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GEE FARMS, kotwa mudzi, Domboshawa (2026)

31/12/2025

*MONEY vs GOATs*
Season 6

*MANAGING KID MORTALITY*

Kid mortality can happen anytime in the perinatal period. The time period from a few weeks before kidding until about four weeks after kidding is referred to as the perinatal period. Perinatal mortality includes lateterm abortions, losses at birth and losses during the first month after birth. Kid mortality has been shown to range from as low as 5% on well managed operations to 50% or higher on farms that are not well managed.

Perinatal deaths are likely to be one of the greatest sources of economic loss on your goat farm. The cost of perinatal mortality includes the cost of feeding and maintaining your doe throughout her pregnancy, veterinary expenses and lost revenue due to the loss of your kids. In one research study, poor management on participating farms was involved in more than two thirds of the known deaths. By making a few simple changes to your management system, you may be able to reduce early kid losses on your farm.

📍Management tip

A controlled breeding season has significant advantages. Breed the does so that kids are born when there is high quality forage to support the doe during the lactating period and to sustain the kids until weaning and post weaning.

*Abortion/Stillborn Kids*

Abortions and stillborn kids are usually caused by an infection like toxoplasmosis, brucellosis, chlamydiosis or leptospirosis.

Kids may also be born weak and die shortly after birth as a result of these infections. Infections are often a result of poor farm hygiene or poor biosecurity.

Does younger than 3 years of age and older than 9 years of age abort more often. Chlamydiosis is the most common form of infectious abortion in goats. It is passed to other animals in the fluids and membranes from aborted fetuses or the vaginal discharge from an infected doe. Older does that have been exposed to chlamydia are immune, but young does can become infected and abort. In a flock that has not been exposed to chlamydia

13/12/2025

GOAT FARMING:
- Common Diseases.

Goats are prone to various diseases. Here are some common ones:

Parasitic infections_ (e.g., worms, ticks, lice).

Respiratory diseases_ (e.g., pneumonia).

Foot rot_ (bacterial infection causing lameness).

Caseous lymphadenitis_ (bacterial infection causing abscesses).

Caprine arthritis-encephalitis_ (viral disease affecting joints and nervous system).

Johne's disease_ (bacterial infection causing digestive issues).

Coccidiosis_ (parasitic infection affecting young goats).

Anthrax_ (bacterial infection that can be fatal).

Rabies_ (viral disease affecting nervous system).

Peste des petits ruminants_ (viral disease affecting goats and sheep).

Regular vaccination, proper sanitation, and veterinary care can help prevent and manage these diseases.

12/11/2025

☕ Fertilizer Guide for Coffee Farming – Boost Your Yields with Proper Timing!

Fertilizer application plays a crucial role in coffee plant growth, health, and yield. Understanding the right nutrients, timing, and application techniques ensures maximum productivity and quality coffee beans.

🌱 Pre-Planting Stage – Setting the Foundation

✅ Soil Testing – Identify nutrient deficiencies and pH levels.
✅ Lime Application – Adjust soil pH to 5.5-6.5 for optimal coffee growth.
✅ Organic Matter – Add compost or manure (5-10 tons/ha) to enrich soil fertility.

🔬 Nutrient Requirements for Coffee Plants

💡 Essential Macronutrients:
✔ Nitrogen (N): 200-400 kg/ha/year – Supports leaf & stem growth.
✔ Phosphorus (P): 50-100 kg/ha/year – Boosts root & flower development.
✔ Potassium (K): 200-400 kg/ha/year – Enhances bean quality & disease resistance.

💡 Micronutrients (Small but Vital!)
✔ Boron, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Zinc – Essential for plant metabolism & growth.

🌿 Best Fertilizers for Coffee Farming

✔ Organic Fertilizers: Compost, manure, fish bone meal.
✔ Inorganic Fertilizers: Urea, Ammonium Sulfate, Diammonium Phosphate (DAP).
✔ Integrated Approach: Use a mix of organic and inorganic fertilizers for best results.

📆 When to Apply Fertilizers? (Timing is Key!)

1️⃣ Pre-Flowering Stage – Apply NPK (10:10:10) or DAP (18:46:0) to boost root development.
2️⃣ Flowering Stage – Use Urea (46:0:0) or Ammonium Sulfate (21:0:0) for healthy blossoms.
3️⃣ Fruiting Stage – Apply Potassium-rich fertilizers (0:0:60) for bean development.
4️⃣ Post-Harvest Stage – Replenish soil nutrients using compost or manure.

✅ Best Practices for Maximum Coffee Yield

✔ Split Fertilizer Applications – Avoid over-fertilization & nutrient leaching.
✔ Use Foliar Sprays – Apply micronutrients directly to leaves for quick absorption.
✔ Soil Conservation – Prevent erosion & retain soil fertility.
✔ Monitor Soil Health – Regular soil testing ensures balanced nutrition.

🌿 Coffee Plant Growth Stages

07/10/2025

FEEDING GUIDE FOR FASTER GROWTH AND HEALTHY GOATS

If you want your goats to grow fast and stay healthy, feeding them right is key. Here’s a simple, practical guide to help you give them the best nutrition at every stage of life.

💧 WATER COMES FIRST
- Always give clean, fresh water. Goats won’t grow well without it.
- They drink more when it’s hot, when they’re eating lots of protein, or when they’re producing milk.
- Clean water containers often to avoid sickness.

🌿 FORAGE IS THEIR MAIN FOOD
Goats love browsing—eating leaves, twigs, and shrubs more than just grass.

- Feed good hay like grass or legume hay (alfalfa is great).
- Hay should be about half of their daily food.
- Alfalfa is rich in protein and calcium—perfect for kids, pregnant, or milking goats.
- Goats eat around 3–4% of their body weight in dry food daily.
- Use feeders to keep food off the ground and reduce waste and parasites.

💪 PROTEIN BUILDS MUSCLE
Protein helps goats grow strong, especially young ones and pregnant or breeding animals.

- Young kids need 14–16% protein in their diet.
- Good sources: alfalfa hay, soybean meal, cottonseed meal, or goat feed.
- Pregnant goats need around 12–16% protein too.

⚡ ENERGY FROM GRAINS
Grains give goats the energy they need to grow, make milk, or carry babies.

- Feed grains to kids, pregnant, and milking goats.
- Dry adult goats and wethers don’t need grains if they get good hay.
- Start with 0.5–1 pound of goat feed daily and adjust as needed.
- Use grains like corn, oats, or barley—but don’t overfeed.
- Too much grain can cause serious health issues like bloating or urinary stones.
- Feed grains in small meals twice a day.
- Offer baking soda to help with digestion.
- For wethers, add ammonium chloride to prevent urinary stones.

🧂 VITAMINS AND MINERALS MATTER
Minerals keep goats strong, help their immune system, and support growth.

- Always offer loose minerals made for goats (not sheep).
- Keep the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio around 2:1.
- Imp

07/10/2025

*Profarmer tips on one hectare maize hybrid production guide:*

Land Preparation

1. Plough to a depth of 20 to 25 cm and harrow to level the field.

*Fertilizer Application*

1. Basal fertilizer: Compound D (400-450 kg/ha)
2. Top dressing: Ammonium Nitrate (200-250 kg/ha) at 3-4 weeks after planting.

*Pre-Emergence Herbicides*

1. Optichem Metolachlor 50% EC (2-3 liters/ha or 300mls napsacks/ha)
2. Optichem Glyphosate 48% SL (2-3 liters/ha or 300mls napsacks/ha)
- Apply 1-2 days before planting.
3. Optichem Atrazine

*Post-Emergence Herbicides*

1.Optichem Dicamba 50% EC (1-2 liters/ha or 80ml napsack/ha)
2. Optichem Atrazine (2-3) liters/ha or 160napsack/ha)
3. Optichem METOLATRIO (1-2 liters/ha or160mls/napsack/ha)
4. Optichem sweeper (1-2 liters/ha or 160mls/napsack/ha)
- Apply 2-3 weeks after emergence.
5. Optichem Halosulfuron
6. Optichem Nicosulfuron

*Insecticide Application (Fall Armyworm)*

1. Optichem Optimator 12 EC (250ml/ha) or 20ml
Apply at week 1 to week 3 after emergence
For Cutworms and Leafeaters use carbaryl and lambda

Ecoterex -Apply at 4-6 weeks after emergence

*Yield Potential*

1. Hybrid maize: 6-20tons/ha
2. Open-pollinated maize: 4-6 tonnes per ha

*Additional Tips*

1. Monitor weather conditions.
2. Adjust application rates according to soil type and moisture.
3. Follow integrated pest management (IPM) practices.

*Herbicide Application*

*For effective w**d control here is a tip* 👌
*Pre- emergence* *(glyphosate + Atrazine + matalochlor)*

*Post- emergence ( SWEEPER 260OD + nicosulfron+ halosulfron)*
All herbicides are in store.
■Glyphosate $5.25
■Atrazine. $6.25
■metolachlor $10.
■Sweeper 260OD $9.50
♤Nicosulfron $3.
♤Halosulfron $7.50

Please note that these are general guidelines and may vary depending on specific soil types, climate, and maize varieties.

Would you like more information on maize production or integrated pest management practices?

Visit profeeds and profarmer shops.
For more inform

19/08/2025

NEVER START GOAT FARM WITHOUT MASTERING THIS 13 THINGS

1. Breeds and Selection: Understand different goat breeds and their suitability for meat, milk, or fiber production.
2. Nutrition: Learn about their dietary needs, including forage, grains, and supplements.
3. Housing and Fencing: Proper shelter and fencing are essential to keep goats safe and comfortable.
4. Health Management: Familiarize yourself with common goat diseases, vaccinations, and treatment plans.
5. Breeding and Reproduction: Understand goat breeding cycles, kidding, and how to care for newborns.
6. Record-Keeping: Track expenses, health records, and production data to manage your farm effectively.
7. Market Knowledge: Research the demand and prices for goat products in your area.
8. Pasture Management: Learn how to manage land for grazing and control overgrowth.
9. Legal Requirements: Be aware of local laws, permits, and regulations related to farming.
10. Feed Storage: Have proper storage facilities for feed to avoid spoilage and contamination.
11. Water Supply: Ensure a clean and consistent water source for your goats.
12. Herding Skills: Learn how to handle, train, and manage goats effectively.
13. Business Planning: Create a detailed business plan, including startup costs, profit margins, and growth strategies.

22/04/2025

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN QUALITY POULTRY FEED.

As a Farmers, you can create your own poultry feed using the Pearson Square method. This method helps ensure that the feed contains the right amount of digestible crude protein (DCP), which is essential for the nutrition of chickens.

Here’s how you can do it:

Ingredients and Their DCP Values:
- Whole maize: 8.23%
- Soya: 45%
- Fishmeal (omena): 55%
- Maize bran: 7%
- Sunflower: 35%

For example, if you want to make feed for laying hens (layers), the feed should have at least 18% crude protein.

Making a 70kg Bag of Feed for Layers:
To make a 70kg bag of feed with 18% crude protein, you need:
- 34kg of whole maize
- 12kg of soya
- 8kg of fishmeal (omena)
- 10kg of maize bran
- 6kg of lime (as a calcium source)

Calculating Crude Protein:
To check if the feed meets the 18% protein requirement, do the following calculations:
- Whole maize: 34kg × 8.23 ÷ 100 = 2.80%
- Soya: 12kg × 45 ÷ 100 = 5.40%
- Fishmeal: 8kg × 55 ÷ 100 = 4.40%
- Lime: 6kg × 0 ÷ 100 = 0.00%

Total crude protein = 2.80% + 5.40% + 4.40% = 12.60%

To get the total crude protein percentage in the 70kg bag:
12.60% ÷ 70kg × 100 = 18%

So, the feed has 18% crude protein, which is perfect for layers.

Ready-Made Formulations:
To make it even easier, here are ready-made feed formulations for different stages of chicken growth:

Chick Mash (1-4 weeks)
Ingredients for a 70kg bag:
- 31.5kg whole maize
- 9.1kg wheat bran
- 7.0kg wheat pollard
- 16.8kg sunflower or linseed
- 1.5kg fishmeal
- 1.75kg lime
- 30g salt
- 20g premix amino acids
- 70g tryptophan
- 3.0g lysine
- 10g methionine
- 70g threonine
- 50g enzymes
- 60g coccidiostat
- 50g toxin binder

Growers Mash (4-8 weeks)
Ingredients for a 70kg bag:
- 10kg whole maize
- 17kg maize germ
- 13kg wheat pollard
- 10kg wheat bran
- 6kg cotton seed cake
- 5kg sunflower cake
- 3.4kg soya meal
- 2.07kg lime
- 700g bone meal
- 3kg fishmeal
- 14g salt
- 1g coccidiostat
- 18g pre-mix
- 1g zinc bacitracitrach
- 7g mycotoxin

22/04/2025

Numbers of chickens and the bags they need from day one old until 6weeks.
50 chicks=4bags(50kgs)
100chicks =8bags
150chicks=12bags
200chicks =16bags
250chicks=20bags
300chicks=24bags
400chicks=32bags
500chicks=40bags
1000chicks =80bags.

However if they reach 6weeks the feed will be finished so if don't slaughter everything once or before 7weeks that mean you must add extra bags either 1 or 2 depending on your market.

For example I buy 22 bags for 250 chicks instead of 20 bags because i know that it will keep me until I finished all my sells.

To those who use ama 25kgs multiple everything by 2.

22/04/2025

FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE STARTING CHICKEN FARMING:

Tip 1: AVAILABILITY

Well, if you are considering starting a poultry farm, there are things to consider before you even get to the resources and logistics involved. Perhaps the most important consideration is availability. If you cannot be present and get involved in running some of the errands on the farm, you will most likely fail. This is because no one else shares the same desires and interests for the farm. Most people are selfish and only think about themselves. You need to be able to go and supervise as often as possible. By this, I mean a minimum of twice a week for the start. Being available even means you will get to understand the dynamics of rearing the chickens better and hence gain better experience.

Should you start a poultry farm?

Tip 2: COMMITMENT

Starting and maintaining a successful poultry farm comes with a lot of responsibilities, and only a committed person will be able to handle them. Many times, you will have to spend less time with your friends and family in order to make sure the birds are in perfect condition. Sometimes you will have to divert funds from your other plans just so the chickens have the feed they need, or you will have to forgo a party you were invited to and make sure each of the birds has been vaccinated. It's simple and simple: if you cannot be committed, don't expect miracles; you most likely will fail.

Tip 3: PASSION

"If you love the chickens, they will love you back and give you everything you need from them."Some people fear touching chickens, or they say the chicken house smells of chicken droppings. If you're that kind of person, you most likely won't make it. For you to be successful in poultry farming, you have to be hands-on. You have to love what you do. You have to take care of the chickens and ensure they are happy, because if they are happy,then they will make you happy. And you can only do that if you have the passion.
Should you start a poultry f

22/04/2025

Basic Steps to Make Silage

Let's dive into silage — a powerful way to preserve green forage for your animals, especially during dry seasons when fresh pasture is scarce.

What is Silage?

Silage is fermented, high-moisture stored fodder made from green foliage crops. It’s preserved in a way that retains nutrients and becomes a highly digestible, energy-rich feed for ruminants like goats, sheep, and cattle.

Why Silage Is Important

Ensures feed availability during dry seasons.

Reduces feed costs.

Preserves nutrients better than drying (hay).

Increases milk and meat production due to high energy content.

Common Crops Used for Silage

Maize (corn) – Best for energy-rich silage.

Sorghum

Napier grass (elephant grass)

Guinea grass

Legumes (e.g., cowpea vines, lablab) – add protein.

Cassava leaves (used carefully, not too much).

Basic Steps to Make Silage

1. Harvest at the Right Time

For maize: when the kernels are milky-dough stage.

For grasses: just before flowering.

Chop into small pieces (2–5 cm). This helps compaction and fermentation.

2. Add Molasses (optional but helpful)

Helps speed up fermentation.

Use about 1–2 liters per 100 kg of chopped material.

3. Pack and Seal the Silage

You can use:

Pit (dug in the ground)

Drum (plastic container or barrel)

Plastic bags or silage bags

Key principle: remove all air. This promotes anaerobic (airless) fermentation.

Line the pit or container with plastic.

Fill layer by layer, pressing tightly to remove air.

After filling, cover tightly with plastic and weight it down (e.g., with stones, sandbags).

4. Fermentation Period

Leave it sealed for at least 21 days, preferably 30–45 days.

It becomes slightly sour-smelling and soft – a sign that it’s ready.

How to Use Silage

Open only the part you need daily to avoid spoilage.

Feed alongside dry roughages (e.g., hay) and fresh water.

Can be mixed with concentrates for better nutrition.

Signs of Good Silage

Smells like vinegar or mildly sweet.

Greeni

GEE FARMS

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