Advantages of goat farming / Utility of goats:-
1. The goat is a multi-purpose animal producing meat, milk, hide, fibre and manure. In hilly areas, goats are also used for hauling light loads.
2. Goats have very few demands of housing and management. They hardly need separate housing and happily share their homes with their owners or his other livestock.
3. Goats can be raised by landless agricultural labourers, ladies and children because they can thrive well on variety of leaves, shrubs, bushes, kitchen waste etc.
4. Goat farming can be a profitable occupation for a farmer and can fit well into mixed farming.
5. Goats are cheaper to maintain, easily available and have a friendly disposition.
6. Goats are capable of adapting to various agro-climatic conditions ranging from arid dry to cold arid to hot humid. They can be raised in plains, hilly tracts, sandy zones and at high altitudes.
7. Goats are more tolerant to hot climate than other farm animals.
8. Goats suffer from fewer ailments than other large animals.
9. Goats have got increased digestibility of crude fibre and can produce even on poor quality roughages.
10. Goats give more production per unit of investment.
11. Goats are smaller in size and have a younger slaughter age.
12. Goat meat has no religious taboo and is relished by all sections of society.
13. Goat meat has less fat and is more in demand.
14. Goats are called the foster mother of man, as their milk is considered better for human nutrition than other species of livestock.
15. Goat milk is cheap, wholesome, easily digestible and nutritious.
16. Goat milk is finer than cow milk i.e. the fats and proteins are present in a finer state and are more easily digestible, especially by children and invalids.
17. Goat milk has lesser allergic problems than other species of livestock.
18. Goat milk is used as a ayurvedic medicine for personas ailing with asthma, cough, diabetes etc..
19. Goat milk has higher buffering qualities and this enhances its value for patients suffering from peptic ulcers, liver dysfunction, jaundice, biliary disorders and other digestive problems.
20. Goat milk has higher phosphate content, which is beneficial for vegetarian communities.
21. Goat milk has a higher content of B-complex vitamins.
22. Goat milk is suitable for preparing various milk products.
23. Goats can be milked as often as required, preventing milk storage problems and refrigeration costs.
24. Goat hide is used for the manufacture of leather products.
25. Goat hairs are used for the manufacture of rugs and ropes.
26. Pashmina shawls, Mohair and Kashmere carpets are in great demand and are sold at very high prices.
27. Goat manure is 2.5 times richer in nitrogen and phosphoric acid than cow manure.
28. Goats form an excellent animal for physiological and biomedical research.
Poor man’s cow : Goat has been described as a poor man’s cow (or mini-cow) because of its immense contribution to the poor man’s economy. They not only supply nutritious and easily digestible milk to their children but also regular source of additional income for poor and landless or marginal farmers. Being small-sized animals, goats can easily be managed by women and children. Feeding, milking and care of goats does not require much equipment and hard work. Capital investment and feeding costs are also quite low. Four goats can be maintained as cheaply as one indigenous cow. Goats can be successfully reared in areas where fodder resources are limited and milch cattle do not thrive. Returns on capital of up to 50% and recovery of 70% of retail price are possible in goat farming. In rural areas, goat farming plays a vital role in providing gainful employment
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Disclaimer : The information on this site is meant as an aid to students and fellow veterinarians and should be used for educational purposes only. The views expressed are solely that of the author and should not be construed to be that of his employer or any other organization.