© 2012 -
Most common food crops in Uganda have leaves which are suitable for feeding goats, as are the peelings from sweet potatoes and bananas. Similarly, prunings from most fruit trees are also suitable. more...
Rows of elephant grass and leguminous shrubs can be planted as erosion control, with the leaves being used to feed the goats. more...
Even people with little or no land can often collect leaves from uncultivated land, and sometimes peelings from cafes etc.
The fodder described above does not reduce the productivity of the land -
The goats provide a very useful by-
Although looking after any animal takes time, the labour required in caring for a goat does not prevent other activities from being carried out. So the cultivation work of the small holding can still be done.
In the case of school students, it is possible for them to collect sufficient fodder for the goat without it interrupting their studies. Similarly, the labour is not so heavy as to be a major obstacle to the elderly.
One of the obstacles to the keeping of dairy cows is the expense of building and
maintaining suitable housing. In the case of goats, a low-
When planning a livestock project it is important to realistically assess how well the housing will be maintained. Otherwise, even if the housing starts well, it can quickly deteriorate.