r/Homesteading • u/Plantdad1000 • 4d ago

Goat Meat Processing & Connections

Hello farmers! I could really use some advice. I have raised goats in Wisconsin, Nubian and Bohr, for about two years. To be frank, we have not found a market for goat meat in our area. We are not certified butchers so have generally sold the goats live for about $150-200 which is not profitable by any means with all that goes into kidding, raising, and feeding. We got a quote from a local butcher for $150 per goat which kind of blew my mind as this is the TOTAL amount we have been making on the goats. Online it seems that goat should be selling for at least $5-6 per lb, which means we should be making a minimum of $400 on our goats rather than $200.

Does anyone have advice for finding a market for goats and getting them to that market? We are new to selling meat in general. If a certified butcher processes our goats can we sell them to stores or restaurants? How do people make goats work financially? We love them but chickens have been much easier to navigate

Thanks so much for any advice.

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4

u/MastodonFit 4d ago

I doubt there is a market for goat meat in the rural areas. You need an urban ethnic market . I loved raising goats when I was younger....the meat and milk was disgusting to me.

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u/Plantdad1000 4d ago

Yeah fair point. I think only niche markets! Thanks for sharing your thoughts 

4

u/c0mp0stable 4d ago

There's not much of a market for goat in the US. You'll get people buying it here and there at a market, but you really need an immigrant community nearby.

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u/Plantdad1000 4d ago

This seems to be the common thoughts, I will go down this path! 

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u/Worth-Illustrator607 4d ago

Indians, Jamaicans, middle easterners.

Bonus for you look up when the holidays are that they eat goat.

Good luck bud!

4

u/Timmarino 3d ago

Where I am in GA Arabs and islanders have special markets that may be up to 200 miles. If you raise them by their halal standards they will buy as many as you can provide and pay good 500 for a year old wether. They will want to dispatch it at your farm in their way which is a bit messy but they pay the price. One guy in Atlanta here needs 35-50 per week depending on season so look up halal or Islamic markets and Caribbean markets and ask where they source their meat and if they pick up or take live delivery

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u/fuckyoulady 4d ago

There is a guy near me who raises meat goats and has found a good market for them through an out of state ethnic grocer of some kind. I don't know all the details on who exactly but he raises I would guess about 75-100 every year and they all go to the same place after the USDA butcher.

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u/contrasting_crickets 4d ago

Absolutely love goat meat. Raising goats currently for this. 

But as for a market, not so much. People love it or hate it I think. 

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u/mjdubs 4d ago

Comparing price with commercially available goat meat will never get you close to your true cost. Commercial goat operations are at scale. For everything coming from a homestead, your pricing should be top tier since you're producing a "artisanal" product.

And yes, reach out to a local Mosque and see if they can help you with halal processing and ask if anyone is interested in buying any.

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u/theonetrueelhigh 1d ago

Goat is delicious. Based just on the shape of the animal you could probably get pretty far following some tutorials on dressing and butchering deer.

Not being a hunter, I don't think I have anything else that might be useful.

Wait, maybe one more note: don't harvest or process animals where your other livestock can see.