Quitting Employment
What capital is enough, or at least where do you start on this journey of becoming a dairy goat farmer?
Click on the link below to watch a YouTube video and learn about this.
CRITERIA TO SELECT GOAT BREEDING STOCK
Animal selection involves standards or criteria used to identify desired breed traits that parent animals can pass to their offspring. The goal of animal selection is to identify does and bucks that will improve herd hardiness and productivity. During the selection process goat producers must focus on reproductive, growth, and carcass characteristics.
Common goat selection tools are:ÂÂ
- General visual appraisal
- Pedigree data
- Performance data
- Genetic animal evaluation
- Respective breed standards
- Animal records
Selecting Replacement Doelings
Identifying replacement doelings (female goats less than a year old) in a breeding program is a multi-step process based on breed, season of birth, and management practices.
First screening. The first screening is based on weight and development when doelings are between 3 to 4 months of age. They are selected from their contemporary group in a herd and kept for further evaluation. At 6 to 8 months of age, doelings are re-evaluated based on growth and development within their contemporaneous group. Only doelings that have grown well and are structurally sound should be kept as replacement stock.
Further selection. Further selection is made at the yearling stage when the females are ready to breed. In this stage, selection is based on cyclicity and pregnancy. Young does that do not express signs of estrus (heat) or do not become pregnant are culled.
Final selection. The final selection is made after young does have weaned their first kids. Replacement prospects are determined according to whether the does adequately raised their kids. This evaluation practice is only valid when doelings are managed in a similar manner.
Other Traits to Consider
When selecting replacement doelings there are other important traits to consider.
- Females must express femininity and maternal traits.
- Good structural conformation—such as good feet and legs—is important.
- The vulva must not be infantile. A small vulva with a tuff of hair is a sign of intersexuality.
- The length of the upper jaw should be equal with the lower teeth touching the superior dental pad.
- Mouth malformation will lead to difficulty eating efficiently. This trait can also be transmitted to offspring.
- Desirable replacement females will exhibit a greater average daily weight gain during development in comparison to members of their contemporary group.
Breeding Does
The maintenance of mature breeding does should be based on reproductive performance. Does are expected to wean kids annually. A doe should also exhibit good structure. The udder must be of good structure, not pendulous. It must also have good ligaments, with one functional teat on each half, to facilitate nursing of the kids. Having oversized teats is a cull factor.
Other Valuable Doe Traits
- Capability of breeding with no more than two services (rate to achieve pregnancy) required to conceive in a breeding season
- Ability to carry out a pregnancy to term
- Good milk production, which is indicated by the weaning weight of the kids
Detecting Reproductive Problems
A goat production system should rely on does that exhibit excellent reproductive performance. These does are able to reproduce, raise, and wean their kids with low input cost. The reproductive efficiency of a goat herd is determined by the kidding and weaning rates in a herd.
Another important trait is the prolificacy or the ability to deliver multiple kids. Goats should have a weaning rate of 1 kid per year. A rate of 1.5 kids per year is a good herd goal. The percent herd prolificacy can be calculated by the total number of kids born over the total number of does kidded in a season x 100:
percent herd prolificacy = number of kids born / number of does kidded x 100
percent herd weaning rate = number of kids weaned / number of does mated x 100
Criteria for Culling Does
- Cull does with poor conformation of the udder and teats and/or with mastitis.
- Cull poor reproductive performers with low profitability.
- Does that present frequent prolapsed uterine, or the eversion of the internal uterine layer to the outside the doe’s vagina.
- Eliminate does that have poor or low milk production and are incapable of rearing kids to weaning.
- Remove does that fail to maintain adequate body condition.
SELECTING BREEDING BUCKS OR HERD SIRES
A herd sire or buck is the most important animal in the herd. The buck contributes 50 percent of the genetic makeup of every kid born and is a key factor in determining the overall pregnancy rate of the herd.
The choice of quality breeding stock is an important factor and fundamental in a meat goat operation. A replacement herd sire or buckling can be selected from the contemporary at weaning (3 to 4 months of age) based on weaning weight.
Subsequently, a post-weaning growth evaluation can be made by 6 to 8 months of age. At 8 months of age, a buckling can begin servicing a small number of females. At two years of age, bucks are considered adults capable of servicing many does.
Valuable Traits of a Buck or Sire Selection
- A good buck must present male characteristics: masculinity, adequate muscling, conformation of the head and neck, and standard buck vocalization.
- Bucks must have two testicles. The testicles should have a firm consistency, elasticity at palpation, good mobility in the scrotum, and be oval-shaped.
- Adult bucks should present a scrotal circumference of 25 cm in average.
- Bucks must not present abnormality of the mouth such as an undershot or overshot jaw.
- Exhibit a good sense of smell.
- Structural soundness like strong feet.
Criteria for Culling Bucks
- Eliminate buckling from the herd that displays poor conformation such as cryptorchidism (a genetic malformation where only one or no testicles descend in the scrotum).
- Remove a buckling with hypoplastia or undeveloped testicles. These conditions are usually signs of genetic abnormalities.
- In addition, watch for orchitis, an inflammation of the testicle(s). These conditions can cause sterility.
Finally,
Attention to animal selection is critical for farm production success, but there is no single criterion for selecting the right stock. Farmers should be familiar with selection tools to ensure good selection and culling results in their herd.
END OF DAY 3 GOAT FARMING BUSINESS TEACHING SESSION
We now come to the end of today`s teaching session.
Our group is now open for questions and discussions on what we have learnt today.
Also below is a PDF file containing notes on what has been taught today.
Save it for future reference.
