I used to sell my cull goats at Auction and the prices sucked. The middleman made all the money and the farmer gets screwed just like in cattle sales. My best prices and business was selling direct. I did allow dispatching on the farm, but they had to take everything with them. I did not clean up after them.
My Kiko girls sell on the average of $ 150 and I can’t hardly give the boys away. I take the boys to the stockyard and get about $ 70 a piece. I may look in the butchering on site. We are located in central KY
Thanks for this video. I have questions. Do you have a general philosophy and policy on earning a profit from your animals? My partner and I have about 200 animals, sheep and goats, and this number includes all ages. We sell an animal or two when we have a bill to pay, but my partner does not want to regularly sell animals in order to have a regular income. He says that at the end of the year we would have no animals. That is silly but what IS a good policy? We have two good male goats and one very good male sheep, so our animals are mating twice a year. We do have a problem with baby goats dying, but our animals are in pens in the desert and we can not always identify the cause of death. So, forgive the big question of how to make a profit, but I would love to be smarter with the animals. Several times we have had about 20 male kids to sell, and a few times we have had maybe 10 male lambs to sell. We try to keep probably 90 percent of newborn females. What do you think?
I think it is fine to keep as many as you like to build your herd to the size you desire as long as you are able to pay your bills. For most people , there comes a point where you have more animals than you can care for. I like to stay just below that limit and have a plan for how many I hope to sell each season. If prices are low, I may hold a few more back. If prices are high, I may sell a few more than usual. The main thing is for you and your partner to have a strategy that you both agree upon and can work towards together.
Thank you again for your time. I know you are very busy. I understand your advice. It seems very sensible. Hay and grain prices have almost tripled in the last two years so that has put a kink in the project. Sometimes the selling price is good--for here, in the desert of Tunisia, that means a good goat might sell for 200-250 dollars. A good male might bring 400. Males for mating could bring even one thousand. But the average price for a decent goat is about 150 dollars and for a sheep, maybe 200. For the past two summers, we took our animals up north, to Kef, and rented a pasture. The first year this cost about one thousand dollars, but last year it was almost 3 thousand so even pasture land is getting expensive. But we both love the animals. I just want to use my brain a little more and my heart a little less. Thank you again. Janet @@rollingofarm
Thanks for the great content - how do I find the largest volume sell barns, or a report that ranks sell barn pricing so that I can decide if its worth it to drive farther out?
There would be too many factors for me to say without knowing the productivity of your land, management practices, and local market. On good land you should be able to run 3-5 per acre max.
We are interested in selling animals and then letting people butcher them here. Can I ask why you didn't like that method? I know it probably varies state to state but do you know if there are any regulations around this method? Thank you, I really appreciate your help.
I don't know all the regulations of letting the customer butcher the animal on at your place, but there are are regulations if you butcher the animal and sell the meat. There is definitely money to be made by letting the customer butcher on your property. I just don't enjoy the experience, time and mess.
I used to sell my cull goats at Auction and the prices sucked. The middleman made all the money and the farmer gets screwed just like in cattle sales. My best prices and business was selling direct. I did allow dispatching on the farm, but they had to take everything with them. I did not clean up after them.
Just recently discovered your channel and absolutely love your videos. So informative! Thanks for taking the time to make such good quality videos!
You are so welcome!
So glad that I found you and your channel! I too am in north Alabama and just started my sheep farm!
That’s great! Good luck to you.
I’m just starting out to raising goats
I always support local auction. It’s the best way to establish a fair price, as opposed to a big buyer coming to your place
Until the local auction sells 120 dollar sheep for 20 to 50 dollars because there’s no buyers
Sir you are the Best 🙏
My Kiko girls sell on the average of $ 150 and I can’t hardly give the boys away. I take the boys to the stockyard and get about $ 70 a piece. I may look in the butchering on site. We are located in central KY
What sale barn are you using? We are moving to KY and we're looking for a sale barn for sheep and goats
We will be in South Central Kentucky
Thanks for this video. I have questions. Do you have a general philosophy and policy on earning a profit from your animals? My partner and I have about 200 animals, sheep and goats, and this number includes all ages. We sell an animal or two when we have a bill to pay, but my partner does not want to regularly sell animals in order to have a regular income. He says that at the end of the year we would have no animals. That is silly but what IS a good policy? We have two good male goats and one very good male sheep, so our animals are mating twice a year. We do have a problem with baby goats dying, but our animals are in pens in the desert and we can not always identify the cause of death. So, forgive the big question of how to make a profit, but I would love to be smarter with the animals. Several times we have had about 20 male kids to sell, and a few times we have had maybe 10 male lambs to sell. We try to keep probably 90 percent of newborn females. What do you think?
I think it is fine to keep as many as you like to build your herd to the size you desire as long as you are able to pay your bills. For most people , there comes a point where you have more animals than you can care for. I like to stay just below that limit and have a plan for how many I hope to sell each season. If prices are low, I may hold a few more back. If prices are high, I may sell a few more than usual. The main thing is for you and your partner to have a strategy that you both agree upon and can work towards together.
Thank you again for your time. I know you are very busy. I understand your advice. It seems very sensible. Hay and grain prices have almost tripled in the last two years so that has put a kink in the project. Sometimes the selling price is good--for here, in the desert of Tunisia, that means a good goat might sell for 200-250 dollars. A good male might bring
400. Males for mating could bring even one thousand. But the average price for a decent goat is about 150 dollars and for a sheep, maybe 200. For the past two summers, we took our animals up north, to Kef, and rented a pasture. The first year this cost about one thousand dollars, but last year it was almost 3 thousand so even pasture land is getting expensive. But we both love the animals. I just want to use my brain a little more and my heart a little less. Thank you again. Janet @@rollingofarm
Thanks for the great content - how do I find the largest volume sell barns, or a report that ranks sell barn pricing so that I can decide if its worth it to drive farther out?
Try googling USDA market report for goats and sheep near me. That may pull up some of the sales in your area and give you a list to investigate.
Enjoy your videos. Had a question for you im starting a small st.criox flock. I thought about using a dorper ram on them. What's your thoughts?
I think that would help the size, but may reduce your parasite resistance in the lambs. I ran Katahadin ewes with a Dorper ram and liked the results.
How many goats can I run on 152 acres, half woods, half pasture? What profit would i be able to make if i have no start up costs?
There would be too many factors for me to say without knowing the productivity of your land, management practices, and local market. On good land you should be able to run 3-5 per acre max.
Thanks for the videos. Do you have any problems with ticks or insect parasites on your herds?
Not enough to be an issue. One year I had problems with flies.
We are interested in selling animals and then letting people butcher them here. Can I ask why you didn't like that method? I know it probably varies state to state but do you know if there are any regulations around this method? Thank you, I really appreciate your help.
I don't know all the regulations of letting the customer butcher the animal on at your place, but there are are regulations if you butcher the animal and sell the meat. There is definitely money to be made by letting the customer butcher on your property. I just don't enjoy the experience, time and mess.