By Umar Nsubuga
Phoebe Kagambe Kusiima, a famous goat farmer in Rwentale-Kamata village, Kigoyera Parish, Kyarusozi sub-county in Kyenjojo district, says the goat breeding system is an important aspect of goat production in terms of meat, milk and skin production.
She says it has a significant influence on immediate and long-term flock productivity, even if you start small, a good goat stock, for example, is a Small East African [SEA] breed.
She adds, such a breed can upgrade by mating female local goats with a pure South African Boar Goat, with such you may multiply your stock within the shortest time.
This involves the mating of different breeds to combine characteristics found in the different breeds and to make use of the “hybrid vigour”.
“In simple terms this means that the offspring performs better than the parents. This is done properly, to ensure that it does not lead to the disappearance of the existing genetic pool,” she says.
After 3-4 successful crossings with the same breed, Kagambe says the off spring is “high grade”.
The South African Savannah breed could be introduced to cross breed with the off springs of the South African Boar Goat.
In order to improve your breeding, the following measures should be followed.
– Eliminate young females of very small size at weaning or at one year old.
– Eliminate females that fail to produce a required number of kids annually, for example, eliminate these that do not produce twins.
-Castrate or sell of all males born within a flock before their puberty [4-6 months] to avoid in breeding.
