Goat Ranching

[user 6493]

since getting into the goats I have learned that there may be more money in selling the milk and cheese than in selling the goat kids,,,,the milk will sell for $12 per gallon if sold by the quart and the cheese is just as pricey,,,,,,with just 20 does this is a $20k+ business a year,,,,there is a lot to learn over the next 2 years

 

[Dani]

since getting into the goats I have learned that there may be more money in selling the milk and cheese than in selling the goat kids,,,,the milk will sell for $12 per gallon if sold by the quart and the cheese is just as pricey,,,,,,with just 20 does this is a $20k+ business a year,,,,there is a lot to learn over the next 2 years

Have you looked into all the requirements to gets certified to legally sell in your state? AR may not be as strict.

 

[user 6493]

Have you looked into all the requirements to gets certified to legally sell in your state? AR may not be as strict.

no I have not checked,,,I am at least 18 months away from worrying about that

 

[user 6493]

Googled it

https://www.carrollconews.com/story... of the new,farmers markets or retail outlets.

The basics of the new law provide that Arkansas farms can sell up to 500 gallons of whole raw cow's milk and up to 500 gallons of raw goat's milk per month, directly to consumers for personal use and not for resale. It will still be illegal to sell it at farmers markets or retail outlets.Jul 18, 2013

 

[user 6493]

I will never get that big,,,,it would require more land and many more goats

 

[TexasFreedom]

GG, look carefully at both sides. $20k of income sounds great. But what does it cost in time, money, and talent? Housing, feed, medicine, losses, customer acquisitions, heating, predators... it adds up. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but look carefully before you leap.

 

[user 6493]

GG, look carefully at both sides. $20k of income sounds great. But what does it cost in time, money, and talent? Housing, feed, medicine, losses, customer acquisitions, heating, predators... it adds up. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but look carefully before you leap.

have you ever heard the old saying,,,,no pain no gain,,,,, there are risks in everything we do,,,even walking down the front steps of your home

 

[Dani]

https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/milk-program
It looks like your laws are a little more laxed than in Texas. Lots of resources to look at there but I didn't see what your requirements for your milking parlor will have to be.

 

[Dani]

https://milk.procon.org/raw-milk-laws-state-by-state/according to this you don't even have to have State inspections. . . You are in raw milk heaven if I am understanding this. Here we are regulated by the state and just to bring your milking parlor up to code would cost a fortune, plus the monthly inspections and the constant milk analysis done, which cost the seller.

 

[OldButtoni]

If we didn't have cayotes and red foxes so regularly on our rural place, I'd consider having a few goats. I find them very entertaining personally. But the former owner (who lives next door with his daughter now) said the red fox got all his chickens. We've seen those three times on the property in as many years. Our other neighbor said the cayotes (or foxes, he's not sure) got all of his 40 guineas. Just don't think small livestock raising is going to be possible there, or at the very least, a real battle to maintain safely (or profitably). We HAVE a chicken coop already there, but cayotes and foxes dig under any kind of fencing you put up.

 

[TexasFreedom]

Chickens are all about night-time security. 95% of the predators come at night (if not near the woods) and you've got to lock up the hens if you want them alive in the morning. Now, guineas, I have no use for them. Loud, won't stay in coops, and small eggs. Only good for an alarm clock (eagles, coyotes, snakes, airplanes, people... anything moving). Guineas will end up roosting in trees and the owls will pick them off.

But back to chickens, they are great. Eat the grasshoppers (good for garden). Eggs are great. And in the end they're tasty.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

If we didn't have cayotes and red foxes so regularly on our rural place, I'd consider having a few goats. I find them very entertaining personally. But the former owner (who lives next door with his daughter now) said the red fox got all his chickens. We've seen those three times on the property in as many years. Our other neighbor said the cayotes (or foxes, he's not sure) got all of his 40 guineas. Just don't think small livestock raising is going to be possible there, or at the very least, a real battle to maintain safely (or profitably). We HAVE a chicken coop already there, but cayotes and foxes dig under any kind of fencing you put up.

We are in the woods here and have lots of predators. I had our chicken house made strong with zero way for any predator to get in.

The run was dug down and we put strong welded wire (1/2” mesh) across the bed of the run and surrounded the entire run with 6’ wide treated boards set into the ground with the wire wrapped around it. Then we thickly covered all surrounding area for a few feet wide with rocks. They are at least 10” thick. The run walls are the same strong wire, but 2” mesh. We also had a metal roof put on. Nothing gets in there. I don’t even have to close the door to the chicken house at night...but most of the time I do anyway.

 

[OldButtoni]

Burying wire around a pen will probably work. It's what my Dad put around his 20x20' hunting beagle pen. He had some incredibly, persistent diggers in his pack, too. Once he installed rolled, gnarled-up chicken wire in a 1' trench around the pen, the escaping and digging stopped. He didn't have to go the rock route, but with cayotes around, I'd probably do both. he didn't have a problem with cayotes in Texarkana. I will likely do the wire treatment if I should ever try to raise chickens and use the coop that is there. There are actually two pens/coops and I could even perhaps raise bunnies or ducks/geese on the other side.

 

[user 6493]

Chickens are all about night-time security. 95% of the predators come at night (if not near the woods) and you've got to lock up the hens if you want them alive in the morning. Now, guineas, I have no use for them. Loud, won't stay in coops, and small eggs. Only good for an alarm clock (eagles, coyotes, snakes, airplanes, people... anything moving). Guineas will end up roosting in trees and the owls will pick them off.

But back to chickens, they are great. Eat the grasshoppers (good for garden). Eggs are great. And in the end they're tasty.

I have had all my losses at dawn and mid day,but I do have 2 yard mutts and they do a fair job of keeping the predators away,,,,so far this year I am down 4 hens

 

[Dani]

If we didn't have cayotes and red foxes so regularly on our rural place, I'd consider having a few goats. I find them very entertaining personally. But the former owner (who lives next door with his daughter now) said the red fox got all his chickens. We've seen those three times on the property in as many years. Our other neighbor said the cayotes (or foxes, he's not sure) got all of his 40 guineas. Just don't think small livestock raising is going to be possible there, or at the very least, a real battle to maintain safely (or profitably). We HAVE a chicken coop already there, but cayotes and foxes dig under any kind of fencing you put up.

if you really want to have goats but have predator problems, keep a donkey in with them. They do not like anything in their pasture that shouldn't be there and will stomp them! When we had donkeys they would consistently go after our dogs when they went into their pasture.

horned goats are not an easy target either, but your neighbors bird flock is. Something to keep in mind. With that zaid, I wouldn't get them until you are living permanently on the property.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Burying wire around a pen will probably work. It's what my Dad put around his 20x20' hunting beagle pen. He had some incredibly, persistent diggers in his pack, too. Once he installed rolled, gnarled-up chicken wire in a 1' trench around the pen, the escaping and digging stopped. He didn't have to go the rock route, but with cayotes around, I'd probably do both. he didn't have a problem with cayotes in Texarkana. I will likely do the wire treatment if I should ever try to raise chickens and use the coop that is there. There are actually two pens/coops and I could even perhaps raise bunnies or ducks/geese on the other side.

If things get so bad our delivery system stops or dramatically decreases, you would be able to live off of rabbits and chickens. Just a thought Buttoni.

 

[Mountain trapper]

We've got just every predator from bears, wolves, coyotes, fox etc. The only chicken that we've lost was from a coyote. And that's because the gate to the run was frozen open. My fault. Once I chipped about 6" of ice I could close the gate. No more problems.
We did lose 11 ducks to coyotes one night. The ducks don't return to the coop at night. I'm in the process of building a duck house and run so that doesn't happen again.

 

[Maverick]

We fed wild peacocks to keep them around the chicken coup, the males get very aggressive with predators during spring and summer plus we also eat the peafowls.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

We fed wild peacocks to keep them around the chicken coup, the males get very aggressive with predators during spring and summer plus we also eat the peafowls.

Interesting Mav. I’ve never eaten one. What do they taste like? And don’t tell me chicken.

 

[DrHenley]

Interesting Mav. I’ve never eaten one. What do they taste like? And don’t tell me chicken.

Do they go good with peas?

 

[Maverick]

Interesting Mav. I’ve never eaten one. What do they taste like? And don’t tell me chicken.

Kind of like turkey but better in my opinion.

 

[Maverick]

Kind of like turkey but better in my opinion.

Hen, grandkid friend shot this on the property in 07 (Dinner)

Male

Small flock passing through, they get along with the chickens, they will kill roosters.

 

[user 6493]

well I had decided no more goats until the spring,,,,but then I found this little guy,,,10 weeks old,,love the coloring and he is what I am breeding,,,,Nubian Boer cross,,,and only $75.00,,,to good a deal to pass up so we are up to 8 goats

 

[Dani]

Cute but please keep in mind that your billies will try to continuously establish a pecking order. There will be blood shed.

 

[Dani]

Cute but please keep in mind that your billies will try to continuously establish a pecking order. There will be blood shed.

it will be happening a few years down the road, but trust me, it will happen.

 

[user 6493]

it will be happening a few years down the road, but trust me, it will happen.

we will cross that bridge when we get there,,,,,what else can I do

 

[Dani]

Just keep in mind they will be bigger and harder to handle. Not impossible. I kept two billies myself at first. . . one boer and one nubian/spanish cross.

 

[user 6493]

Just keep in mind they will be bigger and harder to handle. Not impossible. I kept two billies myself at first. . . one boer and one nubian/spanish cross.

I know they will get big,a lot bigger,,,,,,I went to the sale Saturday and there was a boer Billy and he was huge,,,I have seen ponys that weren't as big,,,,he was awesome

 

[TexasFreedom]

The only thing they don't tell you about peacocks. Loud doesn't begin to describe them. You'll think you're living at Jurassic Park. Sound like dinosaurs.

 

[user 6493]

The only thing they don't tell you about peacocks. Loud doesn't begin to describe them. You'll think you're living at Jurassic Park. Sound like dinosaurs.

no doubt about them being loud,,,,my old home in Florida was almost as remote as this place when I first moved there and we would hear them ,for over a year we had no idea what was making all the noise and then one day I turned down a dirt road right into them and off they went,,,man what a racket when I got home and told the news it was a surprise to everyone