Farm Management

What goat farm management means

Farm management is everything that happens between buying a goat and selling one: the daily routine, the periodic jobs, the records, the equipment and the people. Breed, shed and feed set what a farm could produce. Management decides what it actually produces.

Goat keeping in India is growing: the 20th Livestock Census counted 148.88 million goats in 2019, about 10% more than in 2012. As people move from a few backyard goats to planned herds, organised management matters more.

The management decisions that shape a farm

1. How big to start. Start with a number you can look at properly, one by one, every day. It is easier to learn on a small herd and grow from your own kids.

2. Which system. Grazing, semi-intensive or stall-fed. Each needs a different amount of land, labour, feed and housing. See the housing and shelter guides.

3. Who does the work. Whether you use family or hired labour, one named person should be responsible for checking every animal daily.

4. What you will record. Decide this on day one. Records started late have gaps.

5. How you will handle health. Agree a vaccination and deworming calendar with a qualified veterinarian before the first animals arrive, and keep new arrivals apart from the herd for the period your veterinarian recommends. Our vaccination programme, deworming schedule and biosecurity pages explain the general approach; your veterinarian should set the products, doses and dates.

A working routine: daily, weekly, seasonal

Every day

• Look at every goat, ideally at feeding time. A goat that hangs back, does not eat, stands hunched, limps, coughs or has diarrhoea needs attention today. Separate any animal that looks ill and call a veterinarian instead of treating by guesswork.
• Give clean water and clean feed. Clear leftover and soiled feed from troughs.
• Clean pens, or check that dung is falling through slatted floors.
• Count the animals morning and evening, especially if they graze.
• Write down anything that happened: matings, kiddings, treatments, deaths, sales.

Every week or fortnight

• Check feed stocks, fences, feeders and water points.
• Look closely at kids and at pregnant does.
• Weigh a sample of growing kids if you have a scale.

Monthly and seasonal jobs

• Hoof inspection and trimming where needed.
• Tagging or tattooing new kids.
• Vaccination, deworming and control of ticks and lice on the dates set in your veterinary calendar. Castration and disbudding, if you do them, should be done at the age and by the method your veterinarian advises.
• Before the monsoon, repair roofs, clear drains and stock dry fodder; before summer, check shade and water; before winter, block draughts in kid pens.
• Review does and bucks for culling and replacement.

The routine operations guide goes through these daily, weekly and periodic tasks in detail.

Records worth keeping

You do not need software. A bound register, kept every day, is enough. The useful records are:

• Herd register: each animal’s tag number, breed, sex, date of birth or purchase, dam and sire.
• Breeding and kidding: mating date and buck used, kidding date, number and sex of kids, birth weights.
• Growth: weights at set ages, so you can see which kids and which bucks’ offspring grow best.
• Health: vaccinations, dewormings, illnesses, treatments and deaths, with dates.
• Feed: what was bought, when and at what price.
• Money: every purchase and every sale, including the weight and price of animals sold.

These records show which does kid regularly, how many kids are lost and when, what a kid costs to rear, and when the buck must be changed. They also help when you apply for a bank loan, insurance or a government scheme; see the project report generator and the loans and schemes page.

Equipment: what you need first

Start with the basics and add as the herd grows.

• Feeding and watering: raised feeders or racks that keep fodder off the floor, and water troughs or buckets that are easy to clean.
• Fodder handling: a chaff cutter. Chopped fodder is easier to feed and less of it is wasted. A MANAGE model project report for a 50-doe unit includes one chaff cutter in its capital cost.
• Identification: ear tags and an applicator, or tattooing equipment.
• Weighing: a hanging or platform scale, so you can track growth and sell by weight.
• Hoof care and handling: hoof trimmers, ropes and a simple handling pen.
• Health basics: a thermometer and a first-aid kit stocked on your veterinarian’s advice.
• Cleaning: shovels, brooms and a place to compost manure. See goat manure as fertiliser.

The goat keeping equipment guide describes each item in detail.

Labour and costs

Goats need someone every single day. The MANAGE model project report budgets one worker for a unit of 50 does and 2 bucks under a semi-intensive system; your own figure will depend on how much grazing, fodder cutting and cleaning the system needs.

Prices of feed, labour and animals change every year and differ between states, so this page does not quote rupee figures. Work out your own with the goat farming cost calculator and the feed cost calculator.

Guides in this section

• Routine operations covers the daily, weekly and periodic tasks that keep a goat farm running smoothly.
• Goat keeping equipment covers the essential tools and equipment for feeding, watering, health and handling.

Related sections: feeding and nutrition, breeding and kidding and goat farming training programmes.

Frequently asked questions

What is the daily routine on a goat farm?

Check every animal, give clean water and feed, clean the pens, count the goats, and write down matings, kiddings, treatments and sales. The health check is the most important job of the day.

What records should a goat farmer keep?

At a minimum: a herd register with tag numbers, breeding and kidding dates, vaccinations and treatments, deaths, feed purchases and all sales and expenses.

What equipment do I need to start a small goat farm?

Feeders, water containers, ear tags, a weighing scale, hoof trimmers, cleaning tools and a basic first-aid kit put together with your veterinarian. Add a chaff cutter as soon as you are cutting fodder regularly.

How many workers does a goat farm need?

It depends on the system. One model project report published through MANAGE budgets one worker for 50 does and 2 bucks under semi-intensive management. Stall-fed units that cut and carry all fodder need more labour per goat than grazing herds.

How do I identify individual goats?

Ear tags are the most common method; tattooing is also used. Tag kids soon after birth and enter the number in your register the same day.

Sources

Last updated: 11 November 2026. General information only; for animal health decisions, consult a qualified veterinarian.