Goat farming is a profitable business in fact it is one of the best agriculture business, but what if we can improve its profitability by rearing advance goat breed such as Boer goat or even crossing it with our local goat.
Wait what is Boer goat
It looks like I’m rushing let take it step by step then
Boer goat is not different from other goat just that they have been genetically improved through crossing with different breed s of goat. It originated from South Africa and it is only reared for meat.
Characteristics of Boer goat
Boer goat is white in color with a bran color at the neck or head (this brown color is gotten from Kalahari red goat)
Both female and male has horn and it curved backward
It originated from South Africa
It is reared for meat
Male can weigh as much as 140kg; while female can weigh as much as 100kg
It has a droopy ear
Boer goats are hardy which means they can live in harsh condition
There life expectancy is between 8 to 12 years
They have a brown eye
Boer goat farming in Nigeria
Boer goat farming is just like any other goat farming there is no much different and it is listed below
Location and setting your farm
The first step in boar goat farming in Nigeria is to setup your farm, the way you will set it will depend on the niche you want to enter, do you want to sell the kids, if yes you will need to cross breed it with local therefore you need to have a large space on ground, if you just want to sell the meat, the space and material needed will not be much
Housing
Since Boer goat can grow large and very fast you need to secure a spacious house, at least 12 to 15 square meter should be allotted to each goat and ensure there is adequate ventilation.
Place pallet on the floor of the house to avoid foot root also Boer goat are good climber their house should be surrounded with fence or barb wire and it should be at least four feet tall.
System of raising Boer goat
You can raise them using intensive system and semi intensive system
Intensive system
In intensive system they will be confined in a space and all their daily need will be provided by you. It is the best method if you want optimum production.
Semi intensive
Here you camped them in a fence with growing grass and legumes that can be easily digest. Since there is grass there will be little provision from you and as such there will be low productivity
Procure Boer goat
This is where the problem is because Boer goat is not in Nigeria, it is from South Africa which means you will have to import it or locate a prominent farm in Nigeria and buy from them.
If you want to import it I will advise you to be careful because there is lot of scam around Boer goat procurement
And if you are buying from another farm I want you to know that you will likely be buying the crossbreed.
Another way to buy Boer goat is to go to jiji, there a lot of farm that want to sell their goat on the platform but also be careful make sure you see what you want to buy before paying
Feeding
Boer goat is like any other goats, they also require same feed as normal goat but the nutrient requirement of Boer goat is a little much since they grow fast and large.
Feed them with grass, hay, silage, legumes and most importantly concentrate. Remember in livestock production it is garbage in garbage out, it is what you feed your goat you will reap as profit.
Breeding of Boer goat
If your niche is breeding you will need to import the pure breed directly from south Africa don’t even think of buying from another farm.
To breed Boer goat is not hard, it is the same you breed other goat. You can also cross it with local goats.
Boer goat will breed anytime of the year, you can start breeding them when they reach five month.
The doe will carry pregnancy for five month and nurse their kids for three month. At their first birth they usually give birth to one kid
Management/ Caring
Below are the cares to give your Boer goat
Make a regular check up
Separate the doe once it conceive
Separate the kids once they reach three month of age
Provide creep feed for the kids
The breeding buck should be separated from other goat
Marketing
As stated above Boer goat is a meat purpose breed which means you can only sell your goat alive or process it.
I will advise you to go for processing, because it is more profitable than selling it alive.
Below are the advertisements medium you can use to sell your Boer goat
Social media
Many people are always taking aback by the stature of Boer goat, posting it online will wowed people and surely direct buyer to you
Flyers
Once you start your business create flyers that will let people know what you are selling
Sign post
Erect a sign post to a junction near you, it will serve as direction and advert
Run ad on Facebook and Google
If you have money run Radio and T.V ad
Where to buy Boer goat in Nigeria
Below are the way to buy Boer goat in Nigeria and they are
Direct shipping from South Africa
If you want pure breed of Boer goat, you need to go to the source to ship from south Africa contact farmer in south Africa or go there yourself
Buy from jiji
The second method is to buy from jiji, there a lot of Nigerian farmer on jiji that want to sell their Boer goat but ensure you see what you are buying before you make payment
Buy directly from farm
There a major farm in Nigeria such as Obasanjo and Zayed farm that deal with Boer goat farming, locate them and buy your goat.
Boer goat price in Nigeria
6 month old Boer goat in Nigeria is between #30,000 and #50,000 but they are cross breed not pure
To buy pure breed Boer goat you will need between #100,000 to #300,000
