Boer Goat Farming: Easy Care, High Income
With the cost of living constantly increasing, everyone is now looking at alternative ways to generate more income. Of the many small businesses out there, raising goats and, more specifically, Boer goats, has become a very popular way to increase your family’s income.
One of the main reasons that breeding Boer goats has become so popular is that, unlike poultry or other animals, goats are relatively easy to take care of. As long as you provide them with sufficient food and water and somewhere safe against the weather, they can survive with very little supervision.
Goat Farming
There are several ways you can earn a living from goat farming; depending on which you choose will determine the types of goats you will want to breed:
- The first way is to breed goats for milk production. Many people prefer using goat’s milk instead of cow’s milk as it is easier to digest, making it more suitable for babies and sick people. Goat’s milk is also widely used in the production of soaps and lotions. You should be able to find plenty of dairy producers who will buy your goat’s milk.
- The other way to make money from your goats is to raise them for their meat. This way tends to be the most popular. The meat from your goats will sell at a much higher price than you could sell pork or beef. If you are thinking of breeding goats for meat, then the best breed of goat for this purpose is the Boer goat. Boer goats have been bred to be lean and meaty animals.
- Most people will opt to raise goats for either milk or meat, but you can also sell the wool from shearing the goats. You will get a decent price for your goat wool, provided it is in excellent condition.
Breeding Goats
The majority of people will think of breeding goats, but then discount it as they think that you need the experience of living in the country to manage a goat farming business. However, becoming a goat breeder is not a complicated business; you require some land, a shelter, and the willingness to learn. There are many places where you can find information on breeding goats, then you can soon start breeding your herd of goats.
The first thing you need to assess before you start breeding goats is the location where you are going to keep them. Is it large enough for the size of the goat herd you want to keep? It does not need to be a massive open field, but it does need to be large enough for the goats to be able to wander around comfortably. On the land, you will need some form of shelter for the goats to go a night and when the weather turns bad. And obviously, you will need to buy food for your goats and have them checked regularly by a vet.