It is important to take slow and deliberate steps. Visit as many producers and research goats so that you make informed decisions before you start your herd. Husbandry and Production Management are two of the most important aspects of good production that you need to understand.

Husbandry

Use a full and adequate vaccination program to prevent diseases which affect goats.

Trim feet regularly so goats remain sound and free from deformities and foot scold.

Control Internal Parasites using a registered effective drench and at appropriate times for the environment.

Prevention is always better than cure.

Production Management

Some of the most efficient methods of improving your herd and therefore your returns are through production management and genetic improvement.

Benchmarks for grazing are available from sources such as Prograze or DPI (Department of Primary Industry) and this can assist in analyzing the viability of the operation.

Understanding the market to which you will eventually sell your animals is essential.    Different markets have different specifications and you should always check the market before sending your goats out.   The specifications will ultimately be set by the customer so it is important to understand what your customer wants and why.

Besides the environment which impacts on the development of your herd, other major considerations to ensure that your animals are reaching market specification are growth rate, condition score and meat yield, genetics also have an impact.   It is important to record all these issues as well as the financial aspects of the business.

Record keeping is an essential part of any production management system.   As well as the items above,  records for the culling of animals, the use of drugs, and the application of chemicals to enable you to observe the withholding periods, should all be part of the record keeping process.

The most important piece of equipment on the farm is the scales.   Weighing your goats regularly will let you know a number of issues – that the animals are ready for slaughter, the animals are doing well on the feed regime, or that the animals are doing poorly either due to the feed regime or a health issue.   Weighing will also identify those animals who convert feed efficiently and those that do not.