Mildred Adhiambo is a 29-year-old farmer and the founder of Zamil Farms Ltd, a goat-rearing farm based in Katito town in Kisumu County.
Adhiambo started goat farming in 2020 on her four-acre farm after doing a research online, which provided her with insights about the venture.
According to her, she settled on the Galla goat breed as they have a large body and fetches more money compared to local goats.
She would later move to Kitui to buy the animals which she got at Sh5,000. Adhiambo bought 50 Galla goats but lost 35 goats to diseases just months later, after having not been keen on spraying, deworming, pest control, and other routines.
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“Many died of anemia and other metabolic illnesses,” she told Nation.
Adhiambo persevered and attended a one-month course at the Dairy Training Institute in Naivasha, where she honed her animal husbandry skills.
Within a few years, her herd multiplied to 90 Galla goats, with nine being adult males. Adhiambo feeds her goat on shrubs, rice straw, and maize stalk mixed with molasses with a supplement of a salt lick.
She sprays the animals against ticks and other external parasites on weekends. According to her, goat rearing is much more economical compared to poultry farming in terms of feeds.
“I realized that rearing goats have better returns compared to poultry. Chicken feed is very expensive. A goat eats about 1.5 kilos of feed daily,” she said.
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Adhimbo sells a young doe for Sh5,000, a mature one for breeding for Sh7,000, while a pregnant goat goes for Sh9,500.
“Those ready to slaughter are sold per live weight. A kilo goes for Sh300. Many of our customers come from Kisumu, Busia, and Migori counties. Farmers are looking for reliable breeders and suppliers.”
She also rears goats for other farmers who desire to rear goats but have no space at a fee. She doubles up as a trainer, and she has started a community program, educating Katito locals on goat breeding.
Her biggest challenge has been battling pests and diseases, as well as few animal health service providers in Katito.
“We do all we can to vaccinate the goats and control pests and diseases. Foot and mouth diseases usually originate from Kericho County,” she said.