In Kisumu, Musa Juma has turned a single buck valued Sh110,000 into the anchor of a dairy goat enterprise that earns from two streams: premium breeding stock and goat milk.
Mr Juma, owner of Siget Farm, keeps 19 goats, three of them bucks. His star, a nearly four-year-old, 98-kilogramme Saanen, was crowned Supreme Champion Buck at the 125th Nairobi International Trade Fair at Jamhuri Park Showground this month.
‘I wanted to test myself at a higher level and see how my animals would perform against champions from other regions,’ he says. ‘I expected stiff competition, but I am very happy to have been crowned champion of champions at my first Nairobi show.’
The win is the crowning moment in a string of titles that help explain the Sh110,000 price tag. The buck was reserve champion at the Kisumu show at about one year old, later won the championship there, and went on to compete in Migori, Homa Bay and Siaya.
Mr Juma says the premium over ordinary stock is considerable. ‘Bucks weighing about 40 to 50 kilogrammes can sell for between Sh60,000 and Sh70,000, depending on their quality and breeding history,’ he says. ‘The Nairobi ASK 2026 Supreme Champion fetches a competitive price.’
Judges assess height, body length, chest width, skin pigmentation, horns and leg strength, since a buck must support its weight during mating, but buyers also want proof of performance.
‘The buck must be active and successful in servicing females,’ he says. ‘Breeding records help establish its performance, while its physical features tell you whether it has the qualities required of a good breeding animal.’
A good breeding buck can service for several years, though performance may decline with age, and Mr Juma warns that a buck that sires weak or short-lived offspring is not profitable, however successful its matings.
To avoid inbreeding, he regularly rotates bucks out of the herd.
Milk income
The second revenue line is milk. Mr Juma milks eight does that together produce about 40 litres a day, roughly five litres each, in line with the five to six litres a mature Saanen doe can give at peak lactation, depending on feeding. At Sh250 a litre, the full output is valued Sh10,000 a day, but he sells about 20 litres and shares the rest with family.
Demand had to be built from scratch. ‘Goat milk was initially unfamiliar to many people around us,’ he says. ‘We invited neighbours, prepared tea using goat milk and allowed them to taste it. Gradually, they became accustomed to it, and demand has grown. They are my first customers.’
Scaling ceiling
The business has, however, run into a scaling ceiling. A nearby hospital once expressed interest in more than 20 litres a day, but Mr Juma could not meet the order.
‘The market is there, but one farmer may not produce enough to meet the demand of a large buyer,’ he says. ‘I want to encourage other farmers in Kisumu and beyond to keep dairy goats so that we can create a network, combine our production and supply bigger markets consistently.’
Mr Juma says he has cut production costs by about 40 percent by growing and sourcing calliandra, desmodium, mulberry and other fodder. He also harvests fodder at the ASK showground in Kisumu for about Sh1,000 a month. A mature goat gets about 500 grammes of commercial supplementary feed a day.
The does receive commercial dairy meal, while the bucks get a ration formulated after consulting livestock experts. ‘Commercial feeds are supplements, while the animals get much of their nutrition from leaves and fodder.’
Mr Juma says a good breeding buck is made in its first six months, when kids need enough time to suckle for the first three months before a gradual move to a balanced growing diet.
‘Farmers should also maintain breeding and health records, monitor the survival of kids and seek professional advice when selecting breeding stock,’ he says.
Mr Juma began in 2002 with two German Alpine goats and later added Toggenburgs, but their yields disappointed him. ‘When I researched dairy goats, I learnt about Saanen and its milk production potential,’ he says.
He sought to acquire Saanens through World Vision, which was distributing animals to caregivers in the area, and after the initial distribution, he bought goats from beneficiaries and built up his herd gradually over more than two decades.
‘The Supreme Champion Buck award strengthened my ambitions for Siget Farm,’ he says. He hopes to improve his herd and expand milk production.