Perhaps you are thinking of entering the agriculture business in the way of livestock farming and herding. You may in fact be dreaming of putting up a Nigerian dwarf goats for sale sign and getting good business for it also. However, you should know a thing or two about raising these creatures prior to plunging in head first.
The first thing that you should decide is if you will solely breed them and sell the offspring, or specialize in enlarging your herd for dairy and meat purposes. Either way you should decide on either of these options or maybe take on both.
When you have decided to on whether you should raise them for meat or breeding, or both, put into your mindset that you will become a goatherd. So you will need to have the basic knowledge that goatherds will have. You have to know all the basics starting from basic maintenance and so forth so you will have lesser headaches later on.
Proper barn maintenance is the key to sustaining a healthy flock or herd. Regular cleaning and sanitation is needed, particularly in warm or hot weather. Excessive waste and urine particularly in enclosed areas will lead to a gradual buildup of ammonia. This ammonia buildup will affect the respiratory systems of the animals, thus making them more susceptible to pneumonia.
Proper body hygiene of animals must also be maintained ad they should be groomed regularly. The trimming of hooves must be practiced every two months or so as the goats do not have ways of wearing them down naturally as they would do so in the wild. Hooves which are untrimmed will affect the way they walk and their gait as it will make their steps imbalanced. This will make them more susceptible to sprains and broken legs.
Diet of the goats must be as fresh as possible. Goat and general livestock feed must be comprised of at least twelve to eighteen percent protein content. Try to research into the proper diet and mixes to be given as regards gender, age and size. One must also not forget that fresh water is a must in ensuring an keeping the health of the herd.
Should you also be thinking of starting a herd for breeding purposes, you must be familiar with the breeding cycles. Young goats can mate as early as seven weeks old. The herd can multiply quite fast as there is no fixed mating period for them. Theoretically they can give birth two to three times a year as their gestation periods are only around one hundred and fifty days or less.
There are definitely other considerations to take into account before starting a goat breeding venture and business. This article just covered some main considerations and points to ponder. There are however other things that you should consider and do research on also. You may get more tips and advice by going to fellow breeders and also looking at animal husbandry websites on the internet.
The first thing that you should decide is if you will solely breed them and sell the offspring, or specialize in enlarging your herd for dairy and meat purposes. Either way you should decide on either of these options or maybe take on both.
When you have decided to on whether you should raise them for meat or breeding, or both, put into your mindset that you will become a goatherd. So you will need to have the basic knowledge that goatherds will have. You have to know all the basics starting from basic maintenance and so forth so you will have lesser headaches later on.
Proper barn maintenance is the key to sustaining a healthy flock or herd. Regular cleaning and sanitation is needed, particularly in warm or hot weather. Excessive waste and urine particularly in enclosed areas will lead to a gradual buildup of ammonia. This ammonia buildup will affect the respiratory systems of the animals, thus making them more susceptible to pneumonia.
Proper body hygiene of animals must also be maintained ad they should be groomed regularly. The trimming of hooves must be practiced every two months or so as the goats do not have ways of wearing them down naturally as they would do so in the wild. Hooves which are untrimmed will affect the way they walk and their gait as it will make their steps imbalanced. This will make them more susceptible to sprains and broken legs.
Diet of the goats must be as fresh as possible. Goat and general livestock feed must be comprised of at least twelve to eighteen percent protein content. Try to research into the proper diet and mixes to be given as regards gender, age and size. One must also not forget that fresh water is a must in ensuring an keeping the health of the herd.
Should you also be thinking of starting a herd for breeding purposes, you must be familiar with the breeding cycles. Young goats can mate as early as seven weeks old. The herd can multiply quite fast as there is no fixed mating period for them. Theoretically they can give birth two to three times a year as their gestation periods are only around one hundred and fifty days or less.
There are definitely other considerations to take into account before starting a goat breeding venture and business. This article just covered some main considerations and points to ponder. There are however other things that you should consider and do research on also. You may get more tips and advice by going to fellow breeders and also looking at animal husbandry websites on the internet.
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When you want to find information about Nigerian dwarf goats for sale, go to our web pages online here today. You can see details at http://www.rustyducklane.com now.
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