Goat Farming - Setting up a Goat Enterprise

Goat Behaviour

Goat farming is not for everybody. The goat is a clean, friendly, inquisitive and endearing animal. The goat is fond of companionship and very responsive. Goats are active and adaptable, they cannot be herded from behind, and they must be led. Goats are gregarious animals and thrive best in the company of other goats. Anybody who is temperamental should not get involved in goat farming.

Goat Stockmanship & Management Skills

Buy only healthy goats from herds of high health status. Work on a goat farm first, before making any investment. Complete a 25 hour specific Dairy Goat Course where every aspect of the industry is covered and then you can make an informed decision as to whether this enterprise is for you.

Steps in establishing or expanding an existing Goat Enterprise

Establish outlets for your new or increased milk supply, with new or existing Goat Milk Processors.
Establish prices and payment terms for milk conforming to E.U. quality standards.
Establish whether processor needs fresh milk all year round or seasonally.
Visit a number of existing well run profitable commercial goat units by appointment.
Complete a 25-Hour Dairy Goat Production Course.
Work for some period, however short, in an existing goat unit before you make your investment.
Contact Cian Condon on Planning Permission requirements.
Check on potential sources of breeding stock from healthy herds.
Establish annual forage requirements for your target goat herd.
Establish continuous source of straw for bedding goats.
If the acreage is limited, can you lease fertile free-draining land locally?
Will you keep an indoor or an outdoor/indoor system?
Establish grant aid eligibility sources and rates.
Complete a business plan.

Making an Investment/next steps:

The next step before you make any investment is to consult the local Dairy Produce Inspector and/or the Local Authority Veterinarian. These officers will guide you on the steps to take in order that your proposed premises will comply with E.U. Directives regarding the hygienic production and the placing on the market of goat’s milk, heated treated goat’s milk and goat’s milk based products.

Availability of Goats:

Source goats very carefully, checking their health status.
A goat enterprise can fail because of poor quality and poor performance of the foundation stock.
Mature goats sourced from different herds do not mix well. When unfamiliar mature goats are mixed together the resulting stress can considerably reduce their productivity.
Remember that even though there is a growing demand, especially in the winter, for goat’s milk, there are no guaranteed outlets.
No matter how cheap a poor goat is, do not buy. Remember it costs the same to keep a good goat as a bad one.
Seek the help of a professional or another competent goat farmer, before you purchase foundation or additional stock.
Always ask the question, especially in the case of mature goats – “why are they being sold?” They may well be surplus to requirements which is a legitimate reason.
N.B. Buy only healthy animals from healthy herds.
There should be good profitable outlets for goat keepers selling progeny at 5-9 months from herds of high genetic merit.

National Goat Identification System

Double tagging of all goats by the age of six months or on movement from your holding, whichever comes first.
Use of herd registers to record details of numbers of goats on your holding and details of movements.
Use of dispatch documents to record movements.

N.B. As and from the 15^th September 2005:

All goats moved from your holding must be double tagged (i.e. tag in each ear).
All movements must be accompanied by Dispatch Document.

N.B. As and from the 1^st December, 2005

All goats on your holding over the age of six months must be double tagged.
Goats must thereafter be tagged by the age of six months or on movement, which ever comes first.

Sourcing Tags

The Department of Agriculture & Food documentation which was forwarded recently to goat farmers identified eight (8) approved tag suppliers. I believe some of these suppliers have mailed some goat farmers, stating that their tags were approved by Teagasc. Teagasc did no research and/or field study into the merits of particular goat tags and so in no way could it be stated that a particular supplier’s tags were approved by Teagasc.

In the absence of any feasibility study on the effectiveness of goat tagging regarding retention, value for money, ease of identification (legibility), cost of replacement tags, etc. I would recommend each goat-keeper to keep a record of all these and report to me their findings at six monthly intervals.

Other Means of Identification

Goat keepers over the years had their own identification system for goats such as neck collars, leg bands, ear tattooing and latterly boluses and micro-chip. You can continue to have your own supplementary identification system in place as well as the double-tagging.