# "Sometimes our goats are more then just for pleasure"



## GarrisonFarms (Oct 3, 2012)

I qouted the saying under the Meat Market for a reason, my next question might offend some people....

I am starting a meat goat farm...I plan on having quite a bit of goats...say 80 to 160 doe and I am afraid that I will not be able to sell them all at the local auction house (Lack City, Ocala) so my question is there a meat packing facility (slaughterhouse) for goat meat?


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

As someone whose goats are her pets, I can tell you you are in no danger of offence. I plan to use my wethers for our own consumption next year. I love them, but there are not enough pet homes for them. I want them to live a good life and have a good purpose. (=

Yes, there are places that will process meat goats. I think most places will process meat goats as well as other animals. I would just ask around -- I know there are several places out here (NJ) that handle all of the 4-H market wethers, as well as larger stock.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I am not sure and I erally do not think there is a butcher just for goats, really there is not enough demand for it.

But then again that is where I am at, not where you are.


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## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

Why would it offend anyone? Goats are great to eat. Best red meat there is in my opinion. Good on you for starting a meat goat farm. What kind of meat goats are you going to raise? I don't know about your area, but anywhere they slaughter other livestock, they slaughter goats. It is wild game that is not allowed in USDA facilities. If you are selling the meat off the farm you are supposed to have it butchered in a USDA facilities.


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## HamiltonAcresBoers (May 9, 2012)

If i were you (JMHO) i would start small. Maybe 20 tops, which is still considerably larger than my show farm.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I agree with starting off small ... you can always expand, but that way you can get a good feel for the goats.


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## HaleyD (Sep 12, 2012)

From my experience, most slaughterhouses take goats as well. I have never been to one that doesn't, but you can always give them a call to find out for sure


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Some things do vary from state to state, but like was already said, if a place processes beef, pork and sheep, they
would likely do goats too. Do some investigating.


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## GarrisonFarms (Oct 3, 2012)

Thanks for all the information.... Green Horn Here ......I am going to start small but I do need it to make money with this.... What I was hoping for was my doe's have kids after weaning I seperate the kids and twice a year a truck comes by and takes all the yearings to the meat processing place...


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## HamiltonAcresBoers (May 9, 2012)

If you want money from them, get nice registered animals, and sell the kids. I personally think that there's more money in that than commercial. We do a little bit of both. The kids that dont live up to breeding criteria, we sell commercially.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I plan on having meat goats. I've been working on learning about goats and currently have three (not for eating but they will be the parents of my food).


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Having sick and dead goats will not help your bottom line. Definitely start small and learn how to properly care for the goats. Find an ethnic market close to you. No matter what the business but especially livestock business, you still have to market yourself and put the time in (as well as money). There are no shortcuts. Just because you truck a bunch of goats out to the auction doesn't mean that you will make good money. You need to do your research on what will bring the top dollar in for your goats in your area. Selling off the farm at a higher price with no middle man will give you more income from fewer goats. But you will have to do the research.

I would highly suggest to get this book: The Contrary Farmer by Gene Logsdon

While this isn't about goats, it will give you some good ideas on farming and keeping costs down which will increase your profits.


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## mmiller (Apr 3, 2012)

HamiltonAcresBoers said:


> If you want money from them, get nice registered animals, and sell the kids. I personally think that there's more money in that than commercial. We do a little bit of both. The kids that dont live up to breeding criteria, we sell commercially.


I agree 100% with you on that. My plan was to raise just for commerical. But since getting into the goats I have realized show goats is where the money is at for here. So I have switched plans which seems to happy alot lol. So I have been upgrading my does an plan to buy a good show quality reg buck come spring. Mind you I will have to shell out some cash for him but if I do things right he should pay for himself with the first breeding. Another reason for switching was I want to raise not only show quality goats but also breeding does an bucks that ppl would want to use theirselves.

All the process plants in my area process goat. Just call around an ask. Are you wanting to sell the packaged meat to consumers?


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

GarrisonFarms said:


> Thanks for all the information.... Green Horn Here ......I am going to start small but I do need it to make money with this.... What I was hoping for was my doe's have kids after weaning I seperate the kids and twice a year a truck comes by and takes all the yearings to the meat processing place...


There is someone around us that does that. So you just have to start asking around. I also know a gentlemen that lives in NC, that hauls from TExas to New holland stock yards all the time. He picks up other goats on his way as well. I personally don't find we get enough money for them doing it that way. Perhaps your farm set up will be different and it will be more feasable for you. We have a small amount of acreage and we grain a lot, so we have to make a little more from them. So we sell our better does and bucks as breeding stock. then the better wethers for 4H and last we sell the remainder for general purpose butchering. The breeding stock prices really help us make ends meet.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

also, depending on your location and your available time. There is a really big market in selling USDA processed meat at farmers markets. In our area. you take the goats to the processor, bring the cuts of meat back home and store in an inspected freezer(can only use for this meat), then take to farmer market's and sell by the lb. I have been trying to talk my husband into this. I understand lamb does really well being sold like this.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Small, small, small!!! Start off very small. Like- 3 to 5 Registered healthy sturdy stock Does and 1 registered sturdy proven buck. Your first kidding season needs to be small. I can not emphasize that enough. Too many people start off large and end up over their heads unable to take care of the herd and loose time, money and animals in a large way to the point that they would have had more success and more animals born by starting small. With 5 does.. you could end up even with 10-15 kids! Think how that would be if you had 20 Does the first year with complications!


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## Arkie (Sep 25, 2012)

Find a market before you produce the product!! "a truck come by twice per year" means two or three middlemen who will only buy what they know they can turn a profit on. If there isn't a profit, guess who takes the loss? 

Bob


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## rollinghillsfarm (Sep 21, 2012)

We raise goats and sheep and take everything to a privately owned and operated USDA butcher right in our town (Alden, NY). He does a fantastic job with everything we take there. We network extensively and sell within that, and we're currently expanding to keep up with demand. There is a lively ethnic market in Western New York (Buffalo area). And I totally agree with everyone else who has weighed in - start small with a good buck and a few good does (and do some research on what breed would do best in your area) and work outward from there.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

It's been well put and well covered here. We have a buck and 3 does of ND and boers (meat and milk) right now the consumption (dairy ) goes to us. Once kidding we'll use basically the same theory as 20kids, as we too are on very small acreage and most of their feed is provided by us. Our point in starting was I want animals (meat and dairy - including chickens) that I know how they are raised what has been put in or not put into them for our consumption. That being said as 20kids, we do have to sell our show stock, and 4h to keep up with healthy feed for our animals. 
PS- had shredded goat taco's last night- slow low heat makes very tender and they were great.


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## Texas.girl (Dec 20, 2011)

Goat is popular with Muslim's and Mexican's. If there is a decent size Muslim community where you are I would check them out. Cabrito is extremely popular with Mexican's. I have seen ads in the paper of ranches advertising Boer kids for sale. Also, check for the location of auction houses and visit one. We did that for the education. You may have to take them to the auction house yourself, or possibly there is someone you could hook up with who has a trailer.


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## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

Well, in my area there is a buyer who travels around the western states buying directly from larger places. He pays above what local livestock markets do. I suggest you find a larger meat goat operation in your general area and ask what they do with their stock. They will most likely be your best source of information. I agree with Hamilton Acres, if you are not experienced with goats start small, build your market and then enlarging is easy. Starting too big is too risky.


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