bfc21_dairy_goats[1]

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has been growing recently for a varietyof reasons. Dairy goats are less costly toby an fee for someone starting inthe airy bsiness. e average airycow in Iowa roces 65 ons ofmilk a ay with some to-erformingcows rocing to 150 ons.Cows also eat 50 ons a ay. On theother han, airy goats eat 6 onsa ay an roce 4-7 ons ofmilk. e eman for goat cheese an

rocts has increase becase of theae health benets an alternativeoerings for eole with allergies toreglar milk. Before starting yor goatenterrise, consier yor labor, hysical,an management resorces.

Physical AttributesDairy goats are seasonal breeers whosebreeing season rns from late smmerthrogh early winter. e estrs cycleis 18-21 ays an the gestation eriois ve months. Breeing can be onenatrally with bcks or by articial in-semination. After kiing the oe willmilk for aroximately 10 months witha two-month ry erio. e six majorbrees roce are:

Saanen- heavy milk rocers, 3-4

ercent milk fat, meim to large insize, coat is white or light cream color

Nbian- all-rose goat sefl formilk, meat, an hie, not a heavy milkrocer, high btter fat, aats to hotconitions, large frame, can bree allyear allowing for milk roction allyear long

Toggenbrg- olest known goatbree, Swiss goat, meim size, stry,vigoros, alert, erforms better in coolerconitions, excellent er evelo-ment, high milk roction, 3.7ercent milk fat

LaMancha- high btter fat, excel-lent airy temerament, stry goatthat can still erform ner harshiconitions, known for their goheran elf ears

Oberhasli- meim size, vigoros,chamois color, Swiss airy goat

Alhine- rangy goat, large frame,excellent milkers, well-shae ers

with well-lace teats of esirable shae

ere are many excellent resorcesavailable on raising airy goats, incl-ing those at the National Sstainable

Agricltre Information Service withonline blications at htt://www.attra.

org/attra-b/goatoverview.html anhtt://attra.ncat.org/attra-b/airy-goats.html.

Potential ReturnYiels - It is estimate that goats canroce 1,200-2,600 ons of milker oe a year. e average lactationtime for a goat is 284 ays an the aver-age ki rate is two er oe. Accoring

to the 2007 Censs of Agricltre ata,

Iowa ha 22,269 airy goats on 652

farms, from 8,524 goats an 447farms in 2002. e nmber of airy

goats actally sol was only 5,575 r-

ing 2007. e nmber of airy goats

contines to grow in Iowa. In 2009 the

USDA estimate there were 24,500

airy goats in Iowa an by 2010 the

nmber ha grown to 29,500.

Dairy Goats

Enterprise Assessment

Capital needed

for startup

Importance of

experience with

livestock

Managerial input

needed

Labor input

required

Years needed to

develop produc-

tion expertise

Years needed to

develop marketing

expertise

Years to nancial

break-even point

Return on

investment (%)

Enterprise Budget:


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many new farms, some beginners mayn it easier to by an existing herfrom a rocer who is leaving thebsiness. If there is no lace to sell themilk, farmers might have to market the

roct themselves. Potential marketlaces incle farmers markets, retailstores, an restarants. Some farmersse the Internet as another vene to sellan market their rocts. Yet anotheralternative wol be to join a coo ofrocers sch as the Mont Sterlingcooerative in sothwestern Wisconsinthat has some Iowa members. iscooerative rocesses an markets themilk for its rocer members.

ProcessingIf yo o not have any rocessors inyor area, yo might choose to rocessan market yor own milk. Goat milkcan be sol as i milk or se tomake ice cream an cheese. Be sre tocheck ot yor state reglations anget the roer licenses before beginningyor bsiness. Contact yor state

athorities sing the information atwww.aga.org/StartDairy.htm.

Some home rocessors sell cheese in giftbaskets with crackers an smmersasage. Others oer wine in a basket

with their cheese. Gift baskets can bea great way to market yor rocts,esecially ring holiay seasons.

Besies foo rocts, soas also canbe roce sing goats milk. Goatsmilk has a high content of beta-caseinan triglyceries which hyrates anbalances the skin H. Goat milk soa

is very soothing an moistrizing to theskin. It contains glycerin which rawsmoistre from the air to kee theskin hyrate.

Market Outlooke market otlook for airy goatslooks goo with aitional nichemarkets becoming available. Goatsmilk tyically is se to rocecheeses sch as feta, gjetost, chabicho,

an yramie. Rece-fat cheeses alsoare rawing increase interest becasethe crmbly roerties of goat cheesemake the taste an textre similar toreglar cheese. Goat milk is a greatalternative for eole who are allergic toreglar cows milk.

Finances and Economicse start- costs for getting into theairy goat bsiness een on whether

or not yo have bilings an lanalreay available. Otgrown airies in

Wisconsin have been converte intogoat milking arlors. However, if yo

want to bil a Grae A airy, it takes asbstantial investment for a milkingbarn an arlor with concrete, searatemilk room for cooling an storing,

milking eqiment, milk lines, rains,

an wash sinks.

Anyone who is intereste in airy goatsshol rea the Wisconsin Goat DairyProtability Project nal reort. issty comare goat airy farms in

Wisconsin base on rotability. isreort rovies etaile, actalinformation on nancing, roction,an other asects of goat airy roc-tion. e reort can be fon at the

website for Wisconsin Goat Dairy Prof-itability Project at htt://www.bicsa.org/ocments/PUBLICATION%20Goat%20Dairy%20Protability%20Project%202008%20FINAL.f.

Dr. Larry Tranel at Iowa StateUniversity has worke extensively with

Dairy Goats


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airy goats. A airy goat bget fromDr. Tranel aears on age 2, bt itserves only as an examle. Interestearties shol etermine their ownbget base on all information

available an their own articlarset of resorces.

SourcesAmerican Dairy Goat Associationhtt://www.aga.org

Iowa Dairy Goat Associationhtt://iowaairygoat.org/

Iowa State Extension Dairy Teamhtt://www.extension.iastate.e/airy-

team/

Iowa State Extension Dairy Goatand Dairy Sheep Resourceshtt://www.extension.iastate.e/Dairy-

Team/DairyGoatsShee

Agricultural Marketing ResourceCenterhtt://www.agmrc.org/commoities__

rocts/livestock/goats/airy_goats.

cfm

Oklahoma State Livestock Breedshtt://www.ansi.okstate.e/brees/

goats/

Maryland Small Ruminant Page

htt://www.sheeangoat.com/eco-nomic.html

University of Floridahtt://eis.ifas..e/DS134

Langston Universityhtt://www.lresext.e/goats/inex.

htm

National Sustainable AgricultureInformation Servicehtt://attra.ncat.org/attra-b/airy-

goats.html

Processors:

Northern Prairie Chevrehtt://www.northernrairiechevre.com/

Mt. Sterling Co-op Creameryhtt://www.bygoatcheese.com/

Dairy Goats

Iowa State University oes not iscriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexal

orientation, gener ientity, sex, marital stats, isability, or stats as a U.S. veteran. Inqiries can be irecte

to the Director of Eqal Oortnity an Diversity, 3210 Bearshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

Preare by Mike Dy an Joi Calvert, ISU

Deartment of Economics, Extension Economics

Designe by Tina Davis, ISU grahics esignstent. Financial sort from the Leool

Center for Sstainable Agricltre.

October 2010 BFC 21

bfc21_dairy_goats[1]

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