Meat goat for profit

Slugmar · #1 02/27/10, 05:39 PM

With what I have been reading that the USA imports 1.5millions lbs of goat meat per week and this was an older articale.

I was wondering if any of you raise meat goat for slaughter and profit ?

HappyFarmer · #2 02/27/10, 05:41 PM

Acreage is the key to profit with meat/slaughter goats. That & having a market or sale house to sell to.

HF

Jcran · #3 02/27/10, 05:43 PM

We raise meat goats but the profit goes to the feed store, LOL.

Slugmar · #4 02/27/10, 05:44 PM

how much acrage could you start out small say 30 acres and build up from there

Slugmar · #5 02/27/10, 05:47 PM

I dray land farm and have all the equipment to bale my own hay.

topside1 · #6 02/27/10, 06:08 PM

Other countries can obviously raise goats cheaper than us, plus shipping costs.
Actually it appears that we nearly import everything....Five years ago I raised a group of Boers. I kept track of all costs, the bottom line showed minimal profit...As mentioned above animal volume is the only way I can see recognizable profit...Topside

Alice In TX/MO · #7 02/27/10, 09:07 PM

Research your area and find out where meat goats are being sold to the market buyers. Find out what they are selling for. That will give you more info than we can.

I have a friend in central Texas who tried meat goats on a large scale and got out of it again. This was an experienced sheep person with hundreds of acres. He couldn't make a decent profit on goats.

Alice In TX/MO · #8 02/27/10, 09:23 PM

Current meat goat prices, southern Missouri:

http://www.bubranch.com/GoatSaleInfo.html

Ed Norman · #9 02/27/10, 09:32 PM

I know some people who got in to it and ended up selling all their cattle and going strictly boers. They are doing fine. They also are buyers so that helps. I laugh in the fall when he sends loads to the processor and he calls them Muslim turkeys. Some festival they have around then requires a goat like we need a turkey.

Slugmar · #10 02/27/10, 10:01 PM

So I clicked on the link to the usda auction report and I would like to understand it better so let me see if my break down is correct so far.

All prices per cwt.
Slaughter Classes:
Goats:
Kids: Selection 1 45-60 lbs 148.00, 61-80 lbs 135.00. Selection 2 45-60 lbs 140.00, 61-80 lbs 120.00.
Feeder Kids: Selection 1-2 20-44 lbs 100.00.
Slaughter Does/Nannies: Selection 1-2 70.00; Selection 3
Selection 3 25.00.
Slaughter Bucks: Selection 1-2 70.00.

All prices per cwt= is basically per 100lbs correct ?

I Understand the weight and price break down basically all kids between 45-60 lbs bring in 148 dollars per 100lbs of them is this correct ?

so if you had 70 kids that weighed 50lbs you would have 3500 lbs of kids right then diveded that by 100 you would get 35 and times that by 148 you would get 5180 that would be your gross correct.

Did I understand that break down right ?

Alice In TX/MO · #11 02/27/10, 10:10 PM

Except there will be a per animal charge for the sale and perhaps other charges.

I think BUB charges $4.00 per animal. So, take $280 out of your calculation for those animals.

Other charges may apply.

jil101ca · #12 02/27/10, 10:20 PM

I was told last year to start to slow and grow slow. I have a 5 year plan to build my herd. Avg price here is about $150 cwt.

Ken in Maine · #13 02/28/10, 07:41 AM

Not sure where you come up with 1.5 million pounds per week. Livestock Weekly reports (on average) 80 or so metric tons per week. A metric ton is just a bit more than our regular ton but that comes out to only about 160,000 pounds per week. That's a far cry from 1.5 million pounds.

goodshephrd · #14 02/28/10, 09:10 AM

We had 25 does and sold kids off the farm. We are close to a town with a good ethnic market. It worked very well and met some interesting people too. Had to sell the does after a fire but plan to get back soon.

Slugmar · #15 02/28/10, 09:42 AM

Ken in Maine, those are from a couple different website probably older but I have been trying the USDA website also but I'm unable to get the exact words for the search or find the right links.

Jcran · #16 02/28/10, 05:02 PM

Slugmar, darlin', you are soooooooo close to the Bay area...they are getting $12.99/lb for goat meat. The guy who started the ginormous humane hog farming (can't remember his name) retired to raise meat goats just north of Marin County. You should be able to tap into the market. I know folks who say they can't get enough goats to sell.

Ken in Maine · #17 02/28/10, 06:49 PM

Slugmar... Livestock Weekly publishes all the USDA information as well as what is being sold at all the major auctions. I followed this for several years and the American goats processed under USDA inspection averaged around 12,000 goats per week. The imported goat meat went from a low of 55 metric tons per week to a high right around 95 metric tons.

Slugmar · #18 02/28/10, 07:16 PM

jcran- We are just getting back into goat raising and Im already got calls for kids being lined up and my new doe's which will arrive on tuesday are about 7months away from when ill expose them to a buck.

Ken- even at 55metric tons which is like 2200lbs per ton is like 121,000 lbs of meat a week. That still alot of goats being imporated.

Ken in Maine · #19 02/28/10, 07:30 PM

I have always believed that the US can have a good footprint in the market... My only point in all this was that the 1.5 million pound figure was incorrect.

Slugmar · #20 02/28/10, 07:38 PM

well it was correct for 1998 found when the info was printed just incorrect for todays market.