[mcompton1973]

I have been reading a lot of statistics and stuff the last few days on commercial growing. One thing I have noticed is that US production has remained about the same for the last 10 years. I see that demand has doubled, but US production has not. One "explaination" i saw was that Austrailia has some low grade goat they process, freeze and sell cheaply to the US. My question is this. I know theoretically there is room for a lot more us production...but practically is there? Is the demand for US Goat meat high or have we bumped up against a line where more US production is maxed out. I mean, there will always be a market for cheep frozen product. Heck, when I buy boneless frozen chicken breast I get the cheapest stuff I can.

I dont think the numbers I plan to start raising are going to change the markets any...I am just curious why US production has been so stagnant. Thanks.

 

[ksalvagno]

I don't think that enough people want to do it. I also think there aren't enough large farms.

People never seem to have any problems selling their meat goats.

 

[nancy d]

You hit the nail on the head in regards to overseas prices.

Around my neck of the woods no rendering trucks take anything but beef hogs & poultry. We have to take all spare parts to our own backyard.

 

[GTAllen]

Those numbers don't account for direct sales off the farm. Which is most likely where a substantial protion of the crop goes. Goats are minority meat animal. There is very little economy of scale with goats. They are hard work when done right. Drought conditions in parts of Texas, California and Oklahoma where the bulk of the herd is located. High feed cost. High land cost. Just high cost of everything.

$200-$275 cwt most of the winter is good money. But, the herd is getting smaller almost everywhere except Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia and a few other states are increasing herd size.

 

[bbellhbl]

"I am just curious why US production has been so stagnant." mcompton1973

I noticed when the economy gagged in 2009 I stopped getting calls from customers wanting to start a herd of any kind--commercial or registered. In the last year those calls have started again.
IMO, people on small acreage sold off assets to keep afloat. Now it seems some are able to see some cash to start a new endeavor.

I agree that the marketing infrastructure for goat/sheep meat is lacking in most of the country. In our area there has been some effort to consolidate marketing by building a group of producers to sell together. Unfortunately that has not been successful.

Most sales barns only sell by the head (don't weigh), don't grade groups. That makes it difficult to know what you're getting a pound if you haven't weighed them yourself before going to to the auction barn.
Repeat customers for meat goats come to the farm and choose their animal. Some bring the family. It's really neat to see how different cultures want different types(age, size) of animals.

I have been looking into what it would take to sell frozen chevon online. If you look at prices for that, there is certainly a demand!
Now to build a herd size to have enough meat to market that way!! :think: :think: :think:

Oh, Yeah, Get busy, King Tut!