Cute and cuddly: those are the two
terms people associate with goats. This can be true, if you are
raising goats as pets. However, if you are trying to establish a
goat farm, you will quickly discover that these two terms are
the farthest descriptions you can give your animal wards. Like
all animal husbandry practices, raising goats also means having
to deal with housing units, choosing feeds and dietary
supplements, keeping out unwanted predators (especially wild
animals in the surrounding areas,) health check ups done by the
vet, updating or buying tools and machineries, regular
inspection done by the authorities, knowing the breeding cycle
of goats, and most important of all, choosing what breed of
goats you intend to keep.
Although you can buy any breed of
animal you want,
raising goats according to their output will
help you quickly regain your investments, and make your
endeavors into a profitable business. As such, there are four
types of
goat farming. These are:
1. Raising goats for their
fibers.
Wool is the most common fiber
to be harvested from goats. But you can also acquire mohair and
cashmere wool; both of which are usually prized for their silken
texture and softness. For medium class wool, which is similar to
sheep wool but only somewhat thicker, you would need to buy
nigora and pygora goats (hybrid goats.)
Angora goats produce mohair and
cashmere goats produce cashmere wool. And these are about 100
times more expensive than the common wool. However, you can only
every successfully establish a goat farm of this kind in areas
that are very cold or experience near freezing temperatures.
2. Raising goats for their
meat.
The South African Boer goats
are considered as the true meat yielding goats because of their
fast growth rate, the high litter count, and their resiliency to
almost all kinds of animal diseases. Very young goats are highly
prized for their tender meats which are sold as fresh produce in
the market. On the other hand, meat coming from older animals is
usually incorporated in processed food items like cured, salted
or smoked meat.
Other types of meat producing
breeds are the: Brush, Kiko, Myotonic (also called Fainting
goats,) Spanish, and the West African Dwarf goats.
3. Raising goats for their
milk.
Goat milk can be used as a
substitute for cow's milk because it contains fewer levels of
lactose, which makes it perfect for lactose intolerant people.
However, goat's milk can also be used in: buttermilk, candy,
cheese (and cream cheese), clarified butterfat (ghee,) kefir
(alcoholic beverage,) yogurt... or incorporated in a number of
bath and beauty care products as well.
The Anglo-Nubian breed is
considered as the best producers of quality goat milk. But other
breeds like the: Alpine, La Mancha, Oberhasli, Saanen and
Toggenburg also yield great milk outputs.
4. Raising goats as pets.
Pet goats are usually chosen
for their quiet and docile demeanors. However, many people
choose animals that are low maintenance as well. Some of the
best breeds you can be
rearing goats as home or farm pets are the:
Anglo-Nubian, Pygmy goat, and the South African Boer goat.
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