Goat and Sheep Business – SS1 Livestock Farming Lesson Note (Second Term)

Goat and sheep business is the rearing of goats and sheep to earn money from meat, milk, hides and skins, and manure.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. State the economic advantages of keeping goats and sheep.
2. Name the products of the goat and sheep value chain.
3. Describe ways of marketing goats and sheep to earn more money.
4. Work out the investment and returns in a simple profit and loss example.
5. List the main challenges of the business and how to reduce them.

Why is goat and sheep farming a good business?

Goat and sheep farming is a good business because the animals cost little to start with, multiply quickly and are always in demand.

• High demand: Chevon (goat meat) and mutton (sheep meat) sell well at weddings, funerals and festivals such as Sallah and Christmas.
• Living bank: Farmers call the flock a “living bank” because the animals grow and breed, and can be sold when cash is needed.

What are the key economic advantages?

• Low starting capital: You can start small with two female goats and one male kept in a backyard pen.
• High multiplier effect: A doe often has twins and can kid about three times in two years, so the flock grows fast.
• Low feeding cost: They eat grass, shrubs and kitchen scraps such as yam peels and cassava peels, not only bagged feed.
• Hardiness: They are tougher than chickens, so a sick animal can often be treated in time.
• Many products: One animal gives meat, skin and manure, and goats also give milk.

Which breeds are used in the goat and sheep business?

Nigerian farmers keep local breeds that suit the climate and the market.

What is the value chain of goats and sheep?

The value chain is the full range of products and services from which a farmer can make money from the animal.

1. Meat

• Chevon: goat meat, very lean and highly prized in “pepper soup” joints.
• Mutton: sheep meat, usually fattier and popular during big festivals.

2. Milk

• Nutrition: goat milk is nutritious and is easier to digest for some people.
• Uses: it can be drunk fresh or used to make cheese.

3. Hides and skins

• Red Sokoto skin: the skin of the Red Sokoto goat is famous for fine leather.
• Uses: shoes, belts, bags and car seats.
• Market: Nigeria exports skins to countries such as Italy and Morocco to earn foreign currency.

4. Organic manure

• Droppings: the farmer can bag them and sell them to vegetable farmers.
• Nutrient: the manure is rich in nitrogen, which helps crops grow green and healthy.

How do you market goats and sheep?

Marketing goats and sheep means selling them at the right time, to the right buyer and in the right form.

• Seasonal marketing: prices of rams rise sharply before Sallah, so farmers buy young rams when they are cheap, fatten them and sell near the festival.
• Targeting restaurants: supply “asun” (grilled goat) sellers and hotels, which need steady supplies and pay well for healthy animals.
• Adding value: instead of selling a live goat for ₦30,000, slaughter and clean it, then sell the meat by the kilogram or ready to cook.
• Selling by-products: sell skins to leather buyers and manure to vegetable farmers.

How do you calculate profit and loss in goat farming?

Profit is the money left after total cost is taken from total sales: Profit = Total sales − Total cost.

Example: starting a small goat farm

Returns after one year

1. Each doe has 2 kids, so there are 4 kids in all.
2. Sell the 4 kids at ₦20,000 each: 4 × 20,000 = ₦80,000.
3. Compare with the investment: ₦80,000 sales recover the ₦80,000 spent.
4. The farmer still owns the 3 original goats, which will produce more kids next year.

• Note: the figures are for practice. A real farmer must also count feed, labour and transport.
• Records: write down every purchase, cost and sale so you know whether you are making a profit or a loss.

What challenges do goat and sheep farmers face?

The main challenges are theft, disease, roaming animals and dry-season feed shortage.

Evaluation

1. Besides meat, list three other products you can sell from a goat and sheep farm.
2. Why is the skin of the Red Sokoto goat valuable to a leather factory?
3. State three economic advantages of keeping goats and sheep.
4. In the example, what is the total investment, and how much does the farmer earn from selling the 4 kids?
5. Name two challenges of the business and one way to reduce each.

Assignment

Go to the nearest “pepper soup” or “asun” stand and ask how much they pay for a medium-sized goat. Write the price down and compare it with what your classmates found.