The A to Z of Meat Goat Production

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The A to Z of Meat Goat Production The A to Z of Meat Goat Production

Russell Ramsey, Russell Ramsey,

Regional Agriculture Regional Agriculture

Business Management Business Management

Specialist, University Specialist, University of Missouri Extension of Missouri Extension

SARE National SARE National Conference

Conference--August August 1515--17, 200617, 2006

Oconomowoc, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

Wisconsin

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The Goat Market The Goat Market

““In 2009, there will In 2009, there will be 22 million

be 22 million

people of ethnic people of ethnic

origin in the U.S.

and 4.2 million and 4.2 million

goats will be goats will be

needed to feed this needed to feed this

number of number of

consumers.” quote consumers.” quote byby

Marvin Marvin ShurleyShurley

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Advantages to Meat Goat Advantages to Meat Goat

Production Production

Brush Management. Brush Management.

Utilize low quality roughage. Utilize low quality roughage.

Can be inexpensive to raise. Can be inexpensive to raise.

Small with good disposition. Small with good disposition.

Suitable for home slaughter. Suitable for home slaughter.

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Goats

Goats - - Not A Get Rich Enterprise Not A Get Rich Enterprise

Goats are not a “get rich quick” Goats are not a “get rich quick”

enterprise.

Demand for goat meat “ Demand for goat meat “ chevon chevon ” is ” is about double the domestic market.

about double the domestic market.

Prospective goat producers should Prospective goat producers should investigate market conditions,

investigate market conditions,

estimate costs, and work out a rough estimate costs, and work out a rough

budget for their farm.

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Missouri Goat Budget Missouri Goat Budget

Budget for Spring kidding program for one hundred meat-type does and three bucks.

assumptions

1 170 percent kid crop raised; 20 doe kids saved as replacements 2 Does purchased at $150 each; bucks at $300 each

3 Limited supplemental feeding of hay to does during winter; limited grain feeding during late gestation amd early lactation.

Kids fed 1.0 pound per day for 100 days postweaning. 1/2 lb/Hd/Day for 100 days = 50 lbs. cost $10 Income amount/doe

type price total

kids 70 lbs. x 1.25/lb x1.5 kids $131.25

cull does 100 lbs. x .70/lb x 16 cull does $11.20

gross income/doe $142.45

Expenses

Pasture cost 5 goats per acre @ $25 per acre $4.60

Hay 194 lbs. x .0232/lb $4.50 stockpilled fescue can reduce this

Grain 50 lbs. @ .20/lb $10.00

Veterinary Dewormer 6 times per year $4.80

vaccinations $0.42

insecticides $0.24

Salt & Mineral 43 lbs. @ .22 per lb $9.46

Buildings & Fences 6 wire fence + interior + alley $10.00

Marketing & Hauling $7.50

Vehicles, Fuel, Utilities & Misc $6.00

Operating Capital Interest 200 days x 6.25% X $15,900 (100 does three bucks) $4.98

Operating cost per doe $62.50

Net Receipts per doe $79.95

by University of Missouri Extension Livestock Specialist Randall Saner

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Agriculture Industry Agriculture Industry

Wall Street Journal: “goats have Wall Street Journal: “goats have become one of the fastest growing become one of the fastest growing

U.S. agricultural industries.

Goat meat consumption is Goat meat consumption is increasing.

increasing.

Goat meat has lower fat content than Goat meat has lower fat content than lamb or beef.

lamb or beef.

Goat meat is consumed by 80 per Goat meat is consumed by 80 per cent of the world population.

cent of the world population.

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Profitability Profitability

One of the key questions to answer One of the key questions to answer before starting an enterprise is, “will before starting an enterprise is, “will

it be profitable?”

Sample budgets will help sort out the Sample budgets will help sort out the various categories of expenses to

various categories of expenses to consider.

consider.

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Goats per Acre?

6 doe goats and 9 to 12 kids per acre 6 doe goats and 9 to 12 kids per acre compared to 1 cow

compared to 1 cow - - calf pair per acre. calf pair per acre.

Raise 60 does and 90 Raise 60 does and 90 - - 120 kids on 120 kids on

ten acres compared to ten cows and ten acres compared to ten cows and

ten calves on ten acres.

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Multi

Multi - - Species Grazing Species Grazing

Can add 1 to 2 goats per head of Can add 1 to 2 goats per head of cows grazing the same pasture cows grazing the same pasture

without reducing beef production without reducing beef production according to North Carolina State according to North Carolina State

University.

Goats consume plants cattle avoid. Goats consume plants cattle avoid.

Suppression of brush allows more Suppression of brush allows more grass to grow.

grass to grow.

Use management intensive grazing. Use management intensive grazing.

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Improving Odds of Success Improving Odds of Success

Start with good Start with good - - quality, healthy quality, healthy breeding stock. Purchase from breeding stock. Purchase from

reputable breeder

reputable breeder - - avoid the auction avoid the auction barn.

barn.

Avoid high Avoid high - - dollar stock until you dollar stock until you have gained experience.

have gained experience.

Don’t buy more than you can afford Don’t buy more than you can afford to lose, and don’t borrow money to to lose, and don’t borrow money to

the learn the business.

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Bob and Lana Bare Bob and Lana Bare

4054 Slack Pike 4054 Slack Pike

Maysville, Ky. Maysville, Ky.

41056 41056

606606--759759--75737573

lanabare@alltel.netlanabare@alltel.net

www.elmspringboewww.elmspringboe rgoats.com

rgoats.com

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Bob and Lana Bare Bob and Lana Bare

Feed hay to their Feed hay to their goats year

goats year--round. round.

Use grain ration Use grain ration mix developed by mix developed by

University of University of

Kentucky.

Goats on open Goats on open pasture land.

pasture land.

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Bob and Lana Bare Ton Mix Ration Bob and Lana Bare Ton Mix Ration

10 % Cotton Seed Hulls 10 % Cotton Seed Hulls

30 % Whole Corn 30 % Whole Corn

40 % Soy Hull Pellets 40 % Soy Hull Pellets

20 % Distillers Grain 20 % Distillers Grain

150 lbs. Wet Molasses 150 lbs. Wet Molasses

10 lbs. Ammonium Chloride 10 lbs. Ammonium Chloride

2 lbs. Vitamin Pack 2 lbs. Vitamin Pack - - Selenium Mix Selenium Mix

10 lbs. Salt 10 lbs. Salt

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Bob and Lana Bare Farm Bob and Lana Bare Farm

““Closed herd” of 350 Closed herd” of 350 goats on 50 acres of goats on 50 acres of

pasture.

Purchase bucks and Purchase bucks and quarantine them for quarantine them for

35 days.

WethersWethers are marketed are marketed at local livestock

at local livestock auction.

auction.

Does sold as breeders.Does sold as breeders.

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Parasite Control Parasite Control

Use FAMACHA Use FAMACHA technique to technique to

determine parasite determine parasite

load and natural load and natural

parasite resistance parasite resistance

of individual of individual

animals.

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FAMACHA FAMACHA

measures levels of measures levels of

anemia or blood anemia or blood

loss (not fecal egg loss (not fecal egg

counts) and counts) and

treatment treatment

decisions based on decisions based on

these levels.

Proper training is Proper training is imperative before imperative before using this system.

using this system.

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Bob and Lana Bare Bob and Lana Bare

Utilize Utilize farrowingfarrowing crates for kidding.

crates for kidding.

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Utilize Existing Facilities Utilize Existing Facilities

Bob and Lana Bare Bob and Lana Bare use beef show barn use beef show barn

in their goat in their goat

operation.

Alley way of barn Alley way of barn serves as a

serves as a

working area for working area for

their goats.

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Predator Control

Predator Control - - A Must! A Must!

Maximize income Maximize income by maximizing the by maximizing the number of animals number of animals

for sale.

Concentrate on kid Concentrate on kid crop born and keep crop born and keep

the kids alive and the kids alive and well through good well through good

nutrition, health nutrition, health

care, and predator care, and predator

control.

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Marketing Goats Marketing Goats

Southeast Missouri Southeast Missouri

Meat Goat Association Meat Goat Association

Pooled Sale . Pooled Sale .

Nearly 1400 goats Nearly 1400 goats were marketed in were marketed in

December of 2005.

Goats were weighed & Goats were weighed &

graded.

Sent to Pennsylvania.Sent to Pennsylvania.

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Marketing Marketing

Different ethnic Different ethnic populations will populations will prefer different prefer different

types of goats.

Size, sex, Size, sex,

breed>>>>They breed>>>>They

Matter!!!!!

Strongest markets Strongest markets along Eastern U.S.

along Eastern U.S.

Coast and Florida.

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Pooled Sale Day Pooled Sale Day

One goat or a One goat or a trailer load.

trailer load.

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Pooled Sale Day Pooled Sale Day

Trailer load or even Trailer load or even a double

a double--deck deck trailer load.

trailer load.

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Improving Odds of Success Improving Odds of Success

Keep expenses to a Keep expenses to a minimum. This is minimum. This is

accomplished by accomplished by using forages as using forages as

much as possible, much as possible,

keeping equipment keeping equipment simple, and using a simple, and using a preventative health preventative health

care plan.

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Marketing Marketing

Peak demand for Peak demand for goat meat occurs goat meat occurs

at Easter, on at Easter, on

Muslin holidays, on Muslin holidays, on

the 4

the 4^th^th of July, and of July, and at Christmas.

at Christmas.

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Sales Manager Sales Manager

Coordinates the Coordinates the pooled sale.

pooled sale.

Serves as the goat Serves as the goat grader.

grader.

Bill Bill SheehySheehy, ,

Ironton, Missouri.

573573--546546--3536.3536.

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Utilizing Old Auction Facility Utilizing Old Auction Facility

Collection point for Collection point for pooled sale in

pooled sale in Southeast

Southeast Missouri.

Missouri.

Certified Scales a Certified Scales a must.

must.

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Conditions for Success Conditions for Success

Must have a viable Must have a viable market.

market.

Market price must Market price must exceed cost of

exceed cost of production.

production.

Goal of 1.5 kids Goal of 1.5 kids weaned for every weaned for every

doe bred.

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Marketing Marketing

Farm GateFarm Gate--market market at the farm if you at the farm if you

only produce a few only produce a few kids each year and kids each year and

ethnic populations ethnic populations

are near you.

Muslins and Muslins and

Hispanics may Hispanics may

want to slaughter want to slaughter

the animals on the animals on

site.

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Attention Goat Producers Attention Goat Producers

The Missouri Meat The Missouri Meat Goat Association, Goat Association,

Southeast Division, Southeast Division,

has planned an open has planned an open

pooled goat sale for pooled goat sale for

December, 2006.

You do not have to be You do not have to be a member to consign a member to consign

goats.

Sell per poundSell per pound-- certified scales.

certified scales.

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Marketing Your Product Marketing Your Product

Over 1000 pounds Over 1000 pounds of goat served

of goat served

during the annual during the annual

homecoming.

Puxico is in Puxico is in Southeast Southeast

Missouri.

Tradition since the Tradition since the end of WWII.

end of WWII.

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Marketing Your Product Marketing Your Product

We can be like the We can be like the dairy producers!

dairy producers!