Preparing for the herd!

PLANTING FORAGE ENSURES

SUCCESS IN GOAT RAISING

By Manny Piñol

The secret to a successful goat raising project depends on how the farmer prepares for the feeds requirements of his goats.

If he intends to adopt free-range goat raising, the farmer must have a wide grazing area, ideally sloping or undulating to prevent water stagnation which could result in hoof infection.

The more popular way of raising goats now, especially dairy goats, is to place them in elevated pens where they are just given forage.

This system of raising goats may entail more work on the part of the farmer but this is the most ideal set up in dairy goat farming because it ensures that the milking does are always clean.

Also, the manure of the goats and the unconsumed forage could be gathered and placed in composting boxes with earthworms to produce vermicast fertilizer.

The most successful practitioner of this system is Laguna Dairy Goat farmer Rene Almeda, who along with his son, Art, is running the Alaminos Goat Farm in Alaminos town.

Rene and Art have focused on establishing a forage area which they call as the “Salad Garden” with Indigofera, a leguminous plant with high protein content, as the main fare.

The other day, Rene, a friend whom I fondly call “Ka Rene,” promised to send me a kilo of Indigofera seeds upon learning thàt I have started raising goats again.

My farm workers were also able to buy more seeds of Indigofera and Rensonii, another protein-rich leguminous plant, which will be planted in the open spaces.

I have also started planting more Mulberry cuttings in the vacant spaces of my farm.

My Mulberry planting materials came from the OISCA Silk Farm in Bago City last year where I got a bundle of cuttings which I planted in my farm.

Other forage materials which could be easily planted would be Napier Grass, Mombasa Grass and the Pakchong Grass, although these would serve the nèeds of the goats for fiber and moisture more rather protein.

Planting enough forage in the farm would ensure a successful goat raising program as this would bring down the cost of operations.

Besides, feeding goats with commercially formulated feeds is a dangerous option because in my experience this could lead to calcification in the urinary tract of the male goats which could be fatal.

#ShowingTheWay!

#GoatRaisingEarnsNoKidding!

#Changeishere!

(The first few frames of photos were taken by my cousin Mark as I was planting Mulberry cuttings in between the Langka hills in my farm in Paco, Kidapawan City. The other photos which I took show the lush Mulberry trees which I planted last year. The goats, as shown in the last two frames, simply love Mulberry.)