# Any goat dairy farmers? The price of goat milk?



## michiganfarmer (Oct 15, 2005)

I was talking to a guuy who knows a farmer who milks about 100 goats. I never knew anyone bought goat milk commercially. I mean I know Deans Buys cows milk, because I used to sell to them, but does anyone realy buy goats milk? I dont mean to sound like I think goats milk is no good. I dont mean that. I just dont have ay goat dairy experience. This guy said that goat milk is selling for $32 per hundred.

Does anyone know anything about this?

cripes, cows milk is only selling for around $18 per hundred. I might need to buy dairy goats.


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## michael1 (Aug 23, 2005)

Goat milk is selling for about $4.00 per quart here in the Austin Tx area. More if you sell direct farm to customer. It does make one think.


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## Julia (Jan 29, 2003)

Well, folks have done it---made the switch from cows to goats---but there are a few things you should be aware of first. For one thing, there isn't the kind of stability in dairy goats as there is in cows. Goat processors go bust fairly often, compared to dairy cow processors, leaving producers with no place to market their milk. 

And most of the economic advantage in the price per cwt. gets eaten up, and more, by the much higher labor costs in handling many small milkers vs. few large ones. You end up making the same as cow producers after all the costs are paid. It's not the goldmine it looks at first glance.


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## Kazahleenah (Nov 3, 2004)

I milked 77 dairy does. 
The last year I was "legal".. and sold to the co-op. Made ok money... but the kids (2) helped, and it was my hearts desire. That first year, I made enough to cover "expenses". 

I have heard rumors that they are trying to improve the goat dairy in MI tho.... try calling the MSU to find out? 

Good luck!!

Kaza


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## Teacupliz (Nov 20, 2003)

If you are lucky enough to have a truck come out where you live last time I checked here in Ny they were getting 43.cwt. but they want more then one farmer in the area to come out that way. Eastern Ny has a few cheese factories- I sell raw milk and keep my price low as I live in the depressed area- last year I charged $5. per gallon this year I will go up to $6. to cover feed prices- Liz


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## michiganfarmer (Oct 15, 2005)

I am thinking about ways that I can earn enough on my 80 acres to get out of the "working in town" rat race. 

My ultimate goal is to have a dozen beef brood cows, amd sell the feeder calves, a dozen brood sows, and sell the feeder pigs, make 500 gallons of maple syrup per year, and have a small number of dairy animals, either a dozen cows, or a couple dozen goats. 

I plan on grazing the beef, and dairy animals, so feed costs will be less than conventional feeding methods.


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## Kazahleenah (Nov 3, 2004)

If you aren't in a hurry.... pm me yer email and I'll email as soon as my own puter is fixed and I'm talking from my own puter again. lol

TC isn't the most "farmer friendly" area in the state... (less ya grow cherries) 

Kaza


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

Meyenberg goat milk. Look in the dairy case at a super Wal Mart. Only problem is that it tastes like my goat milk would if I let it sit outside in the bucket for a week. :help: 

I know they were buying in the Arkansas, southern Missouri area.

http://www.meyenberg.com/


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## michiganfarmer (Oct 15, 2005)

Rose said:


> Meyenberg goat milk. Look in the dairy case at a super Wal Mart. Only problem is that it tastes like my goat milk would if I let it sit outside in the bucket for a week. :help:
> 
> ]


LOL


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## AnnaS (Nov 29, 2003)

I don't sell goat milk but I know a few farms that do. 

Various cheese plants buy goat milk & run a truck route for pickup. The cheese milk buyers in MN include Mont Chevre, Woolrich, Kolb Lena, & Kimball (don't remember the co. name). Plants are in MN, WI & IL.

Goats are seasonal breeders, so Dec-Feb milk is at a premium. I've heard up to $44/cwt. Average is $22-$28 mailbox. Not all plants pay for components. 

Goat milk also has totally different SCC limits. Goats have a different immune system & milk storage/release than cows, so they can have a high SCC and totally clean milk. They still need a clean culture though.


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## michiganfarmer (Oct 15, 2005)

AnnaS said:


> I don't sell goat milk but I know a few farms that do.
> 
> Various cheese plants buy goat milk & run a truck route for pickup. The cheese milk buyers in MN include Mont Chevre, Woolrich, Kolb Lena, & Kimball (don't remember the co. name). Plants are in MN, WI & IL.
> 
> ...


Very interesting. Thank you


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

I've heard of a few people around here getting started in the goat dairying and then ending up in a pickle, too many goats and can't sell the milk to feed them. I don't know exactly what happened, but I hear someone was dishonest.


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## BlueHeronFarm (Feb 9, 2007)

We are dairy farmers, but we make cheese.
Ultimately, milk is a commodity. Even "specialty" milk like goat milk.
Our research led us to the conclusion that the only way for US to be profitable on our small scale was to add value...for us this means cheese.
It is VERY difficult to make a business of the milk end unless you sell direct to consumer, and consider raw licensing. (Not sure what your state laws are on that.) Even then, milk is tough for a small farmer. My best advice is that you stay REALLY small if you do it - there is money at both ends, but it gets really risky in the middle. When you hover in the middle, you pretty much end up being a slave to your bulk tank and putting a whole lot of eggs in one basket, as has already been mentioned.


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## Sweet Goats (Nov 30, 2005)

I am taking my 4H group to a lady that milks 75-120 goats daily. (depending on when they kid). we are going to take a tour of her place and learn how she makes goat soap and lotion. 
She sells her goat milk to a lot of people for $9.00 a gallon. I thought that was outrageous, but as I read here, I guess that is not to bad.
I have had it twice, and I about threw up, and I told her that, so I am excited to try hers. I guess it is great, and the way it should taste. Like she said and I am sure you all would agree, it all depends on how and what the goat eats, and how the milk is taken care of.


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## Jcran (Jan 4, 2006)

We have a shortage of goat nnilk arond here; Cypress Grove chevre, award winning cheese nnaker, is or neighbor. She is trying to get nnore people to start dairies here. Goat nnilk is very expensive arond here right now....(can yo gess which keys aren't working on or keyboard?)


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## Teacupliz (Nov 20, 2003)

I think in Michagan you can do shares legally- I have heard from others that they do okay. Both with goats milk and cow milk. I chill mine in 1/2 gallon canning jars. The secret to the goats milk is chill fast. Many of the raw cow milk drinkers moved right over to goats milk as it taste so good. Good luck in your venture- 
Our plan is to get my husband out of his crappy job too. takes time and a lot of work but I like to work hard. Now if the goverment would allow us free trade with out thier rules. We would all do better. Here in Ny they are trying to controll our milk-
Liz


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Rose said:


> Meyenberg goat milk. Look in the dairy case at a super Wal Mart. Only problem is that it tastes like my goat milk would if I let it sit outside in the bucket for a week. :help:
> 
> I know they were buying in the Arkansas, southern Missouri area.
> 
> http://www.meyenberg.com/


Yep, and I hated the fact that the good milk I sold them ended up on the grocery store shelves tasting like *that*. We sold to them for one year. They were paying 22.00-23.00 per hundredweight at that time. We did not break even at that price. I could have if I really tried, but I didn't want to keep my goats in the shape that would have taken. :shrug:


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## Tam319 (Jan 6, 2007)

Here producers are often left to process, package, distribute, etc. themselves which really adds to the expenses. In speaking with the dairy inspector he said the only people who are making a go of it are the value added (ie. cheese) people.


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## AnnaS (Nov 29, 2003)

southerngurl said:


> I've heard of a few people around here getting started in the goat dairying and then ending up in a pickle, too many goats and can't sell the milk to feed them. I don't know exactly what happened, but I hear someone was dishonest.


Heard a few of those stories here too. I went to a goat dairy auction last year. The sellers were from the cities, no dairy or livestock experience apart from a horse. They put all their $$ into a goat dairy and sold out within a year. Kept the does in a closed, unventilated barn, didn't know about teat dip or (gag) milk filters. Their does kept dying from pneumonia or mastitis and their milk was too dirty half the time to sell. 

There were three other bidders there that ran all the equipment up to twice new retail price. One of them was going to start his own goat dairy- same deal, he had a horse so he knew it all. He bought 50-60 does in milk and intended to hand milk them when he got home. He'd never milked anything in his life, but he "had a way with animals". Good luck, friend.


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## Julia (Jan 29, 2003)

AnnaS said:


> . He'd never milked anything in his life, but he "had a way with animals".


God, I'm so grateful I wasn't born a goat.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

AnnaS said:


> Heard a few of those stories here too. I went to a goat dairy auction last year. The sellers were from the cities, no dairy or livestock experience apart from a horse. They put all their $$ into a goat dairy and sold out within a year. Kept the does in a closed, unventilated barn, didn't know about teat dip or (gag) milk filters. Their does kept dying from pneumonia or mastitis and their milk was too dirty half the time to sell.
> 
> There were three other bidders there that ran all the equipment up to twice new retail price. One of them was going to start his own goat dairy- same deal, he had a horse so he knew it all. He bought 50-60 does in milk and intended to hand milk them when he got home. He'd never milked anything in his life, but he "had a way with animals". Good luck, friend.


He better have some way with animals of getting them to milk theirselves!


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## AnnaS (Nov 29, 2003)

Julia said:


> God, I'm so grateful I wasn't born a goat.


Luckily (for them) these does were almost dry. The herd was averaging 3 lbs a day. I'm sure the guy had a humbling night when those does sized him up as a total rookie.


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## AnnaS (Nov 29, 2003)

This is a cow diary, but a good example of a small farm with its own bottling & yogurt set-up.

http://www.auri.org/news/ainoct01/07page.htm

Their milk costs the same as the "big brands", and the yogurt the same or slightly less. They've cut out the middlemen and keep all the profits. That mint yogurt is goooooooood but all their yogurt sells out too fast. 

If I had a ton o' cash, I'd set up a goat yogurt plant. Faster turnaround than cheese, longer shelf life than milk, more stable taste, and you could do smoothies, yogurt, and frozen yogurt.


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## Feral Nature (Feb 21, 2007)

I sell milk to soapers and fresh frozen milk for "pet use". I can't meet the demand and unfortunately, left oursleves short this winter. We have only a few gallons left and my does will not freshen til mid-February. This year, my milk will be $7.00/gallon and $4.00/half gallon. I had customers who were paying more and driving further to get it so they are satisfied with the price.


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## michiganfarmer (Oct 15, 2005)

I appreciate all the responces.


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## XCricketX (Jun 7, 2006)

I've been learning about "Dairy Farmers of America", and the processes the milk has to travel just to meet government regulations.. after all of the processes, it's a wonder that there is any nutrition left, but I can understand the need to make sure it is clean though..

Cricket


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## hoofinitnorth (Oct 18, 2006)

Goat dairies are fairly common these days, but less so than in other countries outside the US. Around here, goat dairies are far more stable than cow dairies. Our cow dairies are in major danger of ALL going under right now.

For an idea of what states allow the sale of *raw* milk, go to http://realmilk.org.


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## Charleen (May 12, 2002)

Rose said:


> Meyenberg goat milk. Look in the dairy case at a super Wal Mart. Only problem is that it tastes like my goat milk would if I let it sit outside in the bucket for a week. :help:


I agree, I spit that stuff right into the sink. Meyerberg is a horrible representation of goat milk and it's a darn shame that the uneducated & unsuspecting public will buy this and walk away with the opinion that this is what ALL goat milk tastes like.

I didn't even use it for soap making.


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## jBlaze (Dec 26, 2007)

IMO there is no profit to be found raising goats of any sort for any purpose. The best you can do is find creative ways to get back some of what you put into them. lol  I was raised on a goat dairy that didn't work for more than a few years, it was too much work and stress for the family. I have goats now, as a hoby, I sell goats, goatmilk soap, and pygora goat fiber. I do not expect to make a profit, just to enjoy the goats and find ways to help cover the feed and supply bills.


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## hoofinitnorth (Oct 18, 2006)

jBlaze - I agree with you but I think there are a few people who do manage to find that perfect storm of balance where they can make a profit. I strive just to help pay the feed bills (and currently my goats are not doing any of that since we can't sell milk here (yet) and they are all pregnant! lol) but I don't EXPECT to make money.


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## michiganfarmer (Oct 15, 2005)

jBlaze said:


> I was raised on a goat dairy that didn't work for more than a few years, it was too much work and stress for the family.


...but stress is not synonmous with work, or farming.


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