At Ariibi Ranch, we wanted to rear goats. Our preference was the exotic breed. We had challenges. The farm was too far from Apac town council, meaning that the costs of bringing a qualified veterinary officer were too high. Availability of this doctor when we would need him/her also raised concerns. The village though had a “community veterinary person” who strongly advised against the exotic breed. He said that they would not survive in the hot climate; and that they were delicate to breed. So we opted for the indigenous goat breed. Today though, we have a mix of the two, with higher percentages of the boer goat.

It is estimated that 80% of rural households in Uganda keep indigenous goats (MAAIF, 2003). They are easy to acquire, manage and their reproduction and production are high enough to realise faster income. These animals are an integral component of rural households all over Uganda. Despite low productivity for meat and milk, they contribute towards the nutritional status of the household and are a source of income. They, therefore, play an important role in poverty alleviation in individual households generation and this often makes then one of the easiest entry points of many poverty alleviation projects and programmes.

In Apac, indigenous goats are raised by herding. Most people give crop residues to the goats and water them once a day. Water is mainly drawn from spring wells and the maximum walking distance is 3.0 Km. All labor for looking after the goats is offered by the family (100%). The goats are acquired through buying, gifts, through dowry and/or project donations.

Housing these goats is affordable. The farmers construct mainly temporal structures or sheds under house or kitchen verandas.

Inbreeding is common among the herd. There is no attempt to prevent this. Today, some households though prefer to sell off all bucks and keep the does. Periodically, they hire a good buck from the neighboring farm for mating purposes. This is in an attempt to improve their herd.

These goats are generally said to be disease resistant. They though suffer mainly from worms, ecto- parasites, diarrhoea, eye diseases and skin diseases. To treat the above conditions, most people approach the veterinary staff (community or professional) and a few use local medicines of various types; some using indigenous technical knowledge.

An interesting practise, yet common, to mention is that sometimes the goats are exchanged for cows. The number is dependent on the seller and cow owner. This practice still exists.