Goat farming is a lucrative industry, with the animals producing meat, wool, dairy, and skin products. Justin Dziruni, the founder of Zazo Goat Studs, walks us through the basics of herd building and infrastructure.
Dziruni describes his journey into goat farming as accidental. He says his first foray into goat farming occurred when he was looking for land for vegetable farming.
“It was in the quest of trying to get additional land to expand the vegetable farming enterprise, that I went out to Limpopo with an agent who was showing me some potential farms that I could acquire. When I arrived at this farm, I saw the potential that it had for goat farming, having been exposed to some goat farming operations when I was growing up.”
Like any new farmer, his initial efforts were not successful. His first goat stock was of poor breeding, something he only learned after exposure to more seasoned breeders.
“They showed me what quality was, so I took the decision to actually sell all the goats that we had acquired and start building the quality stock that has formed the foundation of the flock that we have now.”
Now Zazo Goat Studs boasts operations in Limpopo, Gauteng and Zimbabwe.
Make sure the kids are warm
Dziruni explains that proper infrastructure for your goat farming operation is important.
“The biggest things that goats need is protection from the elements, so you need to protect your goats from cold weather if the area that you’re farming in is exposed to cold weather, as well as any intense rain.”
He says that ensuring protection from the elements is particularly important for young animals.
“Provide shelter for the kids or the lambs that are born when they’re still young because those are the ones that need the most warmth. [If] the weather is not that harsh in terms of the rainfall and cold weather, [the goats] actually like sleeping in the open but if you are farming in quite a cold area, you need to then make sure that you provide shelter for your goats where you need to then pen them at night and ensure that they are protected.”
Besides shelter, Dziruni also highlights the other basic infrastructure requirements like drinking and feeding troughs, and crush pens.
Secure your animals
Livestock theft is an unfortunate South African reality, and something which you need to protect yourself against, advises Dziruni.
“It goes without saying that when you’re farming with livestock, they are vulnerable to stock theft, so you need to make sure that you provide the infrastructure that prevents access onto your farm and protects your goats from thieves. And also, from predators like jackals.”
Dziruni explains that jackals are a particularly menacing security threat, which means that part of your infrastructure needs to include jackal-proof fencing.
“I also have some Anatolian shepherd dogs that protect the goat flock from any predators. They act as a security barrier at night as well because they are with the goats 24/7.”
Basic herd building
The first step of herd building, Dziruni says, is deciding what kind of herd you want to run. The way you manage a stud herd will be different compared to a commercial herd.
“With your stud breeding, you really need to separate your doe goats or ewes from your rams or bucks, because you really need to track each and every mating, as well as every offspring to actually be able to tell who the specific dame and sire are for that kid.
“Whereas in a commercial operation, where the objective is to raise goats for meat, that might not be as important. So you can have numerous bucks running with numerous females.”
Another aspect of basic herd building for goats is the male to female ratio. “You want to ensure that you give each doe a good chance of mating with a buck or a ram, so the ratio becomes important. The recommended ratio is one buck for every 25 doe goats, but in some operations, that ratio can be pushed up to 30 or even in some instances as high as 50.”
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The importance of good genetics
Dziruni emphasises that good genetics are the cornerstone to successful goat breeding. He points out that it is not about quantity, but more about the quality of your stock, especially for stud breeders.
“It’s about the bloodlines, about the pedigree of your animals. It’s about the genetics, and quality is the most important aspect, not necessarily quantity”.
For Dziruni, spending a bit more money on quality genetics is the best strategy for a successful stud operation.
“Whatever you sow is what you reap, and the same applies to your genetics. Whatever genetics you breed with, those genetics are what is passed on to offspring, so you really need to do careful selection of what bloodlines you want to farm with.”
Good breeding is not just selecting the right breed and bloodlines, but it is also selecting parent animals that have the characteristics you wish to see replicated in their offspring. For Dziruni, that means carefully selecting the best parental stock.
“I’ve realised that for me, you can’t really cut corners when it comes to superior genetics. You just have to invest. Based on my experience, when you invest in genetics, you will get the payback in terms of the offspring that you get, that you can then sell off to the market and it actually helps you market your goats because quality sells quickly. If you breed quality, especially in your stud breeding set up, you will not struggle to sell goats.”
Dziruni’s tips for aspiring goat farmers
Do your research on goats
I think, sleep and drink anything related to goats because I’m quite passionate about goats, and that spurs me to research a lot about them. So, acquire as much knowledge as possible through reading, visit other established goat farmers, go to auctions, see what quality of goats are sold at auctions and how the market works.
You don’t need to start big
Start with a few goats. Learn the ropes as you go, and as you learn more and more about them, you then make adjustments and can add to your flock. Because if you were to acquire a big flock without necessarily knowing on how to take care of the goats, it might actually end in tears.
Run your operation like a business
Goat farming is a lucrative business. And like any business out there, it has to be run like a business for you to achieve success.
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