Livestock can be defined as domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce

labor and commodities such as meat, eggs, fur, leather and wool. That is the reason why this
piece of academic writing will talk about the importance of keeping small livestock like goats,
sheep and rabbits and their housing.

Goat meat is one of the favorite meats most people prefer to eat in Zambia. Thus this business of
goat meat is on demand. It can be sold, minced, curried, or made into sausage. In short after
selling goat meat this becomes a plus to farmers as they are earning extra income. Other farmers
they do exchange goat meat with food. And by doing this, most of the household in Zambia tend
to have enough meat in their homes and extra income at the same time, thus promoting good
health and enhancing food security or continuous supply of food in homes.

Hides are also valuable by products of goat farming. In rural areas, these products are used in
making of drums. These skins can be sold locally or internationally depending on the demand. In
a local set up, these hides are normally bought by drum makers and the money given to farmers
can be used to buy food and other staffs required at home.

Goat milk is commonly processed into cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt, cajeta and other
products. Certainly even in rural areas people have access to goat milk and used as part of their
breakfast in most of households. Goat milk can be a source of income and improve the lives of
people. In most cases the excess can be sold therefore promoting household food security and
giving farmers an extra gain or income on farm. Blount, W.P(2013)

Manure is also highly profitable either in rural areas or urban areas because it can be sold to
farmers as fertilizer. Goats not only produce neater pelletized droppings, but their manure
doesn’t typically attract insects or burn plants as manure from cows or horses do. And the same
money earned from selling manure can boost the household income.

Moving on to sheep, sheep eat more different type of plants than any other kind of livestock;
therefore can turn waste into profit. Sheep dung is a valuable fertilizer; their droppings are of
great value. Manure can either be sold or used in garden to produce vegetables or fruits and this
contribute to continuously production of food all round the year.
Apart from that sheep meat also known as mutton is also preferred to eat by many people just
like the one for goats. This kind of meat is highly profitable and just in a year a small farmer can
benefit a lot. Meat can be sold or exchanging with food therefore promoting food security.

Rabbits, these small animals can give out, meat as well as manure on farm. Rabbit meat can be
eaten or sold. In addition, Rabbit manure can be used in gardens or sold in bags. Rabbits can give
out food directly or indirectly, meat can be eaten in homes or sold to different households and the
same money obtained from the meat can be used to buy other food in need at home thus
abolishing hunger and enhancing food security

In addition, Rabbits can also be raised purely to breed and sell their offspring. These youngsters
can be sold directly to other farmers, consumers or pet stores. Breeders may also raise rabbits
purely for showing purposes or to supply animals for educational purposes, such as agriculture
shows, earning some an extra income for home consumption.

Owners and managers of animals have a moral and legal responsibility to care for the welfare of
animals under their control including basic requirements such as adequate food, water, air,
shelter, treatment, comfort and the freedom to move and express normal behavior patterns must
be met.

Being small-sized animal, rabbits can easily be managed by women and young people. Rabbits
are by nature very skittish meaning very tricky to manage and very scared animals and do not
often interact well with young children. They require daily interaction, a clean living
environment, and plenty of fresh food and water every day. Committing to raising rabbits is not
an expensive endeavor, but it should be done with the full commitment to the animal and its
needs.

One male rabbit (buck) and two females (does) can produce 40 to 50 rabbits per year. Each doe
will usually have three to four litters per year. The gestation period is about one month, and the
young animals need their mother for their first five to six weeks. After seven to 12 weeks, they
can be culled from the herd and slaughtered or sold and this can boost the household income
enabling to have enough food all year round. Common breeds raised just for meat include the
New Zealand Whites, Californians and Flemish Giants. Mingwi, J (2006)
Rabbits will never compete with sheep or goats when it comes to volume of grazing, but they can
be put to work in an enclosure where they are free to consume weeds and grass. This is likely
only useful to small urban homesteaders, but it is a viable option for small areas of turf to avoid
having to mow and to provide a free source to supplement your animal’s diet.

The enclosure must be well sheltered protection and well protected from predators. It should be
fairly lightweight, mobile and easy to move, similar to a chicken tractor so that it can be
transported frequently for a constant source of vegetation.

Rabbits breed and grow so quickly that one pair of healthy does (females) can produce more than
600 pounds of meat in a year. Compare that to the dressed yield of 400 pounds for an average
year-old beef steer. Rabbits also use feed more efficiently than cows do: According to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, a rabbit needs 4 pounds of feed to make 1 pound of meat. In
comparison, beef cattle need 7 pounds of feed or more to create 1 pound of meat, reports
Michigan State University’s Department of Animal Science.

Rabbits are clean and quiet, so they won’t trouble neighbors. Building cages is the first step in
rearing rabbits. Each rabbit needs its own cage, so for the breeding trio of a buck and two does
there must be three cages. The cages should be protected from predators and the weather in a
garage or outbuilding, for example.

For meat rabbits, each cage should be about 3 feet square and 2 feet high to give the animals
plenty of room to move around. The best material for cages is double-galvanized 14-gauge
welded wire. Chicken wire is too flimsy. Wire must be installed on the bottoms to prevent sore
feet and to let droppings fall through. There must be some extra wire up the sides to prevent
babies from falling out of the does’ pens.

Cages must be mounted 3 to 4 feet off the ground, to make working with the animals easier and
to help protect them from predators such as dogs, snakes and coyotes. After that feeders and
water troughs should be hanging inside and this is how the rabbit's house must be prepared.

Feed is getting more expensive, and that’s the first thing people try to cut corners on. The
misconception is that wild rabbits run around the yard and they just live on local plants, so caged
rabbits should be able to eat that way too. Yet rabbit pellets are designed to deliver complete
nutrition with every bite, and it is a must to feed pellets even if the rabbits are being pastured.

Keeping goats contained can be a challenge, but with just a little ingenuity and room in the
budget, can furnish the ideal setup for keeping them. Goats won’t take up much room on farm.
Their housing requirements are nearly as casual as those required for chickens.

Goats are both annoying, obedient and troublemakers often within minutes of each other. But
even with all the raw emotions that goats can bring out in their keepers, they still counted as the
most versatile of all farm animals. Just sufficient room is provided inside and out but keeps high-
energy activity to a minimum. Less energy expended allows for productive use of feed. An
average goat only requires 20 square feet indoors, plus 200 square feet outdoors.

The floor lay out should be designed to accommodate the feeding and watering of goats without
entering their communal stall. The easiest way to do so is to build a half wall between their space
and care taker's side. Care taker's side contains manger, water bucket and soda or salt feeder. The
other side contains slatted or key holed head access to all three.

Goats will huddle together and keep each other warm (enduring temperatures to freezing) as long
as their goat house is free of drafts and leaks and the bedding is ample and dry. Extra care for
extremely cold days and nights must be offered. Extra bedding, a supervised or safe heating unit
and or a little extra hay for adult goats will help keep the cold out of the

The flooring in a goat barn does not need anything more than dirt covered with a thick layer of
bedding material. Straw and waste hay are easy to use and inexpensive, but wood shavings are
easier for cleaning and more beneficial as future compost. In addition, keeping a goat’s bedding
clean is of the utmost importance. There is no need to spend hours cleaning out their pen every
morning, though. All that is required is to lay some fresh bedding over the existing every few
days. William, O (2005)

In terms of storing grain, this should be stored away from all moisture, out of the sun, off the
ground, and certainly out of a goat’s reach. Should a goat obtain access to the grain barrel, it will
eat until the grain is gone gluttony that could result in death through bloat. A galvanized trash
can with a snap on lid placed well out of reach keeps goats and vermin out of the grain.
The goat yard should be dry at all times to prevent bacterial infections in hooves. If this is not
possible to have a dry area available for goats, a poured concrete pad suffices during the rainy
season can help. It will also keep their hooves neat and trim clean and healthy. At least one part
of the yard should be on the south side of the building. Goats are happiest when they have
something to climb on. An outcropping of rocks is ideal, but any sturdy structure will satisfy
their instinctual nature to climb. Keep climbing objects well away from the fence or they’ll use
them as steps to freedom.

In conclusion, a fence that can’t hold water won’t hold a goat” is an age-old axiom. Above all
other considerations, the fence deserves the most attention. Goats will go over, under or through
a fence away from their yard if it hasn’t been built correctly. Goats keep watching where the care
taker is entering and leaving the yard. In doing so, they will learn how to operate the lock. As
soon as they’ve mastered the latch or handle, they’ll be wandering through the flower garden,
investigating activity on the road, taking their lunch in the grain fields or bleating at front door.
 References
Blount, W.P(2013); Intensive Livestock Farming. University cooperative extension service

Mingwi, J (2006); Golden Tips Agriculture. Moran publishers Ltd. Nairobi

Webster,John(2013);Animal Husbandry Regained. The place of farm animals in sustainable

agriculture.

Washington. World bank publications.

William, O (2005); Functional Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals. university of

missouri, Nairobi.