Goat Farming: Nigerians Embrace Foreign Breeds Goat farming is becoming very popular day by day. Several businessmen are now considering establishing goat-farming business, with focus on high-yielding breeds. This is because goat is one of the main meat and milk producing animals. Goats milk and meat have huge domestic demand and goat is one of the choicest meat and milk sources.Due to this high demand, commercial goat farming (under intensive or semi-intensive system) has been gaining momentum in the last few years. High demand for goat and goat products has made good economic returns of its initial investment possible. Farmers are being attracted by the emerging favourable market conditions as well as easy accessibility of improved goat specie and farming techniques. Consequently, numerous commercial goat farms are now springing up in the country.Choosing the right goat breeds for your commercial farm is very important. There are numerous breeds around the world. Some of them are high in meat production, while others famous for milk production. Some goat breeds produce quality skins and fiber.However, I have listed short description of some local goat breeds in Nigeria.Three main breeds of goat in Nigeria are as follows: West African Dwarf, Sokoto Maradi Red and Borno Sahel White.The WAD goats are found in the southern parts of the country. It has the potential of good tasty meat with a good reproductive performance. The Sokoto Maradi Red are found in the northern part of the country and is well adapted to arid conditions. This breed produces good milk and meat and is highly notable for production of fine leather materials. The Borno Sahel White, which are also found in the semi-arid area in northern Nigeria, is a good producer of meat and milk, but highly susceptible to trypanosomiasis.However, the introduction of Boer and Kalahari breeds from South Africa into Nigeria has made them exotic breeds the game changer in modern goat farming in the country.Its not for nothing that some state government have imported these exotic breeds from South Africa to sell to local farmers in their respective states with a view to reproducing them for beef, leather and dairy purposes, encouraging profitable goat farming. Surely, A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.This exotic South African breeds have better body conformation and are the type of livestock that easily get adopted to the climate condition of the country. The South African Boer goat has brown head and neck but red-Kalahari is red all over.At Jovana Farms, we remain committed to providing farmers with quality breeds of farm animals. We have what it takes to make you successful, if you desire to invest in animal production anytime. We are ready to train, guide and mentor you wisely from site survey, farm set-up to the supply of fast-growing animal species.Goat eats wide ranges of vegetables, grasses, leaves, grains, tubers etc. In fact, goat can thrive on any edible material if allowed to forage freely. For mass production, supplement food is needed for good health and fast growth. Goats reach puberty between 6 and 12 months, depending on the breed and nutritional status. Female goats come into estrus every 21 days for three to 50 hours. In addition to natural mating, artificial insemination has gained popularity among modern goat breeders, as it allows easy access to a wide variety of bloodlines. Gestation period is approximately 150 days. They usually bear twins or more depending on the specie.Goat farming has many benefits. As a result, it is very popular around the globe. The main benefits of commercial goat farming are listed as follows.Goat meat is low in fat and is widely acceptable as a source of food nutrient across ethnic and religious persuasions. It has excellent meat quality and does not trigger allergic reactions when consumed. Skin from the red-Kalahari provides the best leather material for tannery industries. This, if properly harnessed for international trade, has a great potential as a foreign exchange earner and can put Nigeria in an enviable position in the global leather industry.Attend Jovana Farms nationwide seminars nearest to you and know more about opportunities in goat farming. Cant attend? Order for self-tutorial VCD & books. Visit us at jovanafarms.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 23:42:33 +0000
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