# Is anyone getting rich raising goats?



## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

How are you doing it? :lock:

Nanny/Kid?
Breed Stock?
Replacement Animals?
Abattoir?

Retail Meat Sale?
........Live Animals?
........Processed Animals?
........Ethnic Markets?

:bandwagon:


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

:hysterical::hysterical: Far from rich in the monetary aspect...but in the Mind, Body & Soul....Yes VERY rich!!!


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## Bambitski (Mar 16, 2012)

I agree they do the mind and soul good. And in turn the body. I wouldnt trade my hobby for anything. You cant look at them in monetary values. Sure make some money, but in turn that goes back into my hobby farm. If I make a few extra in the long run, fine. But I am not looking to get rich. More at sharing the love and joy they bring. They are like my children. Full of love and sometimes a little obstinate. But what can you do?


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

Of course I'm getting rich raising goats. Wait, this _is_ opposite day right?


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## yarrow (Apr 27, 2004)

:bouncy::bouncy::bouncy: getting rich??? as in MONEY RICH??? new to goats are ya??? LOL.... I have NEVER come close to breaking even.. and doubt I ever will... Just herd wide testing alone in 2011, set me back well over $2000. My hay bill was right at $1600 and my feed bill $4000.... naw, I'm not getting rich 

Lots of my lack of making money off the herd is my own choice. I do sell kids (actually all kids were spoken for this spring, before kidding began.. I already have quite a few reserves for next spring). I rarely sell adults (I NEVER sell a doe over 6years.. that stay here and live out their lives).. I don't sell milk.. I don't make any dairy products or soap for anyone outside my own family.. the goats are here for our enjoyment.. just a hobby..(granted it's a BIG hobby LOL) I don't want to milk year round (I like kidding out in March/April.. milking/bottling/raising up my keeper kids.. but by Sept.. I'm goat-ed out.. I dry up everyone and spend my fall not tied down to the milk barn).. My husband is an over the road trucker.. gone a lot of the time.. the herd & their up keep are his gift to me.. something to keep me busy and not missing him, so badly.. when he's gone so much... so I am very rich when it comes to love.. from the goats, from the hubby.. life is good..

susie, mo ozarks


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## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

yarrow said:


> :bouncy::bouncy::bouncy: getting rich??? as in MONEY RICH??? new to goats are ya??? LOL.... I have NEVER come close to breaking even.. and doubt I ever will... Just herd wide testing alone in 2011, set me back well over $2000. My hay bill was right at $1600 and my feed bill $4000.... naw, I'm not getting rich
> 
> Lots of my lack of making money off the herd is my own choice. I do sell kids (actually all kids were spoken for this spring, before kidding began.. I already have quite a few reserves for next spring). I rarely sell adults (I NEVER sell a doe over 6years.. that stay here and live out their lives).. I don't sell milk.. I don't make any dairy products or soap for anyone outside my own family.. the goats are here for our enjoyment.. just a hobby..(granted it's a BIG hobby LOL) I don't want to milk year round (I like kidding out in March/April.. milking/bottling/raising up my keeper kids.. but by Sept.. I'm goat-ed out.. I dry up everyone and spend my fall not tied down to the milk barn).. My husband is an over the road trucker.. gone a lot of the time.. the herd & their up keep are his gift to me.. something to keep me busy and not missing him, so badly.. when he's gone so much... so I am very rich when it comes to love.. from the goats, from the hubby.. life is good..
> 
> susie, mo ozarks



Not new to goats, and judging by the responses, as a business it looks very UNprofitable.

I was hoping to hear from people that are doing this as a business, a going concern.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Yeah- my vet is doing quite well from my raising goats..............


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## PaulNKS (Jan 11, 2009)

We aren't getting rich, but with goats, yes, you can make money. The key is in the numbers. You have to have a lot of goats to make it profitable. We've always had cattle and several hundred acres and we've always had a few goats. This year, we decided that instead of replacing the cull cows with more cows or heifers, we'll replace them with the same $$ in goats. 

About 3 years ago, we increased to about 40 does.

Goats are just as profitable if you have enough. I'm not sure a hobby farm can make it profitable as most hobby farms are too small. 

To make it profitable, our goats stay on pasture year round. We feed hay in the winter and feed a little bit of grain. In the warm months, we don't supplement with grain. We start the grain after they are bred. 

We also bale our own hay. On a couple farms, where it's too much trouble and too far to haul the equipment to hay, we share it out on a 3/5ths share. That means that the renter pays for all of the fertilizer, spraying, baling. He gets 3 out of every 5 bales an we get 2 out of every 5 bales, whether it's baled in large round bales or small square bales. 

I try to trim hooves 3 times a year. 

All of our culls and all of the buck kids are weaned and not left on their mommas. When they are weaned, I feed Purina's Noble Goat Grower that is medicated against coccidiosis. It is fed for 28 days. 

We treat the goat operation just like we've always treated the cattle. The little bucks are weaned and sold at the stockyards in St. Joseph, MO. They have a sale once a month that is dedicated to just sheep and goats and when I sold two months ago, some of the Boers were bringing $2.30 to $2.60 per pound.

I do have my Alpines that I milk for home use and a couple Nubians as well. But, the rest are Boer and Boer cross and our expansion will be in Boers.

So, yes, goats can be very profitable, but only if you have enough land for pasture, produce your own hay, and have a lot of goats. The profitability increases as the number of breeding does increases.


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## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

Thanks PaulNKS...

What size of a herd are we talking?

What breed are you?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

He said he has 40 does - Boer and Boer cross.


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## mabeane (Jun 5, 2010)

I have no mental health bills and that alone saves me a ton of money that I certainly use for my goats!


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## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> He said he has 40 does - Boer and Boer cross.


Thanks - Read it too fast.

How would one move that number from place to place? A herder dog, a good leader goat, lure with a feed bucket?

I have dry creeks that run between cattle pastures and brushy areas that would feed a number of goats.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Sorry for being sarcastic HDrider. It was just a knee jerk reaction. I think it would be good to do a ton of research...around you and where you live. Who knows..you may be the only one with goatmilk and have a huge customer list. Or get in with some specialized resterraunts or ethnic meat buyers...It's all up to you. But I don't think you will get rich monye wise..make sure you measure quality of life in your deccision. Oops gota run..baby goats on the porch are calling for their bottles!!


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## glasshousegoats (Mar 30, 2012)

PaulNKS said:


> We aren't getting rich, but with goats, yes, you can make money. The key is in the numbers. You have to have a lot of goats to make it profitable. We've always had cattle and several hundred acres and we've always had a few goats. This year, we decided that instead of replacing the cull cows with more cows or heifers, we'll replace them with the same $$ in goats.
> 
> About 3 years ago, we increased to about 40 does.
> 
> ...


When do you wean your culls and buck kids?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

A meat goat operation is a whole different undertaking than a milk goat operation and a whole different undertaking than a homestead milk herd with excess kids for sale. 

You can target your sales dates for meat goats just prior to ethnic holidays to maximize the sale prices.

Ethnic Holiday Calendar &mdash; Dairy and Animal Science &mdash; Penn State University


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Can it be done? Yes. Most people do not manage goats as a profit-making venture. We make them pets and money pits. 

There is quite a bit of equipment, management, health, and labor expenses that make the overhead and startup costs quite high. It can also be quite hard to factor in the meat/milk benefit to raising your own. Depending on your management, you are likely getting a very high quality product that you would otherwise go without or have to buy. 

Dairy goats are exponentially more labor intensive. They require milking 2x per day, much more feed due to production, their kids are hand raised in MOST settings (commercially that is), and the product must have a profitable outlet. 

Boer goats are expected to be productive with VERY little input. You cannot expect them to produce well on dry lot with crappy hay, or no wormings, or no hoof trimmings - but with moderate management they should do just fine. They are non-seasonal so they can be bred 2x per year, with more intense management on the owner's part, but it can still be profitable that way. 

IMO recordkeeping and recognizing problems to fix are both the top things to sucess. Do your research and don't skimp on fencing.


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## BobbyB (Apr 6, 2009)

I realize just having a couple to milk will not be a money making proposition. Karla is getting 2 does kids and a buck kid in the very near future. If she stays with the milking when that time comes, the plan is to breed about 2 years for straight dairy then use a Boer buck for meat crosses.

Meat goats bring good money in my part of the world, and if the weather cooperates, they can pay their way and maybe a bit extra. 

As long as we can handle expenses and since they are Karla's project, we are prepared to have costs go over returns, but we will sell out completely before we spend on hay and feed what I have read some do here.


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## PaulNKS (Jan 11, 2009)

mygoat said:


> Can it be done? Yes. Most people do not manage goats as a profit-making venture. We make them pets and money pits.


That is part of the problem with many homesteads being "hobby farms". With us, everything must pay it's own way. So, yes, while I may get attached to many of the goats, I also know that they have one purpose... revenue and profit.



> There is quite a bit of equipment, management, health, and labor expenses that make the overhead and startup costs quite high.


Not necessarily. We bought a detached garage for $90 at a farm sale. I'm adding lean-to's to both sides to prepare for increasing the herd size. I paid $40 for a headgate and working chute at another farm sale a couple years ago. It also doubles as my milking stand for my alpines.

As Alice wrote, there is a big difference when raising a herd for profit. You have to know your market... meat, dairy products, etc. 

As far as the kids and the doe culls, I try to sell twice per year. I want the little bucks weighing no less than 80 pounds. This is easier to do when you have pasture year round. When weaned, they get a good start with the goat grower.

With all due respect, many city people that move to the country to establish a hobby farm and/or homestead tend to view the livestock as pets more than as a means to an end, i.e. revenues and profit. We operate the goat herd like we would cattle. If a doe can't have twins, she is culled. If she has too much trouble kidding, she's culled. If a doe loses her kids, she's culled. If a doe develops mastitis, she gets culled because once she's had it, she will most likely get it again. The idea is to build a herd that can have twins (most years), birth and raise her kids with the least amount of assistance and medical expense. 

I will say that my Alpines get treated a lot differently, but if they can't perform up to standard, they also get culled.

The Boer cross does are being phased out and replaced by purebred Boer, simply because they gain faster and are marketable quicker than most other breeds. Therefore, the quicker they become marketable, the sooner they can leave the farm, meaning there is less expense per animal (same as with the cattle), and less time for me to get attached . Right now, there are around 40. I have about 6 that will be culled when the kids are sold. 

I'm not cold hearted at all. But being raised the way I was, I know the purpose of livestock on a farm. They either feed me or earn money. However, it still gets me a bit of a lump in my throat when a favorite doe can no longer perform and I have to part with her... or the little doe kid that I had in the house for several days last winter bottling trying to keep her alive when her momma abandoned her. It will bug me to have to sell her. But, it has to be done to replace her with a Boer.

In all honesty, I would like to get to 100 breeding Boer does, and still keep my 5 Alpines and Alpine buck.


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## coso (Feb 24, 2004)

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:


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## BobbyB (Apr 6, 2009)

PaulNKS said:


> With all due respect, many city people that move to the country to establish a hobby farm and/or homestead tend to view the livestock as pets more than as a means to an end, i.e. revenues and profit. We operate the goat herd like we would cattle. If a doe can't have twins, she is culled. If she has too much trouble kidding, she's culled. If a doe loses her kids, she's culled. If a doe develops mastitis, she gets culled because once she's had it, she will most likely get it again. The idea is to build a herd that can have twins (most years), birth and raise her kids with the least amount of assistance and medical expense.


eggzactly!


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## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

PaulNKS,
Do you use a herd dog? If so what breed?


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## PaulNKS (Jan 11, 2009)

HDRider said:


> PaulNKS,
> Do you use a herd dog? If so what breed?


I have a Border Collie, but I was never smart enough to teach what I wanted him to know. 

I did have an old dog that was half Australian Shepherd and half Blue Heeler and he was a great her dog. Usually, if they see me outside, they come running. If they don't, I can call them in or just show bang something on the feed bunk. A nibble is enough to keep them coming in.


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## FunnyRiverFarm (May 25, 2010)

With goats as a hobby, if you break even you are doing well. It's possible to make money with goats if you get really serious and have a lot of them...but for a backyard type opperation it is far easier to make money with sheep. In fact, I know someone who uses her "sheep money" to pay for her goats...lol....


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

PaulNKS said:


> That is part of the problem with many homesteads being "hobby farms". With us, everything must pay it's own way. So, yes, while I may get attached to many of the goats, I also know that they have one purpose... revenue and profit.
> 
> 
> Not necessarily. We bought a detached garage for $90 at a farm sale. I'm adding lean-to's to both sides to prepare for increasing the herd size. I paid $40 for a headgate and working chute at another farm sale a couple years ago. It also doubles as my milking stand for my alpines.
> ...



You make great points - most of which I agree with. 

However, startup costs can be pricy, IMO. It all depends on what you have and what you can find. 

Good goats - 200.00 apeice on average. Start with the absolute best buck you can manage to pay for, and good healthy does. 

Housing - barn(s) for doe herd, kid crop, bucks, milk room, equipment/feed storage. 

Fencing - goat fencing can be pricy. Especially since they knock it down in high traffic areas every 2-5 years.  Unless you have tons of acres fenced off, your pasture will look like a well manucured park shortly and you'll have to start feeding hay again. We also have an isolation pen for new stock or sick stock, as well as kid pens for raising the kids in or weaning the kids. 

Dairy equipment - buckets, dairy soap, glass jars, udder wash, teat dip, strip cup, milkstand, milkstand feeders, pasteurizer...

Raising kids - lambars, nipples, bottles, dimethox/wormers, castrating tool, disbudding iron(s), tattoo clamps, tube feeder, always keep frozen colostrum on hand just in case...

General equip - wormer(s), vaccines, antibiotics, drench gun, copper boluses, copper bolus gun, BoSe, syringes, needles, probiotics, CMPK, clippers for shaving udders (for dairies mostly, though handy for boers too with wounds etc), minerals, baking soda, leashes/collars, LOCKING grain storage, hoof trimmers.

Feed - most expensive single continuing cost on a farm. Boers usually need some grain during kidding season, especially if expected to kid 2x per year. Dairies need grain daily when milked. Alfalfa/grass mix hay, alfalfa pellets for dairies. 

Feeding equip - feed pans, hay feeder, mineral feeder(s), water troughs (how ya gonna get a ton of water to these goats constantly, even through the winter? Auto waterer that doesn't freeze? those is pricy!  )

Then there's the disease testing, of which I reccomend at least 3 negative test results before deciding you're disease free - at about 21.00 per goat for CL, CAE, and Johnes. Some only test for CAE, some don't test for Johnes (which is scary IMO). But that adds up pretty darn quick. 

There ARE ways of doing it cheap. Sometimes cheap isn't always the answer, however, and can result in more problems. I try to cut all costs that I can, and we are trying to work towards making money here. Most generally accepted practices - like yearly disease testing - are NOT conducive to profit, but it's hard to sell kids at all if you don't test yearly. 

I KNOW I'm forgetting a bunch of equipment that I've amassed over the years in hopes of making my life easier. Always be sure to build a catch pen aroudn the area you normally feed their grain so they're not afraid to go into the smaller area and are thus easier to shut in when needed for routine management.


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## PaulNKS (Jan 11, 2009)

mygoat said:


> You make great points - most of which I agree with.
> 
> However, startup costs can be pricy, IMO. It all depends on what you have and what you can find.
> 
> ...


That's as I said before. Know your market. Your market sector requires a more intensive approach than the meat market which carries a totally different approach. 

With the commercial meat market, we're after a faster turnaround, or in other words, fastest gains possible from birth to the stockyards. Where I sell, people aren't making buying decisions based on whether the animals are papered, screened or tested for disease, etc. Therefore, out on farm expenses are possibly less than someone targeting the market you target.

A homesteader has to know what his/her market will bear. He/she has to know what will provide the highest profit margin for that market sector.

In other words, we have the same expenses when it comes to vaccines, dewormers, hoof trimming, etc. 

The farm where we have the goats is 160 acres. There are 4 ponds with the largest being 2-1/2 surface acres. In the winter, I chop ice on one pond twice daily for the goats and cattle. The rest of the year, they drink freely. When I'm weaning, I fill a 300 gallon tank of water and place it next to the weaning pens. With me being 100% off-grid and collecting rainwater, I can't very easily use frost free waterers.


It all boils down to having a plan and determining what market sector you are after and what your area can bear.

But, back to the OP's original question of can you get rich. The answer is no. You won't get rich. But, you can have a goat operation that is profitable.


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## goatkid (Nov 20, 2005)

I doubt if anyone gets rich raising goats. Some people can make a living at it, but I wouldn't call them rich. There is a family in my state who have a commercial dairy as well as a cheese plant, but you need to be willing to invest in the equipment necessary to pass inspection for licensing. One of the country's best known Nubian breeders belong to my goat club. Their kids are all preordered before they hit the ground. Two of the three women work outside the home as do all their husbands.


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## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

I appreciate everyone's posts. I asked the question of getting rich with goats tongue in cheek, but I was serious to find out if the market is there and the different approaches being used.

Thanks


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## glasshousegoats (Mar 30, 2012)

PaulNKS said:


> I have a Border Collie, but I was never smart enough to teach what I wanted him to know.
> 
> I did have an old dog that was half Australian Shepherd and half Blue Heeler and he was a great her dog. Usually, if they see me outside, they come running. If they don't, I can call them in or just show bang something on the feed bunk. A nibble is enough to keep them coming in.





PaulNKS said:


> We aren't getting rich, but with goats, yes, you can make money. The key is in the numbers. You have to have a lot of goats to make it profitable. We've always had cattle and several hundred acres and we've always had a few goats. This year, we decided that instead of replacing the cull cows with more cows or heifers, we'll replace them with the same $$ in goats.
> 
> About 3 years ago, we increased to about 40 does.
> 
> ...


PaulNKS at what age do you wean your culls and buck kids?


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## whiskeylivewire (May 27, 2009)

With my Nigerian Dwarf goats we don't seem to have to spend quite as much especially since my herd is only 6. It does save us money when they are in milk.

A gallon of whole milk here is around $4.25. DH and DS12 alone can drink a gallon a day; add in the girls drinking some as well and that's a gallon and 1/2 a day. So, being in milk saves me about 30 bucks a week. That is huge to me.

Plus, they're fun


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## PaulNKS (Jan 11, 2009)

glasshousegoats said:


> PaulNKS at what age do you wean your culls and buck kids?


Culls are any animal that is not meeting the standard of performance and are disposed of (sold). This is whether they have outlived their usefulness or purpose. For example, when a doe is not able to raise a kid, has trouble birthing, has a history of mastitis, doesn't have twins, etc. Any that need to leave are considered culls.

I don't wean based on age as much as other criteria. For example, if a pair of kids are not growing as quickly on mother's milk as the others, I may leave them on her longer and supplement with high protein feed. Otherwise, I base it on the size of the kid. I honestly don't have a certain weight when I wean, but I base it on how they are performing and if they look like they weighing enough. If a kid is not performing well and growing at the same rate as the other kids, while on mother's milk, he will usually not do any better if weaned onto feed. So, I will leave him on the doe longer than the others.

With that said.... the age is usually anytime from 8 weeks to 12 weeks.

For example, if you take a dairy kid that was an only kid compared to a pair of crossbred Boer twins, the one dairy kid will outgrow the others by leaps and bounds and be weaned at a younger age, because he is getting so much more milk. However, once all the kids are weaned and on goat grower for a month, they usually even out.

I do it this way, because when I sell at the stockyards, I want all the kids to be as close to the same weight as possible. If your kids are all close in size, in a commercial meat market, they will be sold as one group, and will usually bring a higher price than the same animal sold individually. Same thing goes for cattle. At a sale barn, the groups of calves sell higher than individual calves for several reasons.

So, to wean, I try to base it on their performance on mother's milk and how well they have done compared to the other kids. When I wean and put them on grower, I know that they will even out and get me closer to a consistency to sell as a group when I take them to the stockyards. 

There is one of several reasons I want to switch from Boer and Boer/cross kids to all Boer. The kids will more likely be able to all be weaned at the same time, making it a little less labor intensive and help with the overall herd management. Also, a purebred Boer kid will reach market weight sooner than the crossbred kids meaning I have them on feed fewer days and still reach my target weight for market helping the bottom line (profit).

I hope I answered your question without too much rambling.


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

Almost no dairy goat operations exist for profit; mostly they are essentially for enjoyment. Cattle people sometimes tend to look down on goat people, perhaps because these operations frequently operate in the red and thus are considered "impractical." They are practical to a degree, however there is a point at which it is not. For example, having enough goats to feed yourself is practical; having 20 goats and tossing milk every day is obviously impractical.
In terms of a monetary net return, unless you plan on selling milk, you will operate in the red, no doubts about it. Dairy animals are labor-intensive and money-intensive as well, unless you can grow your own grain and hay. If you have enough of them, and you feed them very well, you can go broke very easily. 
One can also raise show animals, and sell expensive stock, but again this is still difficult to do without operating in the red. Even when you do make money on them, it is not adequate for the amount of time. For example, I've kept track of the time spent with the goats and the profit we've made and I average at about $4-$5 an hour. We've managed to come out ahead, but barely, which is why our operation is starting to lean towards beef and sheep meat markets.
Typically the dairy goat person's main crop is kids, which doesn't always work because dairy goats love to give you bucklings that you either have to eat or give away. 
Dairy goats are enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but I'm telling you: if you want to make money on dairy animals, you will be sorely disappointed. 
Meat goats are a different story. They can make money, provided they don't come down with CL, foot rot, worms, or simply drop dead for no good reason.


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## Hollowdweller (Jul 13, 2011)

Most people that raise small herds of dairy goats aren't going to make any money.

I think they can make sense for some people if you use all the milk, meat and manure, but in general most people have more goats than they strictly need for milk so they spend more on feed and goat care and often are pouring out extra milk or drying their goats up early.

Probably easier to make money raising meat goats although depends on your area. 

I know some folks who ran a commercial dairy and made and sold cheese to several famous restaraunts and stores and they told me that working 60 plus hours a week they didn't earn as much as when they were teachers and teacher pay at that time in my state was 49th nationally:smack


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## TriWinkle (Oct 2, 2011)

FunnyRiverFarm said:


> With goats as a hobby, if you break even you are doing well. It's possible to make money with goats if you get really serious and have a lot of them...but for a backyard type opperation it is far easier to make money with sheep. In fact, I know someone who uses her "sheep money" to pay for her goats...lol....


That's interesting...How is it easier to make money with sheep?


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

HDRider said:


> I appreciate everyone's posts. I asked the question of getting rich with goats tongue in cheek, but I was serious to find out if the market is there and the different approaches being used.
> 
> Thanks


The posters that provided the money-making tips can be summarized as management. management, and more management. You can make money with meat goats if you have a market and you can breed to meet demand. Getting rich? You've got slightly better odds than going to Vegas. Add management and the odds go up.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

There are a couple of goat daries here that are profitable but the one of real interest is the new 1500 goat Cottage Grove dairy that is being built in McKinleyville Ca. These people are expanding to increase their operation because they market a well recognized brand of goat cheese. 
I would think they are pretty profitable because the original farm was bought out by a Swiss group and they decided to expand operations within a couple of years. Grazing is possible down on the coast all year long but they will not be grazing the production does.


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## FunnyRiverFarm (May 25, 2010)

TriWinkle said:


> That's interesting...How is it easier to make money with sheep?


Less input in terms of feed, shelter, labor, etc. and they are easier to sell and command much higher prices (around here, anyway). Goats generally don't grow like sheep do on pasture alone...and they usually require more interventions.


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## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

_I found this today as I continue market research:_

Table 4.Top *importers *of goat meat
_____________________________________________
Goat Meat (MT) %
_________________________________
U.S.------ 9,551 18.2
China ---- 5,709 10.9
Italy ----- 1,451 2.8
Canada -- 1,374 2.6
France --- 1,151 2.2
Industrialized
Countries 16,097 30.7
World ---- 2,477
______________________________________________
Source: FAOSTAT, 2005. http://www.agmrc.org/media/cms/USGoatProductionFinal_E1367962C32D1.pdf

_This tells me that US goat producers have a large opportunity with our domestic market to displace imported goat meat._


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

FunnyRiverFarm said:


> Less input in terms of feed, shelter, labor, etc. and they are easier to sell and command much higher prices (around here, anyway). Goats generally don't grow like sheep do on pasture alone...and they usually require more interventions.


I second this. If you want to make money and want small, get sheep. Goats are pets and hence will never make much money, unless you have a commercial dairy. Even then you're only making about minimum wage.
Meat goats may make some money, but as Funny said they require more intervention.


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## dlskidmore (Apr 18, 2012)

HDRider said:


> _This tells me that US goat producers have a large opportunity with our domestic market to displace imported goat meat._


Have you looked at the price for imported vs domestic goat meat? I know it's cheaper for me to buy rabbits slaughtered in China than locally. It would not surprise me if the same was true for goats.

I don't plan to make it big with farming, but I want my elbow room, and I don't approve of having that much lawn/unproductive ground.


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## Slugmar (May 26, 2008)

I have close to 100 boerx now this will be my first year with so many last year I was in my 50âs the year before in my 20âs I just took that crop of weathers to market 11 in total and the top ones brought 171 a piece on average 150 they werenât that big. I do all my own hay work so my average cost on hay is around 50 cents a bale. I own the equipment and the property is paid for also.
Iâm still setting up pasture and barns, rotation on, kidding programs there a lot of work to go with it but just like any operation if you can keep your feed bill down and keep you production high you will make money in the long run.
I feed mostly grass except for at kidding when the momma gets a little help start out milk production. I also raise sheep and I have to say the baby sheep gain a lot better off the grass than the goats I raise a hair sheep so I donât have to shave and the market for sheep is just as high and even higher at some times during the year.
I also think I could get more per animal at farmers markets or selling to a restaurant then actually selling to a stock yard. I know if there buying my animal for 2.50 to 2.85 a lb these big buyers are selling them for more at other location. Itâs just to have the time to do research and start looking around at different outlets.


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

:hysterical: Wait.....wait......oh gosh.:hysterical:


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

Actually I've heard of a few people making a small profit with meat goats, but yes, they have large numbers and spend no extra expense. For example one woman (giving a lecture about making money with goats) advised that any kids born weak or needing ANY extra care should be "knocked in the head." I simply can't do that, sure I could have one euthanised if it had to be done, but that alone is an extra expense isn't it? I hope eventually that the goats can help to pay thier way, but I don't expect to ever get rich. Time alone(not to mention formula or milk) bottle feeding any baby is worth more than the kid, usually.


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

And the other couple of people I've met who have made a small profit, had larger herds (30-40 does) and got money from the state. KY does that, but you have to have a certain number of goats to qualify.


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## PaulNKS (Jan 11, 2009)

TRAILRIDER said:


> And the other couple of people I've met who have made a small profit, had larger herds (30-40 does) and got money from the state. KY does that, but you have to have a certain number of goats to qualify.


We make a decent profit and have never had money from the state for the goats or anything relating to them. We also never knock one in the head. Even a runt will bring decent money at the stockyards.

What amazes me are those people that can't figure out how to make a profit, believe that no one can.


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## lnicholson (Jan 9, 2011)

Cows bring around $250/ac and goats around 500/ac. The stocking rate of goats would need to be at 2 does per ac with her kids.

Cows take about 2.5 yrs before breaking even and goats about 1 to 1.5 yrs so your return on investment is much shorter.

Yes capital can get pricey but this is where one must get creative.

I currently have 70 does on 40 ac and operate on a rotational grazing basis to keep the worm loads down. I feed protein tubs when needed (usually winter) with good alfalfa hay and good mineral and I stay out of the feed bags. I kid in April and sell the bucks in late fall. I sell my does as recips to folks that flush show goats or as breeding stock and slaughter.

I also run cattle behind the goat rotation to help kill the barber pole worm load and since I have grass left after the goat rotation. I currently run 8 Dexter cows and sell them as grass fed beef or breeding stock.

Since we know the $ will continue to be devalued and that we import over 50% of our goat meat the price is sure to keep climbing.

Just my 2 cents

Lee
Nicholson Farmz


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## airwolftruker (Jul 15, 2011)

Hay has doubled in price
Feed has gone up 20 percent in 2 weeks
And buyers won't budge on prices from 2 yrs ago
No, i have pets.......and i love them very much
and the ones i love less help me become more independent.


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

"You can make a small fortune in farming.....provided you start out with a large one." -- _Author Unknown_

Goats are definitely under the heading of "farming". That being said, no you will never get RICH with goats....in fact, you will never get RICH doing anything that is both moral and ethical. But you *can* make a decent living with goats...yes, even dairy goats.

The old saying is: "Find a job that you love and you will never work a day in your life." This especially holds true for goats. I know many small dairies that are doing well. Are they rich? No. But they have good houses, nice barns, and their cars are not old. They make a comfortable living doing something they love.

Which is about all any of us can ask for.


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

CaliannG said:


> Goats are definitely under the heading of "farming". That being said, no you will never get RICH with goats....in fact, you will never get RICH doing anything that is both moral and ethical. But you *can* make a decent living with goats...yes, even dairy goats.


I respectfully disagree. Most people who have goats are homesteading; they are not concerned with turning a profit, but with providing their own food, etc. A full-scale dairy, on the other hand, would be farming since they are making profits and producing excess food for sale on the market.
But that's just my opinion, and I'm done splitting hairs for now.


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

TRAILRIDER said:


> Actually I've heard of a few people making a small profit with meat goats, but yes, they have large numbers and spend no extra expense. For example one woman (giving a lecture about making money with goats) advised that any kids born weak or needing ANY extra care should be "knocked in the head." I simply can't do that, sure I could have one euthanised if it had to be done, but that alone is an extra expense isn't it? I hope eventually that the goats can help to pay thier way, but I don't expect to ever get rich. Time alone(not to mention formula or milk) bottle feeding any baby is worth more than the kid, usually.


IMHO, even this only holds out so far. One of the vets my daughter job shadows got a call from someone like this (Boers). They had lost 100 kids before they finally called a vet in, I'm not sure how much money sense this makes? It was severe selenium deficiency by the way. 

Making any money is rough. I know a commercial dairy, no one is getting rich (they have 250 animals). I feel that goats are a little different then say cows, they just don't have the capacity or market. Not that cow dairies are doing good either. 

You are probably better off selling starts and vegetables at the farmers market.


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

Actually, I'm doing alright money wise. Hay got non-existent and what I could find was crappy and expensive, add that to the rising feed costs and I had to sell out.

So, now I raise goats vicariously through this board, and I have to say, the pocket book is doing much better. But, I miss having goats in real life.


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## Clovers_Clan (Jul 17, 2012)

The HIDDEN costs in NOT raising goats for milk, food, weed control etc.

Milk: Chemical hormone contamination, antibiotic resistance, risk of livestock disease pandemics, water pollution, petroleum use and pollution therefrom, deforestation for grazing species, government subsidy, food insecurity...

Meat: See above...

Weed control: Herbicide pollution and resistance, diesel pollution from bush-hogging tractors, deforestation for grazing species, spread of invasive plant species...

I work these in to the bottom line every time I wonder why I'm raising goats!


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## jessiesue (Jan 24, 2011)

I'm not getting rich,but if being rich would mean not getting uo every morning and feeding and having my goats I will stay poor. However, I was pleased when I sat down a few days ago and started doing the figuring. Started back in "goat business" March 2011. We haven't even been to a stockyard, buy all off farms. Havn't even bought off craigslist. We start with buying a $60 dollar doe, our goal was 20 "Large Marge" boer nannies. As of today I have 14 very nice breed boer nannies, and seven nice 5 month old doelings.......and after all the figuers where said and done, I am down $9. We have bought and traded alot, even helped build barns for nannies. I'm going to feel good about all of this for a few weeks before I figure all the other expenses.


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

Looking back, I remember responding to this post. But since then I have been giving my answers alot of thought. The very basic math actually can add up. Yes, I have done alot of fencing (did it myself, but still expensive) bought equipment for the farm, paid to fix my old tractor up etc. But really, I'd do that anyway just because I own a farm. I can't expect my goats to pay for all of that!
So figuring up what they actually cost to buy, breed and keep. I had our own hay baled for 357.00 this year - that was 21 large round bales of good grass hay. I've scaled back on feeding grain to anyone not in milk and looked at all my other expenses. If I can raise more goats for the same outlay, then yes I can make a profit. I won't get rich. But I'm going to make a real effort : )


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## silverseeds (Apr 28, 2012)

Someone mentioned not being able to become rich, but knowing people who had a nice home and were comfortable. By global standards achieving that in the states IS rich. 

That said, based on reading, it seems like in many countries your as likely to do well with goats as you are with cattle in the states. We just have the market. If it was easy to get reliable prices for goat meat I bet more people would be perfecting management systems that make it profitable. 

Also I noticed in third world nations it often seems some of the wealthiest are the goat owners. The way our economy is going that might be something to think about before to long here.


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

silverseeds said:


> If it was easy to get reliable prices for goat meat I bet more people would be perfecting management systems that make it profitable.


It is easier to get reliable goat meat prices than cattle prices. If that statement were true, we would already have superior goat management practices. What we actually need is a goat that can grow on minimal inputs like cows. Cows can eat fescue hay. Fescue hay starves a goat. ??? Most people find goats harder than cows. (They both have ups and downs, though.) That is, harder to make money on them.


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

The endophytes in certain strains of tall fescue actually kills goats.

It's not the feed, it is the infrastructure. Goats don't do well on _grass_. Sheep, cattle, and horses are grazers, so their systems are made to get all of their nutrient needs from *grass*. If you fed a cow a steady supply of leafy branches from the local tree trimming company, the cow would starve. The goat fed that diet, however, would thrive.

The problem is that too many people try to manage goats like cows.... and the same practices just won't work. Goats are more efficient than cows with their feed-to-output, but they require _ different feed _. That feed is not necessarily more expensive. Goats thrive just fine on cheap, prairie hay (full of a variety of species), but can starve, or develop crippling deficiencies, on a diet of horse-quality bermuda.

Goats are not cows, and you can't manage them like cows. But they can be *cheaper* than cows, if managed like goats.


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## goat-dude-fl (Sep 10, 2012)

What about using goats to create a cashflow?

I've heard of some entrepreneurs starting a "brush cleaning" business with goats!

You could get paid ca$h money to bring some goats and electric fence & charger and let them go to work!

It'll reduce your feed bill & put cash in your pocket...

I've seen prices from $500 per day with a herd of 25 goats...

You sell the service...


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## Disco Paul (Oct 18, 2005)

We raise Boer X and a few fullbloods. We have invested a fair amount of money into our operation. We buy only used but in good condition equipment. I am currently fencing in 27 acres of woods. Using 6 strand high tensile electric. We raise all of our own hay. Which is a very high quality grass hay. They do very good on the grass hay. We use a loose goat mineral. My wife is now taking our goats for a walk everyday in our hay fields. We have a Kelpie herding dog. The goats have been out for walks so much that they just follow us. Trying to save on the hay which we will sell any extra. The bottom line is we treat them like pets. They live a good life while they are here. But they are all for sale. 4h-breeding-pets-eating it doesn't matter. We set our price and stick to it. We miss out on a few sales but we are not giving them away. We grain only 1 month before kidding and for 1 month after. They do not get very much grain. We buy the best Fullblood buck that we can afford.We have around 40 does.
We do make money and plan on making more. The goats have paid their way.


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