Your goat meat farming operation - some key things to think about

Your goat meat farming operation - some key things to think about

What do you expect from your goat meat farming operation? Most people establish a goat meat operation with small financial planning. Goats ... 1:40:00 PM

What do you expect from your goat meat farming operation? Most people establish a goat meat operation with small financial planning. Goats are fun animals - and they reproduce, which should mean some money in your pocket. 

When the apprehension hits that you are expending significant time caring for a small amount of goats selling excess kids, it’s alluring to rationalize it by increasing into a profitable operation. 

Before doing it, attempt to establish what you anticipate from this venture, and explore the possibility of this anticipation. 

How much profit do you wish to make? Enough to add to the taxes of your land? Or, enough to give up your day job and sustain yourself on this business. 

The good thing about goats is they are pretty simple to handle. And the death of one goat is generally easier to handle monetarily than the loss of a larger, more costly animal. 

However would you be better with a different enterprise? Is your property appropriate for fruits or vegetable, something with a bigger return per acre than farm animals? 

If so, do you have the experience and capital to get on track in these businesses or take up their risks? How are other farm animal projects doing in your district? 

Have you explored dairy substitute heifers or special animal farm? 

Four significant considerations to have are: 

1. The estimated yearly expenses of rearing a doe and her offspring in your area; 

2. Standard market value of butcher goats; 

3. The carrying power of your facilities and land; and 

4. What kind of production you can anticipate from a doe in your farm setting. 

Another way to get estimates of these statistics is to communicate to other producers of goats. But other producers are busy taking care of their animals they have difficulties reciting these statistics off the peak of their head. In fact, you will possibly have to set out to numerous sources to approximate these statistics. 

There are also numerous websites and resources that offer learning materials to producers. 

A number of this resources have case studies and sample budgets. But I have to stress the importance of communicating to local farmers to get sensible parameters for your region.