How to Build a Goat Farm

Check local regulations. Maybe where you live doesn’t allow goats, especially in urban areas. Contact your nearest local authority, building inspector or local government agencies to see if there is a regulation that allows only certain breeds of goats to be kept, or whether male goats are not allowed. castration or are there any other restrictions. You should also ask the landlord if you are renting land.

• Make it clear whether you intend to raise goats for business or just to meet a family need, as there may be different rules that apply to each case. ^[1]

Plan to raise at least two goats. Goats are social animals and will often not be tame or try to escape if kept alone. You should keep at least two goats in each fenced area. ^[2] Un-castrated male goats cannot be kept with female goats, so you may need to purchase more than two. Read on for advice in deciding whether to buy a male or female goat.

Determine how many male and female goats to buy. There are three main types of goats divided by sex: female goats, un-castrated male goats (brows), and castrated male goats. Female goats need to be fertilized before they can produce milk, but breeding male goats takes a lot of work. Male goats need to be kept separate, can have strong odors and are often quite aggressive. ^[3] The easiest way to start a goat farm is to buy 2 female goats and hire another goat farmer to breed your female goat with their male goat.

• Castrated male goats are unable to reproduce or produce milk. They are often sold as pets in farms. Many people will have to castrate goats if their goat farm has too many male goats born.
• If you want to buy a male goat, you should consider paying extra for a mating record. You will have more information about its characteristics to help reduce the risk of genetic defects in your goat herd.

Choose the age of the goat. Baby goats around 8 weeks old are usually cheaper than adult goats and can be friendlier if kept close to people, but they require another year to two years of care before they can reproduce, for milk or sold as meat goats. Young goats between six months and a year old will mature in less time and may even be bred before purchase (so they will produce milk sooner). In the end, mature and mature goats may be the least expensive options, but beware of dairy farmers. Maybe they want to sell the worst quality goats in the herd. ^[4]

Choose a breed of goat. Some goat breeds that are suitable for dairy farming are the Nigerian Dwarf, La Mancha, and Alpine. Some other goat breeds are commonly raised for meat such as the Spanish or the Tennessee. Finally, some farms raise Angora or Cashmere goat breeds for their fur to sell. ^[5] Find out which goat breeds are commonly raised in your area, the size of each breed as an adult, and the physical and personality characteristics of each. Some breeds of goats tend to be more tame, some have stronger smelling stallions, and some are more susceptible to certain diseases.

• Before you decide, you may want to learn how to milk, slaughter, or shear a goat. If you don’t want to kill your own goat, look for a nearby professional slaughterhouse to find some output before deciding to raise meat goats.

Estimated costs. The cost of raising goats will vary over time and vary from region to region, similar to the profits you make from selling goat products. If you plan to raise goats for business purposes, it is essential to have an estimate of the expected costs and profits. Try to talk to many goat farmers or read recent goat industry guides to get a fairly accurate estimate of costs. If the estimated results exceed your budget, you may need to decide whether to purchase fewer goats or to purchase a different breed. Remember that goat farming may not be profitable for the first two years or so, especially if you plan to raise baby goats or have to pay for upfront costs like fencing.

• How much does it cost to raise a female goat, male goat or baby goat for a year? Try to find answers for the breed of goat you choose if possible.
• If you are going to raise goats for milk, how much milk can one female goat produce? How much milk can you sell for?
• If you raise goats for meat, you need to calculate how much a meat goat will sell. Do meat goats sell for a better price during special times of the year like Islam, Christmas or Easter?
• How much money do you need to prepare to deal with unexpected things like fence repairs or veterinary expenses? If one of the goats dies, will it cause you financial difficulties?