The Cost of a Goat Annually: Dairy, Meat or Pets?

A goat is a farm animal that comes in many different breeds. They are usually used for dairy, meat or as pets. The cost of a goat annually depends on what you plan to do with it and how much you want to spend on its upkeep. This article will discuss the costs associated with owning each type of goat and help you decide which one would be best for your needs!

How Much Does A Goat Cost?

A goat can be purchased from a breeder for anywhere from $75-$800. This will come down mainly to the breed where a female Nigerian goat will be on the higher side to and a male pygmy you can find for around $75. If you are looking to produce milk or cheese you want something high quality like a Nigerian goat.

It will then cost an additional amount per year depending on what you plan to do with it, as well as the type of feed and care required.

How Much Does A Goat Cost Annually?

Annually a full-size goat will cost around $200 if feeding hay year-round. So if keeping on pasture or grass 6 months out of the year will be around $100. In a lot of southern states, the cost will be near free if you can find them some grass to eat all throughout the year. Goats will eat any grass and most all shrubs so if you have places to clean up either fence it off and throw them in or tie them up and let them go to town.

The cost of a goat annually will depend on your type of goat. Obviously a pigmy goat will need much lass food where a full size will need 2+ times the amount. If you are looking to produce milk or cheese, then it should start at around $200+ per year in feed and care. For meat purposes the costs may be lower as most high-quality breeds can provide for themselves with hay or pasture grasses.

The more expensive Nigerian goats fall into this category so they would run about $200-300 per year depending on how much they need to eat each day (more food means higher annual costs). Finally if you are just looking for a pet then the yearly expenses would likely be low since all that is required is an enclosure such as fencing which could easily come out to less than $50-100.

Price Ranges For Goats In The United States

Depending on where you are in the United States goat prices can vary greatly just like the cost of hay. So you can definitely shop around using networks like Facebook Marketplace and Cragislist. We mainly have Nigerian goats as they are big produces and you can breed and sell them as well for top dollar.

So we shop around from state to state here in California you can find them around $700-800. We have bought them in Virginia fro around $400 and even upstate New York for around $500. It can get confusing so we went through each state and pulled information off of forums, craigslist, made some calls and compiled into a easily searchable table.

You can take this and save it print or do anything you want with it. If you have information to add feel free to email us at admin@lovingnaturefarm.com.

How Much Does A Goat Cost In the USA On Average

Different Types Of Goats

There are two main types of goats people like to buy that are for dairy, meat, both or pets. Nigerian goats are the big producers and you can breed them for top dollar. Then there is a smaller goat called Kiko which has less lactation but they make good meat animals.

Meat Goats

Meat goats are good for people who have small plots of land and are looking to make money off of the meat. They can also be used as pets or guards on a farm if you don’t want sheep, llamas or dogs.

Meat means they are raised until full-grown at which time they are sold for meat or kept for breeding and selling. Meat goats don’t bring as much money for selling so you will see big more commercial farms with a large quantity to make more money.

You can use most meat goats to produce decent dairy

Common Meat Goats Include:

Boer

Kiko

Nigerian

Anglo-Nubian

Billies and Nannys are also meat goats but they have a high price tag. These types of breeds are usually used as breeding animals to create more offspring for the business.

If you’re looking for an animal that will provide milk then these two would be good choices because they produce up to one gallon per day, with some producing six gallons or more each week in peak seasons.

In general Nigerian goat milk is better tasting and higher quality than Kiko’s which makes them popular among cheesemakers who want big curds with flavor. The downside is Nigerians need about three times as much pasture land

Meat goats cost around $75-$200 in California depending on the quality and size from reputable breeders. In Virginia they range from $75-200 as well unless you’re buying them at auction where experienced buyers can find them for less than $75 these days.

In New York average prices seems to fluctuate between $50-$200 per animal, but this is because there’s no real market price set yet so it depends on what that person sees fit when they’re selling their animals.

Dairy Goats

Dairy goats are good for people who want to make dairy products like cheese, milk and butter.

Dairy goats are bred for the production of dairy instead of meat so they need more land than their other counterparts because one goat can produce up to a gallon per day in peak seasons. These dairy animals also need time off from milking every few days or else it will cause udder inflammation which is painful for them and not healthy for you when consuming dairy. The best way is to use a system with two does (female goats) where each produces about half that amount at any given time while still getting rest during non-peak times– this ensures fresh, high quality dairy all year long!

Some people don’t have enough pasture space but there’s another option you can just provide them with adequate hay. It will still only cost you around $200 per a goat a year. Might seem expensive to some, but look at the same size dog as a good it can cost you around $60-100 a month to feed a dog with some treats, bones, etc.

Common Dairy Goats Include:

Nubian

Alpine

Pygmy

Saanen

LaMancha (Spanish)

Nigerian Dwarf

Toggenburgs are dairy goats but they are more expensive. They can cost up to $300-500 a goat and usually use them for breeding purposes as well so it’s hard to find these at dairy farms in the US like dairy cows or chickens would be on an egg farm without going out of your way to buy one privately or through auction.

These types of breeds generally produce less milk than other varieties, around .75 gallon per day instead of the average which is about two gallons per day.”

Our favorite is still the Nigerian Dwarf. Have always loved them and we recently went to Disney World where they actually have an amazing exhibit for them there on the safari ride.

Milk And Meat Producing Goats (Dual Purpose)

Depending on what you are doing with your goat most goats will produce an ample supply of milk and are also goo for meat. If you are looking at commercial it is tough to find ones that do both just as well.

Goat that produce milk and meat are called dairy goats or dual-purpose and are the most popular.

This type of animal can produce a gallon per day in peak seasons, with some producing six gallons or more each week at their peaks so they need three times as much land to graze on than dairy goat do. This breed is also usually used for breeding animals where you would want males and females that produce milk and meat for your endeavor.

Common Dual Purpose Goats Include:

Sable is considered by many to be one of the best dual-purpose goats on the market

– Nigerian Dwarf

– Boer

– Pygmy Goat

The dairy goat is a dairy animal, and the meat goat can be used to harvest meat. A dual purpose breed will generally have hair instead of wool or cashmere because it lacks the gene for fiber production. T

he dairy goats are smaller than dairy cows in order to better produce milk on a more regular basis, but they still need room to roam around outdoors.

This makes them quite expensive when it comes time to purchase one from a breeder – however, there may also be rescue organizations with goats that you could try contacting first if you’re interested in saving money while helping out an animal at risk! More information can be found here: [link]

OTHER COST FACTORS

Registered Purebred vs. Non-registered Mixed Breed

There are many factors that affect goat pricing registered vs unregistered is one of those factors.

Mixed breed dairy goats are less expensive than registered dairy goats because they don’t have the value of a purebred or well-known pedigree behind them.

A mixed-breed goat will be more affordable, but it may not produce as much milk and won’t attract interest from buyers who want to show their animals at competitions. This means that you could end up spending more money in total on feed for your goat if you buy one with little demand/worth!

Purebred goats are bred for a specific reason and that raises the price so you are looking to spend anything from $200 as a starting point to over $2,000. So anybody that tells you there isn’t money in goats doesn’t know what they are talking about.

Mixed breed goats you can’t register similar to dogs that are bred with other breeds. They just are recognized doesn’t mean they aren’t worth anything just not as much as the registered ones.

As with dogs mixed breed goats usually live longer and have fewer health issues. You can find mixed goats for free or really cheap at auctions too.

Purebred Goats are a Single Breed

Purebred dairy goats are a single breed. Purebred dairy goat breeds include: Nubian, Saanen and Alpine. They come in all shapes and sizes but they have one characteristic in common – their milking ability is genetically predetermined to produce more milk than other dairy goat breeds.

These purebreeds also tend to be healthier because the genetics of these animals has been monitored for centuries by professional dairy producers who know how to correct problems that occur with their herd before they become serious health issues.

The downside is that you’ll pay higher prices for your purebred dairy goats when buying from reputable dairy suppliers or if you buy them as an established herd since there’s always at least one buck on site that can sire any does born (

If you’re looking to get into goats as pets then I recommend Nigerian Dwarf and Pygmy Dairy Goats – they’re recognized by many rescue organizations so there’s always opportunities to adopt these animals first

Mixed Breed Goats Are Not Registered

Mixed goat breeds can’t be registered with goat registries. This means that they can’t be used as well for making profit, and any offspring from a mixed breed will also not be registered with the registry.

Mixed Breed Goats are made up from at least two breeds. A mixed breed dairy goat could produce less milk than an unregistered purebred dairy goat. You would spend more money in feed if you buy one with little demand/worth!

Male VS Female Goats

Males will be less expensive than female goats in most all ways. This is for good reason because female goats are the ones that produce the milk and offspring.

The best producing female goats are hard to come by as the farms will likely keep them to continue to profit off of. So you can find some pure breed pregnant goats for sale that are good producers just look to pay $2,000+.

Males will cost less because not as many are needed to produce lots of off spring. More males means more fighting as well so even if you are looking to just get a pet look to females first before a male. One male okay though.

Male goats that are castrated make better pets and you can find for cheap at almost any age.

Goat Fencing

Create a Simple Goat Fence

A goat will do anything for food so you need to make sure the fence is high enough and strong.

The best way to build a goat fence is by using wire mesh fencing which can be found in stores or online, as well as with farm supply companies like Tractor Supply Company – see their website for more information on where you might find it locally!

Wire mesh fences are comprised of vertical wires forming horizontal openings that allow small animals (like goats) but not larger ones through. The openings should be no greater than four inches wide at most, otherwise your goat could squeeze its head between two rows of metal wiring.

How Much Should You Spend on Fencing

Goat fencing and goat panels are very cheap and you can find used at places like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Look at your local auctions it is much cheaper than horse fence that is for sure.

You can get as fancy or as simple as you want using rough-cut boards and some chicken fence. That will cost you around $200 for that on average.

A simple goat roll of mesh fencing will cost around $200-330 which is 330 feet long.

Electric fencing is also a cheap option if you can find a cheap electric charger even solar will work. Then a roll of line for around $30-40 with some temporary posts that are like $1 apiece. We recently just bought some and they are working great with 3 line electric setup.

How Many Goats?

You most of the time shouldn’t just buy one goat as they are herd animals overall. Will they be fine of course they will, but they thrive better with others. Our first goat we actually had as a pasture mate for one of our retired horses. That is another reason to buy a goat.

So you should be looking to buy at least two goats or if you have other pasture animals they will usually get along with almost any of them. Especially if one is a female and the other is a male.

With only one you will find they actually will get into more trouble and wander around more. They will be more noisy as well.

Feeding For Your Goat

Most goats are all simple to feed they eat leaves, hay and other plants.

They shouldn’t ever need to be fed grain or dairy feeds unless you are getting them pregnant who then they will eat more grains than greens for a few months prior to breeding time.

For the first month of life goats should only receive milk from their mothers (mother’s milk). This is where dairy goat farms with have lots of babies that don’t get sold as pets because they can produce dairy products like cheese etcetera!

Yes they will help you keep your lawn mowed. We have both tied them up and they devour a circle area. If it is brush and weeds you want cleaned up you can do the same thing. We also fence off areas with temporary fence and solar electric fence charger. Works great.

Going into Fall And Winter

Depending on where you are and your environment in the wintertime you need to be prepared. There are different ways and options to do this with your goats.

Keep or Start Feeding Hay – You can just keep feeding them hay you may want to increase the quality and switch over to alfalfa.
Start on pellets – Another option is to get them on alfalfa pellets. Start them out slowly and in the fall to gauge how much your goat will need. Continue to monitor their weight and how they act.
Supplements – you shouldn’t need supplements with your goat if he/she has access to good grass. However in wintertime or when a goat gets pregnant you may need to use some supplements to help.

Vet Care Costs For Your Goat

Vet care costs for goats are actually not that bad the dairy goat cost more than a meat goat.

The typical dairy goat vet bill will be around $250-300 annually but you know they may have to monitor milk production or give some vaccinations and things like that.

A meat goats is less likely to need a veterinarian visit in comparison as they don’t require any special medications of dairy feeds etcetera! But if an emergency happens it could happen anytime so always make sure your insurance is up to date on all animals including dairy goats and meat ones too.

Especially if you live on acreage where there are coyotes, bears, foxes etc.

Other things like hoof trimming and deworming can also cost a little bit. Worming at most will need to be done 3-4 times a year and runs around $3-20 depending on what kind of wormer. You may not need wormer so ask your local vet. Same thing with hoof trimming may not need much at all if your goat is very active.

Milking Equipment

Milking equipment for goats is really easy to find.

There are dairy goat supplies that you can get and dairy goats will need their own step stool so they don’t have to jump as high up on the milking stand. And then with dairy goats there is a special milk bucket for them because it has an auto shut off valve! Dairy cows also use these but dairy goat buckets work best for smaller, more petite animals.

Meat Goats should be able to drink from any old bucket or metal container though this may not make sense when trying to keep your barn clean like say if one of your other farm animals needs water etcetera! But meat goats usually just do better with less fancy stuff than dairy does.

The cost of your first Goat Purchase

Raising a goat can be amazing for the environment and easy on your pocketbook. A goat will love you unconditionally as long as you provide him/her with plenty of hay, fresh water and some kind of shelter. A goat is also known to provide hours of entertainment when they are not in their pen.

The cost of your first goat purchase may be difficult to calculate. A dairy goat can cost $300-$400 at a pet store, but the price will vary depending on if it is male or female and how big they are when you buy them.

There are also dairy goats for sale by private sellers which would be more affordable. The average dairy goat costs around $250-300 while meat goats run in the range of about $25-50. All prices subject to change so shop around! Happy Goating!!

Related Questions

How Much Does A Goat Cost In Africa?

A goat in Africa will start out at around $50-75 depending on the quality of the goat. Cheaper than most areas in the world, but not cheap for Africa. If you are looking to buy and donate a goat which is a great idea there are many online websites that will help you do that.

How Much Does A Goat Cost In Uganda?

A dairy goat in Uganda costs about $150 and a meat goat costs around $50. Or sh100,000 to sh150,000. This will depend on the quality of the goat as well.

How much is a cheap goat?

A cheap goat will run around $50 this will most likely be a mixed breed, but you can get lucky and get registered for this amount at some auctions. You can also get them for free if you look hard enough for people that may be moving.

Cheap dairy goat: $50-$100 (depending on the breed, age and if pregnant)

Cheap meat goat: $50-100

Dual purpose goats can be cheaper because they produce milk as well as provide you with a dairy or meat product. $50-150

Are goats expensive to keep?

The dairy goat, meat goat and dual-purpose breeds are all quite different in size. The dairy breed is more expensive to keep because they generally require feeding twice a day with a higher quality feed than the other breeds.

Whereas the dairy goat requires this high quality feed for milk production, most of these goats will produce less milk per head at one time (only about four gallons). Meat or dual purpose goats can be fed along with cattle during periods when grazing isn’t available which decreases cost since some of their food needs are met through pasture as well.

Dairy does usually need hay year round so that it has something to eat besides grain during lactation months unless your winters are really mild. It also may apply if you have dairy goats that are pregnant and need to gestate for longer than six months.

Before buying a dairy goat, be sure you have the pasture or hay acreage necessary to care for one because they do eat more!

How Much Does A Nigerian Dwarf Goat Cost?

Nigerian Dwarf goats will cost around $200-400 for a male and $300-500 for a female. Females are more expensive because they are the producers of both offspring and milk. Most don’t need males as you only need one for many so you can find them relatively cheap.

How Much Does A Fainting Goat Cost?

Pure breed fainting goats cost anywhere from $250-400. The females will be on the higher side around $350-400. There are some that are just bred for pets that you can get relatively cheap for about $50-150. Fainting goats make great pets as well and are full of entertainment while being cheap to take care of.