Why Meat Goats? (Part 3)

In the 1990’s as the Dixie Chicks sang about wide open spaces, and Tim McGraw sang about living where the green grass grows, I dreamed of residing in such a place. Driving in the country among crops and fence lines, a deep peace entered my soul and calmed me like nothing else. Friends and family probably aren’t surprised that I’m living in the country raising our kids amongst goats, horses, barn cats, and a trusty heeler. I must say, I doubted many times that this dream would materialize, but God knew all along.

This is the last of three posts explaining how a man raised in the suburbs of Milwaukee and a gal raised by two bankers were lead to pursue raising livestock, meat goats, in particular. To recap, Part 1 introduced us and our family. I talked about where our love of animals and farming came from. In Part 2, I described three of the reasons why we chose to raise meat goats: 1.) The property we have to work with; 2.) Goats themselves; and 3.) Our children. In this post, I’ll continue with the last two reasons: 4.) Profit and 5.) God’s direction.

We love having land to look out upon and the wildlife that frequently visits. It gives us a peaceful haven from the stresses and worries of this world. However, if we are going to own, maintain, and pay taxes on a chunk of land, it ought to give us something in return, and more than just a pretty view. When exploring ways to make our land profitable, meat goats stand out among the many possibilities. To keep this from sounding like a research paper and to spare you all the data, let me highlight a few key facts that make meat goats a profitable endeavor.

The demand for goat meat is at an all time high in the United States and is projected to continue to rise due to growing populations of various ethnic groups as well as health conscious consumers. 80% of the world’s population eats goat meat, especially those of Middle Eastern, South Asian, Latin American, and Caribbean descent, as well as a number of faith groups that consume goats at ceremonial meals.[1] Prior to 1990, the United States exported goat meat. Since 1990, goat meat has no longer been exported, but imported at an increasing rate due to the demand far outweighing the supply.[2] Here are just some numbers to stress the opportunity that exists for meat goat producers: In 1990, 2,994 million pounds of goat meat were imported into the United States for a total value $1.9 million. By 2014, 43,188 million pounds of goat meat were imported for a total value of $94.7 million into the United States.[3] Australia is the world’s biggest exporter of goat meat in the world and in 2018 exported $218 million, with the U.S by far the biggest customer.[4]

There is a slight, ok…pretty big issue with imported goat meat – it’s frozen. A majority of goat meat consumers, especially those that prepare it for religious purposes, want it fresh. Truthfully, local, fresh food of any kind is preferred among most consumers.

That was a look at the United States as a whole, but any farmer before they take on a new endeavor needs to do some market research in his/her area. I do know of some meat goat farmers who are willing to drive across several states to deliver their product to either a meat packer or livestock auction. It’s profitable enough to make the drive worth it. It helps that they are producing 200 to 300 head. Smaller scaled farms will join with several other local farms and have their livestock shipped together. After researching the local market in Michigan, I shouldn’t have to haul my goats very far. The Hillsdale Auction and United Producers in Manchester are both about a 30-minute drive from my home. United Producers has no problem selling every goat that comes across the auction block. That is where we will start selling our kids and culled breeding stock. I am also keeping an eye out for selling them directly off the property. Several of the goat farmers in my area receive multiple calls and visitors each year looking for goats.

More often than not, meat goats are sold on the hoof for a higher price per pound than other livestock. A quick look at recent market results in Manchester from February 10 to April 20 show that steers and heifers are selling from $0.50 to $1.19 per pound; lambs are selling from $1.00 to $2.50 per pound; and kids are selling from $2.00 to $3.20 per pound. Even though we are dealing with unprecedented times with COVID-19 and all that it entails, goat meat is holding its value.

Profitability, of course, depends on initial and ongoing expenses. With all the set up costs – barn, fencing, supplies, breeding stock, added insurance, and equipment – as well as on-going maintenance and feed costs, one must consider when he will break even and when that long awaited profit will be generated. Thankfully, set up costs for goats are minimal. A most basic list includes fencing (which is going to be your greatest cost), a three-sided structure for shelter, a grain trough and hay feeder, water buckets, and hoof trimming and kidding supplies. If the herd can be on pasture/forage, feed costs are slim from Spring through Fall and only a real factor in the Winter. Our cost model shows that we will be profitable by year three, and that is the worst-case scenario. It’s important to mention that the USDA has a cost share program through the NRCS (National Resource Conservation Service) that will help most farmers with things like fencing, watering systems, land clearing, rotational grazing systems and planting of pastures. That will help lower total expenses and bring about a profit sooner. I plan to write a post with more details about that program in the near future.

Raising meat goats is by no means a get-rich-quick scheme. When I factor in how much time is spent caring for the animals, my hourly wage is probably pennies. However, for someone who loves animals like me, the satisfaction and enjoyment of raising them is payment enough. The fact that I will generate income from doing something I love is an added bonus!

On to the final, most-important reason why we chose to pursue meat goat farming…God’s leading! We tend to cover everything our family does in prayer. Often when things go wrong, we can look back and realize we didn’t really pray about it and just kinda forged ahead on our own will. God can still and often does redeem such situations. When we finally realize we need to turn our hearts back Him and seek His will, He comes quickly to our aid ready to forgive and show us the way.

That’s not to say that even when we do pray about something and feel God’s nudging in a certain direction that everything goes swimmingly. There are plenty of bumps and challenges along the way. However, when we do turn to God, asking for His wisdom and discernment, we have confidence that we are within His will and blessings will come either through the lessons learned, through a bountiful harvest, or both. James 1:5 in the Bible says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” As we considered bringing goats onto the property, we prayed and prayed some more. We asked that if this was a way God wanted to bless our family, that He would open the right doors. If this was not something He wanted us to pursue, He would direct our hearts in another direction. He answered our prayers and opened some pretty incredible doors for us to walk through!

I could write several pages about the doors God has opened, but I’ll mention two of the big ones. As we contemplated and prayed about raising meat goats, we were blessed by new neighbors. The Mister ran a very successful cow-calf operation and is on the board of the Jackson County Farm Bureau. The Misses raised meat goats herself for over a decade. They have been wonderful resources for us. They have answered countless questions and offered great advice. They are excited to help us and see us succeed. The Misses also is responsible for putting me in contact with the producer we purchased our foundation herd from. He has been raising meat goats for over 30 years, and is in the process of retiring. The breeding stock he had left was the best of the best. He had weeded out everything else. We received six does that are proven mothers with excellent conformation. The next five will come in a few weeks after their babes are weaned, as well as a well-mannered buck. He has been taking his kids to the auction in Manchester for years and has always received top dollar for them.

I am always in awe at God’s timing. We were eager to start our herd last Fall, but certain circumstances caused a delay. Now we can see that God was lining things up, like experienced, helpful new neighbors and a producer willing to sell his best breeding stock. Patience is hard, but we must trust that God’s timing is always worth the wait.

Thank you again for joining us as we document our journey! I’m really excited to have the opportunity to be an open book as we build this farm from scratch. I am eager to share the ups and downs, the challenges and victories, the frustrations and joys of raising livestock.My hope is that those who follow along will be encouraged to follow whatever endeavor they are called to, whether it be raising livestock or something entirely different. Worthy pursuits often don’t come easily, but come by a whole lot of blood, sweat, tears, and most importantly prayer. God bless you as you pursue your dreams within His will!

[1] http://simplegoodandtasty.com/2011/04/06/goat-the-worlds-favorite-meat [2] https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/goat_meat_market_has_room_for_growth [3] https://meatgoats.ces.ncsu.edu/2015/08/is-there-a-market-for-goat-meat-in-the-us-yes-there-is/ [4] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-26/no-kidding-u-s-goat-imports-are-rising-and-australia-s-winning