Getting started in goat farming

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 44, 15 April 1986, Page 14

Getting started in goat farming

Due to changing economic times, some farmers in the Waimarino are considering adding goats to their traditional sheep and cattle farms. The Waimarino is very suitable for farming goats and they can easily be farmed with traditional animals without sheep and cattle numbers having to be reduced. Goat farming can be devel- ) oped from just a hobby to an extension of existing livestock policy on a farm, or can be an entirely new venture, creating a change in lifestyle and farming technology. While the goat offers j

long-term opportunities in the farming world with the export of fibre and meat, it also offers relief for many farmers because of its ability to eat weeds, such as blackberry, broom, dock thistle and seeding grasses. This allows clovers and rye grasses to predominate which helps pasture development, according to Waimarino goat farmer, Peter Berry. When people are considering going into goats, Mr Berry said he asks three questions: •for what purpose do you want the goat — to tidy up a small area of land , to go into

it as an industry, to run them with existing stock, or as a separate identity? •how much capital do you want to invest? This determines what type of goat to invest in. •how serious are you about goats? Mr Berry believes a person has to realiy like goats to be able to farm the animals. Once a person has decided to invest in goats, there is the question of what type of goat to farm. There are five main types of goats to choose from: ★feral wethers — these goats can be farmed for weed control and 60 to 70 per cent produce cashmere fibre of which there is a world-wide shortage at present; ★ graded wethers — produce

mohair or cashgora fibres. Cashgora is produced by crossing feral goats with angoras. The fibre is unique to New Zealand and there is a large demand for it overseas; ★feral/cashmere goats — does can be used for breeding cashgora or cashmere goats and are starting to be used for meat; ★ Angora — produce mohair fibres and are used for stud farming; ★ Saanen, Tolenburg, British Alpine and Anglo Nubian are all milking goats. Consideration has to be given about the care of goats on a farm. The animals need shelter, especially at shearing and kidding time, as they are sensitive to wet and cold weather conditions. A relatively high standard

of fencing is required to keep goats on a farm, and feral goats have to be trained to become accustomed to fences, people and dogs. For those contemplating investing in goat farming, useful books to read are: Farming Angora Goats in New Zealand by Dara Robbins, Goat Farming in New Zealand publishedby WrightsonNMA, NZ Mohair News published by the Mohair Producers' Association of New Zealand. Goat farmers are at present peparing does for the buck and many bucks have now been put out with the does. Embryo implanting is underway and kids will be born from September onwards.