Goat Milk Nutrition Facts:
Goat milk contain lower fat and highly enriched with many nutrition ingredients. By drinking one cup of goat milk you can get 168 calories and about 10.1 g of fat. On the other hand a cup of cow’s milk contain 149 calories and about 7.9 g of fat. So, goat’s milk is enriched with more fat and calories than cow’s milk. Goat milk is also a great source of protein and carbohydrates. From a cup of goat’s milk you can get about 8.7 g protein and 10.9 g of carbohydrates.

• Vitamins: Goat’s milk contain some necessary vitamins which are very essential for human body. It has some essential vitamins which our body requires every day like vitamin B-2, vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin B-12, Vitamin D, thiamin, pantothenic acid, niacin etc. Goat milk is a great source of riboflavin (also known as Vitamin B-2) and Vitamin B-6(it helps to manufacture red blood cells).
• Minerals: From one cup of goat milk you can get necessary amount of calcium required for your bones, teeth, nerves, heart and muscles. Drinking one cup of goat milk can also fulfill 27% of daily recommended phosphorus intake. This also helps to prevent or break up kidney stones. Goat milk is also contain 14% of potassium of your daily need. It is also contain less amount of magnesium, copper, zinc and iron.

Benefits of Drinking Goat Milk:
In accordance with goat milk nutrition it also has some other benefits too. The benefits or advantages of drinking goat’s milk are described beneath.

• Goat milk contain lower fat. Has an unique taste and flavor.
• High ratio of protein and carbohydrate.
• Easily digestible. Even a child and old man can digest goat milk.
• It has low levels of the protein allergen Alpha S1 Casein. This can cause allergy issues.
• Goat’s milk is very suitable for those people who can’t drink cow’s milk due to it’s lactose intolerance. Although goat milk also has lactose but it is easily tolerated by the people.
• Fatty acids are minimum in goat’t milk.
• It is a better source of calcium. It has 13% more calcium than cow’s milk.
• Compared to cow’s milk goat milk contain 25% more Vitamin B-6, 134% more potassium, 350 more niacin and 47% more Vitamin A.
• There are no hotly disputed Bovine Growth Hormone in goat’s milk.
• Goat milk is very helpful for treating digestive tract problems like diarrhea and bloating. It also very helpful for assisting in breaking down ulcers.
• Goat milk contain many vital proteins, essential amino acids and calcium.
• Goat milk and dairy products are also very effective for skin.
• It has some natural bioactive factors like taurine, nucleotides and polyamine. Those bioactive factors help to strengthen the immune system.
• In some areas goat milk is used for Ayurvedic treatment.

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How To Milk A Goat:
If you are new in milking goats, you can learn the process of milking goats directly from a dairy goat producer. Because practical experiences are very helpful than bookish knowledge. And nothing can bit your practical knowledge. However, learn step by step milking process of a goat.

• First of all keep your goat on a flat surface or on a milk stand (stanchion).
• You can train your goat perfectly so that you can get your goat to hop onto the stand by herself. This process is very easy and simple. Do the same process for several days. Then she will automatically learn it by herself.
• Always milk and feed your goats at the same time. By doing this process they will learn when their feeding and milking time arrive and they will be ready to be milked. Regularity is very important for milking the goat daily.
• Select a calm and quiet place for milking your goats. Because in such a calm and quite place your goat will be more relaxed and calm during milking without distraction. This will make your milking process easy and simple.
• It will be better if you can build a dedicated milk room for your goats. But it is not necessary for the beginners.
• During milking try to use a stainless steel pail and strainer. Because steel pail and strainer harbor less bacteria than plastic or other material.
• Before milking, always wipe down the udder to make the goat clean. You can purchase udder wipes that is available in the market. Udder wipes also help to kill bacteria.
• During milking discard first few squeezes of milk. Because this milk can contain bacteria.
• For milking a goat, simply put both of your thumb and forefinger around their teat, right up against the udder. After that squeeze firmly (never hardly). This is an important part of milking process, because it will keep the milk from flowing back into the udder. After that squeeze your pinky, ring and middle finger together against the teat. Do it sequentially from top to bottom in a very rapid movement. You will know you have got it right when a full stream of milk shoots out with each squeeze. During milking it is very important that you don’t pull down on the teat but bring your free fingers together one at a time from the top to the bottom of your hand as you squeeze. Always release your fingers to let milk fill the teat again and repeat the same process.
• Milking two teats at the same time is much more efficient and when you get good at it you will establish your own rhythm, doing one teat first and then the other. Keep squeezing until the udder is mostly depleted.
• After that, remove the pail from goat and wipe her udder.

Caution:
During the first few squeezes observe the color of the milk. If you found any pink or red color in this milk, then don’t milk the goat anymore. Because it is a sign that your goat may have mastitis disease.

So now what do you think? Can you do the process? Trust me it is very very easy and simple. Milking a goat is also very entertaining and you can enjoy it. Try to milk your goat by your own. Because they like to be milked by the same person daily. If you are new in dairy goat farming business, you can practically learn how to milk a goat from your nearest dairy goat producer.

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Supplementary/Formulated Food:
If you want to feed your goats formulated food, be sure that formulated food and it’s ingredients are always easily available in your local market. Always try to serve home formulated, balanced, nutritious and healthy food. Prepare formulated food with fresh and nutritious ingredients. Never use low cost, expired ingredients. Using cheap ingredients, for the purpose of saving some money will ruin your whole business and result low profit.

Natural Food:
Generally natural foods are best for all animal. There is nothing which can beat an organic and natural food. The main benefits of feeding the goats natural food are, this system reduces the production cost, keeps the goats active and healthy, they consume their necessary nutrient element and minerals from the natural sources. This system is very suitable for those producers who has not sufficient budget for feeding meat goats and has a great pasture or grazing place. You can feed your goats natural food for full time or with formulated goat food. So, it is a great idea, making a suitable pasture for your goats. Goats are amazing animals. They can eat and digest almost all types of natural food including , plants, grasses  paper, straw, vegetables, weeds, leaves etc. They can also eat and digest acorns which are very toxic to cattle and sheep. But it would be better if you don’t let your goats eating such toxic foods. Try to plant some high quality grasses and plants.

If you want to start meat goat farming business, you must have to consider about the feed management of goats. The profit form this business mostly depends on choosing suitable breeds and feed management. After choosing the right breed for your business, you have to be more careful about feeding your meat goats. So, make a plan ready for feeding your goats before starting.

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Location:
Goats are very hardy and they can adopt themselves with almost all types of environment (except heavy rain and excessive cold). So, your can start meat goat farming business from any geographical location. But keep in mind some factors before starting, like marketing facilities, availability of necessary things, availability of medicines and veterinary doctor and some other natural facilities. Suppose, you have established a goat farm in such a place where all types of facilities are available and your goats are producing highly. But there are no suitable market in your nearest area where you can sell your products in suitable price. Then what will you do with your high production. So, before starting commercial profitable meat goat farming business, make sure all types of facilities are available in your area. Never set up a farm where proper transportation system is not available. Because, transportation methods directly or indirectly affects your business. Also consider the facilities of your local government.

Choose Suitable Meat Goat Breeds:
Choose the suitable breeds for your business according to your geographical location, suitable market and available natural facilities. For the first time you can keep numerous breeds. Next time keep those which produce highly in your area and which are easily marketable. Here, I have described about some highly productive meat goat breeds.

• Anglo Nubian: Anglo Nubian is a very suitable goat breed for both meat and milk production. You can raise them for commercial production of meat and milk.
• Boer: Boer is a very popular meat goat breed throughout the world. They are famous for their highly meat production. An adult boer buck weights around 110 kg to 115 kg and doe around 90 kg to 100 kg.
• Beetal: Beetal goat originated from India and very popular in some Asian countries like India and Pakistan. An adult buck weights about 65 kg and doe 45 kg.
• Black Bengal: Black bengal is a Bangladeshi goat breed. Very hardy and suitable for farming in any location. Their meat is very tasty and has a huge demand in international market. They can also adopt themselves with all types of environment. An adult buck can produce about 12-15 kg consumable meat. Does produce kids twice a year with more than 1-2 kids each time.
• Kashmiri: Kashmiri is an Indian meat goat breed. They can tolerate hot weather. They are very hardy and suitable for commercial meat production.
• Matou: Matou is a Chinese meat productive goat breed. They are raised only for their high meat production.

Pasture:
Make a pasture for your goats to get highest production from them. By making a pasture for them you can reduce your supplementary food cost, keep them healthy and maximize your revenue from meat goat farming business. Pasture and grazing place also helps to keep the natural taste of goat meat.

Housing & Shelter:
Highly meat productive goat breeds needs a house or shelter for taking rest, ruminating and staying at night. Always make south faced house for your goats. Ensure sufficient flow of fresh air and light inside the goat house. Make proper drainage inside the house so that you can easily clean the house.

Feeding:
Feeding is very important for maximizing meat production. Always feed your goats fresh and nutritious food. If natural food from your pasture area not sufficient, then feed them highly nutritious supplementary food. For maximizing meat production add some extra protein with their regular food. Also serve them sufficient fresh and clean water according to their demand. Learn more about what to feed goats.

Health Care:
Always be careful about goat diseases and hygienic rearing methods of goats. Always make a stock of some necessary medicines and vaccines in your farm. Keep good relationship with veterinary doctors. So that you can find a doctor soon when needed.

Goat meat is a great source of animal nutrition. And the demands and consumers of goat products are increasing rapidly. So, meat goat farming business has a great opportunities.

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• Select Suitable Breeds: Before starting goat farming business, decide which goat products do you want to produce. You can produce meat, milk, fiber or skin from goats. Consider your local market, where you can sell your products easily. Then select perfect breed for your business.
• Get Training: Is there any livestock rearing training center in your nearest area. If yes, try to contact with them and complete a training on goat farming. It is very necessary for successfully running goat farming business. By a training on goat farming you will gain practical knowledge about goat and their rearing methods. You will be able do some basic and essential goat caring tasks like goat diseases, performing goat health check, breeds of each variety of goats, required space in their house, feeding, health management, caring kids, caring pregnant goats etc. In accordance with training, try to read a lots of books on goat rearing.
• Buy Necessary Things & Equipments: You need some equipments for your goats, like water pot, feeding basket, medicines etc. Before bringing your goat to your farm make all necessary equipments ready  The necessary things for starting goat farming business are money, goats, fencing, housing, separate barn for both does and bucks, silage pit, bet, suitable market and possible customers.
• Make a House: Goats hardly stay inside the house. But you must have to build a house for keeping them safe and free from predators. A house also give them shelter in winter season and rainy days. Goats can adopt themselves with almost all types of environment. If you want to keep them in a small pole bran, they will happily stay there. You can also keep them with your other livestock animals. But keep in mind that, for commercial production special house is a must with all modern facilities available. Try to make a south facing house for your goats. Goat can’t tolerate heavy cold and rain water. Never let the snow and rain water enter inside the house. A draft free building will help to keep your goat warm enormously. Make sure there are sufficient flow of fresh air and sunlight inside the house. Make proper drainage facility inside the house, so that you can clean the house easily.
• Make a Pasture: It would be better if you can make a pasture for your goats. It will decrease your farms food cost and keep your goats healthy. You can easily make a pasture by fencing you land with wire or net. Before making pasture meet with a producer who has a great knowledge in this business and making pasture before.
• Buy A Buck & Some Does: Always try to buy good quality, diseases free and healthy goats. High production is directly related to high quality and diseases free healthy goats. If possible, take help from an experienced producer for purchasing goats. Buy one buck and several does.
• Breed Your Does: Always be very careful about the care and management of your does. During their mating period when they go into heat, keep them in a buck’s room for some days. Keep them with buck until their mating. On an average the gestation period of a doe is between 145 to 155 days.
• Take Care of Bucks: Take some extra care of the bucks which will be used for breeding purposes. Provide them high quality food enriched with all types of nutrition ingredients.
• Provide Fresh Food: Always give your goats fresh and healthy food. Providing fresh food not only increase your production but also keep the goats healthy, productive and diseases free. Also serve them sufficient fresh and clean water regularly.
• Determine the Market: I have already said that, before starting goat farming business make sure there is a market available near your farm. Where you can easily sell and buy your necessary products. And finally sell your products in the market.
• Calculation: Calculate your total income by selling the products and total expenditure of your farm. In first year your total income may be less than or equal to your total expenditure  After that you will definitely get high production and profit from your business.

Some Essential Tips & Caution:
To become successful in goat farming business always try to keep your goats hygienically. Always feed them fresh and nutritious goat food. Because certain feeds can affect the taste of milk and meat of goat. Always try to keep your goats inside the fence. And check occasionally if there any holes in the fence. If you find any hole, repair it quickly. Because goat kids can go out from those small hole. Always keep the goat house clean and dry. Also clean the places where you milk your goat. Keep good relationships with other goat producers and veterinarian doctor. Always take extra care of your buck. Never use one buck for breeding all your does.

If you follow all this steps about “how to start goat farming business” then you will defiantly get highest production for your business.

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Benefits of Goat Farming in South Africa:

• Highly productive goat breeds are available throughout the country.
• Farmers/producers can easily raise goats with their other livestock and domestic animal like cattle and sheep.
• As goats are multipurpose animal, so you can use them for milk, meat, fiber or skin production.
• Minimum care and management cost compared to other animal.
• Very suitable for raising with other animals.

Breeds:
The famous meat goat breed “Boer” originated from South Africa. It is a native South African breed. It is a very popular and highly meat productive meat goat throughout the country and whole world. In some dry North West regions of South Africa, extensive ranching of goats is done together with Persian, Droper and Karakul sheep. Angora goat is also an important goat breed in Eastern Karoo. Farming Angora goats spread in the temperate regions and to the Lesotho highlands. Milch goat farming is not popular enough. However, given the high occurrence of cow milk allergy, there are considerable opportunities for goat farming business to expand in South Africa.

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Goat Products:
First of all make a clear decision of what do you really want to produce and sell from your goat farming business. Goats are multi-purpose animals. You can produce the products like milk, meat, fiber, manure and skin form goats. Go to your nearest market and try to understand which goat products have a high demand in the market. Try to produce those products which you can sell easily in your local area and in the market. Otherwise you will lose money instead of being benefited. For an example, you have established a dairy goat farming business. And your goats are producing milk highly. But there are a little or no goat milk consumer in your local market. Then what will you do with your production? So, always keep in mind this factor and try to produce those products which you can sell easily in your local market. If you have a good facility of marketing your products internationally then you can produce any product from your farm. However, make a good decision of what you are going to produce form your goat farming business.

• Meat: Nowadays goat meat has a great demand internationally. And this rate is increasing rapidly day by day. A report shows that about 70% of total consumed meat globally comes form the goat. If you have sufficient facility of selling goat meat in your local market then you can start raising some highly meat productive goat breeds. Boer, Beetal, Matou, Black Bengal etc. are highly meat productive goat breeds.
• Milk: Goat milk is enriched with many necessary nutrition elements and it is easily digestible. As a result it has huge demand in local and international market. Goat milk is also very suitable for making all types of dairy products. If you can sell goat milk in your nearest market easily then you have to choose some highly milk productive goat breeds. Some highly milk producing goat breeds are Saanen, Jamunapari, Toggenburg, Anglo Nubian, Alpine etc.
• Fiber: If you want to produce fiber form your farm then Cashmere and Angora goat are very suitable. Both are highly fiber productive.
• Skin: All goat breeds produce skin. But few of them produce high quality skin. For business purpose Black Bengal goat produces high quality skin. And their skin has a high demand and value in the international market. Before start raising goats for skin be sure that there is a market available for selling your product.
• Manure: Some crop farmer uses goat manner in their field. It is a very high quality organic fertilizer. You can earn some extra money by selling the manure of goat.

Goat Housing:
Commercial goat farming needs suitable house for profitable production. Serious goat producers make separate house for their goats. You should make such a house which can provide all types of facilities for your goats. Good house keeps the goat healthy and free from diseases. This directly increases the production. So, before starting consider how comfortable house can you make for your goats. Investment in housing is fixed. And you can use one house for several years.

Feed Management:
Goats are ruminants. They eat almost all types of crop, corn and leaves. It would be better if you have a grazing place where your goats can roam freely. In this system your goat will get food from natural sources and it also reduce your food cost. In case of raising goats by providing them home made supplementary feed be sure that all feed elements are easily available in your local market. Also ensure sufficient supply of clean and fresh water.

Health & Care:
Always try to raise your goats hygienically  Sometimes your goats may suffer by various diseases. Make sure that a veterinarian doctor is available near your farm.

Before starting goat farming business plan consider your budget and some other factor related to this business. How much capital do you have? How many facility can you provide to your goats with this capital? Which product do you want to produce form your farm? What are the natural facilities available there for goat farming? Is there any market for selling your products in proper price? Is there any grazing place near your farm? Can you provide provide proper treatment and medicines? If all the answers become positive then you should start goat farming business immediately. Wish your happy and profitable goat farming business.

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Benefits of Goat Farming In India:
There are some benefits of domestic or commercial goat farming. If you want to start goat farming business then you must read the benefits of raising goats.

• Goats are multi purpose animal which can produce milk, meat, fiber, skin together.
• Compared to cow and other livestock farming, goat farming requires less space and additional facilities. They have a less demand of housing and other management. In small scale production they are also able to share their homes with their owners and his/her other livestock.
• Production costs like infrastructure, feeding and treatment are less.
• You don’t have to think about marketing your farm products. Because there are already an established market in the country for marketing your products.
• It is really very easy to maintain a goat farm compared to other farm animals.
• Goats can adopt themselves with almost all types of agro-climatic conditions. And diseases are less in goats.
• They are smaller in size but reach slaughter age faster.
• Goat products like meat and milk has no religious taboo. And highly accepted for consumption throughout the world.

Breeds:
There are some goat breeds which are highly productive and very suitable for farming in India. Jamunapari Goat: Jamunapari goat is a native goat breed of India. It is a highly milk and meat productive goat. But they are raised mainly for their highly milk production capacity. A female goat can produce about 2-3 litter milk daily. An adult male weights about 65-90 kg and female goat weights about 40-60 kg. Boer Goat: Boer goat is a South African goat breed but suitable for farming in India. They are meat productive goat breed. And adult boer goat weights about 110-115 kg and a female goat weights about 90-100 kg. Black Bengal Goat: Black Bengal goat is a Bangladeshi goat breed. This goat breed is considered as an important small livestock in Bangladesh. They are very suitable for meat, milk, skin and fiber production. This goat breed can adopt themselves with almost all types of climate easily. Their meat and milk are very tasty and has a great demand. Beetal Goat: Beetal goat is a native Indian goat breed. They are highly milk productive goat breed. Also suitable for highly meat production. They are able to produce about 2.5-4 litter milk daily. An adult male goat weights about 65 kg and female about 45 kg. Saanen Goat: Saanen goat is a milk goat breed of Switzerland. But suitable for commercial milk production in India. They can produce milk highly like jamunapari and alpine goat. They are able to produce about 3.8 litters milk daily. An adult male saanen goat weights around 70-90 kg and female around 60-70 kg.

Difficulties Of Goat Farming In India:
There are some difficulties of goat farming in India. The main difficulties which are obstructing goat farming are listed beneath.

• Lack of sufficient knowledge about goat farming effectively. And the people are not using modern farming methods in goat rearing business.
• Absence of specially-designed vehicles which are very useful for transporting live goats from one place to another.
• The beginners without any practical goat rearing training faces high mortality rate in goats due to some fatal goat diseases like PPR, pneumonia, diarrhea,  tetanus etc. As they lose money during first time, they don’t want to start rearing goats again.
• The goat producers can’t choose the right breed for production due to lack of knowledge. As a result they can’t produce their desired production and lose their interest in goat farming. Choosing right breed can increase the production of a farm greatly.
• Non-availability of all vaccines(especially PPR) and veterinary doctor throughout the country.
• In some regions of India the producers don’t get proper price for their farm products. Which discourage them in large production.
• Lack of capital. Most of the people don’t have the ability to buy sufficient number(50-100) of goat for starting the business. A farm of 50-100 goats can certainly generate handsome income.

Goat farming business is one of the traditional occupations of some Indian people. It is also the only economic activity of some people of rural areas. Like poultry farming, goat farming business is also very profitable and can employ a large number of unemployed educated people. Which will help to eradicate unemployment problem from the country. Wish your happy goat farming business in India.

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1. Worker Bee;
2. Queen Bee &
3. Drone Bee.

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They mate with queen while flying in the sky. After 2-3 days of mating the drone lose it’s sting and die. Generally a hive consists of 500-1,000 drones(sometimes more). If the hive/colony suffers by food crisis then the worker bee stop serving food to the drone bee or kill them by biting them with sting.

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