I have always wanted to go into animal rearing, the challenges s are enormous, especially for the inexperience and underfunded beginners. For people with background in animal husbandry or people whose parents have been in animal rearing, It is quite easy to learn and adopt. Personally I love ruminants, I believe they are easier to rear and mange. This is because they do not compete for the same food source as we humans, they feed on grass, and grass can be easily stored in form of silage and hay. Unlike keeping pigs or chicken who feed basically or maize and other ingredients eaten by man also.
I hope to start my cattle and goat farm soon, I have done a lot of research on ruminants, ( cattle and goats , sheep)I have done some research or cattle farming and goats farming, practical steps to start a goat or a cattle farm(small holder). This is real life experiences about cattle fating/goat rearing in Nigeria. I have visited some research institution and big cattle ranches in Nigeria. I will be sharing pictures from time to time on this topic. This topic is for people who want to start a backyard goat farm or want to fatten 10 cows or less. I shall provide practical steps to start, housing and feeding/silage making tips and solutions. The greatest challenge in ruminants rearing is housing/ security, the cost of housing is high, even cows will need a form of fencing at night to prevent thieves.
I will start with cattle fating and marketing, practical steps

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I'm on too.

am in, op please don't let this thread die

cattle fattening, practical steps

Cattle fattening is a processing on feeding a special diet and supplements to some selected bull under semi/intensive systems (feedlots) to encourage rapid weight gain. A bull in fattening will require roughly 3 percent (body weight of the bull) of forage/grass a day, a lot of water and supplements. The average daily weight gain of a Fulani bull on a grass fed ration is 0.5 to o.7 kg per day. When supplemented with grains it is 0.7 to 1kg per day.
Fencing/ housing
The bulls will only require a strong wooden fence; it should be located a little away from a residence because of smell from the dung and flies. It should also be located in a secure area. Dung should be collected daily and carefully disposed of, or used as manure.
Buying your bulls
The best time to buy your bulls is the peak of dry season, bulls of roughly a year old can be bought from state like, Niger state, taraba state, nasarawa state and up north. A year old bull can be bought for 25 thousand naira in some villages in the above mention state. Farmers sell off their bulls for fear of losing them due to drought/inadequate feeding during this period. The cost of transporting the bulls to your location varies but should not be more than 10,000 naira.

My next write up will be on silage making for bull fattening questions/coments will be welcome

Thanks just signing in, waiting for more update

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Obiagelli: Op are those cows in the picture you posted local breeds? I don't think so.

all the pictures posted here are foreign breeds, the first picture is a crossbreed between a fresian cattle and a white fulani , the second picture is a brahman cattle, an indian breed it can grow to a weight of 1400 kg, the third picture is friesian bull,it can grow to a weight of 1200 kg, it is a diary breed, the fourth picture is a jersey breed, a dairy cow too, the are cattle belonging to sebore farm in adamawa state. each of the cattle above cost more than 400,000 naira .the advantage of foriegn breed over local breed is, they can produce large quantities of meat and milk , for example, a freisan cow averages about 25 liters of milk a day, and has the gentic potentail to produce 45 liters of milk, i have personally seen a cow producing 45 liters of milk a day. while our local funali cow averages 1 liter of milk a day, a brahman cattle averages a daily weight gain of 1.5 kg while a fulani cattle is 1.0 kg maximum per day, the disadvantages of foriegn breeds are,1, they are very expensive to buy and maintain,and are disease prone.they also find it find it difficult to survive in our hot weather.

felixzo1: \ all the pictures posted here are foreign breeds, the first picture is a crossbreed between a fresian cattle and a white fulani , the second picture is a brahman cattle, an indian breed it can grow to a weight of 1400 kg, the third picture is friesian bull,it can grow to a weight of 1200 kg, it is a diary breed, the fourth picture is a jersey breed, a dairy cow too, the are cattle belonging to sebore farm in adamawa state. each of the cattle above cost more than 400,000 naira .the advantage of foriegn breed over local breed is, they can produce large quantities of meat and milk , for example, a freisan cow averages about 25 liters of milk a day, and has the gentic potentail to produce 45 liters of milk, i have personally seen a cow producing 45 liters of milk a day. while our local funali cow averages 1 liter of milk a day, a brahman cattle averages a daily weight gain of 1.5 kg while a fulani cattle is 1.0 kg maximum per day, the disadvantages of foriegn breeds are,1, they are very expensive to buy and maintain,and are disease prone.they also find it find it difficult to survive in our hot weather.

are the foreign breed anywhere in Nigeria.

what are the food they eat apart from grass.

if weather is a problem to the foreign ones that has higher potentials of return on investment, is there no way around that like putting them in a pen, the type the use to rear horses at polo clubs like the one in ph

Obiagelli: i thought as much, under a serious government, we should be doing a lot of cross breeding to achieve our desired results. Resistant, big, fast growth and milk.

The sokoto state government has a program on cattle cross breeding in the, state. The Niger state government too recently important exotic breeds and were selling it to interested farmers for the purpose of cross breeding with local cows, but efforts by most state government and federal government is very poor. We have a government that talks much and does nothing. The ideas are there but the implementation is very poor. Nigeria still imports 95 percent of dairy products. Just imagine if we can produce all that in Nigeria, the number of jobs that can be created for the Nigerian youth.

aguiyi:

are the foreign breed anywhere in Nigeria.

what are the food they eat apart from grass.

if weather is a problem to the foreign ones that has higher potentials of return on investment, is there no way around that like putting them in a pen, the type the use to rear horses at polo clubs like the one in ph

There are a lot of foreign breeds in Nigeria for example, nagari farm in nasarawa state has over a 1000 of such breeds, but they are mostly kept indoors with a form of cooling system. Usually the animal experience low productivity due to the harsh weather and there are a lot of disease issues. most of the disease our local cattle are resistant to can easy kill a foreign breed. they are fed with maize silage , and hay and formulated food rations ,comprising of maize, soybeans and other ingredients

felixzo1: There are a lot of foreign breeds in Nigeria for example, nagari farm in nasarawa state has over a 1000 of such breeds, but they are mostly kept indoors with a form of cooling system. Usually the animal experience low productivity due to the harsh weather and there are a lot of disease issues. most of the disease our local cattle are resistant to can easy kill a foreign breed. they are fed with maize silage , and hay and formulated food rations ,comprising of maize, soybeans and other ingredients

nice, so were do you intend to get stock from and can you show us pix of what a one year old cattle look like, as in the one you said could be sold at 25k

Just at the nick of time!
Just when u feel u are empty and someone just showed up to fill the vacuum.

@OP, thanks for bringing this at this time.

I ve some acres of land already fenced. What else will be needed to be done( shelter wise) if I am to commence with say 10 bulls. Please advise.

felixzo1: The sokoto state government has a program on cattle cross breeding in the, state. The Niger state government too recently important exotic breeds and were selling it to interested farmers for the purpose of cross breeding with local cows, but efforts by most state government and federal government is very poor. We have a government that talks much and does nothing. The ideas are there but the implementation is very poor. Nigeria still imports 95 percent of dairy products. Just imagine if we can produce all that in Nigeria, the number of jobs that can be created for the Nigerian youth.

Can you please explain the bolded more? I have stopped blaming government for our woes but will rather see their failures as opportunity to make money. That aside, are there reasons why diary cattle are not being reared in this country to meet local demand?

Maize silage requirements
Whole maize crop at second milk line stage
Silo pit
Silage addatives
Chaff cutter
200 gsm polyethlene sheets
Heavy stones
Silage making is the process of harvesting and preserving folder (grasses crop/legumes) for latter use. Silage can be made from many field crops, including maize, sorghum or other cereals,/ grasses like nippier grass or elephant grass. Fully mature maize is harvested while still fresh with the gains, it is then chaff in to smaller particles with the aid of chaff cuter. It is then poured into the silo pit while adding the silage additive mix in water; it then properly covered with the 200 gsm polyethylene sheets, to prevent air and water from entering the pit. The heavy stones are then placed on top of the covered pit. The silage can be ready for use just after 3 weeks, the importance of silage is to preserve folder during the raining season when there is plenty of grasses to be used in the dry season. Silage is also very important in zero grazing/intensive systems.

Nice thread. I wish more nigerians would go into diary so people will have access to freshmilk at cheaper price as Kenyans do. l am living here in Nairobi and l buy a litre of freshmilk for N125 but when l go to d rural areas l buy a litre for N76.

Pavore9: Nice thread. I wish more nigerians would go into diary so people will have access to freshmilk at cheaper price as Kenyans do. l am living here in Nairobi and l buy a litre of freshmilk for N125 but when l go to d rural areas l buy a litre for N76.

what is the taste of fresh milk like? Do you think there'll be a market for it in Nigeria?

blink182: what is the taste of fresh milk like? Do you think there'll be a market for it in Nigeria?

Taste so natural unlike those tinned & powdered milk! lt will sell well in Nigeria, selling it with milk dispensing machine.

felixzo1: The sokoto state government has a program on cattle cross breeding in the, state. The Niger state government too recently important exotic breeds and were selling it to interested farmers for the purpose of cross breeding with local cows, but efforts by most state government and federal government is very poor. We have a government that talks much and does nothing. The ideas are there but the implementation is very poor. Nigeria still imports 95 percent of dairy products. Just imagine if we can produce all that in Nigeria, the number of jobs that can be created for the Nigerian youth.

tell me you are joking pls

blink182: what is the taste of fresh milk like? Do you think there'll be a market for it in Nigeria?

the first time i taste fresh milk i did not know what to expect. i will say it test like peak milk diluted with water.it really nice.the first time i bourght it for my mum, she said it is like peak milk with no sugar. i bought fresh milk in abuja at N800 per liter,(pasteurized and homogenized )it is very expensive nigeria.farm gate price of fresh milk in vom jos when i visited there in 2010 was N100 or so, standard yogurt sell for N500 per liter(farm gate price) and N600 in supermarkets(Nagri yogurt/ farm fresh yogurt/ L AND Z yogurt)

Pavore9: Nice thread. I wish more nigerians would go into diary so people will have access to fresh milk at cheaper price as Kenyans do. l am living here in Nairobi and l buy a litre of fresh milk for N125 but when l go to d rural areas l buy a litre for N76.

please can you do a favour for me/ nairalanders? what is the cost of artificial insemination for cattle in kenya, it cost about N15000 here in nigeria. what is the cost of a semental purebred cattle in kenya. can it be exported to nigeria from there?, if yes what are the procedures/ cost

blink182: Can you please explain the bolded more? I have stopped blaming government for our woes but will rather see their failures as opportunity to make money. That aside, are there reasons why diary cattle are not being reared in this country to meet local demand?

http://m.news24.com/nigeria/Business/News/Nigeria-imports-1million-worth-of-milk-daily-20130412
nigeria imports $1million worth of milk daily
2013-04-12 13:07
Jos - Godwin Oyediji, the Registrar, Nigerian Institute of Animal Science, has disclosed that the country imports one million dollar worth of milk for local consumption daily.

Oyediji stated this in Jos on Thursday in a paper presented at a Dairy and Meat Summit, organized by the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science.

The theme of the summit is ``Improving Milk and Meat Production in Nigeria``.

``This amount is spent in the face of provocative unemployment; we are sinking so much money to import this product that we can produce locally if we can effectively harness our livestock potential,’’ Oyediji stated.

Represented by Alike Peter, the North Central Zonal Head of the Institute, the Registrar noted that milk and meat were crucial to humans and must be taken seriously in Nigeria.

``The current parlous state of our production structure, which is in the hands of nomads, is unsuitable; again, the current import regime of more than 90 per cent of our milk requirement is worrisome and unacceptable.

``Clearly, the challenge of massive wastage of the minimal local production is getting too serious and we must identify options for the harnessing of opportunities to exploit our resources to the optimum.

``There is no doubt that the nation’s 160 million people offers a ready market for farmers and investors, so we must explore the dairy and meat production as a viable business,’’ Oyediji stated.

Also speaking, Plateau Governor, Jonah Jang, described the livestock industry as a major source of Nigeria’s socio-economic sustenance, considering the nation’s endowment in the sector.

Jang, who was represented by the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Steven Barko, advised stakeholders to regularly review the country’s agricultural policies and take practical steps to improve and propel the sector to meet the immediate needs of the nation``.

@felixzo1, u captured d taste right! l buy 4litres every 2 days from d milk dispensing machine for N500, already milk factory processed, ready 2 drink. Powdered milk is expensive in kenya, twice d price in Nigeria. l buy a litre of goatmilk for N195

Cattle fattening, my strategy.
There are two basic method of cattle fattening. 1, getting wean calves and feeding them over a period of 12 months to achieve desire body weight or getting mature bull with low body weight and feeding it to desire body weight.
My strategy involves getting weaned calves, during the peak of dry season, in the far north, kastina state, sokoto state, taraba state; this is around March /April. There are a lot of cattle markets in this areas mention , bulls are cheapest in this time of the year, there are a lot of lorries and buyers transporting cows to various location in the country .a trailer can carry about 45 young bulls and transport to any part of the country is not more than N120,000. For a buyer with just 5 to 10 calves, you can join your stock to a buyer going his directions. There levies and few taxes to pay in transit, so every buyer should be aware. A calf will not cost more than N25000 during this time. I bought once in taraba state for N20, 000 per calf.
Please note, you should have stored silage or hay and a good source of constant water, a fence secure area before buying your calves..
When you purchase your bulls and have arrived your location, deworn them and give them a basic antibiotics treatment, feed them daily with your silage or hay, give them enough water to drink. The target daily weight gain is 0.5kg, the aim is to achieve desire market weight before December, and there is a good market then. The idea is to sell it directly to different groups, societies and cooperatives around your location for end of year festivities. It will not be difficult to sell during this period. Each of your bulls will be selling for nothing less than N90,000

How about you use pics to tell us what an average pen should be like,What an average healthy bull should look like.

Pix and names of the anti biotic that bulls require.

Pls bear with me if am asking too much question, you have activated me and believe, your thread is well worth the read.

Please continue.

Is it the same method with goat rearing?

aguiyi: How about you use pics to tell us what an average pen should be like,What an average healthy bull should look like.

Pix and names of the anti biotic that bulls require.

Pls bear with me if am asking too much question, you have activated me and believe, your thread is well worth the read.

Please continue.

Is it the same method with goat rearing?

i will come to goats rearing, and best way to go about it.
cattle do not require any special shelter , a normal wooden fence under a tree will be okay, i will upload a picture of a local sample(low cost housing).but goats require special housing because they hate rain and high humidity.

The Niger State Government has imported 772 exotic breeds of livestock from South Africa for sell to farmers in the state at subsidised rate with a view to reproducing them for beef, dairy purposes and encouraging livestock farming.
Tagwai Farms owned by the state government and in whose custody the imported goats, sheep, rams and cows were kept, confirmed through its Manager, Dr Ibrahim Garba Musa, that 72 cows of two different species; Aryshire and Bonsmara, 310 Boer, 180 Kalahari goats and 210 Doper Sheep aged 4 to 6 months brought from South African firm, UCK Investment were in the farm.
He said the state government has sold some of the livestock to some corporate and individual farmers in the state for multiplication and enhanced livestock farming, hoping that in no distant time, the special breed will be made available everywhere in the state.
He said the livestock arrived Tagwai Farm in March and the farm started disposing them after they were all rested from stress they went through while in transit.
He said his farm did not take much time in selling them out following the high demand by members of the public, adding that 550 have been disposed off while the farm kept 222 of the exotic breeds for line breeding.
Musa said most of the livestock in the farm are pregnant and will in no distant future start multiplying. Veterinary doctors in the farm said the livestock have not been diagnosed for any critical health case.
Dr Musa said: “Apart from the stress they went through on transit, no any critical medical challenge was recorded. Though few had diarrhea cases, they were all checked against trans border diseases.”
He said the animals had to be quarantined in South Africa for a period of two months before they were given a clean bill of health for shipment into the country, adding that on arrival, the cattle had to be vaccinated against Contagious Borine Pleuro-Pneumonia (CBPP) and the Sheep and goats against Pestes de petit Ruminantes (PPR) diseases which are endemic here.
The livestock are subsidised to only the indigenes of the state, therefore sold without the custom duty, freight and quarantine charges.
He said the male cow is sold at N642, 600 while the female goes for N 340, 000. Male Doper sheep cost N85, 000 and the female is N74, 800. Red Kalahari goat goes for N74, 800, each, whilst male Boer cost N71, 400. The female goes for N62, 900.
One of the farms that succeeded in buying the livestock from the government farm, Masoyi Farms and Livestock Development Company in Minna, said it has bought 22 exotic breed of livestock three weeks ago from Tagwai Farms.
The Manager of the Farm, Dr. Zaharradeen Idris told Daily Trust that some of the breeds bought by the farm comprised two Ayrshire cattle breed, seven Doper Sheep breed, seven Boer goats breed and six Kalahari goat breed.
Idris said the South African exotic breed are the type of livestock that easily get adopted to the climate condition of the country as only the cattle among the livestock experienced respiratory difficulties owing to the harsh weather, adding: “You can see them panting but now they have stabilised. It was only experienced in the first one week of their delivery.”
On whether the exotic breeds needs special diet, he said they only feed them with yam peels, beans husk, maize bran and wheat offal.
Idris explained that the livestock are at present under quarantine for one month and after they have been certified free from any disease, breeding will start.
Masoyi Farm also planned to preserve the species for breeding, saying the need for preserving the line of breeding is because the exotic breeds have better body confirmation.
The representative of South African UCK Investment, Veterinary Consultant, Dr. Herman de Bruin, who accompanied the animals to Nigeria, said Boar goats have brown and white colours while the red ones are Red-Kalahari.
“The boar goats have brown head and neck but Red-Kalahari is brown all over while the Doper sheep is white with black neck. Most of the brown cattle are Bonsmaras, which is the product of cross breeding from the Africana cattle and European breeds while the red and white colored cattle are called Ayrshire.”
Speaking on the possibility for the animals to survive under the Nigerian climate, the consultant said the animals would survive because they came from a country with hot weather.
He added: “The climate condition of the state is the same with far Western part of South Africa where they come from and because the temperature can go as far as 40c, they are used to harsh weather and they can survive without a problem.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Fisheries and Livestock Development, Dr. Isah Yahaya Vatsa, told this reporter that the importation of the livestock by the state government was informed by the desire to improve on the livestock sub sector of the state, highlighting that the South African company also made some provisions for replacement should there be any case of death while on transit.
“In one of our council meetings, approval was granted to procure some cattle, goats and sheep as part of our effort to enhance livestock production in the state, not quite long ago these animals arrived in Minna,” he said.
He also disclosed that the state government has been appointed as the sole agent for the sales of semen of exotic cattle from a South African firm, while calling on Nigerians to purchase the semen for production.
The commissioner assured the people of the state of government’s readiness to ensure that these animals get to all nooks and crannies of the state so that people can breed them and multiply with a view to improving on the local breeds.http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/agriculture/23504-niger-imports-high-breed-livestock-from-south-africa

@felixzo1, which local breed of goat produces high quantity of milk?