By Rosemary Tukundane
Failing in goat productivity is increasing in the country because farmers have less knowledge on what to do for better results on their farms.
Grace Bwogi is a goat farmer from Rakai district who started with 30 and her farm has increased to 135 goats.
She said that due to limited research and knowledge, most farmers have ended up with bad goats on their farms.
‘’Choose a goat of either sex that pleases your eyes and if you have skinny goats, choose a muscular one so that it can breed the same traits to your goats,’’ Bwogi said
Characteristic of male goats to lookout for
- The goat has to long, tall more than a meter and tall from the legs, it is easy and fast for the goat to gain enough weigh and can pass the same traits to the baby goats.
- The male goat balls should be tight, big enough, should be at least 2 centimeters. Make sure that the balls are not separated, there should be no line separating them for better breeds on your farm.
- If a farmer has done everything possible and goats have failed to gain weight, one has to consider muscular males to her farm. Blood pressure don’t add any value to your goats to gain weight.
- Male goats’ heads have to be having big and concave and avoid ones with folded heads for higher chances of gaining more weight.
- A cross breed for a local [ mubende] and a Boer goat is a good goat for your farm because it has big muscles, tall, long, balls are tight and big enough.
Farmers should note that a male goat should mate at least 4 females, fed on special food and a young male goat should not be made to mate because its muscles grow small and grows short.
What to look out for in female goats
- A female goat should be long enough to carry a baby until it delivers without any issues like those in short goats. Being long means that a goat has enough room to gain more weight.
- Goats with big muscles will pass the same traits to its baby and a healthy body is a healthy mind.
- Pelvic bones should be huge and long high enough, this enables the female goat to push a baby without any assistance.
- Nipples should be small and open to bring a liquid when pulled which shows that they aren’t blocked. This means that the goat has the capacity to feed or nurse its baby until it is mature enough to feed itself.
