Same questions different person

[Glenn Stanford]

Hello, Another newbie here with pretty much the same questions.
I am in Northeast MS. Around Tupelo.
I am thinking I may want to get into goat farming.
Now I don't know what kind of goat farming, I would really like to converse with someone from around my area and tell me what and how to farm.

I have about 15 acres of pasture land and 3+ acres of saplings and briars etc. l just want to try to make some money to supplement our checks each month.
A lot more month than money.

Is there anyone within a hour or so drive from Tupelo MS. That would help me with advice? But all other people feel free to offer advice/suggestions too please.
Thanks so much for your help.

 

[Southern by choice]

Welcome to BYH!

Honestly, small scale you will not make a dime. You will put far more into them. Dairy goats would be really costly. Meat goats less costly.
You would need enough meat goats to be able to take to market once a year. Or if selling off the farm you would need to look at market rate for your area. I am thinking you would sell on the hoof.
The 15 acres is great but is it usable? Then you have to consider predator control, also fencing and housing. Hay prices in your area, feed prices.
Vet care is a whole other subject.

Sheep for market (not wool, but hairsheep) will put lamb in your freezer but again not much $ by the time you feed and care for them.

 

[Baymule]

The best you could shoot for would be a break even, with free meat for you as a bonus. We raise hair sheep, sell the lambs for slaughter. We are on our 3rd lambing and I am keeping 2 of the ewe lambs to add to the flock.

My advice would be to get some lamb and goat meat. Cook and eat them both, see which one you like the best and raise that for your own consumption. With 15 acres of pasture, I would lean more towards sheep because goats NEED browse. After they clear off the 3 acres, then what? Hair sheep will browse and graze.

Both meats are expensive to buy. Ask around and see what people prefer. Maybe you could develop a few customers to buy extra slaughter lambs from you.

Or you could buy a steer calf and raise it for slaughter and fill your freezer. Having a freezer full of meat sure helps when you go to the grocery store.

Do you raise a garden? We do and it also makes a big difference in the grocery bill.

 

[Glenn Stanford]

Welcome to BYH!

Honestly, small scale you will not make a dime. You will put far more into them. Dairy goats would be really costly. Meat goats less costly.
You would need enough meat goats to be able to take to market once a year. Or if selling off the farm you would need to look at market rate for your area. I am thinking you would sell on the hoof.
The 15 acres is great but is it usable? Then you have to consider predator control, also fencing and housing. Hay prices in your area, feed prices.
Vet care is a whole other subject.

Sheep for market (not wool, but hairsheep) will put lamb in your freezer but again not much $ by the time you feed and care for them.

Thanks Southern by choice, That's about what I figured. With 15 acres one can not have a very large scale operation (I guess) what is about average goat per acre 12? 15? And on pasture weeds and grass what maybe 8-10? I don't have a clue, I am guessing cause this grass has more weeds than grass. Can one raise goats without roughage? IMO grass is not roughage. I can use the back pasture for hay but will have to go halves as I own no equipment whatsoever. Then it will be round bales meaning they will sit wherever he leaves them and probably 2-3 bales is all I would have. Several years ago there was a Federal program for animals a place of protection and to raise. All one did was allow his property to grow up for forage and cover. It wasn't much but $0.1 is more than I get for allowing him to cut the hay. Anyone have a clue what to do with this land to make a few dollars? Man what joke

 

[OneFineAcre]

This is how you how you have a million dollars in goat farming
First you start out with 2 million dollars

 

[Glenn Stanford]

A

This is how you how you have a million dollars in goat farming
First you start out with 2 million dollars

Are you a goat farmer? Then you should be loaded, so then you can lend me the money. I will put up the goats and property for collateral.

 

[OneFineAcre]

A

Are you a goat farmer? Then you should be loaded, so then you can lend me the money. I will put up the goats and property for collateral.

I am a gentleman goat farmer
We have a smaller property 5 acres
We have a lot of goats
But we are in it for the prestige more than the money
Seriously I'm on my phone when I am on my computer tomorrow I'll share and more thoughts about how to make some money on a small farm
My wife manages a local farmers market and I know some people making some money on small farms
But some questions
How much can you invest initially
How much time and work can you put into this endeavor
Where are you located are you close to a metro area?

 

[Glenn Stanford]

Thanks

The best you could shoot for would be a break even, with free meat for you as a bonus. We raise hair sheep, sell the lambs for slaughter. We are on our 3rd lambing and I am keeping 2 of the ewe lambs to add to the flock.

My advice would be to get some lamb and goat meat. Cook and eat them both, see which one you like the best and raise that for your own consumption. With 15 acres of pasture, I would lean more towards sheep because goats NEED browse. After they clear off the 3 acres, then what? Hair sheep will browse and graze.

Both meats are expensive to buy. Ask around and see what people prefer. Maybe you could develop a few customers to buy extra slaughter lambs from you.

Or you could buy a steer calf and raise it for slaughter and fill your freezer. Having a freezer full of meat sure helps when you go to the grocery store.

Do you raise a garden? We do and it also makes a big difference in the grocery bill.

Baymule

The best you could shoot for would be a break even, with free meat for you as a bonus. We raise hair sheep, sell the lambs for slaughter. We are on our 3rd lambing and I am keeping 2 of the ewe lambs to add to the flock.

My advice would be to get some lamb and goat meat. Cook and eat them both, see which one you like the best and raise that for your own consumption. With 15 acres of pasture, I would lean more towards sheep because goats NEED browse. After they clear off the 3 acres, then what? Hair sheep will browse and graze.

Both meats are expensive to buy. Ask around and see what people prefer. Maybe you could develop a few customers to buy extra slaughter lambs from you.

Or you could buy a steer calf and raise it for slaughter and fill your freezer. Having a freezer full of meat sure helps when you go to the grocery store.

Do you raise a garden? We do and it also makes a big difference in the grocery bill.

Baymule, The only beef we eat is ground I.e. Hamburger, tacos, meatloaf etc. we flat out can't afford any other cuts. We mostly eat chicken.
Our garden is two raised beds 4'x8' each, I injured my back in 2005 and can't stoop much, so hoeing in a garden is out, plus I can't raise veggies very well.
We would have saved money buying the squash, bell pepper, okra, tomatoes at the store, which we pretty much did anyway.
I don't know how much problems I would have getting my family to eat sheep, goat or lamb, we are a pretty picky bunch when it comes down to food.

 

[Glenn Stanford]

Ba

I am a gentleman goat farmer
We have a smaller property 5 acres
We have a lot of goats
But we are in it for the prestige more than the money
Seriously I'm on my phone when I am on my computer tomorrow I'll share and more thoughts about how to make some money on a small farm
My wife manages a local farmers market and I know some people making some money on small farms
But some questions
How much can you invest initially
How much time and work can you put into this endeavor
Where are you located are you close to a metro area?

Baymule, invest $0, time and work? Whatever it takes, metro area? No I live 125 miles between Birmingham AL and Memphis TN. We are half way between the two. Tupelo MS has about 35k Columbus MS has roughly 25k. I live about halfway between the two, closer to Tupelo.
That's my problem, money. Before I was injured I always had atleast $1000 in my wallet at all times. I made good money and had enough back to live 2-3 years. I lived on that while trying to improve enough to go back to work. After 3 surgeries, one botched I finally had to give it up and file for disability. Its tough going from having a little money to flat broke. Raising Grandkids I could go on and on but no one wants to hear my problems. Thanks so much for your help, I look forward to hearing from you although I only meet two of the three criteria.

 

[Simpleterrier]

I make some money with my goats don't say I get rich and most will rip me to shreds with the way I do it. I keep around 5 or six