By Rosemary Tukundane
Grace Bwogi is a goat farmer from Bulanga, Kibanda sub-county Kyotera district.
Bwogi the managing director of Bwogi farm that deals in banana farming, local chicken, sheep and mainly goats in different breeds of Mubende [ local goats], savanna, Boer and Galla goats from Kenya.
She started her journey of goat keeping in 2015 after leaving her profession of lecturing from Kyambogo university on a family land with 30 goats buying each at sh100000.
Types of goat breeds on her farm
Mubende [ local goats] These are indigenous breeds from the Kabale and Bundibugyo districts of Uganda. This breed has shiny, straight hair that is normally black or a mixture of black and white.
Boer goat is from Semblable district and they like climbing trees.
Savanah goats are large framed, well-muscled breed mainly used for meat. This breed has been in Uganda but it is from Kenya white in color, when cross bred with local breeds, you get a heavier and taller goat.
Galla goat, this breed is originally from Kenya, tough but loving and can tolerate heat and drought.
Market prices for the reared goats by Bwogi
Mubende [ local goats] – sh 110,000
Savanna goats- sh400,000
Boer goats –sh 800,000
Galla goats – sh650,000
How Grace manages her farm and feeds
- Water on Grace’s farm is dirty; therefore, she mixes mineral blocks to the water and feeds not salt [ kyisula] because it contains all minerals.
- Hygiene, the workers clean the floor every day. This is done to protect the animals from cough, flue and goats from getting dirty, like humans’ dirty places make goats uncomfortable.
- The goat house structure has to be raised sob that when they urinate, urine slops down and this comfortability.
- Cross breeding local breeds with exotic ones to get taller and heavier goats with higher market sells and grow fast.
Bwogi added that she sells pregnant mothers because the fetch a lot of money and male ones at shs.200000-250000 depending on age, breed, sex and size. The sales are mainly done in Kampala.
What has kept her in business for long
- Honesty and quality services, she delivers the exact animal as ordered by a customer and advises clients not buy sick or unwell animals.
Record keeping
- Number of kids produced is recorded because it helps in growth and development of the farm.
- Sales, help to monitor how much is sold out and brought to the farm and guides the farmer to know whether they are making losses or profits.
- Sick and dead animals, this helps a farmer to monitor the causes of the diseases on the farm.
- Vaccination, helps whether to keep the vaccine or leave it.
- Tagging , helps a farmer to identify his animals.
