As the demand for goat milk continues to soar, farmers in the dairy goat sector are reaping big as consumers discover the health benefits of goat milk.

Musa Ibrahim Juma, a farmer in Migosi Ward-Kisumu Central Sub-County, is among the farmers in the country who have attributed their success to dairy goat farming.

In an interview with KNA, Musa revealed he started with 30 local goats before ditching them for superior breeds like Alpines and Toggenburgs, which he says are more profitable.

“I used to look around for leaves to feed them because I didn’t want to see my goats loitering around and that’s when the idea of keeping dairy goats cropped up in my mind,’’ he revealed.

Determined to maximize profits, Musa later switched to purely dealing with Saanen which he received from the World Vision who had imported them from South Africa.

The farmer explained that he switched because if a farmer needs a typical Saanen you are out of the market. After all, when you mix a typical Alpine and Saanen, it will come out either brown or grey.

The mixed breed are unattractive due to its low milk production, the same as a typical Alpine which produces two to three litres of milk daily.

A typical Saanen is white, and has pink skin, its demand and milk production are very high. According to Musa, unlike the other two breeds, the exotic Saanen produces between five to six litres per day after normal milking in the morning and evening.

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He explains that the pricing of a mature goat is determined by various factor including age, and whether the females and males are already mature and served

At the age of three to six months, quality Saanen goes for Sh15,000, while those that are over six months fetches between Sh20,000 to Sh25,000.

The market, he says, is there but like any other business, you need to be smart and organized. A litre of goat milk from his farm fetches  Sh200 during the rainy season but it goes up to Sh250 or Sh300 during dry spells.

As a member of Kenya Saanen Breeders Society of veterinarians and farmers, Musa is always keen on the best agricultural practices to boost milk production.

He notes that the process of getting high-quality milk production starts from the date a farmer start to serve the female after nine months.

At nine months, the animal is mature enough and has a mature womb and height, and chances of twinning would be very high due to adequate space.

The farmer warns that serving the animal before nine months would highly lead to stunted growth and low milk production and the womb which is still growing will offer less space for another kid to mature in it.

“Immediately after serving, you begin milk training immediately because you have to tame it early. As a farmer, you need to gently touch those teats as if you are milking it and train it on how to walk on top of the milking parlour,” he emphasized by adding; “Climb it up and bring it down. So that after five months when it delivers, it will be very comfortable and no kicking. But, if you wait after five months, that animal will be kicking and turning around and you won’t even milk it!”

On feeding, he says that desmodium, mulberry and wild leaves are the most preferred by goats. A mature female dairy goat should eat properly between 14-15kgs daily.

But for the males, a farmer needs to control them in order not to be overweight because they need to perform.

“I feed them three times a day by adding water, salt and supplement the females with the commercial feeds. The young ones between two to three months are fed calf pellets,” he said.

For anyone intending to venture into dairy goat farming, Musa advised that dairy goats do well in dry areas, and for the animals to survive in cold regions, a farmer should buy the ones between three to six months, adjust the temperature in the units, and reduce ventilation for them.

“If you take a mature one, chances are that they will not survive. Dairy goats always shade their skin to adjust to the area in which they are reared. In cold areas they are always bushy to adjust to the temperature,” he said.