Goat meat consumption and the total number of goats slaughtered at federally inspected plants have moved up substantially since the mid-1980s. This period coincides with the increase of levels of immigration of populations with traditionally goat meat consuming cultures. There are strong indications that the supply and demand for meat goats is on the rise and that the meat goat industry in growing. The southeastern area of the United States has enough forage to support goat production at relatively manageable costs. The proximity of this area to the east coast ethnic markets is also an advantage. So, there seems to be good reasons to begin goat farming. Before you venture into goat production, however, there are several important questions that you have to ask and get satisfactory answers. In this communication, some major questions and answers are provided to stimulate your thinking and help you make a decision.

Q. Why do you want to raise goats?
A. You can raise goats for many reasons, some of which are hobby, show goats, breeding stock, goats for slaughter, fiber, milk and many more. If you are planning to raise goats to make money and /or support your living, you have to carefully evaluate your expectations from goat enterprise in terms of economics. How much money do you hope to make? Are you raising goats on a part-time or full-time basis? Are you supplying your own labor or you are hiring somebody to do the job of feeding, caring, and managing the herd? To help you make the decision, you must have some realistic estimates for the following:

• The approximate annual costs of rearing a doe (female goat) and her kids,
• The average market value of slaughter goats,
• The carrying capacity of your land and facilities, and
• What sort of productivity you can expect from a doe under your farm conditions.

Q. What size of herd do you want to start with?
A. The general recommendation is start small and grow with the business. Goats multiply fast, once you get the hang of keeping goat kids alive. If you start with 25 does and a buck (male goat), for instance, the growth of your goat herd and animals available for sale are estimated in the table below.
Table1: Herd growth* and animals available for sale with 25 does as foundation stock

Year	# of Does	# of Female Kids	# of Male Kids	# of Animals for Sale
1	25	20	20	31
2	33	25	25	40
3	44	33	33	52
4	60	45	45	71
5	83	62	62	97

*Assumptions: Weaning rate of 1.5 kid/doe/yr; 5% culling, 50% female replacement

The table shows that the herd can grow by more than 300% in about five years. How small is small? One buck can breed 25 does. So any number of goats in the neighborhood of twenty five does is a good number to start goat a operation. One good reason for starting small is you gain experience and confidence with small numbers without the economic disaster generally associated with loses.

Q. Why do you want to raise goats?
A.You should look for healthy and young animals as your foundation stock. Generally you should purchase goats that are one to three years old, and preferably, goats that have already kidded once or, at most, twice. Avoid animals with obvious physical abnormalities. There are several highly contagious diseases of goats such as foot rot or Caseous Lymphadenitis abscesses that you cannot easily identify. Request for health certificates, if available. You will save a lot of trouble, energy and time if you don't buy goats from infected herds to begin with. You can easily recognize a healthy goat. A healthy goat eats well, chews its cud, has a shiny coat, has strong legs and feet, is sociable, and has bright and clear eyes.

Q. What breed should you choose?
A. There are several breeds of goats available worldwide. While any breed of goat is a potential meat producer, there are some breeds which have characteristics which make them more suitable for profitable meat production than others in a given management system. Selection of breeds and foundation stock for profitable meat goat production should be based on four primary factors:

• Adaptability to environment
• Reproductive rate
• Growth rate
• Carcass value

Q. Do you have adequate land and facilities?
A. Facilities include shelter (particularly during cold season), fencing (mesh or electric or both), workplace, etc. Seriously consider predator problem whenever you are raising small ruminants.

Goats are very adaptive animals and do not require fancy or expensive housing. They need protection from the basic elements (rain, wind draft, and heat). Oftentimes, existing buildings can be utilized to house meat goats, store hay and equipment. Producers can make almost any housing system work. Confinement housing, which can be completely enclosed as needed, is popular in cold climates and for human comfort and convenience. Confinement housing allows close supervision of animals, but is more expensive than most other types of housing. Goats in confinement require 20 square feet of space, plus an additional 30 square feet for exercise, if pasture is not available.

Three-sided or open-sided shelters are suitable in most situations. The open side should face away from prevailing winds, the roof should be sloped to repel rain, and there should be adequate drainage around the building. Goats require 10 to 15 square feet of space in open housing. Buck housing can be simple, but must be strong. Taller, sturdier fences are needed to keep bucks away from does in heat.

The importance of good fences cannot be overstated. Goat producers need to be concerned with three types of fences: 1) exterior (boundary or perimeter); 2) interior (cross or subdivision) ; and 3) barn lot (or corral). Woven wire, barbed wire, and high-tensile electric fence are some of the fences that goat producers can use.

Q. Do you have adequate feed supply?
A. About 70% of your cost will involve feed. The cheaper you feed your goats, the more money you will make from your operation. Goats require all of the five major categories of nutrients: energy, protein, minerals, vitamins and water. Feeding programs in goats can range from letting the goats forage for most or all of their needs to complete control of their intake by the owner. When planning a feeding program, keep it simple and remember that a variety of forages give a more complete diet than relying heavily on grain. This is partly due to goats' unique ability to adapt to various feeding conditions. Goats are natural browsers and weed eaters. In many parts of the United States they are kept mainly for controlling weeds and brush. Goats fed quality feed will reproduce and produce better. This suggests that good forage and some grain supplement during the critical physiological stages of breeding, gestation and lactation should provide the basis for any feeding program. During these stages, the browse and weeds should be considered as 'extra' feed.

Q. When do you want the kids to be born?
A. Although goats have restricted breeding season, you can still stagger your breeding program to have kids when the price is premium. Female goats (does) are seasonally polyestrous and short-day breeders, which means that they have several cycles and can accept the male only during the fall (August to December). This is an adaptive feature allowing the animals to give birth at a time of year when climatic and environmental conditions are most favorable for the survival and growth of the kids. The extent of this seasonal restriction varies with breed type and geographical location, particularly in the temperate zones. The seasonal nature of goat reproduction leads to seasonal fluctuations of meat and milk supplies. It would be advantageous for the goat farmer to be able to manipulate the breeding season so that meat supplies are ready when the prices are optimum.

Q. How do you keep goats healthy so that they will produce?
A. Prevention is the key. Generally a sick goat is a dead goat. Follow strict deworming and vaccination program. Keep high level of nutrition all the time.

Q. When and where could you market kids?
A. At present, there are no well organized marketing channels for goats, but there is a niche market for ethnic populations who prefer fresh goat meat or live goats to be slaughtered according to specific cultural or religious customs. Being familiar with the ethnic calendar helps market goats to ethnic populations. There are strong indications that the general public is also purchasing goat meat.

In summary:
So, You Want to Get in The Goat Business, Are you Really, Really Ready?

• Are your fences, pens, chutes goat proof?
• Is your grazing land adequate?
• Do you have sufficient supplemental feed on hand?
• Is your predator controller in place?
• In your medicine cabinet, do you have
• -Dewormers -Vaccines
• -Iodine -Antibiotic ointment
• -Insecticidal powder -Thermometer
• -Stomach tube -Hoof trimmers
• Do you know the address and phone number of your extension office?
• Do you know the names of your extension livestock, forage, and 4-H agents?
• Have you discussed your new venture with your local veterinarian?
• Have you alerted your next door neighbors to the possibility of excessive noises, exotic odors, sexual activity during the breeding season, animals getting out, and allayed their fears of the spreading of diseases?

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For more information, visit http://www.clemson.edu/agronomy/goats/handbook/ or contact your Southern University Ag Center parish agent or visit www.suagcenter.com.

Contact:
Southern University Ag Center Animal Scientist, Sebhatu Gebrelul, Ph.D. at (225) 771-2262 or sebhatu_gebrelul@suagcenter.com.