# Monthly cost of keeping a couple of mini goats as pets?!



## katlovesaandw (May 30, 2013)

Hubby has pretty much given me the OK but he wants to know after we outlay for the goats, the fence, the housing, etc. for 2 mini goats....either pygmy or mini-nubians or nigerian dwarf, etc.
WHAT is the average cost a month....I have read all the books about how much they eat, etc.
40-50# bag of goat feed at our feed store was $23-25 I noticed. Not sure what hay is, but last time I checked it was like $11-14 a bale.
How long will that last for 2 mini's? Penned 4 days a week and dependent on grain and hay and veggie treats. 3 days a week(when the daycare kids are not here) they will get to freerange in our large fenced yard and graze.

Hope this is not a silly or dumb question but before we go to all the work of setting up pen....I want to make sure he understands so he cannot come back later and be like.....HEY. YKWIM?!

Thanks!


----------



## AmyBoogie (May 20, 2013)

This is a good resource for who needs what when and how much
http://fiascofarm.com/goats/feeding.htm

Not everyone needs a lot of grain. Do you have farmers in the area you can get it from that might be cheaper? I know some areas are just expensive. Around here good horse hay is about $4 per bale.

You can also add in BOSS and Alfalfa pellets to the grain/hay

Then price out wormers, suppliments, and meds. Make up an emergency vet fund. Read this thread for the meds to not be without - http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f186/ten-things-youd-never-without-148053/


----------



## AmyBoogie (May 20, 2013)

Not that the meds, suppliments, and vet would necessarily be a monthly cost but you may want to add that to the front end with your fencing and all. Some things you'll need to keep replenishing more frequently.

Some of the costs can seem a little daunting if you're faced with all the up front costs all at once. But once it settles and you have the little darlings, it seems less so.


----------



## katlovesaandw (May 30, 2013)

HAHA! Yep, our 1st chicken egg was a $400 dollar egg..... so we know all about the costs like that.
The thing he is bringing up is that the chickens and ducks give us eggs, provide us with poop/fertilizer and keep down bugs and flies. And the selling of their eggs covers a lot of their costs most of the year. Plus the factor of pets and calming.
Dogs provide protection for our home and yard, therefore justifying their costs.
Cat keeps mice away.
Goats would be 2 pets....just pets. Yes, they would eat blackberry trimmings, etc. but I am not getting them for milk(do not have time for that) NOR are we eating them(YIKES!). They would be for pets and pets only....SO, while he is very supportive of my animals and an animal lover himself....I am trying to show that while they are going to just be pets.....in the long run, once we get past upfront costs of pen, medication kit, house, etc. MOST of which we can get on freecycle, CL or already have(minus meds)...so cost isnt bad but dealing with monthly costs and showing that 2 small ones eat a lot less, etc.


----------



## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Pets may not need any grain at all ... Pets would be fairly inexpensive to maintain. The biggest costs would be to start out, the fencing, etc.


----------



## AmyBoogie (May 20, 2013)

Hopefully someone with NDs will chime in here with their monthly costs and ideas.

But I know what you mean about the pets thing. Their waste will be great for compost and they will keep down the brush.

I have to say, our dog fence is a fraction the size of the goat fence but cost a heck of a lot more.


----------



## Crystal (Jan 20, 2013)

I have ND. Not sure it would cost for 2 anymore. They are not that expensive for two. Guessing around two to three bales a month. Mine have no grazing area.
I started with 2.LOL for my daughter in FFA to show. Goat manure is a good fertilizer and if you bought does you could bred and make money from the babies to help pay for them. I do not grain mine with a lot. (nursing moms mostly) I give them hay $12 a bale now, goat block($14) & minerals($17). Baking soda($1) is a must. We use kid play houses & dog houses for shelters. Craigslist always has play houses. The kid plastic ones($40-$100). 
When you decide what you want buy from a trusted breeder. A sick goat will be very expensive & a heartache. So be careful of bargains.
Hoof trimmers, leashes, fence, water bucket, shelter, medical supply and the purchase of them will cost the most.


----------



## rhodalee (Feb 11, 2013)

I have 4 adult Nigerian dwarf and it doesn't cost much to feed them. so for just two I would say 3 bails of hay a month and as for grain I give them 1 cup in morning and 1 cup at night. always free choice minerals and baking soda


----------



## hallsthirdacrefarm (Mar 30, 2011)

We have 4 ND goats...3 does and a wether. I buy 15 bales about 3X a year. I feed a mix of grain/black oil sunflower seeds/alfalfa pellet/beet pulp pellets at about $50 for 6 weeks...but I have does who are preggo or lactating. We buy $30 bags of minerals every four months too. My hay cost is $5-7 a bale. Supplements and etc. is about $8 a month.

When we had two dry does before we started breeding cost was about $ 30 a month. Once you start breeding you have at least $250 in supplies...want to make cheese, add another $100 at least. Need to certify disease free, have an emergency etc...at least $75 for the vet. With four goats we breed hike with and milk, we are up to $75-80 month. this year. Having bought all the supplies (dehorning iron, kid box, goat harnesses, packs, cheese stuff, kidding kit, medicine chest...I'd bet we're back to $50 a month next year. If we sell 4 kids a year for at least $100...that takes care of 3 months...and eventually will help us break even.


----------



## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Goat Manure is a terrific fertilizer! 
Ready to use, and no composting needed. So there if your contribution. 

My 2 does were costing me about $200 a month. 
I would spend $50-60 on hay at $12-14 a bale. Goat Rations $25. Alfalfa Pellets $20. Calf Mana Nutritional Supplement $25. Corn/Oats/Barley $20. Sunflower seeds $35. Minerals $15. Baking Soda $5.
These are standard does.
I would assume Minis would cost significantly less.
This is the "monthly" cost, not start-up cost.
Start-up only cost me about $300 in meds, and that happened after I already got the goats. And, ofcourse, $600 for the goats themselves,
I didn't have to pay for fencing, because I scavenged 'free' fencing off of CL for a while before I even got them. 

Please Note: I am in ALASKA. Everything is much more expensive here.


----------

