SA Boer goat breeder shares farming �dos and don�ts
Pini Bothoko | Wednesday June 11, 2014 06:00
The Showa brothers, Terence and Sipho had invited a leading Stud breeder from South Africa, Josef Kleynhans en Seuns for the open day on Saturday where the farmers got it from the horse’s mouth on the benefits of rearing the breed. Kleynhans en Seuns showcased the Boer goat breeds of Kalahari Reds and Boer bokke, which he used to educate the farmers.
At the end of the open day, three farmers bought three he-goats, one at P7,600, the other at P8,600 and another at P10,000 respectively depending on the type and age while another farmer bought two females for P5,100 each.
Farmers salivated more over the Boer bokke as compared to the Kalahari Red whose colour, the farmers said, is not popular in Botswana. Kleynhans said that it was important for one to know how to care for goats if one owned a goat farm. He explained that they could be a great source of income as they are able to provide a range of products from milk, meat and the skin and they could be used as a base material for leather products.
“Rearing an animal needs your dedication and passion because you can invest more money on it and double or triple that money back within a few months’ time.
“It is very profitable to rear Boer goats for commercial purposes. Most Batswana have not considered rearing these goats even though currently the demand for goat meat is so high that even South African farmers are pressurised by the demand,” he encouraged.
He said that he started rearing Boer goats in 2009 and in five years he became one of the leading Boer goat farmers in South Africa.
He encouraged Batswana to start rearing these goats for commercial purposes, as he knew that Batswana are born into farming families. “This goat has a lot of meat. It is a young buck aged 12 months and can weigh 80kg. At that age it would have reached its selling stage. A doe at the age of five months can weigh between 45-50 kg.
“These goats need to be taken care of as they should eat at least 2kg of fodder or lablab daily and should be treated for diseases or any illnesses associated with goats,” he said.
Kleynahns encouraged farmers to start injecting the kids as early as 10 days after birth and follow up after six weeks and then three months later so that they can always be free from diseases. He encouraged Batswana to make use of their communal land and boost the country’s economy. Former Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) executive, Thabani Machacha, 61 who owns a production commercial Boer goat farm on the outskirts of Letlhakane, is currently establishing a commercial Boer goat farm at Phathana lands near Rasesa. He said that he developed a love for the exotic goats recently, but has been a farmer of Tswana goats and cattle since 1992.
Machacha said that he decided to start production of commercial Boer goats because their meat is rare in Botswana.
He said that at the moment he has 30 does and three bucks.
He said that rearing goats needs a dedicated person and it is the reason why most of the youth businesses in small stock collapse because they do not have a passion for farming.
Other farmers who graced the event were those that have been doing small stock business with Tswana goats, but now aspire to introduce Boer goats on their farms.