Goat Dung Manure: An additional Income Source for Goat Rearers

Goat Manure in spite of its high value has no economic return especially when a significant number of goat rearers are landless families. Contrary to its cash income, goat dung manure creates a filthy condition in the village,e, especially in the rainy season. There is hardly any economic value attached to the same till now.

On the other hand, most farmers understand and rate goat dung manure as the best manure for their fields. There is also a significant demand for manure for urban agriculture and gardening.

So on the one hand it's getting wasted in rural India and on the other, there is product demand in semi-urban & urban areas.

The application of organic manure has proven to be beneficial in various biological and agricultural practices due to its contributions to microbial and physiochemical properties of the soil. Organic manures could be generated from domestic and agricultural farming practices such as household waste, solid waste, and the keeping of various livestock like Buffalo, Cattle, Goat, Sheep, Poultry, etc.

The application of Goat Dung Manure as organic manure was thought to be beneficial to soil due to its neutral pH, high C: N ratio, and high amount of inorganic Nitrogen and Nutrients (Calcium, Phosphorous, Magnesium, and Potassium). Using Goat Dung Manure in the garden/pots/backyard kitchen garden can create optimal growing conditions for the plants. The collection of goat dung from goat sheds is easy and less messy than other types of manures. We can easily manufacture the Goat Dung Manure without any inorganic substances or special equipment. Goat Dung Manure can help Gardner/Farmer produce healthier plants and crops. Goats not only produce pelletized droppings, but their manure doesn’t typically attract insects. Goat Dung Manure is odorless and is beneficial for the land soil. Another advantage to using Goat Dung Manure is the fact that the pelletized droppings allow more airflow into compost piles, which speeds up composting time as well.

Goat Dung Manure is rich in Nitrogen levels, which makes it an excellent soil conditioner. Goat Dung Manure improves soil texture which in turn provides a rich environment for roots to grow as well as allows for excellent water retention. Using Goat Dung Manure in gardens/pots can create optimal growth.

The quantities of manure formed by Goats & Sheep are almost similar. Although, the quantities of nutrients from Goat and Sheep are lower than what is produced by dairy cows, manure management for these species can be important in localities where production is concentrated from concern of nuisances such as odor and contamination of well waters in localities where they are raised.

The droppings of Sheep and Goats have higher nutrients than farmyard manure and compost. On average, the manure contains 3% N, 1% P2O5, and 2% K2O. It is applied to the field in 2 ways. The nutrients present in the urine are wasted in this process and the second process is sheep penning. In this process, sheep and goats are kept overnight in the field and fecal matter added to the soil is incorporated to a shallow depth by working with a cultivator.

The comparative NPK value in different droppings of livestock is as follows:

Livestock/Bird	Nitrogen (N)	Phosphorus (P)	Potassium (K)
Goat	0.7	0.3	0.9
Cattle	0.6	0.4	0.5
Poultry	1.1	0.8	0.5

Source: Ohio State University Ext. (www.osu.edu)