Goat Farming
Goat Farming is the process of rearing different breeds[1] of Goats for economic purpose. It is one of braches of Agriculture. Goat farming was started centuries before in the animal rearing age. Goats are generally reared for meat but some improved breeds of goats can provide milk[2] as well. Milk of a goat contains high amount of fat so can be used for Butter and ghee production. Some of the breeds of goat can be used as source of transportation as well in mountain regions.[3] Most of the countries have goat farms. Mutten is liked by must of the peoples of the world. So goat farming is becoming one of the important Occupation of the peoples. Rearing of goat can be beneficial in many ways. They are easy to rear so need less capital or investment. Mutten is expensive in the market so Goat farming can give a person great advantages.
Purpose and Importances[edit]
A goat is useful to humans when it is living and when it is dead, first as a renewable provider of milk, manure, and fiber, and then as meat and hide. Some charities provide goats to impoverished people in poor countries, because goats are easier and cheaper to manage than cattle, and have multiple uses. In addition, goats are used for driving and packing purposes. The intestine of goats is used to make "catgut", which is still in use as a material for internal human surgical sutures and strings for musical instruments. The horn of the goat, which signifies plenty and wellbeing (the cornucopia), is also used to make spoons
Present status and husbandry[edit]
Husbandry, or animal care and use, varies by region and culture. The particular housing used for goats depends not only on the intended use of the goat, but also on the region of the world where they are raised. Historically, domestic goats were generally kept in herds that wandered on hills or other grazing areas, often tended by goatherds who were frequently children or adolescents, similar to the more widely known shepherd. These methods of herding are still used today.
In some parts of the world, especially Europe and North America, distinct breeds of goats are kept for dairy (milk) and for meat production. Excess male kids of dairy breeds are typically slaughtered for meat. Both does and bucks of meat breeds may be slaughtered for meat, as well as older animals of any breed. The meat of older bucks (more than one year old) is generally considered not desirable for meat for human consumption. Castration at a young age prevents the development of typical buck odor.
Dairy goats are generally pastured in summer and may be stabled during the winter. As dairy does are milked daily, they are generally kept close to the milking shed. Their grazing is typically supplemented with hay and concentrates. Stabled goats may be kept in stalls similar to horses, or in larger group pens. In the US system, does are generally rebred annually. In some European commercial dairy systems, the does are bred only twice, and are milked continuously for several years after the second kidding.
Meat goats are more frequently pastured year-round, and may be kept many miles from barns. Angora and other fiber breeds are also kept on pasture or range. Range-kept and pastured goats may be supplemented with hay or concentrates, most frequently during the winter or dry seasons.
In India, Nepal, and much of Asia, goats are kept largely for milk production, both in commercial and household settings. The goats in this area may be kept closely housed or may be allowed to range for fodder. The Salem Black goat is herded to pasture in fields and along roads during the day, but is kept penned at night for safe-keeping.[4]
In Africa and the Mideast, goats are typically run in flocks with sheep. This maximizes the production per acre, as goats and sheep prefer different food plants. Multiple types of goat-raising are found in Ethiopia, where four main types have been identified: pastured in annual crop systems, in perennial crop systems, with cattle, and in arid areas, under pastoral (nomadic) herding systems. In all four systems, however, goats were typically kept in extensive systems, with few purchased inputs.[5] Household goats are traditionally kept in Nigeria. While many goats are allowed to wander the homestead or village, others are kept penned and fed in what is called a 'cut-and-carry' system. This type of husbandry is also used in parts of Latin America. Cut-and-carry, which refers to the practice of cutting down grasses, corn or cane for feed rather than allowing the animal access to the field, is particularly suited for types of feed, such as corn or cane, that are easily destroyed by trampling.[6]
Pet goats may be found in many parts of the world when a family keeps one or more animals for emotional reasons rather than as production animals. It is becoming more common for goats to be kept exclusively as pets in North America and Europe.
Production Statistics[edit]
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the top producers of goat milk in 2008 were India (4 million metric tons), Bangladesh (2.16 million metric tons) and the Sudan (1.47 million metric tons).[7]
| Country/Region | Total animals (millions) | Goat milk (MT) | Goat meat (million MT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| World | ----- | 15.2 | 4.8 |
| Africa | 294.5 | 3.2 | 1.1 |
| Nigeria | 53.8 | N/A | 0.26 |
| Sudan | 43.1 | 1.47 | 0.19 |
| Asia | 511.3 | 8.89 | 3.4 |
| Afghanistan | 6.38 | 0.11 | 0.04 |
| Pakistan | 60.00 | N/A | N/A |
| India | 125.7 | 4.0 | 0.48 |
| Bangladesh | 56.4 | 2.16 | 0.21 |
| China | 149.37 | 0.26 | 1.83 |
| Saudi Arabia | 2.2 | 0.076 | 0.024 |
| Americas | 37.3 | 0.54 | 0.15 |
| Mexico | 8.8 | 0.16 | 0.04 |
| USA | 3.1 | N/A | 0.022 |
| Europe | 17.86 | 2.59 | 0.012 |
| UK | 0.09 | N/A | N/A |
| France | 1.2 | 0.58 | 0.007 |
| Oceania | 3.42 | 0.0004 | 0.018 |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/004/X6532E/X6532E03.htm Different breeds of goat
- ↑ http://www.dairygoatjournal.com/issues/82/82-3/PK_Rout.html Milk giving goat breed
- ↑ http://jds.fass.org/cgi/reprint/61/7/994 About reproduction of goats
- ↑ Thiruvenkadan, A.K, Characterisation of Salem Black goats in their home tract, Animal Genetic Resources Information, No. 38, 2006 ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/a0540t/a0540t06.pdf
- ↑ Gizaw, S.; Tegegne, A.; Gebremedhin, B.; Hoekstra, D. 2010. Sheep and goat production and marketing systems in Ethiopia: characteristics and strategies for improvement. IPMS (Improving Productivity and Market Success) of Ethiopian Farmers Project Working Paper 23. 58p. Nairobi (Kenya): ILRI. http://hdl.handle.net/10568/2238
- ↑ Sumberg, J.E., "Small ruminant feed production in a farming systems context" Proceedings of the Workshop on Small Ruminant Production Systems in the Humid Zone of West Africa, 1984; Sumber, J. E., ed, 1984
- ↑ FAOSTAT 2008 http://faostat.fao.org/default.aspx
External links[edit]
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