The Case for Raising Goats on a Small Farm - Part 3
Welcome Back
So we’ve reached the final article on the case for raising small goats on a small farm. We’ve talked about how raising cattle *for a side business* doesn’t make much sense on a small farm. We also covered most of the basics for each animal and their requirements.
Today we’ll compare the pros and cons of both animals.
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Goats vs Cattle
If you followed along on the last two articles, you have probably already picked up on the major differences in growing goats and cattle on a small farm. There are many major differences in the two animals from a growing perspective. Much of it has to do with the size and gestation period differences between the two animals. The rest is the different markets for the two animals.
Basically, with cattle, you’re “late” to the business. The cattle business has been regulated and set up for the large operations for a long time now. It’s been institutionalized. In the cattle business, the deck has been stacked against small operations to make any profits. And it’s becoming that way for many of the larger cattle operations as well due to inflation and supply issues.
With goats, the market is much smaller from a meat supply perspective. So it seems we’re still “early” in that regard. This is due to the nature of goat meat consumption. It’s typically only marketed towards various ethnic groups due to their preference for goat meat. As we continue to see rising costs, goat meat could become more popular, which would possibly make raising goats even more lucrative.
Let’s herd on over into some of the major Pros and Cons for the two operations.
Fencing and Handling Requirements
Fencing - Goats require more fencing since they are smaller animals and can easily slip through fence strands. You could get buy with barbed wire typically used for cattle, but you will need more horizontal strands. Square goat wire fencing is best for keeping in goats. This type of fence works for cattle as well, so if you are setting up a new place, I would definitely opt for goat fencing, so you have more options.
Handling - Goats are easier than cattle to handle, period. Depending on how many goats you have, a collar on their neck will allow you to easily handle them and move them where you want. I can pick up an adult goat and move them into a cage for transport in the back of a pickup.
It’s important to note, nigerian goats and goats that are rarely around people can be difficult to catch!
With my goats, they are very docile and used to being around people. So if someone wants to buy one of my goats, they drive over with a pickup truck and we load him up into the back. It might take 20 minutes.
Cattle are much more difficult to handle. Some of them can be gentle, but even then, they are not easily transported or moved to different pastures. If a cow gets out of your fencing, it could be a difficult problem recovering the animal, not to mention a wild bull with horns.
Loading cattle for transport is another obstacle. Wooden or metal chutes are typically used to guide cattle into a livestock trailer. These trailers are big and heavy, they are expensive and require a large diesel truck to pull a full trailer. This adds significant cost to your operation.
Feed Requirements
We covered the pasture requirements. You could fit 6-10 goats easily on 20 acres. You could only fit 2-3 cattle on 20 acres, per the AUM management numbers. Even with a nice pasture, these animals still require hay supplement.
Adult goats can eat up to 4 pounds of hay per day, cattle will eat up to 26 pounds of hay per day. It would be ideal if the animals grazed strictly on grass, but hay is good to have as an option for these animals for a supplement.
Goats require dry hay, without mold. So you need a feeder that keeps the hay up off of the ground and remains dry at all times. Cattle are easier in this regard since they are able to eat wet hay, you don’t have to take precautions to keep their hay dry in the field. You will need some way to transport large heavy round bales for cattle though.
Goats can be supplemented easily by walking them out to a leafy/brushy area for a few hours. You can also cut branches and throw over into the pen for them to browse. Cattle can only be supplemented with hay or feed. Depending on how your are planning to raise your cattle, they will need feed toward the end of their growing life in order to add fat and marbling to the beef, this is extra cost that goats don’t require.
Portable electric fencing can be used easily for goats to give them a new browsing area. They are easily led by collar to the new location. Cattle, with their size makes this almost impossible without a proper set up. Horses and dogs are usually used to help move cattle, this increases costs.
Gestation Period/Birthing
Goat gestation period is 5 months and they typically have 2 kids. Cattle gestation period is 8 months resulting in a single calf. This fact alone tells you that a cattle operation on a small farm with 20 acres would not be as productive as a goat operation.
The best avenue for farming cattle on a small farm is to buy steer calves from a larger farmer. That way they are already weened and castrated, ready to grow on your grass. The larger farmer should have chutes to load the steers up on a trailer easily, and unloading them into your pasture should be easy.
Loading back up to go to the butcher when the steers are grown could be a fun process without loading chutes. (I’m taking my steer to the butcher next month and am constantly thinking about how the hell I’m gonna get him in that trailer 🤣) I’ll let ya’ll know how it goes.
Trying to raise cattle by breeding just doesn’t make sense on a small farm. There’s added costs in keeping an established bull separate from your cow(s) throughout the year. You will need to move the cows into the pen with the bull which is difficult due to the size of these animals. The cows could birth heifers which require longer growth time. Castration requires special equipment that is expensive. It’s better to skip this process unless you already have this equipment on your farm.
Meat and Dairy
Some goats are able to produce quality milk and their kids can also bring money at the meat markets. This gives them a big advantage over cattle. Most dairy steer calves are not fetching much money at the sales, or in general due to their smaller frame size and lower muscle tone. Dairy calves are typically used for veal, I’m not sure on the numbers they bring at the market, but I’m sure it’s not as much as a full grown meat breed steer.
Free milk is valuable to your small farm given the rising costs at the grocery store. A dairy goat is much smaller and easier to milk than a diary cow. Dairy cows require a stall to hold them while you milk, which is an added cost. Goats can be easily walked to the homemade milking stand.
Shelter
Goats do require basic shelter. They do not like rain, so they need a small shelter with at least 3 walls to get out of the wind and rain. This will keep them healthy and happy. Cattle do not require shelter, they are in fact Bylt Diffrynt in that regard.
Goat shelter can be easily built, a simple roof with some boards on the walls will be sufficient. If you have a barn with stalls, that is even better, but it’s not necessary.
The math breakdown for Cattle and Goats
Let’s go back over the numbers for both goats and cattle.
Cattle:
Per the AUM pasture management numbers, you could only put 2 steers on 20 acres. Now if you have plenty of hay supplement, you could definitely get by with 4-5 steers on twenty acres.
Let’s say you’re raising 5 steer calves bought from a farmer for sale at the sale barn:
5 Steer Calves ($300) - $1500
Supplement Hay/Medicine - $1500
Sale at barn in 12 months for $850 - $4250
Profit = Possibly $1250
5 Steer calves bought from a farmer for direct customer beef:
Steer Calves - $1500
Supplement Hay/Medicine - $1500
Corn (finishing if needed) - $1600
Sale Beef to Customer in 12 months ($4/Hanging Weight 700 pounds) - $14000
Butcher Fee - $5000
Profit = Possibly $4400
Goats
Per the AUM pasture management guide, you can raise 6 goats on 20 acres. However, with proper management and supplement, you could easily raise 10 or more goats in this area.
Year 1 - 10 nanny goats bred for sale at the meat market:
10 nanny goats ($250) - $2500
Established Billy - ($300)
Supplement hay/Medicine - $500
2 goats per nanny = 20 kids
(70 pounds kids in 4-5 months - 49 pound hanging weight at $5 per pound) Meat market sale = $4900
Total Expenses = $3300
Profit (year one) = Possibly $1600
Year 2 - 10 nanny goats bred for sale at the meat market (you still have your original nanny herd):
Supplement hay/medicine - $500
2 goats per nanny at meat market = 20 kids
(70 pounds kids in 4-5 months - 49 pound hanging weight at $5 per pound)
Meat market sale = $4900
Expenses = $500
Profit (year two) = Possibly $4400
As you can see, once you get an established herd of goats, the cost reduces significantly.
Selling beef direct to customer through a third party butcher has risks and more work involved.
The customer could be unhappy with the meat quality
The butcher could do a bad job or not handle the beef properly
Finding customers/marketing/dealing with logistics and pricing
Butchering
It should be noted that butchering your own beef and selling direct to customer is a way to make a good profit. However, it’s tough to get started with this type of operation. Lots of red tape and requirements on butchering beef. It’s a large operation to set up a beef processing company on a small farm. Not an easy task, but offers the most upside.
Another thing I really like about goats is the fact they they are much simpler to butcher if needed. An adult goat weighs around 90 pounds. This is less than your average deer. If you have ever skinned your own deer, you will be looking at a goat thinking, this is a walk in the park. Good luck with that 1200 pound steer!
In a SHTF situation, goats can be an easy meat source when you can’t find anything at the store.
Well that about does it with this series. I think I’ve beaten this horse to death so to speak. I hope you enjoyed it.
Next week I’ll start back going over the Build Your Own Fence Guide. Look forward to seeing you then.
WAGMI
Farmer