The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: highhorse on May 01, 2014, 06:19:27 pm
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:goat:
hi
i just wondered if anyone does goats as a business and if so what do you do?
:)
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plumseverywhere on here makes wonderful goats' milk soap via It's Baaath Time :thumbsup:
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Mine are pets and for milk production for me.
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We have a goat herd as part of our business. A selection of varieties for milk which we make cheese and this years kids are going for meat when they reach a decent kill weight.
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Our goats are part of our business but only a very small bit honestly. I think value-added direct sales is the way to go, either like Plums with soap or with cheese - both ways have some fairly hefty regulations to contend with.
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I think in certain places, there's a good market for goat meat. My butcher said he'd take all we could supply - which is none, but you get my drift.
For meat, the Boer seems to be the breed of choice.
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Yes, started with 3 Boer x cashmere goats 4/5 years ago. 69 on the farm today! 20 males for meat this autumn as we are still keeping the females to increase the herd size. Lots of interest in Goat meat - Countryfile did a piece on the dairy billies a couple of weeks ago - the Boer goat is designed for the meat market so fattens faster.
But - we still only really cover the vet and straw bills and don't cost our labour! The kids sell for around £150/carcass direct from the farm. I did have the skins tanned 2 years ago and sold them, last year I didn't but I will again this year.
www.beremarshfarm.co.uk (http://www.beremarshfarm.co.uk) and the FB page has all the photos www.facebook.com/BereMarshFarm (http://www.facebook.com/BereMarshFarm)