The aim of this book is to assist owners of indigenous goats with extensive farming systems. It looks at ways to improve the productivity of their flocks. It is designed to be shared with farmers in a way that allows them to understand how to find their way through the book and how to find the information that they need. It is best if the book is part of a capacity building programme being implemented by extension officers and field workers.
There are further training materials to support training farmers on this book. They are available at www.mdukatshani.com or www.heifer.org.za. These are training modules linked to sections in the book and are in downloadable .pdf for printing or a downloadable PowerPoint presentation.
Part 1 – Basics of Keeping Goats: This section covers the basics of keeping goats, including handling them properly, keeping them healthy, identifying common diseases and other health-related problems, treating sick goats properly (including basic equipment and medicines you should have on hand), and dealing with internal and external parasites.
Part 2 – Goat Commercialisation: The next section is more focused on commercialising goat production. It is for goat owners who want to invest more time and resources in managing their goats. This section covers some general management practices (including record keeping), housing and handling facilities, flock identification, nutrition and feeding, reproduction and kid rearing.
Part 3 – Marketing and Value Adding: The final section is aimed at goat owners whose main aim is to market their goats. It looks at the economics of goat production, opportunities for marketing and value-adding, proper transportation of goats and veld management.
Part 4 – Resources is a section that contains additional materials that you may find useful. This includes record sheet templates, the information to make your own goat weight belts, and sources of information (books and websites), as well as detailed economic analyses of various size herds.
This book is not for sale but is distributed as part of a training program. It is available as a free download in Zulu or English, from the two websites listed above.
DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY HERE.