# When to breed meat goats



## Hick22145 (Oct 11, 2013)

I tried to use the search for this but didn't have much luck so I figured I would just ask! What time or times of the year is it best to breed for meat goats. More so to hit the market demands. Also do you try to run one, two or more groups of does to hit a few of the peak markets and spread the work load out? Thanks for all the help still new at this way of the goat life and trying to market them the best I can!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Spring is usually a good time for selling. Easter and 4H markets are big. If you aren't breeding specifically to hit the 4H market you can split them into 2 or 3 groups and split the work and marketing.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

The highest time for meat are threw the months of october-may 5 it drops really bad after may 5 holiday. Durning those months the butcher house is competing with breeders looking for breeding does and also buyers who have the feed and just want it fed off and sell the kids later on. 
I would find out what ethnic groups are the most popular around you. For around here the best time to sell is before the 5 of may. The only problem is everyone knows that here so sometimes I get better prices sometimes about the same as the most the before.
I'm changing things up a little and only going to kid out so I can sell between the months of October threw may that way I don't have to sell small or hold onto them till the fall. But honestly every place is a little different. How are you planning on selling your kids? Straight to the butcher house or threw the sale? If the sale you could see if the sale yard has a market report that you could see what prices are doing threw out the year. Before the last few years our prices stayed strong all year long because there wasn't that many goats going threw the sale and the majority of the buyers were ones that butcher their self. But with the lack of rain there is a ton of goats going threw the sale every week.


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## Hick22145 (Oct 11, 2013)

Ok thank you both. You want them about six to ten months old when you sell them correct? So kid early like jan. Feb. and then again around oct.? Would them be ok times you think. Also I have a small sale barn 2 miles down the road that get a lot if the ethnics that use them their self. And two barns about 45 mins away that get the larger buyers. A lot of the people that go to the sale down the road here drive past my house I know that I could get them to come straight here but they like to butcher on the farm and I don't think me and my wife want that right now( maybe when our kids get older). I know that would be the best market direct but you have to keep the family happy! Thanks again for the help


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## HHeart (Mar 8, 2014)

In our area, you want to sell them between 40-80 lbs. 60-65 usually pay the best. Over 80 lbs you won't get a great price. Just watch the market reports and you will find out what buyers in your area want.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Hick22145 said:


> I tried to use the search for this but didn't have much luck so I figured I would just ask! What time or times of the year is it best to breed for meat goats. More so to hit the market demands. Also do you try to run one, two or more groups of does to hit a few of the peak markets and spread the work load out? Thanks for all the help still new at this way of the goat life and trying to market them the best I can!


I have at least 2, and usually 3, bunches I breed to kid at different times. This year the 1st bunch kidded in January (Easter), the 2nd will kid the end of April, the 3rd middle of May (feed out and sell at 80 to 90 lbs), and the 4th probably sometime in September or October (Christmas). If - notice I said IF - you can get the timing right, Easter is a good market. Last week 30 to 35 kids were going for anywhere from $92 to $97.50. Christmas kids are also a good market because it requires out of season breeding for a lot of breeds. Christmas kids and Easter kids are pretty much the same - 3 months and 30 to 40 pounds. You're best bet is to google market reports for your area, call your local sale barns and see if they can send you reports for the last year, and go to the sale and see if you can buy an order buyer lunch and pick his brain. Also google Ethnic Calendar to get a full description of what kind of goat is wanted for what holiday.

A word of advice - do yourself a favor and do not breed your first timers for winter kidding the first couple of years until you get some experience under your belt.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Hick22145 said:


> Ok thank you both. You want them about six to ten months old when you sell them correct? So kid early like jan. Feb. and then again around oct.? Would them be ok times you think. Also I have a small sale barn 2 miles down the road that get a lot if the ethnics that use them their self. And two barns about 45 mins away that get the larger buyers. A lot of the people that go to the sale down the road here drive past my house I know that I could get them to come straight here but they like to butcher on the farm and I don't think me and my wife want that right now( maybe when our kids get older). I know that would be the best market direct but you have to keep the family happy! Thanks again for the help


It depends on your area and what is in demand. The best prices here are Jan until Easter, then they drop until about the middle to end of August. You can try the small barns, but I would be willing to bet you will have better luck at the bigger barns because there is more competition among the buyers. I tried the off farm route, but quickly discovered the ethnic group in my area does not want to pay a fair price for my goats so I take them to the sale barn.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I sell mine between 3-4 months. Here I find that the market doesn't really go up that much and they like ones young the best. Honestly the best thing you could do if your taking them to the sale is just sit and watch or befriend someone in your area. Its totally crazy how much things change from place to place.......even the two sales around me are different in their buyers and they are only about 30 miles away from each other.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Jessica, are those Easter kids?


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## Hick22145 (Oct 11, 2013)

Thank you all for the help it really cleared things up for me!


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