The need
Purebred imported breeds do not do well in Uganda. That is true of both dairy goats
and the Boer (meat) goats from South Africa. By crossbreeding with local goats it
is possible to get more resilient goats, but at the cost of reduced performance.
This is not surprising, it is a pattern that has been repeated whenever animals are
taken into a different environment. There are high performance goats in a wide variety
of environments, but in every case the breeds have been developed under those particular
conditions - whether the starting point was ancient indigenous stock, or crossbreeds.
We therefore want to develop suitable breeds of goat for the wet tropical conditions
found in Uganda. The method will be the well-established technique of selective
breeding. For dairy goats, it would not be feasible to start with local goats, so
our starting point will be the crossbred dairy goats.
In the case of meat goats, it would be possible to start with local types, but faster
results can be obtained using low-grade crossbreeds.
Where there is a good market for goats’ milk, there will be people who are prepared
to put more effort and money into keeping the goats, in expectation of greater returns.
So with the Kabulya Commercial Goat we are aiming for a breed that is capable of
producing commercial quantities of milk, even if that means more expensive feeds
and more intensive management. Our starting point for this breed will be goats of
between 50% and 75% dairy ancestry.
… more
Most of the goat-keepers in Uganda are subsistence farmers. They need goats that
are easy to keep, but give enough milk to assist with household nutrition. The Kabulya
Smallholders Goat will be developed with such farmers in mind. Typically, we will
be starting with goats of no more than 50% dairy ancestry.
… more
Although we have started with dairy goats because of their potential to improve household
nutrition as well as income, we are aware that there is also a need for a meat goat
that combines high growth rates with disease resistance. We therefore also intend
to develop the Kabulya Meat Goat, aimed particularly at traditional livestock farmers
keeping larger numbers of goats.
… more
Cows, sheep, pigs, chickens etc
The above targets are plenty enough for one organisation to aim for. We do not have
the time or energy to devote to other types of animals. But there is a need for
breed development for those other species too. If you are involved in such work,
or even if you are just dreaming of it, we would love to hear from you so that we
can encourage each other.
