Getting started in meat goats

Anderson farms · #1 05/18/08, 07:40 PM

My wife and I are wanting to get into raising meat goats. I will be putting up woven wire fence to keep them in. My wife stays at home with our 8mo old son. She wants to raise the goats to have some extra income. The goat market is very good hear in north MO. Do you guys have any tips or advice? We want to start out with a few goats maybe bred ones and build our heard up. Should we go with pure blood boers or mix breeds and if mix what kinds? Thanks for any help. I know we will have a bunch more questions

deetu · #2 05/18/08, 08:11 PM

It depends on what you want to do. If you are looking to only raise for meat, then percentage Boer is fine. If you are looking to show and try to make the big bucks (which you really have to show to get) then you would do the pure, papered Boer.

I started with two pregnant percentage does (mother and daughter) They had five doelings between them. Over the years, I have used different bucks and kept some doelings from those breedings that I have a nice herd but I don't make alot of money off of them. My fault because I haven't found a selective group to sell direct to. Selling at the auction house doesn't pay much.

Oh, and if you can, put a strand of hot wire along the bottom of the fence to keep them away from it and to keep other things out.

Terre d'Esprit · #3 05/18/08, 08:13 PM

Join the state meat goat association-- they are a great resource to help you get started.

Good luck!

Goat Servant · #4 05/19/08, 12:23 AM

The first thing you have going for you is the market. You will have to take into consideration if you want to pay high prices for FBs (fullbloods) or less for % .
The folks who want to eat dont give a *** on papers or what they look like.
Say you have a hundred dollar animal that they only want to pay 50 for. Even on a percentage.
On the other hand, if you purchase registered and take them to shows you will meet other folks int he biz and get your name out there. It depends on your goals what you have time for. ETC
I have registered animals not worthy of registration. I am still learning!

Trey · #5 05/19/08, 06:27 AM

Since you are raising commercial (meat) go with percentage does (I like a boer/nubian mix, I do have a few with kiko in them, would like to add some savanna) but you want them to be like 75/25 or more (look boer)and a close to fb if not fb buck. Meat buyers want them to look like boers. I sat at an auction for two weeks and a row and watch dairy looking kids get about 30/35 cents a lb less then boer 'looking' kids of the same weight. To make money you have to cull you does pretty hard, they have to twin, raise them buy themselves , you have to have 3 litters in two years. So try hard to find out these things about does you buy. People will often sell you the ones that have singles all the time or aren't great mothers (if you are buying ff's ask if they were a twin, single or trip). Cull for bad feet (have to be trimmed alot),or does who become anemic on a very light worm load.
I am assuming you have enough ground that you will not have to feed except in winter? The cost of hay and grain will cut into your profit if you don't have enough land, so do not overstock.
A mineral or creep with rumensin in it will help tremendously (the kids won't get cocci, so you don't have to spend money on treatments. and they grow out better/faster). Ideally you want weaning age kids (three months) in the 40-60 lb range.

Anderson farms · #6 05/19/08, 07:43 PM

Anybody have a link to the missouri state meat goat association? We have 50 acres but only 10 is pasture but I think that would be good for 10 goats?