Goats have lived alongside humans since the Neolithic Revolution 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, so you can feel confident in your own ability to maintain a productive herd of moderate size. Goat farming is a somewhat challenging but straightforward endeavor; even a small goat farm requires considerable space and browse for the goats, and significant labor on your part.
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Goat Varieties
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In general, people farm goats for meat, milk or fiber. Many recognized breeds exist, each suited to a particular purpose. Some of the popular breeds raised for slaughter include Boer, Kiko, Spanish and Tennessee meat goats. Alpine, La Mancha, Nubian and Saanen are a few of the most popular dairy goat breeds. Pygora goats are primarily bred for their fleece -- some forms produce so much hair that they have to be sheared twice each year.
Social Factors
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The social nature of goats lends them well to life on the farm. In fact, singly kept goats are prone to developing destructive behaviors, so most breeders encourage owners to keep their goats in pairs or small groups. However, communally kept goats often form hierarchies, which can lead to bullying and harassment. Accordingly, when you introduce new goats to a farm, it is best to introduce them in pairs, so that each new goat has a buddy.
Goat Housing
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For goat farming, you'll need to provide some type of pasture in which your goats can browse, and a small shelter area. The American Dairy Goat Association contends that, minimally, each goat requires 15 square feet of shelter space and 25 square feet of pasture space. When overcrowded, goats become ill and parasite-ridden, so provide as much space as possible. Goats are impressive escape artists, so enclosures must be secure. They climb and jump extremely well, and they can scurry under seemingly too-small gaps at the base of a fence. Goats dislike moisture and will go to great lengths to stay dry. Help them by providing a suitable shelter full of dry, clean bedding material and access to well-drained pastureland. Regardless of their preference for dry areas, goats need access to clean, fresh water at all times -- dairy goats also require salt.
Goat Feeding
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Goats are primarily browsers like rabbits and deer, rather than grazers like cows. This means they will primarily forage along the perimeter of their property and fence rows, where berries, weeds, vines and saplings are common, rather than in the middle of a grassy pasture. In addition to this forage, many goat farmers supplement their goats̵7; diet with legume hays, root vegetables or dairy cow feeds. Ensure that your goats do not have access to cherry, hemlock, azaleas or laurel species, as they are toxic.
Goat Farming for Profit
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Goats are prolific animals that mature rapidly; some are capable of breeding at 3 months of age. Startup costs for goat raising are relatively low when compared with startup costs associated with farming cows or pigs. These factors make goat farming attractive to many people. Be sure to learn as much as you can about the breed with which you intend to work, and develop a relationship with a suitable veterinarian, before you decide to try farming goats yourself.
Herd Size
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As long as you provide enough space for your goats, you can keep as many as you like. Large commercial operations may have 1,000 goats or more, while small subsistence farmers may have only a pair of goats. Depending on the breed, goats may give up to 3 or 4 gallons of milk per day, plus the occasional lamb, which can be harvested as well. Understand that goat farming is a labor-intensive endeavor, and many beginning goat farmers struggle to establish and maintain herds. This is especially true of milk goat maintenance, as the mature females require daily milking. Start with a small group of three to four goats, and increase the size of the herd as you gain experience.
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