I love goats. Goats are adorable and funny… but maybe that’s not the best intro for this article. Because this article will be about how to make money by raising goats. But only one item talks about producing goat meat. The rest involves making goat cheese, and using goats as living lawnmowers.
If you own a farm or have a large patch of grassland, goat farming may have crossed your mind. Hopefully, this article will convince you to finally give goat farming a try. But before I start my list, let’s discuss goat quality.
Quality is Essential
You can’t pick up a few random goats and expect them to be profitable. As with all livestock, quality is important. I recommend buying goats from reputable breeders. I also suggest checking out the websites of the American Goat Society and the International Goat, Sheep, Camelid Registry before buying.
Quality goats mean they were raised in humane conditions by knowledgeable breeders. It also means that their breed is legit.
With that out of the way, here are some ways to make money off your goats:
1. Sell the offspring
Selling kids (goats less than a year old) is one of the more profitable things you can do with your goats. Kids can be sold for hundreds of dollars, especially show-quality ones, or ones that come from a line of great milk providers.
If you go this route, I would recommend getting certified as well. You can then use your certification to distinguish your business and your goats.
2. Sell goat’s milk
A good quality dairy goat can produce up to a gallon of milk a day. You will also have to be knowledgeable about local regulations pertaining to producing and selling goat’s milk. While goat’s milk is delicious (and makes for great cheese), some states ban the sale of goat’s milk for human consumption (bummer). I recommend checking with your Food and Drug Administration (FDA) office.
The good news is there’s a demand for goat’s milk for animal consumption, such as dogs. So expect to sell a lot of it to dog breeders and pet owners.
Here are the breeds that are great milk-producers. I suggest sticking to these:
Saanen
Alpine
Nubians
Toggenburgs
Oberhaslis
Guernsey
Nigerians
La Manchas
3. Sell Goat Meat
Goat meat is a delicacy, and there’s a high demand for it in ethnic cuisine. When demand is high, so will the prices. So take advantage of this and look into selling goat meat. Around Easter and Christmas is when demand spikes. Buyers normally do the rounds of goat farms around those times. Usually, Boer goats, which are known for producing high-quality meat, fetch the highest prices.
Boer goats are one of the best breeds for meat, but you can also raise the following breeds:
Kiko
Tennessee Meat Goat
Genemaster
Texmaster
Savanna
Spanish
4. Turn Them into Living Lawnmowers!
If you haven’t noticed yet, Goats will eat everything (and anything!) in their path. So it’s not surprising that companies, such as WeRentGoats, rent out goats for the purpose of clearing vegetation. The state government of California is a frequent employer of goat lawnmowers. Goats provide a valuable service: they clear brushy areas, preventing wildfires in the process.
If this is something you’d like to do, you’ll need around 50 heads of goats. You’ll also need several sheep dogs to keep your stubborn goats in line!
Since the goats won’t be used for their milk or meat, any breed will do.
The Verdict
Raising goats is a fun, legit way to earn money! Just remember to buy goats from reputable breeders, and treat your herd humanely. If you put in the time to raise high-quality goats, the payoff can be immense!
Your Turn
This is how I made money of my goats. Now it’s your turn to share. How do you earn from your goats? Got any tips or secrets to share?
Let’s hear your stories!
