An Introduction To Goat Keeping - Raising Goats As A Business

If you're thinking of going into keeping
livestock for business but is blocked by a
shoestring budget, the solution to your issue is
goat keeping.

Goats have been serving our needs as early as
10,000 B.C., probably even before we have
learned to domesticate cows and sheep. Because
of their capability to survive on the most
meager of herbs, bushes and scrubs, they are
also ideal agricultural animals for countries
with environments like those in Africa. Goat
keeping is also a primary source of food and
income in mountainous regions like Tibet and
Mongolia. This trait also makes them attractive
to farmers from Third World countries because of
their relative cost-effectiveness. In fact,
certain charities and organizations donate herds
of goats to poor communities in order to provide
them with livelihood.

Despite its scruffy appearance, the goat yields
various products for consumption. Asides from
being a good source of meat when keeping goats,
its milk can be converted to yoghurt and cheese.
If you are unfortunate enough to have cow's milk
as allergens, you can find a great alternative
in goat's milk. Certain breeds like the Angora
yield thick strands of hair called mohair which
can be used for the creation of textiles. There
are however, shorter hairs found nearer to the
skin of the animal which are common in Cashmere
and Pashmina goats. Producing textiles out of
these will give you more profit.

There are many dimensions in raising goats.
First, you must identify the needs of your chief
buyers. These needs will dictate which breed you
will get as each one boasts different strengths
on the areas of meat, milk, and hair. Therefore
you will not use a goat of LaMancha stock to
produce hair when Angoras are the more efficient
breed for that. In the same respect, the former
produces more milk than the latter which is why
the LaMancha is ideal for dairy operations.

Being able to tell prime animals from inferior
ones will help you during purchases and at
instances when you decide to thin your herd of
unproductive specimens. Knowledge of goat
biology and habits will also be helpful in
understanding their needs like the right feed to
give and the physical signals which tell you the
appropriate time to mate your buck with the
does.

With these things in mind, you're ready to start
the journey to goat keeping. At this very moment,
your very first animal is possibly already out
there, chewing its cud, waiting for you to start
your venture.

----------------------------------------------------
Are you thinking of raising goats for an extra
source of income? Ted is a goat enthusiast, and
if you would like more tips on goat keeping,
please visit: http://www.raising-goats.com

EasyPublish this article: http://submityourarticle.com/articles/easypublish.php?art_id=207767

>