# So far for the year im in the negative



## imthegrt1 (Jan 13, 2013)

Well it's been 6 month of got buying and goat raising .
I decided to to we're I'm at in debt.
So lets see
25 goats total for the year 1800.00
Sold 9
14 left and weare at 1175.00 in debt on goats
Now housing and fenceing
About 900.00 in metal
About 1800.00 at lowes
84 lumber add another 475.00
Tax and farm store about 700.00
Hay- around 270.00
Grain- around 90.00
O and yea paper work 310.00
This puts us at - 5100.00- in the red for the year so far
What I have to show
Nice 12x24 mini barn 
4 mini goat houses
5 acears of land fenced in with electric and woven fence
14 goats mostly boer
Abga and usbga
Couple bucks
12 does
A few bred
And we have kept 
3 kids
. So lets see how these next 6 months go since I've spent most big money just got to not buy no more lol


----------



## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

imthegrt1 said:


> Well it's been 6 month of got buying and goat raising .
> I decided to to we're I'm at in debt.
> So lets see
> 25 goats total for the year 1800.00
> ...


I need about $14k more in expense this year to avoid the taxman. Looks like I need to go by more goats before the end of the year


----------



## ogfabby (Jan 3, 2013)

I'm not even going to add mine up...my husband may make me quit.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

First few years are the most expensive.


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

You have improved the value of your property.
And yes, the first year or two is a huge investment, especally if you are building barn or shelters, fencing etc.


----------



## imthegrt1 (Jan 13, 2013)

I'll hang in there lol just a little down now that's a load of money for 6 month
But it feels good when the kids r born


----------



## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

I have 15 goats. Currently 7 doelings, 1 buckling, 2 bucks, and 5 mature does. I have $3700 in the animals price alone. That is not even counting the $400 a ton for show feed I spent and need to go get again. I think I only spent about $600 on hay the past 1 year. So your not doing bad. Could be worse.


----------



## ogfabby (Jan 3, 2013)

Just remember, most of your expenses have come from 1 time expenses. I.e. fencing and buildings. The goat upkeep is just a small portion.


----------



## mmiller (Apr 3, 2012)

I dont know if I wanna add it up!! It might scare me... I have my own hayfields that I have cut on shares so I dont have that expense. An yes fencing is gonna be your biggest expense for the first few years. T-post are 4 stinkin dollars!!! Maybe I should be in the T-Post makin business!!


----------



## imthegrt1 (Jan 13, 2013)

mmiller said:


> I dont know if I wanna add it up!! It might scare me... I have my own hayfields that I have cut on shares so I dont have that expense. An yes fencing is gonna be your biggest expense for the first few years. T-post are 4 stinkin dollars!!! Maybe I should be in the T-Post makin business!!


Try wood post 6.50 each and corners are 11.99 each and for gates.


----------



## ChismFarms (May 10, 2013)

I feel your pain, or your wallet. I started in the goat biz about three months ago. Bought 9 boer kids and 2 bottle babies at the auction. Then bought two pair, two bred does, and an open doe from a breeder. And the fencing, oh the fencing. Then I built a creep feeder...... I just hope I can make a little profit on my first round a feeder kids! But I have high hopes for the upcoming kids.


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

booohoohoohoooo...Im sorry I cant answer...I'm looking at my check book and its making me cry...:mecry:


----------



## TiffofMo (Jan 10, 2011)

I've been raising goats for 3 yr started with cheep prego Pygmy mixes and worked my way up. Never in the negative to far. Last yr with the money I had saved I started buy reg Nigerians. Then this winter I had all kinds of illness hit me within a 3 month period. By the time I got it under control with vet and meds I was well over $1000 in the hole. So for this yr I will be staying in the hole. As I got feed expense. Hopping next yrs kid crop sells good.


----------



## Bambi (Jun 10, 2012)

Try hay at $13.00 /bale for wheat hay and $16.00/bale for alfalfa. Just hang in there after the first couple of years it should get better.


----------



## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

My goats were my big tax break for last year as our cow operation made money! But, enough loss already! I have spent over $600 this month 
on vet bills. I have never had to have any vet care for over 6 yrs. Then suddenly this year a doe had kidding trouble, the pneumonia that took my
best milker and the charge to put her down. Yikes, if dh sees how much they are costing, he may suggest I get rid of them! (not that I would, but...)

Oh, and the loss of income for 4 registerable Alpine bottle kids- I almost gave them away when I had the emergency trip to Florida last week. No one would feed them, so 
I pretty much gave them to a friend. 

I hope to break even next year and actually show a small profit the following year! Goats sure can be expensive...


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Oh you don't even come close to what I spend!
But I spend around the upwards of $2000 a month in feed, yes, feed alone. But the kids pay for the year every kidding season. 
And the prices on my goats are definatley NOT cheap. The neighbor almost had to move when her dogs ripped up a few of my goats. But thats what happens when your dogs shreds a $20,000 Permanent SGCH, bred doe, and it dies of wounds and infections.


----------



## imthegrt1 (Jan 13, 2013)

How much .......???!! 

Damn big dollars


----------



## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Wow, 20k? Are ALL your goats worth that much? Sheesh. That's really sad, though


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Scottyhorse said:


> Wow, 20k? Are ALL your goats worth that much? Sheesh. That's really sad, though


She was a finished permanent superior genetics grand champoin doe, bred AI to a buck that has been dead for 20 years, She was a spotlight sale doe, so yes she was really expensive.
Most my day old bottle kids will sell at $800-1200 and adults go from there.


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

I know a lady that is a millionare with thousands of acres of ranch land, and she goes to texas several times a year and pays upwards of 10K per goat, she normally comes back with at least ten goats (Boer), she's got to be about 80 years old by now.


----------



## julieq (Feb 25, 2013)

I've been at this with either Nubians, Alpines or ND's since 1998. 

I was always in the red until I figured the raw milk was worth about 100.00 per gallon. Done!


----------



## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces-ADG said:


> She was a finished permanent superior genetics grand champoin doe, bred AI to a buck that has been dead for 20 years, She was a spotlight sale doe, so yes she was really expensive.
> Most my day old bottle kids will sell at $800-1200 and adults go from there.


Hmm, too bad you don't live near me, I don't think you could ship bottle babies..

But someday, SOMEDAY, I will have one of your goats. It's a goal of mine. Addicted, maybe? :help:


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Haha^^ it's not a hobby....it's an addiction for me too! One day I might start shipping kids...


----------



## mirage_mp (Jun 29, 2013)

julieq said:


> I've been at this with either Nubians, Alpines or ND's since 1998.
> 
> I was always in the red until I figured the raw milk was worth about 100.00 per gallon. Done!


How and where do you sell the raw milk? I thought the FDA made such things difficult


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Normally you can sell the milk as livestock use only, but some states don't even allow that.
It's worth about $3-6 a gallon. You can put ads on craigslist and people come and get it from you if they want it.


----------



## mirage_mp (Jun 29, 2013)

Hmm, that's interesting. I'll have to check this state's (Washington) regulations.


----------



## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

NY makes it impossible...you have to be certified just to sell milk for animal consumption...this state is ridiculous about a lot of things...


----------



## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

mirage_mp said:


> Hmm, that's interesting. I'll have to check this state's (Washington) regulations.


Let me know what you find out


----------



## goat luver 101 (Jul 19, 2011)

Been there...I just try not to think about how far in the hole I am with these guys haha


----------



## mirage_mp (Jun 29, 2013)

Scottyhorse said:


> Let me know what you find out


I just Googled it, and you can sell raw milk in Washington state, but you have to jump through a bunch of hoops. (Pay for a license, have your farm and animals checked, etc. ) and with owning a share and also selling for animal use. Just costs a little less. I may check into it more later when I'm farther along with my goats.


----------



## kramsay (Mar 7, 2013)

I have spent $565 in goats, 2 of which died.. then sold one for a $50 profit. So $515. (I have 6 goats now) 
Spent 3 days tearing up a women's fence for her T posts (spent about 2 hours driving around trying to find her house) 
Sold the T posts I didn't need and paid for my woven wire fence (barn is already here!) 
$40 for a round bale I am still feeding  
$50 in feed 
$200 in medicine/vet. 
over $200 in fuel, to go pick up the goats, driving around to find the ladies house to tear up her fence, vet trips, and runs to TSC, when I had no other reason to go to town.. 
So that is a little over $1,000 not to bad but I am 16 married with a son.. thank god my hubby hasn't seen that number! He would freaaaakkk 
I haven't even added up my medicine cabinet stocking bill yet.. I am scared!
Hay for this winter should cost around $100 since I mainly doing round bales. 
Since my babies aren't growing I will probably only have two does having babies this year.


----------



## kramsay (Mar 7, 2013)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces-ADG said:


> She was a finished permanent superior genetics grand champoin doe, bred AI to a buck that has been dead for 20 years, She was a spotlight sale doe, so yes she was really expensive.
> Most my day old bottle kids will sell at $800-1200 and adults go from there.


Now that is a dream world!.... So sorry about your doe. I bet you have a really strong fence, with that much money walking around in a pasture! Did your neighbors pay you for her?


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Yes, they had to. For one, it is against the law to harm livestock, and definitely a huge no no if their dog kills it, they can go to prison for that.

But I have lowered my kid price on some. Some I still sell for $800 though.


----------



## Hootenannyshollow (Jan 3, 2014)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it better at tax time not to show a profit from your farm; only expenses?


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You can only get away with that for a couple years. Then the IRS wants to start seeing a profit.


----------



## Hootenannyshollow (Jan 3, 2014)

ksalvagno said:


> You can only get away with that for a couple years. Then the IRS wants to start seeing a profit.


Ahhh... I see. Well that's when I would conveniently go out of business. wink:smile


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You do need to be careful with that kind of stuff. Don't need an audit.


----------



## Hootenannyshollow (Jan 3, 2014)

ksalvagno said:


> You do need to be careful with that kind of stuff. Don't need an audit.


I'm not in business yet, but if you have all your proof & kept good records & receipts for your purchases I wouldn't think you'd have any worries about being audited.


----------

