Another reason to rear some goats. Did you know that a single goat...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNk7JITU-XU

is capable of producing 138kg of dry manure per year? This composition would be made up of 3.4kg N, 0.5kg P and 1.1kg K.

Goat manure increases the water retention ability of the soil and is excellent for bananas.

It is also sold. Current market price is Kshs 30.

30 shiling per wot

Per Kg.

How is the goat market?

Walevi ndio market (social events and parties included), with Idd being the icing. The goat niche is however wide; dairy and meat, then there are breeders of the said segments who sell at ridiculous prices. Am experimenting with dairy.

Per acre inaeza chukua mbuzi ngapi hivi?

I keep mine zero grazing, am a small time farmer to advise on this, Billy Drago and Paul the farmer may chip in.

However, if on a rainy area with lotsa trees separately the sky is your limit…esp in a zero grazing setup. You can even keep 50 plus goats confidently. Every farm is different.

Under zero grazing, can you feed them on boma rhodes hay?

Mine is on zero grazing, but dairy not meat goats. Yes, I give them hay but they don’t love it as much as dry beans waste…(those leftover trash after getting your beans from the farm).

There are other things I feed them but it’s the main item I serve them.

Is dairy marketable that meat??

A six ton lorry can carry about a ton of manure, that is 30k for a year of 13 goat dung. Not bad. But slight decomposed manure reduces in size and is heavier.

The quality of manure depends on the feeds the livestock feeds.

Maasai free range livestock that feeds on different plant species produce nutrient rich manure than zero grazed ones feeding on Napier grass, maize stalk, grass and other starch feeds.

Yes and no, I did what i found exciting at the time, plus I was trying to provide an alternative milk options to those that need it around the farm be it health related or just lifestyle.

Considering location, I will always keep dairy goats as opposed to meat goats. Reason: Access to very cheap feed that fetches premium milk and a willing market.

Fun fact: A well fed mature dairy goat gets north of 45kgs with ease if fed well. A buck 70kgs; you’d struggle to fit it in your boot.

Now that you have mentioned, in our rural home, we used to have lots of traditional vegetables when we kept goats. Managu and Saga would grow all round the year even in the maize farm, unachina enough for the family. When we started relying on fertilizers, slowly these disappeared.
In Ngong I usually buy a gunia or two of this manure from the Maasais near Ngong hills, when used on my kasmall kitchen garden, you will find managu and terere growing. Then when it rains, edible wild mushrooms. And if you apply it on the bananas, they will immediately flower.
I have always known that goat manure is the golden bullet.

How is the production?

Not bad…2-3 liters per goat with conditioning dairy meal (1 cup per goat). The drier the feeds the higher the production; number of lactations also matters.

@PaulTheFarmer can you direct me to where I can get a small amount, probably a gunia or 2 of goat manure within nairobi today?

Thread safi sana.

How about sheep? I find them less ‘disturbing.’

Goat Farming is very profitable especially meat. Just get a ranch in areas where land is sold cheaply and there you go. Look for lorries daily in mombasa rd carrying goats to Nairobi from Ranches in Lower eastern then fill in the gaps