After our experience starting out, I feel its important to share the cost of raising goats-- so that buyers can be a bit more informed, and make better purchasing choices for the animals they want to include on their farm. This is part 1 of a blog series, and is an Introduction to help you get the most out of your miniature dairy herd..... Table of Contents:1) Cost 2) Nutrition 3) Time 4) Should you get a goat? 5) Who to buy from, and why? 6) Understanding Evaluation Programs: Tools for the homestead. Cost (your first goats):Seems just as good a place as any to get started right?? Well, this is one of the harder topics to tackle-- because where/who you purchase from is going to set the pace of your homestead success (or failure). Another obstacle-- What are YOUR expectations?? Having few expectations can seem like a good start.. but when it comes to animals IT IS NOT. If you don't set your bar high, you are going to find out (quickly) that it would have paid to be more selective.... PRICE does not determine goat health... It doesn't mean you are getting a "Good Deal" either. So, when it comes to price you need to match the quality of the animal with the purposed value... Quality is determined by a lot of factors.... for a good Farmsteading goat, you need at the very least a physically healthy, strong, well-bred animal to supply your family with meat and milk. Buying the skinny goat on the end of a rope eating out of a garbage can for $50 is NOT quality. That is not a Farmstead animal... the animals you purchase are going to form the literal foundation of your farm; Do you really want to drink the milk of a goat eating off of its own feces on the ground, eating the trash blowing into its pen, and being fed black spotted-moldy hay???? You shouldn't! What goes into your animals is what will come out. Garbage in--Garbage out... Poor husbandry (animal care) in == Poor health/quality milk/meat from this animal out... its that simple. I many parts of the world, families save 2-3 years worth (or more) of their wages to purchase a good (not excellent) quality goat for their families. Unlike in the disposable society of the US, these people VALUE their goats, and feel it is worth saving up to 3 years worth of their wages to invest in their families health-- would you?? People through the 1960's did! The average expected cost of a dairy goat in the US was about $1,000--now people looking to buy a goat for the first time only expect to pay $80. Feed cost per year for a small herd in the 1960s was about $800-- cost today? Oh, only around $4,000/yr.. 5x more what it cost only 50 years ago..... Remember, if you really are looking to add goats to support your family, they need to be treated like your family; this is where your food is coming from! Do you want meat filled with pus or sores? Do you want to milk a goat with cheesy-stringy mastitis laden milk??? NO! No more than you want to purchase a dairy goat with a saggy udder, blown out teats, sway back, twisted hooves, or in general an un-healthy appearance. And you certainly don't want to waste your money on a 'meat goat' that is skinner than a dairy goat either! Remember-- your animals are where your food is coming from. Don't go for the cheap goat-- go for the goat that fits the IDEAL homesteading animal profile! PROFILE OF A FARM-STEAD GOAT: 1) Proof of Milk Production-- if you want milk why are you wasting money on a Boer-cross? They may be cheap--but they are not going to provide enough milk for a family of 5..you would be lucky if they made enough for 1-2 people. Don't just trust that if someone says their goat makes a gallon a day that it does. I have only seen a handful of Nigerians produce a gallon a day (luckily we had the privilege to own one and she only peaked at a gallon a day for a few months). Nigerians that can produce a gallon a day for 300 days are the exception for the breed--not the rule, and a certainly never going to be sold for under $600, because they are a valuable breeding animal. 2) Sturdy-- Being physically healthy has a standard! Did you know pure bred goat standards identify health issues too? Crooked legs, twisted toes, narrow hips, sloped rumps, parrot mouth, etc.. are all serious faults. Why? Deformed goats are not worthy to be used for breeding/ milking. Breeding them to produce milk is spreading these faults on to healthy goats. Also depending on the severity, they will not live as long and ultimately will only produce un-healthy offspring. Which will effect the homestead; unless you are selling to people who flat out don't care (most people DO CARE about what they are spending money on!). Secondly, the standards pure bred goats are bred to were designed around the features that a goat must posses in order to provide ample milk (not just for you, but for their kids too!), and to help identify goats with thrifty qualities. Less health issues = less money you spend on vet bills, special care, etc. 3) Healthy-- Many people are attracted to the idea of not having to de-worm their goats.. but in order to develop parasite resistance.. you need to be monitoring the parasite load to begin with! Never buy an animal with diarrhea, rough coat, cough, pale eye membranes, or if you are looking at getting goats from a herd boasting parasite resistance--that 'never have to be wormed'; don't buy if your animal isn't coming from a herd with at least two years of data backing their claim. In other words, if they cant provide you with a lab confirmed parasite egg-count from a fecal--they are going to take you for a ride! Also please remember that if these people are practicing parasite management (not feeding on the ground, keeping water sources clean weekly, keeping bedding and dry-lot areas clean weekly, not over crowding with too many goats, practicing pasture rotation, etc.) and you do not--your goats will not continue to be 'parasite resistant!' Do not buy animals with Arthritis, swollen joints, 'goiters', lumps along the neck, groin, armpits/belly, or udder. Do not bring an animal home with open sores/wounds, who is skinny, or has tremors. ALL these things listed are (or can be) symptoms of serious contagious diseases that can destroy your farmstead dream... and once on the property will stay dormant in the soil for 10+ YEARS---yikes! Always with out exception purchase animals who have current (for the year) bio-screening results for the following diseases: CAE,CL,JOHNES, and Brucellosis (Brucellosis esp. in areas with lots of deer, sharing pasture with cattle/sheep, or if bucks are being used for stud service). 4) Dairyness-- look for non-saggy (looks like a flour sack or testicles hanging from between their legs) udders. No teat deformities like extra teats (spurs), handle-bar teats (teats that point outward and into the legs), or Blown-out potato sized teats. In addition to the other three points above. Also, understand what you are buying... a baby goat, yearling goat, or First Freshener (FF) have no milking experience. What looked like a good breeding plan on paper sometimes doesn't pan out! It is more risky to purchase a younger goat than a proven goat (with milk production records) for home dairy, since you are 'hoping' the baby will produce like its parents. But, buying young stock out of parents with milk stars (a production record as indicated by a *M,*D, *S, or +B added to the end of the parents registered name) is less risky. If your animals do not have milking star ennoblements, the risk is higher that the genetics for high milk production backing the goat(s) in question may not even be there to begin with! If possible, buy does/doelings when their mothers are in milk to see the productivity your self! As a side note: most first fresheners (goats bred and producing milk for their first time) only produce 1/4 the amount of a 3rd or 4th freshener (a doe that has been bred and milked 3-4 times). Which is NORMAL. So if you buy a young goat, and she doesn't produce much.. give her more time to develop. By their 2nd or 3rd freshening you will have a pretty solid idea of your does capacity, and be able to compare her production to other animals milking performance. Bare in mind, it is not normal for a mature goat to be incapable of producing the MINIMUM required for the breed according to the age of your doe.. For Example: IF a 2 year old Nubian is expected to produce at a minimum 800 pounds of milk in 360 days... it is not normal for a 2 year old Nubian to only produce 100 pounds of milk in 360 days.... both of these animals are going to require the same amount of feed... so if you buy or own the animal producing less milk, you are essentially wasting money. It is costing you more in feed, and you are getting less milk than the other animal.. that means the more you have to spend in feed = less milk, cheese, etc. for your family. Not a good investment or turn around on what you are putting into that animal period! So be selective on who you buy from! I prefer to buy from people that only have 1-2 goat breeds, and who participate in DHI (dairy herd improvement) testing. If they have the full spectrum of goat breeds with mixes in between--watch out! Those people are not focusing on developing meat or dairy... they are only looking to produce goats to sell to people looking for specific breeds (not milk)... I.e. looking to capitalize on a fad/ or pet-trend. Since minis have become 'popular' with the pet trade in recent years, there is an alarming number of new people raising miniature nubians and lamanchas ONLY because they are popular--buyer beware!! Do not support these 'fad'-farmers. Raising un-registered minis that don't meet breed standards is taking advantage of people-- not sorry!! ALL minis should be registered firstly, and second, should have some proof of milk genetics (DHI milking record on them or their kids) to back them up! People with 1-2 breeds are pretty focused on the animals they raise, and usually know who is the best producer in the herd, and where to buy a buck from to help increase production more... If you are looking for dairy, and your conversation is only on moonspots, blue eyes, etc.. AND not on dairy production that's your sign. Buying a goat here = wasted investment period. Blue eyes/moonspots don't fill a pail, and wont feed your household. Milk will. Especially, if your goats are going to cost you $7-8/day in feed. That rounds out to $12-$14/ per gallon of milk! So in my opinion, they better be productive!!! What should you expect to pay? That is really going to depend on who you buy from, and where/what state you are in.. a well bred goat, bred by someone focusing on Dairy or Meat in their herd is going to run any where from $400-$1,000 (or more)/ goat. A backyard breeder/ pet goat owner who may or may not register. Or who may/may not participate in DHI (or keep barn records of milkings) prices may range from $25-$350/ goat. **** Side note: Farm-steading isn't a backyard garden hobby like modern 'homesteading'-- its a lifestyle. As a farm-steader you breed for production. Which improves your chances of having replacements for your milkers from your own herd, and having an independent supply of food. Farmsteaders often show, participate in DHI, and strive to produce the best animals you can for future generations beside only producing food for your own home. So, cutting corners on your livestock, you know is going to cost you more in the end. If you want dairy, research. And buy from people who breed for the same goals you have in mind for your own herd. Learn how to make improvements in your herds bloodlines, so that you will be able to produce replacements for your senior herd members that are hopefully equal to or better than your foundation stock. This will ensure that you will have ample dairy on your farm for years to come. It takes a lot of milk to produce the amount of cream necessary to produce cheese, butter, yogurt, etc. you are probably already accustomed to using at home. If your goats aren't high production, or dont yield high butterfat per your goals, you will notice right away what that feed bill and vet bill feels like compared to buying products care-free from a store.... If having ample dairy is not your concern, and you just want a pet for a homestead or a novelty amount of dairy products for personal use, a pair of mischievous wethers make amazing farm pets. Pygmy goats, Boers, and Kikos also produce less milk than a well bred dairy goat, and can even fill the freezer. If you are settled on having a 'mini,' and aren't concerned about quality, your local sales boards may have them; expect to pay anywhere from $50-$150.. not usually over $250 (even for a doe in milk). If kept healthy, even these animals should be more than capable of producing butter, cream, etc. for your use, and to share with friends. Nutrition:: PART 2:Nutrition is a HUGE topic all on its own, so just going to keep it short. Nutrition is the make-it-or-break-it aspect of livestock ownership... and this is where you will be spending 90% of your finances. For a dairy (or meat) animal.. nutrition and management will either make your experience positive or negative. Remember... what you put in to your animal, will come out! If you feed good quality minerals, high quality forage, feed concentrates, and provide medical care/ parasite management your goats will thrive, have far fewer health issues, and by extension perform well on your farm. BUT if you cut corners, feed poor quality minerals (or do not provide minerals at all), feed moldy or poor forage, feed low-quality concentrates, and neglect parasite management/ medical treatment your goats will not be thrifty, will not produce much milk, and barely provide meat. Why? Because every ounce of their nutrition will be going toward maintaining their own body condition, and very little excess will be available for them to provide you with milk. Milk and MEAT is a by-product of good management. When the animals needs are met for their nutritional requirements the excess gets converted into milk... the same goes for meat. The more protein, fats, and minerals are available to support extra muscle tissue growth (or milk production), the more meat ( or dairy depending on the breed of goat) an animal can put on. If the animal is being robbed of nutrition by sickness, stress, parasites, or expectation of having to produce milk on poor quality browse-- you are not going to have a productive herd... even if they came from the absolute BEST dairy lines in the US-- you can ruin a good goat by not providing then with what they need to supply you with what you want. This farming thing isn't one sided. You dont get the animals' ''best'' all for nothing. You have to be a good manager/shepherd and provide the best opportunity possible for your animals to perform up to your expectation. Which means dumping a ton of money into high quality nutrition. Further, not feeding your goats well or providing medical care is like "robbing Peter to pay Paul"... You might be saving money somewhere, but down the line you are slowly ruining your goat, and ultimately not going to be getting the most out of the animal. Certainly not their best. GOOD Farmers, homesteaders, dairymen are not the sort of people to brag on how they ran their best animal into the ground by not providing the absolute best they could afford for them. If that's your view on animal care ( to provide them with minimal care with minimal research, or none at all) I would venture to say, the cost of raising animals for meat/dairy is too high for you. Cost of Feed- A snapshot: Here in Arizona-- hay prices range from $10-$16/ 100# bale (2019). For a herd of 5 Nigerian sized goats, you may use 1 bale a week. $40-$64/month JUST in good quality browse/forage (Hay). Minerals are about $20-$30/ 10-15lb Bag.. for the same sized little herd above.. you will use a bag every 3 months (roughly). Concentrate feeds for the milk stand, or to help maintain body condition of the doe in milk will run about $16-$25/ 50# bag. and depending on the ration you use, and number of does in milk, you may use a bag every two weeks for your does in milk... In general you can expect to pay roughly $130-300/ month on a small herd of dairy goats in feed/minerals alone. At a MINIMUM. That's not including what it will cost to vet, shelter, contain, or otherwise maintain your herd. That is just feed alone! If you cant afford an extra $300/month expense to feed 5-6 adult goats (not including babies in the spring!) dairying may not be a sure bet for your family. TIME:: PART 3::Time is valuable! Especially if you have ever had to get out of bed at four in the morning to milk your goats while there is a blizzard going on outside! Or have had the wind rip the roof off your milking shed (then needed to milk under a tiny umbrella just 1 hour before you had to go to work). You learn how time consuming goats are when you have to explain to your boss your goat has an emergency, and you need to leave in order to deliver babies in breach! And you will learn how little sleep you will get if you ever have to leave your warm bed to help deliver a baby at 1 am when it was 10 below freezing outside... then have to save that baby from freezing by stuffing its wet body up under your shirt to take it INSIDE your home with you, and let it sleep next to your bed so you could wake up every 2 hours to feed it. I could go on. 13+ years raising goats teaches you a lot about how much time you do not have to yourself! IF you cringed about the examples above, or can answer NO to any of the following questions below, goats are not for you, they will cost you too much time and effort: - Are you okay with staying at home like a hermit to care for your goats when all your friends want to take you with them on a 2 day or week long vacation because you have no one to watch your goats? - Are you okay with calling out from (or in the middle of) work in the event a doe is due to deliver and has a difficult labor, or other life threatening emergency? -Are you okay with learning to help deliver kids? Perform fetal manipulation? Having placenta, goat urine, blood, and feces up to your armpits? - Are you okay with spending $2k on an emergency vet visit, possibly more than 1x a year if you are inexperienced with goat care? - Are you able/willing to milk a doe 2-3x a day (for a high production animal) rain, snow, or shine? Even on weekends? - Are you oaky with having bottle babies in your home (sometimes in your own bed room) who may be too weak to stay outside, or that may need care every 2hrs night or day? -Are you okay with smelling like your goats? And having friends/neighbors complain about that goat smell? -Are you okay with spending 2 hours (or more) a day with your goats, even if you are sick?? -Its a day before payday. You don't have groceries, and your goats just ran out of hay (and you dont have pasture or any other means to get alternative food). You have only just enough money to buy either just food for you, or food for the goat. Would you buy the food for the goat? .... Goats (as well as any other animal kept in your care) come first above all other things, or not at all. Domesticated/captive raised animals can't get the care they require on their own. They are solely reliant upon you. If you cant be bothered to be a slave to your animals, dont bother owning them. How time effects your day with a dairy goat, the short list: --In milk... When you own a dairy goat-- you are literally married to that goat while you own it. And especially when it is in milk. Its also like having a new-born, you will never get sleep or rest. It doesn't matter what the weather is doing... what vacation you want to go on... how much sleep you didn't get the night before, how early you need to go to work tomorrow, if the ground is muddy, if its hot.. if you are on your death bed and sick-- your goats need to be the priority in your life. Once in milk, the doe needs to be relieved at regular intervals.. not to exceed 8 hours at a time! O, but I have kids for that! NO lady (or sir), you are responsible for that goats health/care. Not your children. Fine if they want to help, but ultimately it is your responsibility to make sure that animals needs are met, and on time. --Feeding.. Goats rumens are sensitive to sudden changes, or even to late feedings-- they don't just get acid reflux like we do.. they can literally die if the PH in their stomach changes too drastically! So, if they are used to eating good food and you feed moldy cow hay because you were in a pinch (or hay too fresh and green), you risk killing your goat with a disease called 'Bloat'. Which is actually a form of tetanus.. once your goat has bloat, they can die within a few hours if the condition is not addressed (even if they have been vaccinated!). Letting a goat go for more than 10 hours without feeding is equally as detrimental. Also, too many treats can kill a goat just as fast. Goats dont have hands. They explore their world with their mouth, and are like mouthy toddlers. They will put anything in their mouth. Things they love like candy they will over-eat on. Things that are poisonous, they will try at least once! Feed your goats on time, with good quality feed, keep treats to a minimum, and watch over them to be careful they dont eat anything that can cause them harm. --And then there is everything else.. Feet need to be kept trimmed. Fences need to be maintained. Water supplies need to be kept clean. Shelters need to be built. Housing for babies needs to be provided. Housing for bucks needs to be inspected/fixed/maintained. Vaccines may need to be administered, deworming administered, fecal exams submitted, disbudding, scur trimming, paperwork submitted and kept organized, tattooing, scrapie tags/micro chips, equipment replaced or upgraded, and a strict schedule for feeding/milking needs to be kept religiously! Goats are not the 'Great Depression' Mickey mouse cartoon animal they are portrayed as. They are not a good beginner livestock animal either. Goats are delicate enough to require a great amount of time being spent with them... the more you are around them, the more quickly you will pick up on things if something is 'off,' and the more likely you are to prevent an emergency situation. People are called shepherds over sheep and goats for a reason, these animals need a hover-mom(or dad) 24/7 to be watched! Goats are often abused and mistreated, but seeing a mistreated goat clinging to life from poor management practices shouldn't give anyone the greenlight to follow in the footsteps of their neglector. I can not stress this enough-- 99% of all problems you will encounter with your goats will center around what went into their mouth. Goats really are just like overly curious toddlers with stomach problems that need to be watched! They cannot be allowed to eat trash, or be expected to thrive off of poor feed if you want any more out of them other than the vet-bill that comes with the cost of their companionship. "To Goat or Not to Goat???" Part 4::Do you need goats? If you are exploring getting a goat, I assume you have already decided that you want one. WHY? Reasons between people will vary. More often than not I encounter answers associated with Health, or start-up costs compared to other livestock. But, just because you need the milk doesn't mean you need the expense of the goat! In many states, farm shares/milk shares are still legal. Other options for acquiring milk can include helping to pay for your friends' goats, or trading a service/product for milk from a goat owner in your community.... in this way, you are helping to support a local producer; without having the added expense of feed, vetting, housing, having to clean pens, having to deal with bucks, or being unable to travel because you can not find someone trust-worthy to care for or milk your goats. Health is one thing that can not be avoided for many people. And this growing trend is quite alarming! But participating in a milk share, volunteering to help care for goats, being a farm nanny, etc. Will be by far the best solution to actually having to dedicate all your time to the care, maintenance, and expenses associated with goat ownership... which are all precious resources if you are one of those families that may have to care for disabled children as well. The time plus the added expense of goats may not be economical--or rewarding as it might have sounded when you find yourself neglecting to care for your herd because of unexpected emergencies in the household. As a shepherd-- your animals need to be the ones that get priority. If people need to be the priority, or will be the priority-- make people the priority, and support someone else who has made goats THEIR priority. Neglected/poorly maintained animals will not produce to their fullest capacity! And will ultimately begin to cost more as other bills start pilling up. If you are drawn to goats because you see Nubians and Nigerians for $50 on Craigslist, compared to the $2500 milk cow, understand that the goats you are paying for may not be the best conditioned animals for your operation either. Breeders will often sell culls for prices comparable to the lowest value goats in their area to get them out of their herd fast. Sure, they produce milk, maybe more milk than the average pet goat, but they may have other issues... with this info in mind-- when people buy up and breed all the 'bargain' animals together the result is going to be a mediocre goat at best. You cant say I didn't warn you, but if you insist that you are going to buy cheap-- you should develop an eye for selecting good quality animals. And understand that breeding mediocre goats randomly together isn't going to produce a goat 'just like a show goat.' Sorry. But even putting papered goats randomly together just because you want pretty babies and some milk doesn't make a good dairy animal. And neither does having a bunch of famous names on paper. Breeding for dairy is a skill. And its a skill not everyone has, but its sure fun trying to develop it! One of the more typical issues I see on craigslist goats are sagging udders. Poor udders may result in a goat being unable to milk once they are 4-5 years old due to damage from lack of support-- which means a decrease in milk production. Teat position is more important for hand milking-- but 'handle bar teats' will rub on the animals' legs making that goat more prone to infection... 'potato' teats are indicators that the mammary tissue is weak, and that the doe may not be able to nurse kids. Hips that slope down too far may result in difficult labors/ being more prone to kids needing to be pulled... narrow feet may lead to arthritis, this (and a whole long list of other physical- 'conformational' issues) will quickly end up costing you more in the end if you are not selective! I have seen the most rugged, crooked goats with awful sagging udders being SOLD-- and purchased by novices for up to $600-- just because the goat was in milk, allegedly had parents registered with a well known herd name, or worse yet.. for superficial reasons like dapples/moonspots, blue eyes, or it was polled.... Please! If you take anything away from reading this... get this... """ Take-Your-Time""" You can buy a flashy goat, but buy one with the good stuff too--not just the color! Don't just buy something because its cheap. Buy an animal that is sound! I count my blessings that all of our animals were structurally sound, and that I was willing to educate myself on what to look for before I purchased my first goats. Some other folks we know, who went the route of just ' buying with their eyes'-- sadly have had the very unrewarding experience of dealing with goats that have had nothing but complications. If you want cheap, make sure you are being selective. Papers or NOT! You don't milk papers-- papers are a tool. Even goats with papers can have issues that you shouldn't waste your money on. Be selective on who you are buying from, and WHAT you are buying! Look at udders, pictures of udders, look at conformation of the ancestors of the animal for sale-- if the seller doesn't have these things-- don't buy from them. Papers or not-- pictures will tie everything together, and help you to see those unhealthy traits that you don't want that may be hiding in the genetics; because ultimately, if you make bad breeding choices it will shorten your animals' productivity by literally half in the long-run! No matter what you are planning to spend-- who you buy from will make a difference in the number of years an animal is productive, their long-term health, and what you are getting in return from milk... in the same way that what you feed will contribute to the productivity of your animal as well--- more on that in another blog... Where to Buy your first Goats-- and WHY? : Part 5::So, there are two kinds of goat people that a beginning farm-steader, or homesteader will encounter during their goat owning experience; or fall into the category of. I recommend you look for a someone who has the same goals as you do to buy from. Dont care about showing? Dont really care for a high dollar goat with milk stars? Just want a pet to learn how to raise goats with? Or do you want a goat who is structurally strong (and can be shown)? Do you want high production animals with records because you want to track your milking productivity too? Buy from someone who has your goals. Normally I advocate for buying from a reputable 'performance' breeder, but that is only if you share the same goals as they do. Speaking from the perspective of a breeder (and having talked with other much more competitive people than myself) I dont want to see babies from my best goats in a 'just a pet' herd. I want them in a herd where they will be used in the same way I would use them, or would like to use them. I want my best goats in DHI, and show. This helps me make better breeding decisions, helps me gain more data about my lines, and helps improve other performance herds when my goats do well. A non-registered pet or backyard milker doesn't do anything for the gene pool, and doesn't help me to see what areas need to be improved on in my own herd. My goats are more than just my pets, they are the future of miniature lamanchas, and I want them to contribute positively to the gene pool at large (not just my locality). Pet homes are great for retirement of animals, to extinguish a line breeders dont want to offer to other breeders, or to see a productive (but maybe not 100% structurally sound animal) get a home where they will be valued. A pet home in some aspects is as good as death to a breeder. So having some of the most promising lines out of a breeding project go to someone who says they want to show/do DHI then it turns out they lied and were just looking for expensive pets really pisses performance breeders off. Dont buy goats from performance breeders if you have no intention to meet/match that breeders efforts. And if you do want to buy from them. Be honest! Maybe that breeder doesn't have an animal they want to see in a pet home right now that would be good for your goals, but they may help you find what you are looking for in someone else's herd. OR they may know someone with a pet herd that might have what you are looking for, and a whole lot cheaper than buying from that breeder. Type A) "Performance Herd aka-Breeder" --Wants to raise goats for X,Y,Z reason, and really wants to have good healthy animals, is focused on producing good quality dairy animals, and takes a vested interest in the animals they raise. In Fact, raising a high quality dairy goat is almost like an art- or science, and Type-A people usually want to operate (or do actually live-on) a sustainable farmstead. They sell products produced on the farm that pays off the feed, and helps support their family. Type A people ESPECIALLY participate in programs that help them monitor productivity in their herds, they show, their kids probably do 4-H, and in summary they are dedicated to developing better dairy animals for their fellow Type A people to benefit from. Type A people do not buy from Type B-- they buy from fellow Type A people with similar goals/focus to maintain the quality of the goats they generate for future generations to come. The Cost associated with being a Type A Goat owner: - Registration of babies/goats ($30-$300+ /year) -Registry/Association Membership Fees ($20-$80+/ year) -LA, DHIR, Show Fees-- tools to help prove the quality of the animals you produce ($100-$2,000+/yr) -Feed Expense... this is where it gets rough... ($2,000-$8,000/year) -Vetting, health care, emergencies.. ($700+/ year) Total-- Appx. $3,900+/ year Type B) Wants to raise goats for X,Y,Z reason, tends to bargain shop, loves their goats as pets only. Just wants an animal that can give them a decent amount of milk. They may not have an interest in animals beyond just having what their household needs. Type B people are just pet-goat owners, folks looking to experiment with goat ownership, maybe just starting out, or just want a small 'homestead' for their family. In any case they may not have much or any experience raising goats (yet!). Or may have experience raising goats, but either don't (or no longer) have as serious an interest as a Type A person would; they simply have some other goal in mind--and are not interested in producing a good dairy animal for another breeders use. From a type A persons' perspective these would be 'backyard breeders/ hobbyists'. Sometimes Type B people may advertise their goats as being from a Type A person's milking lines, have a web page, or advertisement on a sales board; their animals are always available as unregistered, or possibly registered from stock that may have been purchased from a Type A person. In General, Type B people are usually the ones flooding the sales boards to sell their animals under or around $250. Quality varies greatly between each individual seller, so be selective! The Cost associated with being a Type B Goat owner: - Feed Expense... varies depending on number of goats, and quality of feed.. (appx. $300+/ year) -Vetting, health, emergencies... (appx. $700+/year) Total-- Appx. $1.200+/year As you can see-- no one gets into goats without spending something to support their herd. Whether their goats are 'just for fun' or intended to be a meaningful solution to operating as a sustained Farmstead. Another difference between each type of goat owner-- is going to be what you are willing to invest (as a whole, not just in livestock) in your first herd; and is quality more important?? If you are looking to be sustained by your Farmstead, and produce high-performing animals, where you buy from (and who you buy from) can make a HUGE difference in your program. And ability to help off-set operation costs. If you buy from a fellow Type A person, you will get customer support, and a good start on your own operation. Farmstead people who show/ partake in DHI or Linear Appraisals LA) are OCD about their animals health. They understand that the better managed their animals are, the higher milk/meat production their herd will yield. They focus on buying high quality feeds, they research and use the best minerals, have a regular de-worming program, vaccinate if necessary, routinely test for commonly contracted diseases that have the potential to destroy a herd (like CAE, CL, Johnes, and Brucellosis), and they usually also partake in competitive programs to see how their goats measure up to required standards (using tools like shows, DHI, LA, and on-line evaluations). They are so focused on producing healthy animals, that they are by far the best people to inquire of first. -IF- you share similar interests. They will be better able to help you learn what to look for in a good dairy goat, and how to continue to select breeding stock to grow your herd. They will absolutely be able to help you evaluate does they have for sale, by pointing out faults/traits that can be improved on-- and offer suggestions on how to improve on those things; so that your herd will grow and improve as well. However, Farmstead people usually cost more to buy from. This is due to the amount of work and effort they put into their herds. And depending on the area you live in-- if feed costs are a premium, or if that person has to drive long-distances to partake in evaluation programs you can expect their animals to cost 3-4x more than goats from a hobbyist/pet owner' operation. Understanding Evaluation Programs: Tools for the Homestead: Part 6::Should you partake in an evaluation program, now that you purchased goats from a Farmstead? Or isn't their herd name good enough? The answer... #1) participation in any evaluation program is not required. BUT it will help you to asses the quality of the animals you are working with, and help you make better breeding choices for your farm. Being Sustainable means that the animals should be productive enough to provide products to help offset feed/ herd expenses. By selling off less productive animals, and keeping your higher producing animals-- you will have ultimately better/more desirable breeding stock for your farm--or someone elses'. Evaluation programs will also reveal areas of your management practice that need to be re-evaluated/ improved on as well. Better managed animals are highly productive-- which is why Type A people utilize "state-of the-art" management practices not currently available to most of the world such as: feed concentrates, legume feeds, effective wormers to keep parasite populations from robbing animals of their precious nutritional resources, high-quality minerals, pasture rotation, clean water, and shelter improvement options. #2) No one's farm name is good enough to establish that your animals are 'proven.' Proven means that they have competed, they still compete, and perform well in your area. Relying on the work and investment another farm has put into their animals is not sufficient to maintain quality in your herd. You need to be able to pick-up where the other person left off... and in some cases, make improvements over their work. WHAT!? Yup, just because you buy from a nationally recognized herd isn't going to guarantee that the animal you own is 'perfect.' Breeders tend to keep their perfect goats.. but not every goat produced will be a carbon copy of their parents-- that's genetics! So what are you paying for? You are paying for that breeders time and investment in their herd. And herds that are very successful (have lots of animals placing high in evaluations) are going to command a higher price for the quality of their lines. EVEN IF their lines are seen as slightly inferior compared to another breeder across the country. It may be that there are no other farms in your area/state that have animals of their quality (even though another farm three states away is 'better.'). Local prices are not set on a national level. And it is wrong to assume every one should have set pricing... not everyone pays $23/ 100# bale of alfalfa... but not everyone travels to shows either! Participation in Evaluation programs means you are investing more than just registrations, feed, and vetting. Now you are active in seeing the real 'raw' data ' of your herd. And programs like DHIR and LA are geared specifically to determining the productivity/ strengths of the goat. This is valuable because unless you are keeping an eye on production-- you don't really know if your goat is producing an acceptable amount according to the standard of her breed. With LA, unless you show or do LA evaluations-- how do you know if your goat is too stocky, too lean, or has weaknesses in their structure that will lead to unhealthy goats if bred to the wrong buck???? On a Farmstead we need our animals to perform. They need to supply milk not only for our family, but for the family of the people who buy from us. And, they need to be strong healthy goats, to produce strong healthy kids that can replace their parents on the milk stand; and should be able to withstand being milked for 9-12 years (not just 3-6 like a Type B persons herd). Type A people look into evaluation programs to measure and asses the Dairiness and strengths of the goats they are using. Will offspring from your goats be good or better than their parents? Have you made improvements over poor udder attachment, weak pasterns, or any other health issue that can cripple your goat as she ages??? How about milk production. Is the kid you kept to be a milker producing better, or just as good as her parents? What is her butterfat percentage if you are making (or selling) cheese? How many kids from your breeding buck are highly productive? How do they compare to the kids from another buck that may actually be better suited for your farm???? These questions can all be answered by using the tools registries provide to help dairy producers. Tools For the Farmstead:
All of these types of programs will add to the cost of producing a dairy goat on the homestead. But for people looking for sound animals-- these types of programs are priceless tools to help you make good buying/ selling decisions. If your herd partakes in DHI, Shows or LA-- pricing of these programs should be included in the cost of the goats you are offering for sale. Including the cost it took to produce, and raise a goat to the age of being milk able (vetting, registration, feed, etc). Which is why many farms only charge $250-$400 for animals out of First Fresheners, or does who otherwise have no production record. But for animals who have shown, who did score high in LA, or perform well on DHI--their price for what they invested can be between $500-$1000+ -- which is NORMAL. It is not normal to see a ''well-performing'' goat sell for under $300. And honestly, that animal is likely a cull. You dont start a herd with culls! Bargain goats are cheap, but will cost you in the long run if you are looking to get the most out of your dairy experience. If you want to be involved in developing a higher quality dairy goat consider buying from a breeder and working with them. If showing and DHI is not for you, just make sure the QUALITY of the animal you are interested in matches the price before you buy so you can get the most out of your experience.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Welcome to the Suds Bucket!Adventures, Experiences, Ideas...it's all here. Archives
July 2022
Categories
All
|