What does everyone think of this lease an animal idea?

lupiefarmer · #1 10/30/08, 08:36 AM

I have been trying to find a way to make our goats "pay for themselves" so to speak so I could keep all of the ones that we have. I happened to say to someone that I was starting a "lease" a goat program where we leased a goat to a person for $10.00 per month per goat. The goat stays at our home, they can come visit the goats when they would like to... I am thinking of this mostly as kids would be wanting to lease a goat. I have 2 people who have jumped on it for 2 goats. The money will offset the cost of the hay and any grain and upkeep I have. The families would like the kids to learn about the barn chores and all. I have one of the kids that has been working here at the barn for the past 2 years anyway and he is wonderful. The other 2 are much younger but the parents are coming with them to show them all that needs to happen and to help with the play time. I have a separate area that I am setting up for the play area for the kids to play with the goats.

What does everyone think of this? Am I crazy? I will have them all wash before they touch the goats *and after I suppose!. Am I missing anything?

MariaAZ · #2 10/30/08, 09:46 AM

Is this anything like the selling of shares in milk animals? I buy a share of, say, a cow for $X/mo and I get a portion of the milk (which is divided among the shareholders.)

If I were doing something like this, I'd get business liability insurance in case a visitor gets injured while visiting. Also, I'd have some kind of waiver they all have to sign that includes their acceptance of safety rules. And post the safety rules all over the place on big signs so no one can say they didn't see them

kasilofhome · #3 10/31/08, 06:03 AM

Living in a place where the summer time homeowners more than double the population I have lucked in to "rent a farm"

The Snowbirds (local term for summer residents) can not handle farm animal because of the commitment so slowly people turned to me to rent the birds for enjoyment. They are more than will to pay the same price for the animal as I would if I were to sell it outright but in a few months the animals come back to a special pen (or they go to camp freezer) most of them came back with a partial sack of feed. I have others now wanting to do it next year via word of mouth. They are learning to raise and care for the birds and I help them in a tough time they at least will be better able to do it full time.

gracie · #4 07/19/09, 04:05 PM

lupiefarmer

I know your post was way back in October 08, but I have just been reading through a lot of the older post. I was wandering if you ever did anything with your idea? If so is it working out for you?

Ken Scharabok · #5 07/20/09, 05:55 PM

Reminds me of an old New England joke:

A couple, both of who were college professors, would rent a cottage for the summer. Since it had a small pig sty they would buy two feeder pigs from an area farmer and lavishly feed them on kitchen and garden trimmings. Come time to go back home they would sell the pigs back to the farmer. Back in the city they would say, "Isn't it wonderful, we have use of those two pigs all summer and the farmer will still give us back what we paid for them".

foxtrapper · #6 07/21/09, 09:44 AM

I don't think the notion is crazy at all. You're letting urbanites feel country without dealing with the messy reality of it.

You need a market base, and you need to advertise to them, not to other farmers and the like. City schools and such.

It can get expensive, especially if you go way out there with online cameras and such. Which can be a very usefull tool. If a city school can log on to the webcam and watch their classes goat at any time, you've got a more marketable item. This also means keeping the barnyard clean and pretty. People want to come out to a scenic farm and enjoy that wholesome experience.

Goats, chickens, ducks, cattle, etc. They are all quite marketable this way. As well produce.

camprunner · #7 07/23/09, 10:43 AM

I think the web cam idea is really a neat one for schools.

How Do I · #8 07/23/09, 06:09 PM

My only concern would be the liability issue. Everyone is nice and happy until something happens and they can no longer function as a normal human being anymore. I don't know what the likelihood of goat attacks are, but apparently goats don't always respect the cloth. -VID I'm thinking you could possibly find a few more profitable ways, with much less liability issues, to market your goats.