Boer Goat Profits Guide

Goat Meat Farming: Pros and Cons

goat meat

Getting into goats can be a big decision, and one of the common questions we get is "what are the pros and cons of raising goats?" In this quick guide we cover some, and give you a handy calculator to estimate profits.

Keep in mind that goats are hardy and relatively easy to care for. They require less land than other livestock animals (such as a cow), are less expensive to feed, and can survive in less-than-ideal environments.

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Goat Raising for Profit
What Are the Pros and Cons of Raising Goats?
How Much Money Can I Make Raising Goats?
California's Small Farms: Soledad Goat Farm

Goat Raising for Profit

There are many ways to profit through raising goats:

  • If you choose to raise dairy goats, the milk has many different uses beyond selling it for profit. The excess can be used to make soap or other beauty products such as lotions.
  • The process that leads to milk production results in many new kids for the dairy farmer. If the kid is a male, the farmer can opt to sell it for meat.
  • Another option is raising meat goats. In some ways, this is a simpler enterprise than dairy farming. If you do not opt to dress out the animals yourself, the job is simply breeding and caring for the goats.
  • There are several goat products aside from meat and milk, including fiber and leather.
  • Once you’ve decided on one product you want to focus on, make that the priority and consider the rest as secondary profit items.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Raising Goats?

PROS
  • Goat meat farming is growing due to the high demand for goat meat. Sources estimate the demand for goat meat is double the current production.
  • Traditionally eaten by people of Islamic, Latin American, and Asian descent, goat meat is also growing in popularity due to health benefits and good taste.
  • The most popular breed for goat meat farming is the South African Boer. The animals are known for quality meat, fast growth, and high reproduction rates.
  • Raising meat goats is typically easier than raising dairy goats. The farmer does not have to be concerned with milk production, equipment sterilization, managing a milking facility, or having the facility inspected and up to code.
  • If a meat farmer chooses to, he or she can simply raise the goats and leave the processing to an outside company.
  • Aside from the meat, the goat skins can also be sold to produce leather.
CONS
  • Farming can be a difficult job. As a full-time farmer, your work is tending to the goats.
  • If you have nutrient-dense pasture, you can sustain 6-8 goats per acre and will pay less to bring your goats to maturity. With poor pasture, you can sustain 2-3 goats per acre, but will be paying a much higher supplemental feed cost.
  • You will be feeding, watering, medicating, mending fences, performing building and equipment maintenance, and breeding your goats. This can be done with artificial insemination or by allowing your does to be housed with a buck. 
  • Paying for semen is less expensive than paying to house a rented buck, or purchasing and caring for your own. However, does and bucks have been breeding naturally with few problems for centuries whereas artificial insemination relies on perfect timing.
  • You are at the whim of the market. If demand drops, you are suddenly in a vulnerable place financially. And there will always be farm maintenance bills, feed bills, veterinary bills, and processing bills if you slaughter your own goats. 
Farming can be a risky endeavor, especially if you have not established a clear market for your meat and have not established a solid business plan.

How Much Money Can I Make Raising Goats?

The money you can make through goat meat farming varies. The price of meat fluctuates.
Right now, for example, in San Angelo, TX, kids sold between 40 – 60 lbs. are $2.88 per pound. That is down from $3 a pound.

To determine profits, it is (revenue – costs). The costs here are variable: grain, hay, supplements, veterinary care, medication, outbuildings, fencing, transportation, fuel, utilities, marketing, and the cost of any goats purchased.

For the business to survive, the income from selling kids and does needs to cover those costs. Of course, if you process your own goats, the numbers will look a bit different with the addition of the fresh meat sales and the cost to operate a slaughter house.

A handy calculator for figuring out rough profits can be found here: http://tools.mla.com.au/cop/

Of course, this is based on Australian producers. But it is detailed, and the information you glean from it can be utilized easily.

If you want to reduce your risk and increase your chance of success, we recommend you check out our proven system for raising Boer goats profitably: please click here to learn about our Boer Goat Profits Guide.

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