The model of raising goats in cages in Thanh Tam.

With its easy-to-raise characteristics, low investment costs, and readily available feed sources, some farmers in Thanh Tam commune (Thanh Liem district) have boldly switched from raising livestock and poultry to raising Boer goats in enclosed pens. This model has opened up a new direction, helping farmers improve their income and quality of life.

Despite having a stable job, Mr. Nguyen Trung Anh (Che Trinh village, Thanh Tam commune) decided to put his work aside to invest in goat farming. In 2017, during a visit to an acquaintance in Bac Giang province, noticing the high market demand for goat meat, he started building a small farm and raising 5 goats as a trial. While raising them and learning from experienced farmers, after 7 years, his herd has grown to nearly 200 goats (including breeding goats and additional goats purchased). He chose to raise Bo hybrid goats because of their faster growth and healthier nature compared to common grass goats. Moreover, goats are easy to raise and can utilize food sources from agricultural by-products and grass, thus keeping raising costs low but yielding higher economic returns.

Sharing about the difficulties from the beginning of his business, Mr. Trung Anh said: Initially, due to a lack of experience in caring for the goats, their growth was slow, and many suffered from respiratory diseases and parasites, especially during the winter and rainy seasons. To overcome this, I renovated the barn system, raised the floor by 1 meter to improve ventilation, adjusted the care methods, and used all the necessary vaccines to inoculate the goats...

The model of raising goats in enclosed pens has brought high income to the family of Mr. Nguyen Trung Anh (Che Trinh village, Thanh Tam commune, Thanh Liem district).

Thanks to the confined farming method, Mr. Trung Anh doesn't have to spend as much time supervising the goats as he would with free-range farming. This allows him to manage his time more effectively in caring for them. He only spends 1-2 hours each day preparing feed for the goats. According to him, the diet of his Bo hybrid goats needs to consist of 80% green fodder (vegetables, grass, leaves, etc.) and 20% concentrated feed (bran, corn, cassava, etc.). The feed must be dry and clean for the goats to grow quickly and be less prone to disease. To ensure a clean feed source for his goats, he sources agricultural by-products such as jackfruit leaves, corn stalks, and sugarcane leaves. Each month, he selects and sells about 7-10 breeding goats (18-20 kg/each) and commercial goats (35-40 kg/each) to traders inside and outside the province. Besides increasing his family's income, he also creates jobs for three other local workers.

Also opting for the enclosed goat farming model, Mr. Dinh Van Hoi (Che Kho Lang village) initially raised only 4 Bo hybrid goats at a cost of about 20 million VND. Gradually seeing the effectiveness, Mr. Hoi invested in more enclosures and a larger-scale farm. To date, Mr. Hoi's family has developed a herd of 40 goats.

Mr. Hoi shared: Raising goats has low risks and brings high economic efficiency. However, if the feed input for the goats is not controlled, they are very susceptible to disease. Although the fattening period is short, Mr. Hoi vaccinates every herd of goats he imports with all four types of vaccines: pox, hemorrhagic septicemia, foot-and-mouth disease, and necrotic enteritis. This complete vaccination helps Mr. Hoi maintain his herd until sale, significantly increasing economic efficiency. Each year, Mr. Hoi sells one batch of 20-30 goats, each weighing 30-45 kg, at a price of 160-180 thousand VND/kg. This goat farming model has brought Mr. Hoi's family an income of approximately 130 million VND per year.

Currently, five households in Thanh Tam commune are participating in raising Bo hybrid goats in enclosed pens. In reality, this enclosed goat farming model in Thanh Tam commune is suitable for the local economic conditions, as it doesn't require much land, has low investment costs, and yields high economic returns. According to Mr. Do Manh Cuong, Secretary of the Party Committee of Thanh Tam commune, this is a typical model with promising development prospects and high income potential for farmers.

In the coming time, Thanh Tam commune will continue to create all conditions to support farmers in borrowing capital to expand the scale of their farms, purchase more supplies and breeding stock to further develop the goat herd, thereby creating jobs and increasing income for the people. The success of the enclosed goat farming model has opened up a new direction for farmers in Thanh Tam commune, and at the same time, made an important contribution to the economic restructuring of the local agricultural sector.

Bui Linh

Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/kinh-te/nganh-nghe-nong-thon/mo-hinh-nuoi-de-nhot-chuong-o-thanh-tam-131896.html