Advantages and disadvantages of Goat Farming in the world
Goat farming is one of the most important types of livestock farming. Personally, I prefer goats and sheep to any other type of livestock due to their beautiful characteristics. Goats are humble creatures, gentle and playful. It’s easy to get attached to them. Goat farming has been the passion of many civilizations of the past, and most people care for them as they would their own children.
However, if you are considering goat farming as a business, it’s best to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of goat farming before you decide if it’s the best for you. Raising goats is great as a hobby, and they make wonderful pets, but can you make enough money out of them? Would they fare well for commercial purposes? What are the advantages and disadvantages of goat farming? Let’s discuss this.
Advantages of goat farming
- Goat farming has a very affordable start-up cost ranging from $800 to $1500.
- Goats thrive in extreme climates and are ideal if your land is not very fertile and not ideal for crop farming. Goats are agile and thrive in rocky mountainous areas too.
- Goat farming requires less space, and their housing needs are minimal. Goats can be kept with other livestock, and they can even be grown in your backyard!
- The appetite of goats is small compared to that of cows and pigs, which require a lot of feed. They are not picky in eating and can thrive on limited resources. They can feed on weeds and many types of plants, and even tree bark.
- They can be easily cared for. They do not have any special requirements and can even be handled by women or children. Due to their easy nature, they are not dangerous or vicious, compared to pigs that have the potential to even eat human beings.
- Goats can be used for many different purposes like milking, meat, skin, or even for weeding and landscaping. They even make great pets.
- There are many breeds of goats, some of which are best suited for milking, some for meat and others for both. Goats are versatile creatures. Even their manure is a rich fertilizer for the soil.
- There is a ready market for goat milk which is considered highly nutritious and more precious than cow’s milk. Goat meat is also very popular among most compared to other types of meat and is very tender and flavorful. There is also no social stigma or religious taboos around goat meat, and it can be marketed freely.
- Goats are sturdy animals that are less susceptible to catching diseases. Unlike pigs, which must be loaded with antibiotics and hormones, goats are able to resist parasites and other infections well.
- Goats grow fast and mature quickly. They also reproduce fast, which is very profitable. They reach the weight to be slaughtered much more quickly than other free-range livestock.
- Goat farming is cheap and profitable. They have a good profit income compared to the cost of their housing and feed, which makes them the best type of livestock farming.
- Another major advantage of goat farming is that it produces many jobs for people worldwide. Since goat farming does not require much experience or capital, even the uneducated and poor can take it up as a means of living.
Disadvantages of goat farming
As far as I am concerned, the disadvantages of goat farming aren’t many. Some consider the traditional system of raising goats extensively, which is prevalent in most parts of the world, as a disadvantage. Apparently, there are modern systems that are more efficient. As personally, I am opposed to any type of intensive factory farming. Intensive farming may be profitable, but it does not cater to the welfare of animals.
But in extensive farming, goats can cause damage to crops and cause soil erosion. This tendency in them has to be managed well and allowed to ruminate where there are wild pastures.
Another disadvantage is that some goat farmers are not aware of the correct breed that is ideal for them. There is a lack of knowledge in this regard. Choosing the right breed of goat is important whether we are raising them for milk or for meat.
Goat farming requires proper management if you need to see a profit. Mismanagement and lack of knowledge will lead to low profit and then abandoning the farming practice as a result.
Another disadvantage that is not unique to goat farming is that it requires a big capital if one is to start farming large scale. Running a goat farm with 50-100 goats will bring good income, but it requires space and a large capital. And lastly, one of the cons is that goats smell bad, yet they are much better than other livestock that smells worse.
Advantages and disadvantages of goat farming: Which is more?
Goat farming is an ancient practice that has many advantages. It is generally a very profitable business, but due to mismanagement and lack of knowledge, it can bring in low profit. Goats are adorable creatures that are easy to manage, and they also require less feed. Their milk is highly nutritious and much in demand. Goats make great pets too, but if you are to raise them as a business, you would have to select the correct breeds and manage your expenses well.
