How to Start a Successful Goat Farming Business in Nigeria

If you are thinking about the best husbandry business to start in Nigeria, the Goat rearing business is among the top, if not the best.

The only problem why people look down on the goat farming business and agricultural business as a whole in Nigeria is due to lack of knowledge.

They see the goat farming business as a low-paying and stressful job.

So they prefer the one they sit in a chair, pouring all their energy into the growth of another man’s vision while receiving an undervalued monthly pennies (salary).

So I believe reading this article, means you have made up your mind about becoming your own boss and have an interest in the commercial Goat farming business in Nigeria.

In this article, I will touch on all essential aspects that will make you start a profitable goat husbandry business.

I might be referring more to the goat farming business in Nigeria, but everything I share here is universally applicable. “That’s probably the best thing I love about the agricultural business.”

There is a large market for goat meats in Nigeria, that makes it a very profitable venture in Nigeria.

But if we are to take a global demand view; goat meats are globally accepted, which makes it a more viable item for exportation if the demand arises.

According to Statistics, nothing less than 5 million people eat goat meat in Nigeria monthly.

And the supply of goat meat in Nigeria can’t meet up with the demand so billions of naira are spent yearly on the importation of goats from Chad, Niger, Cameroon, etc just to meet up the demand.

Meaning, that the market is very much open to accommodate every single person who shows interest.

One amazing thing about the goat business is that it is a low-cost business that can be started with as low as N20,000

You can get a mature goat between N5,000 to N7,000 in rural areas in Nigeria. With N20,000, you can get two female goats and a male goat to start with.

In this article, I won’t only be educating you on how to start a goat farming business in Nigeria, but also on the ways you can make money from the Goat farming business

Ways you can make money from the Goat farming business

One other amazing thing about goat farming is, it has several ways you can make money from it such as:

Goat meat

Goat meat is the obvious source of income that most people know about they talk about how to make money from the goat husbandry business.

We all know how goat meat is consumed either in soup, stew, fried, or dried.

Goat meat is highly nutritious and the most preferred because it contains very low fat and is easy to digest when compared to other meats

With Nigeria’s population over 150 million, over 1 million people living in Nigeria consume goat meat every day.

And most farmers rear goats just for meat.

Milk

Goat milk is a highly nutritious product that is used for by-products like yogurt, milk, cheese, butter, soap, etc,.

This unpopular business opportunity in goat rearing in Nigeria generates very high income for several goat farmers in countries where goat milk production is booming.

In many countries all over the world, goat milk is wildly produced for household and commercial consumption.

But in Nigeria, hardly would you see any home consume goat milk, which is why the goat milk market value is very low.

Nevertheless, due to the small fat globules and homogenization found in goat milk, it is easy to digest than cow milk.

It also helps in improving an individual’s appetite and digestive efficiency.

It is your choice to boil goat milk as it is bactericidal(antibiotics).

The amount of milk depends on the goat breed. The best ones can produce up to 4 liters of milk per day.

Hides and skin

Every breed of goats produces hides and skin, which can serve or use in the production of leather items.

Black Bengal goats or Kalahari Red goats are the best breed of goats that produce high-quality hides and skin.

If you intend to deal in goat hides and skin, you can also start the business.

Wool

Goat wool is used in the production of fabrics, carpets, and knitwear.

Some types of goats give the valuable kind of wool called; “cashmere.”

When compared with sheep wool, goat fly-wool products are lightweight, soft, and very demanding (which makes them expensive)

Fibers

Some breeds of goats like the Cashmere and Angora can produce high-quality fibers. These can also be sold for maximum profit.

Manure 

Most farmers love and prefer to use organic manure than using artificial fertilizers to grow their crops.

Goats’ feces are highly organic manure (fertilizers) that can be used for farm crops.

So you can always apply the feces to your farmland if you decide to also go into crop farming.

Now that we have known all this, it is important to now know the essential knowledge before starting a profitable Goat farming Business in Nigeria.

How to start a profitable Goat farming Business in Nigeria

Goat pen

Goat Pen (goat house) is a very important aspect of commercial goat rearing business, except your plan for your goats is to live with you in your apartment.

The major reason for the goat pen is for safety from the weather; “rain (because goats hate to get wet), and sunning weather”.

Also, It is important that the pen is built into various segments because of the difference in breeds, and the sex of goats.

The separation within the pen must be spacious enough to contain each number of goats put into it because they like their privacy,

The separation is mostly important when you are running a commercial goat farming business.

Remember for more safety of your goats, put a guard dog or dogs to live with them in the pen. With the guard dog’s presence, the goat will be safe from predators.

According to dog experts, the best way to make a guard dog familiar with the goat is to take the dog when it is still very young from the mother to live in the same pen with the goats.

Fence The environment:

The next important thing to do after completing the goat pen is to construct a fence around the pasture to keep the goat within a parameter.

The fence should be a brief perimeter fence made with barbwires. By so doing the fence can also keep off dangerous animals like wolves, foxes, coyotes, etc.

One way to keep the goats away from the fence is to create a play zone for them because they love climbing a lot.

Feeding

It’s important the landmass used for your goat farming business isn’t that far away from the city and is additionally large enough to accommodate your goat grazing needs

Apart from the grazing feed, try and feed them some high proteinous food and vitamins to keep them healthy always.

Using high-quality, fresh, nutritious food, and vitamins regularly when feeding them can help you achieve maximum production from your business.

Urea is toxic to goats, so never include it in their food rather give your goats 12%-18% protein feed. That’s a major requirement you must fulfill to become a successful commercial farmer.

Not leaving out the supply of fresh and clean water (automatically or manually) is an essential element of their health

Goat feeding is not just limited to grasses as they can also eat kitchen waste, stalk from beverage companies, roughage, agricultural waste, etc. This is why it is less expensive to rear a healthy goat or goats

Feeding your goat twice a day is the recommended number of times to feed your goats mostly when you are into commercial goat farming.

Goat Breeds: 

Deciding on rearing the proper goat breeds is dependent on what is available and demanded in your country.

There are various goat breeds such as; pygmy goats, Nigerian dwarf goats, Lamancha goats, Alpine goats, Nubian goats, Boer goats, and many others. 

In all these different types of goat breeds, what matters most to succeed in this goat farming business is to pick the proper goat breed or breeds that fit your market needs.

If you are in a country whose demand for goat meat is higher than the demand for goat milk, “like in Nigeria”, I advise you to rear goats that can give more meat and can well adapt to the country’s weather.

Likewise, if you intend to go into dairy (milk) production.

Veterinary Service

Veterinarians are people who treat animals, just like doctors.

Some farmers may feel less need for their services because of their poor husbandry knowledge and the idealogy of; “I can do it all myself.”

If you intend to run commercial goat farming, you definitely need to sign up for a veterinary service close to you, that you can call when you notice any strange thing among your goats.

Early treatment helps to prevent the spread of ailment from one goat to the other.

And also a stock-up of some necessary medicines and vaccines will help remedy any symptoms or sickness before the veterinary doctor shows up with the final solution.

Constant check-ups and vaccination from veterinary doctors will decrease the death rate and increase the lifespan of your goats.

Marketing

If profit-making is the reason at which you want to engage in this husbandry business then you must pay attention to this marketing strategy.

Before starting a goat farming business, you must have analyzed your local market so your products meet the exact demand of your Country’s market.

If it is goat milk that has a high demand in your Country, then a dairy goat farming business is what you must focus on more.

But if it’s goat meat that has high demand like in Nigeria, you must focus on rearing goats that produce more meat.

And also your market knowledge (particularly marketing strategies) can maximize your revenue.

Remember Goat demand is acceptable by all. So, don’t just limit your sales to your local market, take advantage of the international market too.

Management

Management comprises the ability to organize the goat farm business efficiently and effectively.

The ability to put everything that I have said so far to good use is what management is all about.

With the current shortages in demand, the goat industry is open to all who find interest in it.

And as your goats continue to multiply expansion should always be in mind.

The expansion comprises both in land and more employees.

Make sure your workers are trustworthy and there is a good relationship with them.

I would have loved to say; “that is all there is in starting a profitable goat farming business, but it isn’t.” So please do yourself a favor by having practical training.

The only way to get this practical training is to sign up at any established goat farm close to you where the owner has been in the business for at least 3 years.

Things to Look Out For in Your Goats Health and little remedy tips

Animals are vulnerable to worms. The following types of worms are common in goats are:

Tape Worm Symptoms: 

The symptoms of this disease include fever, slow growth of animals, and goat kid mortality.

Prevention Measure: Carry out periodic deworming for all goats in the shed.

Roundworm Symptoms:

This parasitic disease can cause fever, a slow rate of animal growth, anemia, and edema in the lower jaws of goats.

Prevention Measure: Make sure all animals are dewormed periodically.

Lice and Tick Symptoms:

This parasitic infestation can cause skin allergies and slow growth in growing animals.

Prevention Measure: Clean the goat house regularly and keep the floor always dry.

Foot Rot Symptoms:

Usually, this causes wounds in the goat’s foot.

Prevention Measure: Make sure to maintain the dry conditions in the goat shed.

Pregnancy Problems:

Pregnancy Toxemia and abortions are common problems found during the pregnancy period. Pregnancy Toxemia is caused by late pregnancy, especially in the last 2 weeks period.

This happens with goats carrying multiple kids. However, abortions in pregnant goats are caused by nutritional problems and infectious problems.

Advantages of Starting a Goat Farming Business

1. Low startup capital.
2. Low labor is required.
3. Employment  (employer of labor)
4. Source of food.
5. A good source of protein.
6. Good source of Farm manure.
7. Not limited by seasons.
8. All goat breeds can feed and share the same environment as cattle.
9. Can serve as an export.

Recommended articles:

• Rice Business in Nigeria Made Easy
• Poultry farming business in Nigeria.
• Pig farming business in Nigeria
• 10 Money-Making Agriculture Business Ideas
• How to start Agriculture Business

Conclusion

With this comprehensive knowledge so far, you can start a profitable goat farming business in Nigeria.

Remember to drop your questions or contributions in the comment section below.

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