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3 Responses to We would like info on starting our goat farm from scratch?

1. Pygmy goats are small so you wouldn’t need a lot of space. But if you want to raise for meat I would suggest a larger breed of goat. You would need a very strong tightly wove fence because goats are escape artists. But as for as feed that wouldn’t be a high costs because a goat loves brush and shrubbery. As far as vet bills that shouldn’t be high unless you want shots against West Nile virus and if you start breeding. I would start with five a first and see how it goes from there.

   

   countrygirl
   April 25, 2012 at 4:00 am
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2. There are many versatile breeds out there. Personally, I use the Nigerian Dwarf goats. You get the size and easy handling and also lots of milk. And most individuals that buy goats for meat want a smaller goat. Then again, there are some breeds like Boer, that are great meat makers, but not milkers. This is what I do on my farm. I have milking nannies (Nigerian,Nubian, Alpine) then my billy is a boer. The goats more times than not end up being very very versatile, and have no problems gaining the meat necessary for sale. I also have some Tennessee Fainting Goats that are a real treat, they are so laid back and easy to handle, like the Nigerian Dwarf Goats. But mixed with the boer, they make the best meat goats around, and they give great milk also. Fencing, two-by-four style fencing has always worked for me. Pasture or Field fence is great, but they tend to get their heads stuck, and babies get out through the large holes. Vet costs are really at a minimum. Wormer can be purchased at a feed store. Be sure to provide the proper minerals needed for your goats. 6 is always are good number to start out with. You can feed 10 large breed goats on an acre or 20-25 Nigerian Dwarf goats on an acre.
   P.S. Don’t go with the pygmys, they are not good for anything but looks and pets.

   

   Matt B
   April 25, 2012 at 4:37 am
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3. I’ve been raising meat goats since 1999. I currently have 59 goats in my herd. Down from over 100 goats (moved, so cut my herd down).

   Do you live in a state where you can LEGALLY sell products made from raw goats milk (milk, cheese, yogurt, ect)?

   Here’s a link to figure out if you do:
   http://www.realmilk.com/where2.html

   If you do not live where you can sell raw milk legally, without having a Grade A Dairy, then forget milking goats. Set up costs for a Grade A dairy are at LEAST $ 100,000, and probably more like $ 500,000 by the time you get done with everything.

   If you live in a state like Oregon, where you can legally sell raw goats milk then ask yourself if you and your family are ACTUALLY cut out to being comitted to milking goats 365 days a year, every 12 hours, rain, sleet, snow, blistering heat, stomach flu, bad back, broken leg….you get the idea.

   The normal dairy breeds you will see are Toggenburg, Saanen, Sable, Oberhasli, Alpine, La Mancha, and Nubian.

   Fiber goats….are you currently a fiber artist, with a LOT of contacts, and friends in the fiber art world? If not, then forget about Angora, or Cashmere goats. You will not make money. The mohair (mohair comes from Angora goats) industry was HEAVLY subsidized by the Government. After the Government cut off subsidies, the Angora goat farmers in Texas (herds of thousands of goats was the norm) lost their shirts, and sent all their goats off to auction. Unless you already have the contacts in the fiber world, you will not make money, especially in this current economy.

   Meat goats. For every meat goat you raise, you will have 9 customers who want to buy that goat. That’s no joke. The U.S. imports millions of pounds of goat meat from Australia, to try and meet the demand for goat meat here in the U.S.

   The major meat goat breeds are Boer, Kiko, Myotonic (fainting), and Savannah, and Spanish goats. Ranchers who use to raise Angora goats try to convince newbies that they are also meat goats. I’ve had customers from over 30 different countries (via the local University). Not a single one of those customers would buy an Angora goat…they all though they were some sort of weird/freaky/abnormal cross between a goat and sheep. Something against God and nature in their minds. Some of them were customers from countries where Angora goats originated too! Answer is the U.S. Angora goats look EXTREMELY different from what they are use too.

   Fencing…range fence backed with electric three electric wires (lower, middle, upper). Or cattle panels backed with electric wire. Or solid wood, backed with electric. Know all that stuff you have heard about goats being escape artists? Yup, it’s all true. If your fence will not hold water, it will not hold goats.

   I started with three goats. Take my advice…start small! Do NOT invest big time, and loose your shirt. The learning curve is far too hard.

   Yearly Vet costs? Better learn to do your Vet car yourself. Worming, vaccinating, hoof trimming, assisting with a birth, bloat, lacerations, broken legs, mastitis, ect. A single Vet bill can wipe out a major portions of your profits. So you learn to be your own Vetrinarian….even if that means killing goats that have been attacked by the neighbor dog.

   As for profits, no matter what you decide to do, meat, dairy, or fiber, do not expect to actually make a “profit” for YEARS.

   Remember the cost of fencing, shelters, T-posts, water troughs, hay, straw, medications, wormers, gates, a gun (to shoot neighbor dogs, and injured goats), fence chargers, electric wire, salt licks, mineral licks…well the list goes on. Notice I didn’t even mention the price of actually purchasing the goats? That’s the cheap part!

   ~Garnet
   Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years
   Raising meat goats since 1999

   

   Bohemian_Garnet_Permaculturalist
   April 25, 2012 at 5:35 am
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