How to start a successful Goat rearing business in Uganda. (2022)

Starting a goat rearing business is not as simple as it sounds. You need to understand the fundamentals of goats before you can start one, such as how many goats are needed for your farm and what type of land they require. This blog post will cover all the basics so you can get started on your own goat rearing business in no time at all! What are the benefits of goat rearing? What are some start-up costs for a goat farming operation? These questions and more will be answered in this blog post, so keep reading!

What is goat rearing?

Goat rearing is the process of looking after goats for their meat and milk. It involves raising goats locally or commercially. Commonly, Goats are raised in different systems for a specific period with a target weight, especially on a commercial basis where they are later slaughtered for meat.

What are the benefits of starting a goat rearing business?

One benefit is that it can be started with little capital. You can start goat rearing with a minimum of two goats in your backyard. So no need to worry about heavy costs.

There are few minimal recurring costs with goats. Goats rarely fall sick, they eat grass and more in that line. Your recurring expenses with goat rearing shall be minimal hence a worthy venture.

There is a super-ready market for goats in Uganda and the world as a whole.

How to start a goat rearing business?

Research goat breeds and find a breed that matches your climate.

Some goats do well in the cool climate while others don’t. Some are resistant to dry climates and can survive while others can’t. Therefore, it’s important to choose a breed that can meet all your demands as far as usage i.e. dairy or meat and can withstand the climate of your area.

some of the goat breeds you can consider are;

Savanna goat, Boer goat, and Toggenburg for exotics and Mubende goat, Kigezi breed, and The small East African goat for local breeds. Cross breeding is a good option to produce a product with fast growth and disease resistance capabilities.

Find out if there are any zoning laws or restrictions in place for raising goats.

This is very important when starting a goat rearing business. In the case of Uganda, there isn’t so stringent and you can start without much emphasis on this. Nevertheless, when transporting animals from one locality to another, this factor shall come into play. You’ll need a certificate from the District veterinary personnel to ensure you are transporting healthy animals. Further, you can register your farm as per the regulations in your area.

Plan your business and get funds ready.

Just like any other business, to start your goat farm, you need a business plan bringing out your business strategy, business objectives, and how you’ll achieve them. Your source of funds for your goat business should also be planned in your business plan. We have articles on how to write a business plan and also how you can raise capital for your goat business. You can look through these posts for guidelines on how to go over those elements above.

Look for a good source of animals to start with.

Just because you are going to start a goat business doesn’t mean you find any goats and start with those. Look out for exotics or cross breeds for the start. Remember the breed is very important as it determines the size, resistance to diseases, and many of those properties. So take it seriously. Some of the breeds you can look at are listed above.

Read also: How to start a beekeeping business in Uganda.

Determine the method of grazing goats you’ll adopt.

There are many methods you can use to raise or feed goats. Your choice of the method shall depend on your scale of production, the breed you plan to adopt, your locality, and the availability of resources to help you attain the required method. Nevertheless, this shouldn’t worry you as goat keeping is a cheap venture.

Here are the different methods of grazing you can look at.

Free range or continuous grazing.

This is good if you have a very large chunk of land and all you do is let the goats access all the pasture at once. It’s not a good method for you to have crops in your neighborhood as the goats can destroy those.

You can also adopt this if you have communal grazing fields in your area. A herdsman can escort the goats to the field for their meal.

This method is not ideal as the animals can easily acquire diseases, and there is uncontrolled breeding in this system.

Pegging system.

This is the commonest. It’s ideal for small-scale farmers. Pegs are driven into the ground and goats are tied by the foot or neck with ropes which are later attached to the pegs. In case you have little land, you can adopt this. You can even use your neighbors’ land with permission with this system.

Paddock system.

In this system, the big chunks of land are divided into paddocks, and goats are allowed to access one at a time as the other rejuvenates.

Zero grazing.

In this method, the animals are allowed to live in pens where food, and water are provided.

These are the different feeding systems, you can choose one that you’ll adapt based on the scale of production, breed, and available resources.

Purchase tools and equipment for the farm.

There aren’t many tools and equipment you’ll need for goats. A few that you might need include feeders which are usually wooden, drinkers

Erect the goat house.

Proper construction of the goat’s house is significant as far as the goat’s business is concerned. The goat’s house should be;

With a waterproof roof preferably iron sheets to protect goats from bad weather.

Well aerated to keep the goats with fresh air circulation.

It should be strong for the protection of goats from predators and thieves.

The floor should be raised from the ground and with holes to allow droppings and urine to pass through the floor. Removal of goat droppings from underneath the goat house floor should be done regularly to control diseases and bad smells.

Read also: How to start a restaurant in Uganda.

Get started with a small herd.

It’s best to start slow so you know what you’re doing before expanding too quickly. This shall help you know the process so well in that you can make heavy losses if there are any. A small herd is manageable especially for you as a starter.

Goat care and nutrition.

Health care.

Health-wise, goats are not very dancing animals. Some of the key activities to carry out regularly are deworming, spraying to kill parasites under the skin, and provision of vitamins and minerals to supplement their diet and boost their health. In case of severe deterioration in the animal’s health, you can consult your veterinary office for assistance with your goats.

Feeding

Based on your production strategy, you can always choose what you feed your goats. On a commercial scale, you can consider specially formulated feeds for your goats. On a small scale, you can feed your goats on grasses and supplement them with minerals. Goats should be given water in intervals after feeding.

Breeding of goats

One of the reasons you should prefer exotic goats to the local ones is that they grow bigger and faster. It is every farmer’s wish to have a big goat as it shall fetch more money in the market. Nevertheless, the weather and disease resistance of the locals cannot be neglected especially when it comes to one who can’t pay great attention to nutrition and hygiene. My best advice is to crossbreed the locals and exotics to get an improved breed. You need an exotic male to do this on your farm.

You can have goats in a ratio of up to 1: 10. That is male to female. You needn’t pay a lot of attention to the heat period of the females if they live with the males.

Kidding in goats.

There is no special care that is given to goats during kidding. You can give your goat sufficient clean water and feed during kidding. Help can be given to the goats to help with kidding especially if it’s the first time to kid.

Marketing your products or services.

When you start your goat farm, it’s important to create awareness and market your products to grow your customer base right away. You can do this by;

Creating an online presence to market your business. You can do this by creating a website for your business and opening up social media pages for it also.

Joining the goat keepers association as you can attract some market for your products from this in your locality.

Running advertisements on different local media especially if you are operating on a large scale.

Creation of different sign posts in your area that hint at your business, its location, and what exactly you do.

Creation of goat rearing training services and developing the ability to participate in trade shows. With these simple ways, you can create awareness and market your products.

Read also: How to start a car washing business.

Tips to get ahead of others doing goat rearing.

• Running a butchery alongside a goat rearing business is an ideal way to make good profits from the business.
• Selling breeds is an ideal way to make good money. You’ll always get more money when you sell as a breed compared to when you sell for slaughter.
• It cost grass to raise a goat to maturity. Therefore, never sell a premature goat either as a breed or for slaughter. It fetches less than it would have fetched if it were mature.
• Compensate the moderately long gestation period and low kidding in terms of number with a large herd. This you can grow with time. This shall help you fetch more money.

Conclusion:

The goat rearing business is a great opportunity to make money by providing high-quality animal products and services. If you were considering starting your farm, it’s never too late! We’re here to help you get started on the right foot with all of our best tips for how to start a goat rearing business. From finding a property, caring for goats, and marketing your products or services – we’ve got everything covered in this blog post about getting into the goat farming industry. Enjoyed reading? Let us know what else you want more information on in the comments below!