Supply and demand in the united states are at an alltime high, with the supply only a fraction of the demand. Many ethnic groups who live in the united statesfrom hispanic to eastern european to southeastern asianrely on the lean, tasty meat as a protein staple. Starting a goat farm what you need to know before you rear goats. Richard cobb, extension sheep and meat goat specialist, university of illinois. Figure 11 shows the location and distribution of meat goats in the u. Considering that you have the potential of producing 95 market goats per year, you are now only required to produce and sell 373 seventy pound meat goats in order to break even. How to raise goats raising meat and milk goats for profit.
Scale ruminant production1 for those considering small. A friend of mine raises a lot of goats for meat and she never has a shortage of customers. The boer is the main meat breed in the united states. The goat production business plan ought to include a proper marketing plan to use in your goat business.
Goat meat has to be sold whilst its still fresh, thus you should locate your goat farm close to your market. Thats why many farmers around the world are raising goats for profit and also for making their livelihood. How to start a goat farm 4 tips to guide you start your business venture. Many small farmers or backyard raisers have found that they can earn from raising goats. In general, raising rabbits is a reasonably easy task for those interested in animal husbandry. Keep in mind that a single doe will produce 90 quarts of fresh milk every month for 10 months of the year. Goat farming business is a very profitable business, and many people are making money all over the world by starting goat farming project. Before buying goats, decide whether you want to raise them for yourself or in order to sell meat or milk. Before purchasing meat goats contact a couple of feed companies to see the type of feeding programs they offer and if their protocols fit with your feeding plans and available storage. Thats the clear path to raising meat goats for profit.
This rule of thumb should also be applied when proving shelter for. They can also be crossbred with dairy goats to produce better quality kids. How to farm goats 3 tips in setting up a goat farm. Selected for meat production are heavy rumped, deep chested animals. Bill gates recently wrote an article on how he feels that raising a chicken can be a profitable business. We did make more money with cattle but cattle were also a lot more work. Advantages of goat farming business modern farming methods. People are raising goats for profit from a long time ago. If they are not confined and have access to pasture, 8 to 12 adult goats can share this shelter, but maintain a stocking rate of 7 to 10 goats per two acres of land for yearround grazing. Written by an authority on goat breeding and behavior, this approachable guide covers every component of raising goats for fun or profit, meat or milk.
Alberta goat breeders association box 4603 61 avenue leducs, alberta t9e 7a4 canada. However, many of them are not familiar with modern meat goat production techniques. Raising goats for profit why do a lot of people embark on keeping goats. This rule of thumb should also be applied when proving shelter for the buck. A farming operation is assumed to be for profit if it has reported a profit in three 3 of the last five 5 tax years, including the current year irs code, section 183. The book has plenty of pictures showing goats doing goat things, all accompanied by great, well thought out information. Raising goats as pets vital pointers to reflect on keeping goats.
This article and business plan if for goat meat production. Unlike other goats, does are polyestrous, and can breed yearround. Raising goats for profit is probably one of the most up and coming businesses of today. Over the past six years, i have learned so much about raising meat goats. I learned more about goats in general from this book than i have from others. Pdf how to raise goats download full pdf book download. Feb 03, 2017 raising goats for beginners picking your goats. Whether youre raising goats for food or as the smart, lovable pets they can be, you need to know a few things about caring for your herd. A doe that earns her stay must be able to give birth alone, begin her duties promptly, and regularly produce multiple kids. Breeding goats for sale 3 areas you should be aware. Goats are hardy animals, easy to care for, and you can make money with them a bunch of ways more on that in a minute. Whether or not you make a profit with meat goats is going to depend on your choice of goats and how you manage them. Mature does weigh 190230 pounds, while bucks can weigh 200340 pounds.
A wonderful resource for goat breeders, raising meat goats for profit includes information about the meat breeds, how to get started with meat production, easy to use feed ration tables, real advice for new breeders, kidding and raising kids, how to sell your goats, uptodate information about health and diseases, recipe book, 250 pages of user friendly information. Raising meat goats for profit 3 reminders for soontobe goat farmers. Starting goat farming business plan pdf startupbiz global. A lot of people are not really aware that there is something that is called meat goats for profit because they are only aware of the fact that goat can only provide people with milk. There are nine species generally accepted as true goats with around three hundred breeds. Knowing precisely about feeding goats will help productivity when raising goats for milk or meat. The goat farming business provides food and several other products to everyday consumers. First, you must keep your goats healthy and strong. Currently, in the united states, there is a higher demand for goat meat, also called chevon, than there is a supply. Some producers choose one type, while others combine all three systems in their operation.
Our sales different ethnic communities want them at different ages. Oklahoma ranks third behind tennessee with 95,000 head. Benefits and needs tpp021, raising chickens off grid homesteading chicken chores. Meat goats have a reputation for high fertility, averaging 98 percent of does bred under good management and nutrition. Goats provide milk, meat, fiber, and hide which raisers can sell or use for themselves. Most of the rest of this book is identical to all the generic books on raising goats in general and probably even the same as books on sheep. Myotonic goats tennessee fainting goats or wooden leg goats indigenous to the u. Dean oswald, animal systems educator university of illinois extension. Beginning with the basicshistory and behavior, types and breedscarol amundson answers all of a prospective owners questions about getting a goat, from land requirements and regulations to. Goats in general can thrive anywhere and eat just about anything, which means that you wont have to spend so much time or effort for their care.
So you want to be a goat farmer commercial meat goat farming. Stay tuned for more advice from curt rush, such as breeding and nutrition, dealing with health issues, and marketing meat goats for profit. You have to be smarter than everything that wants to kill them. Goat farming is one of the fastest growing business in india as demand for goat meat mutton is increasing. Just eating weeds and not getting eaten wont turn a profit. Commercial goat farming business is not a new idea.
Goats can be a profitable enterprise for producers with limited resources, time and capital. Are you looking for goats to milk or meat goats to sell. As with any venture, there are cons to raising goats as well. Goats are smaller sized animals and they generally require less care and management. The above opportunities have stimulated a number of people in illinois to investigate raising meat goats. Heres how to raise goats for profit and how to avoid these pitfalls. Theres no better time to get into raising meat goats for profit than now. We switched form breeding and feed lotting cattle to goats. There are numerous benefits or advantages of goat farming business. Interest in meat goats has increased dramatically in illinois in the last few years. A major factor that makes boer goat production easier is the goats fertility rate. Goats can be kept for meat, milk, hair and fiber uses. To make money in the goat business, you need goats that take care of themselves and produce kids that do the same.
If youre looking for a complete beginners guide to raising boer goats for profit, youve landed in the right place. Raising dairy goats for profit is far easier than raising dairy cows. Litter size is affected by breed, age, season, and nutrition. Raising meat goats for profit is an enjoyable, nononsense tool for new goat raisers, with important, updated information for experienced breeders as well.
Raising meat goats for profit by gail bowman boer goats. Raising goats for milk and meat new revised edition rosalee sinn paul rudenberg illustrations by barbara carter. While goat fibers are also a source of revenue, the profits realized from angora, mohair, and cashmere have decreased in recent years, and many farms that once raised goats for their fibers have converted into raising goats for meat. My name is curt rush and my wife and i have been raising meat goats boer goats for 14 years, starting with commercial does and a commercial buck. However, to build a successful, sustainable goat farming business, you require sufficient knowledge of how to efficiently raise the goats, good management skills, and a good goat farming business plan. Since boers are highly polyestrous, they could mate as much as they can all year round. Better yet, your time to break even and start making a profit has been reduced to 3. Goats are one of the oldest species of domesticated animals. The best way to raise goats for profit is to start either a goat meat farm, or a goat dairy farm. Mar 14, 2019 this is part one of a series about meat goat farming.
Here are top five farm animals you should raise to make profit. However, if you are planning to actually perform raising meat goats for profit, you should be aware this early that you will have to plan everything first before diving into it. All around you there appears to be an increasing demand for many goatrelated products. Even if youre raising goats for your own use, youll need to keep at least two so they dont get lonely. Goat house critical considerations when building a functional goat house. If you want to make a profit from rabbits, but dont have the heart to use them for meat, you could start shearing your pet angora rabbits and make a few bucks on this luxury fiber. They also require less labor and time in care and management. He said that this can be the best way to lift people from poverty. Nutrition of meat goats introduction feeding is an essential aspect of goat raising and may be the highest expense of any meat goat operation. When it comes to raising goats for beginners the first step is choosing what type of goat you want. Apart from the meat itself, there is goat s milk which can the exhausted asis, or employed in the production everything from artisan cheeses and yogurts to soaps and. Raising meat goats can be a profitable small farm venture.
Thats the main reason of huge popularity of goat farming business throughout the world. The reason why many people are raising goats for profit is because starting a goat farm only requires a low starting cost. Boer does reach sexual maturity at about 5 months of age. This is part one of a series about meat goat farming. Oct 05, 2018 how many goats can i run per acre is one of the most commonly asked questions on my channel. Boer goats are famous for the quality of their meat. And as more and more people look for ways to live sustainably and grow their own food, goats are a wonderful option for raising meat and milk, and you can harvest their fleece, as well. Though this book contains a ton of information about raising goats for meat that many other books do not contain.
Its fairly easy to keep dairy goats and raise the bucks for meat since you have to breed your does to keep them in milk and roughly half of all kids are male. Where possible work with your nutritionist to utilize the grains and feeds available off the farm, this will help to reduce feed costs. If you are raising meat goats, you should stick with breeds that are known to have good meat, like the followings. In the goat enterprise, profit is expressed in many different ways. How many goats can i run per acre is one of the most commonly asked questions on my channel. Did you know that over the past decade, demand for goat meat in the united.
We breed a commercial mutt mix of spanish tennessee meat goats. I have been raising kikos for the past 7 years, i do not live in an area where goats are popular or bring high dollar amounts, but my girls have always paid their own way with some left over for me. Well, in any farming, cost and profit depends on many factors and if somebody gets profits in one kind of business, it does not mean that you can get as well. Goat farming is a subset of the livestock agricultural industry. Raising chicken for profit, the best source of earning.
Goats cost less to purchase, and require less acreage, less purchased feed, and less expensive medical care than cows. The book has plenty of pictures showing goats doing goat things, all accompanied by. Goat meat is one of the many products of the goat farming business, which is very highdemand livestock meat, and very popular among africans. My name is curt rush and my wife and i have been raising meat goatsboer goats for 14 years, starting with commercial does and a commercial buck. How to raise goats for profit and avoid the pitfalls. How to raise goats raising meat and milk goats for. There are also additional sources of income from raising goats, such as breeding stock sales, sales of excess males from a dairy operation, and leasing out meat goats to clear brush.
Ive had the pleasure of helping other new producers get started with meat goats with the goal of helping them learn and succeed as well as growing the industry. With this good fertility rate and with proper goat farming practices, six to nine boer kids can be produced over two years. The decision as a youth project, meat goats are po pular because of the comparably short time, small investment, and minimal facilities that are needed for success. Goats raised for meat need high quality feed in most situations and require an optimum balance of many different nutrients to achieve maximum profit potential. Kelli griffith 1, glenn rask2, kraig peel 3, steve levalley 4, and celina johnson 5 1 graduate student, extension education 2 associate professor, extension education 3 assistant professor, animal sciences 4 extension sheep specialist 5 youth livestock specialist. In this comprehensive guide, we cover all the basics of making money with both dairy goats and meat goats, including the best breeds, how to calculate profit potential, and much more in the us, goats have largely been used in dairy production, for milk and cheese, but. Raising goats for profit how to raise meat goat the. An increasing demand for goat meat, spurred by a growing ethnic population in chicago and throughout the state, has demonstrated a need. Specific breeds are discussed later in this manual. Goats are also quite adaptable, which makes them very easy to take care of. Among the traditional agri business ideas, goat farming is comparatively more profitable than other types agribusiness. Good for crossing with boer or kiko can produce two kiddings a year. You are probably already aware of the fact that a lot of people are raising goats for profit, but even though this is the case, you cannot seem to do it as well because you are still not convinced that it is actually a good idea to earn money by just raising goats. Given proper care, the does should be capable of maintaining a birth rate of 1.
The complete guide to raising meat goats for profit. Trends for the consumption of this lean red meat are rapidly on the rise, and theres no end in sight. Everyone wants to know how many goats they can run on their property. It is strictly conventional and she does nothing outside of the box.
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