Five Goat Breeds Perfect to Start Small Scale Farm
Goats are small ruminants reared in various parts of the world, they are kept by farmers and families for their meat, milk and some keep them as pets.
The common breeds of goats in Africa are Red Sokoto, West African Dwarf, Kalahari Red, Pygmy Goat, Kalahari Goat. etc.
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West African Goats
This breed is one of the most popular goat breeds in existence. They’re excellent milkers, with milk that is high in butterfat and protein and sweet tasting.
The average daily milk production is said to be around 2 quarts a day. Some are of course going to be a little higher (the record is just over 3 quarts) and some are going to be lower.
Red Sokoto Goats
This bread is spread mostly in the Sokoto area. This type is considered as one of the most well defined among African bread.
The colour of the skin coat is red, and it is very valued for leather production.
There is also a sub-breads of such goats, they are called Kano brown and Boronu white. The goats have horns and horizontally positioned short ears. Mature animals have 20- 30 kg of weight.
Boer Goat
The Boer breed is characterized by a redhead and red on at least a portion of the neck, with a white body. They have large pendulous ears.
Boer goats are in high demand because they grow fast and produce desirable carcasses.
Boer goats are the largest of the goat breeds. Mature does can weigh between 190-230 pounds, and mature Boer bucks can weigh between 200–340 pounds.
READ ALSO: 4 Things You Should Not Do When Your Farm Animal is Pregnant
Pygmy Goat
Pygmy goats are small goats of African origin. They were originally called the Cameroon Dwarf goat. The goat is mostly restricted to the West African countries.
African Pygmy goats are small in size, averaging 15 to 20 inches tall at the shoulders.
Their colour can range from light/white caramel, medium caramel, dark caramel, dark red caramel, silver or light grey agouti, medium grey agouti, dark grey agouti, black with frosted points, solid black and brown agouti.
They provide small amounts of high-quality milk but are considered a meat goat. The pygmy is small, cobby and compact and is not fine-boned like the dairy breeds or Nigerian Dwarfs Pygmies are bred to be “cobby” and heavy boned.
READ ALSO: Anemia in Goats: How to Diagnose and Treat it
Kalahari Goat
The Kalahari Red is a meat-type goat breed that originated in South Africa.
The namesake comes from the Kalahari desert, which spans the borders of Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia. This semi-arid climate has contributed to Kalahari’s overall hardiness.
The most distinct visual characteristic of Kalahari Red goats is their red coat colour. They also have strong herding instincts for protection as well. Kalahari Reds have long, floppy ears. Above their ears are moderately-sized, sloping horns.
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