How To Make Money Farming & With Goats

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

We've been farming for about 4 years now struggling with how to make money from it. Feed costs are just so high here the market won't support what it costs me to raise the animals let alone with any profit.

Anyone have any advise? Tips tricks hints etc?

Thank you!

 

[cybercat]

How much land and what type of animals and crops? Register animals get higher prices and take the same amount to feed. Mixed animals just do not sell for as much as purebred do. Quality over quantitiy works best.

 

[SheepGirl]

#1 cost of keeping livestock is feed. Hay, grain, minerals, supplements, milk replacer. If you can find cheaper alternatives or sources that will greatly affect your bottom line.

Do a livestock enterprise budget. It may help you see where you need to adjust.

 

[woodsie]

goat prices here seem to be okay here is BC, Canada but I am definitely losing on my sheep. I agree, higher quality animals equal higher prices. Around here we are getting $400 per Registered Nigerian Doeling and you will be lucky to find one that has a bit of flash. That seems to be the best bet for having the goats paying for themselves or a piece of the farm...decent market for quality meat goats too. Sheep not even close.

 

[BrownSheep]

If I remember correctly you have to feed hay most of the year right. Doing that is very expensive no matter where you are at. A kind of iffy suggestion would be to "rent" your goats out. There are groups here who make tidy profit taking their goats out with electric ( or other fencing) to clear out brush. Usually 2-3 days at a time. Risky in some measures but also a way to cut down on feed.


yeah...I have no solutions.

This year we are "hoping" to break even on feed costs.....But, you know, 4000 dollars + worth of hay is going to be a hard squeeze out of our flock.

I am culling quite a few of our ewes. The ones who produce smaller less profitable lambs have to go. I'm pushing lambing back until may so A) I'm not having to feed lambs hay and B) I can get away feeding the pregnant ewe's smaller rations for longer.
I have my fingers crossed the wool market picks up. I have two 200+ lb bales of wool from last year in our shop and expect to get at least 2-3 bales this spring as well.


But considering we have been feeding hay since August it isn't to bad.

 

[promiseacres]

there's a saying in the horse world....to make a small fortune you have to start with a large one. my goals is good meat for my family and selling our extra lambs. I have hair sheep, not goats. I am striving to keep everyone grassfed most of the year that I can. other than feeding the last 4-6 weeks of gestation and during nursing my ewes do not get grain, and only corn at that. I keep mineral out all the time. my ram never gets corn. that being said I'm currently 1 pony overgrazed for my pastures this year. DH is hoping to find a field or two to cut hay on shares this year. And since he's thinking more sheep I guess he'd better. so 2x on getting the feed costs down. I don't think goats do as well without grain which is one reason we went sheep. I know many people in livestock, everyone I know does not do it for the $, but the enjoyment.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Pretty much what we have come up with. WE NEED PASTURES! We are dry-lotted all year, all our goats are registered purebred top lines show quality Nubians and I haven't been able to sell a SINGLE boy this year yet, and they are all flashy from great lines! I may have to set up an electric fence type thing and use that boy "herd" (since we had so many this year!) to clear brush, at least that would help cut down some on the feed. We also started ordering our hay in bulk and going to the mill to pick up grian instead of buying it by the bag as it's much cheaper that way....

 

[OneFineAcre]

Pretty much what we have come up with. WE NEED PASTURES! We are dry-lotted all year, all our goats are registered purebred top lines show quality Nubians and I haven't been able to sell a SINGLE boy this year yet, and they are all flashy from great lines! I may have to set up an electric fence type thing and use that boy "herd" (since we had so many this year!) to clear brush, at least that would help cut down some on the feed. We also started ordering our hay in bulk and going to the mill to pick up grian instead of buying it by the bag as it's much cheaper that way....

Do you show?
Best time to sell a buckling from a show quality animal is when his dam wins a show.
We had a buckling last year we tried to sell on Craigslist for $250 and got no bites. Sold him at a show for $350. Traded another for a future doe kid.
Are you in any type of breeding clubs or organizations?? We mostly sell bucklings from references.

I'm kind of in your shoes, I've had 7 bucklings so far this year, 5 of which have blue eyes. Two are sold.

I've changed my attitude towards selling bucklings after a couple of recent experiences. 4 of the other 5 will be wethers. If I can sell the other at a show I will. If not he will be a wether too. I will never sell or attempt to sell another of my registered bucklings on Craiglist. And I absolutely will not sell a buckling that can be registered without papers for a cheaper price. He will be a wether. Why would I sell someone an animal with good genetics without papers for $150 when I can just sell him as a wether for $100?

Had one last year on CL for $250. Guy came out and visited the farm. He said his animals were not registered, but they were looking to get some better genetics to improve milk production. His animals were only giving about a cup per milking. The animal I had was perfect for him. Grand dam, and dam were solid producers. In fact, I milked them when he was here. Grand dam gave a quart, and dam gave just under a quart (Nigerians). He left and said he was really interested and would call me the next day to "make a deal". Called me the next day and said he really wanted the buck and would give me $150 for him. But, he really didn't need him registered, so he would rather give me $100 without the papers.
I told him I wouldn't be interested in that. He said "why not". I said "why would I"?
He actually got very angry with me because I wouldn't sell the buckling for that price.

Why would I be interested in improving his herd for $100 when I could sell a wether for $100? And, next year see his offspring on CL for $100. Nope, I'm done with that.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

We haven't started showing yet, hopefully we will be able to this next show season. And hmm, the only "club" we are members of is the ADGA.

I completely understand where you are coming from. I have advertised up and down all day different prices, different types of ads etc, and just not a single bite on my boys, even as cheap as $100 for meat! It's insane I tell ya. Now I am just so unsure of what to do with all them! We still have about 30 pounds of meat in the freezer from last years boy, and I am sure we will be adding more this year, just not sure what to do with SO many. They are so nice with such amazing colors and genetics it's so sad!

On another note, I think we will be selling off our ducks and maybe turkeys for now, at least until we can buy our own land. I hardly make any money from selling eggs from these ones and they eat a lot of food. I'll be super sad to see them go!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

I don't need a boy as I don't have any girls for one yet....picking up a couple little girls in Northern California next month. My plan is to use Andy for meat cross kids.....But do you have any pics?