*Return on your investment

*Money spent

This is a question I am asked a lot, and I understand the confusion, if you can find a goat for $100 why pay more? First I would like to point out in the Bible Jesus said, “...the labourer is worthy of his hire...” {Luke 10:7}

So you must first realize that when you do any job you deserve to be paid, yet some people get confused and while they would not work on a house, put in plumbing, even be a waitperson for free, they expect someone who has a ministry for animals, not only to work for free, but to pay for the work themselves and “give” the animals away for a price that doesn’t even begin to cover the costs of caring for and raising the animals. Those of us that raise animals do not make lots of money and drive fancy cars or have large houses, we merely are trying to feed and care for our animals, and when it comes to feed for the animals and shoes for ourselves, sometimes even our own food, the love instilled in our hearts for our animals, comes first. So to ask a fair price, so that raising animals does not take away from our own families, needs should be respected.

PRICE

First thing we should cover is... if you are looking for CHEAP... We are not the place to be looking. We try very hard to stay at a reasonable price so that you may enjoy one of our goats or puppies. But we will not cut the care of our animals to try to meet the lowest price in the papers or elsewhere just to make a sale. There are basic price ranges, and then you have some others things that can make the prices change depending on the breed....size, color, pet, breeding rights, pedigrees and sometimes just because the breed is not over bred, and harder to find.

DEPOSITS

With so many inquiries on certain animals we have gone to a plan that I hope makes it easier for all. An animal can be put on hold waiting the arrival of the deposit for 3 days. After the 3 days the animal will be available for the next person inquiring. We WILL NOT hold any animal without a deposit. I believe the postal service has a 3 day service for a very reasonable cost if you are worried about not getting the animal that caught your eye. ALL DEPOSITS are NON-REFUNDABLE unless something unforeseen should happen to the animal while still in our care, then by all means we will send back your deposit. So be sure its what you want. DEPOSITS will hold the animal until 4 weeks for goats, or 8 weeks for pups (as long as puppy is fully weaned) or other arrangements have been agreed upon between both parties, in writing.

SHIPPING

We will consider shipping at buyers expense. This consists of paying for the carrier to ship the animal in, a heath certificate and the cost of the flight. You are looking at an estimated cost of $200.00... depending on the airlines. Animal must be paid in full before shipping...and if paying with a check, the check must clear before we will ship.

PICKING UP YOUR PUP OR KID

The balance is to be paid in full on or before pick up. Cash, money order, certified check or credit card may be used to pay. This page is also good to read if you are considering raising animals, because remember the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do to you” If you do not respect others enough to pay a fair price, then do not expect people who come to you to purchase animals to pay a fair price. With that I will detail what is involved in raising a goat. Although the above does apply to any animal… “You get what you pay for in life”

First you must remember that you are making an investment in your family, either you are looking for a goat for your 4Her to show, or even more important you are looking for an animal to feed your family. Occasionally you can find quality and a low price due to a goat breeder getting out of the business, having an illness in the family or they have too many goats and they need to cut back {usually the problem above: ignorance or lack of respect, is the reason for having too many animals}. But usually the price is either a goat that is unwanted, due to a problem, health, genetic, or it isn’t a purebred, a lot of these goats are fed just enough to get by and not taken care of. We wanted purebred goats that we knew were taken the best possible care of, and not overly medicated, we were also looking for good conformation and production.

The year my children did show in 4H they still are proud of because the goats they worked with so hard, did exceptionally well. (Unfortunately we showed in a rural county in New Mexico and the fair board were very disrespectful to the children/adults showing goats so my children haven’t had desire to show again -- the picture in the Fair book wasn’t worth the nastiness.)

Since we were looking for a milker for our family, the health and production, and longevity was also a big consideration. I take the best care of my goats that I possibly can go to Our Health Regimen page and you can find more details on exactly how we take care of them. Below is a detailed list how many factors are involved, and I sell my milk to supplement other animals for $7 a gallon. So that and my local hay and feed costs factor into my totals. I did not account for electricity, my family’s labor, or all the electricity, water, supplies, feeders, buildings and tools to care for the goats. When you are a good goat herder you will put your heart and soul into your animals, so you do need to count all the costs, because if your $100 goat is sick when you get it, you will be investing more than money, and if you lose it, you will lose a piece of your heart, too. So the priority should be purchasing a productive and healthy goat you will enjoy for years to come.

My total cost of getting a kid to 3 months is $107.77. To raise a yearling costs $269.77 It costs me $22-25, per month per goat. Benefits: You will receive in return for your investment love, fresh milk, and many years of enjoyment for your family. By making sure you purchase healthy stock from somewhere that you are convinced of the quality and breeding you will also be able to supplement your feed bill by selling your own kids for fair prices, and you will know kids you produce will be worth selling and you will have confidence in finding good homes for them. Let's look at an example. I will be conservative. Your milker from freshening (having the babies) to drying up will be milking about 1 gallon a day from her 2nd freshening most first fresheners will get close to or may even milk a gallon themselves, it depends on their health and age. You will dry her off for 1 month to 2 months before she has her babies (so the kids will grow well). Then when they are born you will feed the kids her milk, or let her raise them. So let's take off another 3 weeks to compensate. Now your milker will give you milk for 41 weeks out of the year. Now we will again err on the side of caution and say the month before you dry her off she is only milking 1/2 gallon a day. So that will leave at least 37 weeks at a gallon a day, we will only estimate at 3/4 gallon a day. I am also going to figure it at only $4.oo a gallon, which is the price or less of store bought cow milk, which may have chemicals and hormones, for quality milk it would be at least $10 a gallon (the price I currently sell my milk for). I figure it at $4 a gallon, but when you make you own cottage cheese, sour cream, ice-cream, etc., it is worth much more than $4 a gallon you are saving. You can even make soap beauty products, hard cheese, ever heard of kid skin gloves? The uses are endless!

***************************************************************************************** The Math: {REMEMBER IF YOU ARE FEEDING HERBS/ Using no chemicals, ect, Do Not Sell for LESS than $7 gallon!} There are many variables of course, feed, condition of the goat, the breed, age, and even environmental factors. Plus it will vary depending on the area of the country you live in.

10 weeks O gallons x $7 / gallon = $ 0

4 weeks /28 days x 1/2 gallon a day x $7 /gallon = $ 98

37 weeks /259 days x 3/4 gallon a day x $7 /gallon = $ 777

TOTAL $ 875

Now if you also figure only 2 bucks born, usually you will get 50% does {we have been getting 65-70% does.} You sell one as a pet $50 ~ we usually charge $75 unless they get 2, then we give $10 off the 2nd wether. And one as a show wether $75 ~ in our area they go for $75—$100. If it is a buck I will not sell it for less than $200+, or we eat it! Does go for $250 +. { I will sell for a little less before 4 weeks ~ to save the labor of bottle feeding. So now the MINIMUM you have made {or saved by providing your own dairy products} is $1000 Your goat cost $300 because you wanted a Quality goat and respected your breeder. The Breeding fee was $75, and feed cost $300. So in her first year your doe paid you back. Plus put money in your pocket! If you sell your milk, have does to sell or sell any bucks (because your doe is worth keeping a buck from, you will make even more and many people will need it, puppy and kitten breeders, people with pet goats, or that supplement their goats, you can even raise other animals on the milk and make it more profitable! ***************************************************************************************** BREAKDOWN OF COSTS: Here is how I came up with the above costs:

To feed a baby to 3 months costs 1 st 3 days feeding 4 oz milk 4's a day = 16oz day= 3 cups =$1.12

4-7 days feed 8oz x 3xs daily = 3 cups day = 21 cups = $7.86

8-14 days feed 12 oz 2xs day = 3 cups daily= 21 cups = $7.86 + ($2 for hay and caprine supreme = $9.96

15 days to 6 weeks 16 0z milk 2x's day= 4cups daily (27 days)= 108cups= $40.50 + $.03 day {minerals} $.81 + 3 cups daily Caprine feed= $.14daily= $3.78 + Alfalfa Hay $.07per day=$1.89. So 2- 6 weeks cost is =$46.98

7weeks to weaning at 11 weeks 1 1/2= 3 cups milk 1x daily = 84 cups milk = $31.50 + Alfalfa, Mineral, Caprine, Natural Wormer cost of $10.35 Total cost to 7 - 11 weeks is =$41.85 So total cost of getting a kid to 3 months is $107.77, not counting labor of bottle feeding, milking, pasteurizing, hoof trimming , etc.,

Tthen from 3 months to 1 year {9} months is about $18 a month = $162. So to raise a yearling costs $269.77 Because the purchase cost is only a small amount of the price of a goat, you must make sure you are willing to invest what you will need to care for them. Of course the above figures are only for healthy animals, if you have to add costs due to sick or unthrifty stock purchase for a ’bargain price’ it goes up from there.