Anybody have a goat raising business?

TheBanditQueen

Exploring the pasture
Joined
Jan 31, 2013
Messages
33
Reaction score
0
Points
22
If anybody has a goat raising business or hobby (dairy, meat herd, etc.), I am interested to hear about marketing, advertising, herd management, breeding strategies, set-up, laws/regulations, general experiences, etc. Thanks!!
 

DonnaBelle

True BYH Addict
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
1,797
Reaction score
37
Points
228
Location
McIntosh County, OK
Easy peasy, as my granddaughter says:

Go buy Storey's Guide to raising meat goats or Storey's Guide to raising dairy goats.

Then come to Oklahoma in October because Oklahoma State University has their annual Goat boot camp which lasts three days and is held in Ada, Oklahoma and taught by some of the prof's from Langston University and OSU.

DonnaBelle
 

michickenwrangler

Loving the herd life
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
1,253
Reaction score
22
Points
114
Location
NE Michigan
I'm building up my business. I do both dairy and meat.

I lucked out in that the market sought me, even before I got back in to goats. A dairy farm contacted me about providing goat milk for a co-op and co-workers of my father's wanted goat meat once I had them. Yesterday, a co-worker of my mother's emailed me about goat meat for dog food. I'm in the process of acquiring more meat does for a higher percentage Boer herd, since I literally cannot keep up with the demands for my products.
 

OneFineAcre

Herd Master
Joined
Dec 28, 2012
Messages
9,139
Reaction score
10,269
Points
633
Location
Zebulon, NC
I have a goat raising hobby, because I sure ain't making no money :lol:

I just like goats.
 

woodsie

Loving the herd life
Joined
Dec 19, 2012
Messages
613
Reaction score
105
Points
123
Location
Kamloops, BC, Canada
My goats are just a hobby and hopefully for milking but my neighbour makes a good living off his goats. He does weed control with a herd of goats (400+) and then sells the boys and culls for meat. I believe he charges a $1/day/goat during the weed season plus 1.5 goats per doe per year he gets...those are his averages, so he tells me. His weed control customers are logging companies (cut blocks), municipalities, regions where invasive weeds are taking over...but contracts take a long time to be issued from government organizations.

But the only way it works is if you have a LOT of goats and he and his wife are living out of a trailer while on weed control because the herd needs 24 hours supervision obviously....so not for everyone, but if you really love goats and want to make it your life it is a way.
 

babsbag

Herd Master
Joined
May 10, 2010
Messages
7,886
Reaction score
9,320
Points
593
Location
Anderson, CA
OneFineAcre said:
I have a goat raising hobby, because I sure ain't making no money :lol:

I just like goats.
Ditto.

I am working on starting a dairy and creamry but for now the goats are simply a vacuum for my bank account. They don't eat hay, they eat money.
 

OneFineAcre

Herd Master
Joined
Dec 28, 2012
Messages
9,139
Reaction score
10,269
Points
633
Location
Zebulon, NC
babsbag said:
OneFineAcre said:
I have a goat raising hobby, because I sure ain't making no money :lol:

I just like goats.
Ditto.

I am working on starting a dairy and creamry but for now the goats are simply a vacuum for my bank account. They don't eat hay, they eat money.
I was going to say that I did have a goat raising business, but the CEO needs to be fired :)
 
Top