Cattle Plug

8. In addition, Farmers should also keep records regarding the production, age, health status, weight, feeds and water, input costs, sales, and other relevant data for future decision-making about necessary improvements for his/her goat farm. Kindly reply with any other insights

7. For feeds and water, the goat should be given plenty of feeds and plenty of clean water, for fast growth, weight gain, improved immunity, and good productivity. Grass to be fed should be dry supplemented with rice bran, concentrates, and/or sprouts. (Find sprouts at @Uruhimbi)

6. Some common diseases include foot and mouth disease (FMD), coccidiosis, bottle jaw, blackleg, and others, young goats are more susceptible. All the diseases can be prevented by buying healthy goats, proper vaccination, regular hygiene, clean water, and quarantining sick ones.

5. For healthy and fast-growing goats, the goat pen should be clean and off-the-ground, for easy droppings management. For disease control and prevention, goats must be dewormed every 3 months. Houses must be clean, offer suitable protection, and allow lighting and ventilation.

4. For reproduction, goats are fast-growing and breeding animals. A goat under good management can breed twice a year giving up to 4 kids that wean for 4 months. A goat can first conceive at age of 8 months, with 5 months of pregnancy. They come on heat 2 months after parturition

3. For breed improvement, both breeds can be crossed with indigenous local breeds for increased productivity and well-adoptability. You can find either improved or pure breeds in Rwanda, reach out to @RwandaAgriBoard or contact +250788777880 (Naphtali, a farmer in Bugesera-Juru)

2. For milk, Saanen is the most productive goat breed, giving 3-4 L milk a day with an average milk yield of 838 Kg per 264 days of lactation. Goat milk is nutrients dense, reducing cholesterol levels, and it is good for lactose-sensitive people.

1. Goats are mainly reared for meat, milk, manure, and skin production. For meat, Boer is the most productive meat breed with rapid weight gain (up to 100 Kg in a short time), carcass quality, and high demand.

Who is interested in goat farming? Say Hi 👋 in the comment section. I will show you how!