Tips on Goat Farming in Zambia

1. Introductions

1.   The exact number of goats in Zambia is not known at the moment as there has been no research conducted to ascertain this fact. Goat farming is relatively a small business compared to cattle and or poultry farming. Goats are easy animals to look after as they can survive under harsh conditions.

This write up is meant to benefit those contemplating goat farming as a business and has been necessitated by information gap in the rearing of goats. The writer is an entrepreneur and a budding small – to – medium livestock farmer who conducted a research to:

 

(i)                  Understand the available goat breeds in Zambia

(ii)                Get insights into the viability of management of goats as a business

(iii)               Fill an information gap for those considering goat farming as a business

(iv)              Increase the network with fellow farmers.

Entrepreneurship is one business area which has continued to receive attention from individuals, government, and many learning institutions have equally added it to the list of their offering. One characteristic which distinguishes entrepreneurs is `the ability to identify business opportunities `. Recently, the Saudis have requested about one million goats per month from Zambia, and there is unmet demand of the commodity on the local market. As an entrepreneur, I looked at this as an opportunity that can be exploited. Other entrepreneurial competencies that might work to the advantage of a goat farmer with an entrepreneurial approach include taking calculated risks, information seeking through networking, objective setting, and persistence.The majority breeds of goats in Zambia are indigenous breeds mainly found in the southern, central and eastern provinces. Other breeds includes:

 

(i)                  The boer breed , which are farmed for meat and also bred at GART in Batoka, Choma,

(ii)                Saanen breed for milk,

(iii)               Some farmers in Lusaka and central province have the Kalahari breed for meat.

2.       Mating:

Proper care of both female and male goats is of paramount importance to insure success as goat farmer. Periodic vaccinations, dosing, supplementary feeding, selection of breeding stock is non-negotiable. The female goat can only mate when it is on heat which lasts 24 to 26 hours, and pregnancy takes about five months (145-150 days). Signs that your goat is on heat includes:

 

(i)                  She will start to mount other goats (Kutantana)

(ii)                Shaking of the tail (Kunyona mucila)

(iii)               Mucous discharge on her organ

(iv)              Seeking males and wanting to be in their company

(v)                Bleating continuously (Kulila – lila).

 Male goats become fertile earlier than the females. A male goat weighing 2.5kg or more may be selected for breeding purposes. Those not suitable may be either sold or castrated ( I know of a good professionally trained castrator based in Mazabuka). For upcoming livestock farmers like myself, it is advisable to buy indigenous females and buy either a pure breed or hybrid boer ( GART sales he – goats at K1,500, will be ready in June) so as to improve the breed.

3.       Breeding

For improved breed, I would advise crossbreeding between a boer male goat and indigenous female locals. Among many other advantages of crossbreeding is a better performance of the offspring in terms of meat and milk production ( depending on your farming objective). One mature and experienced male goat can service between 40-50 females while a young amateur can manage 25-30.

4.       Kid Management

Signs that she is about to go into labour include:

(i) Restlessness

(ii) Separating itself from the rest

(iii) Mucus discharge from her behind

It is important to note that a reduction in kid mortality rate translates into an increase in flock size. The kids should be encouraged to bond with the mother, and to suck the first milk – colostrums (cinsema) within at least three hours of birth as it contains antibodies necessary for the development of its immune system. It is recommended to have flock identification system in place for the following reasons:

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(i)                  It makes record keeping easier

(ii)                You will easily notice when one is missing (if you have many goats)

(iii)               It is a government requirement in Zambia for traceability when exporting livestock (remember the Saudis need one million goats from us)

 

To reduce kid mortality rate, it is advisable to separate adults from kids.

 5.       Feeding and Sickness.

Goats are natural grazers. This is one reason why it is much easier to rear goats as they can easily graze for themselves. However, supplementary feeding is advisable especially in dry season when grass is less available.

 General symptoms of diseases in goats include:

 

(i)                  Loss of appetite

(ii)                Difficult in moving

(iii)               Standing hair and or loss of hair

(iv)              Dropping ears and tail.

It is advisable to seek the opinion of the vet doctors when you notice one or more of these signs. To minimize sickness, periodically dip your goats, vaccinate them, and remember the power of networking. Visit and invite fellow farmers to your farm to share ideas on management. What you see as normal in your livestock may actually be abnormal and it may take a visit by your fellow farmer to notice.

The author is a Marketer by profession with a strong passion for Livestock Farming. As a result, your input in terms of corrections and additions is sought. Partly desk researched.

Contact: +260977581048.