Are Goat studs profitable?

Baymule

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
33,092
Reaction score
98,655
Points
873
Location
East Texas
I don’t want to sound, like I know it all or whatever, because I certainly don’t...but, I’m on a goat forum, and many of the people have recommended getting a buck temporarily..they talk about often on there...so, it must not be too bad as long as you do your homework about the breeder
Getting a buck temporarily means you own it, right?

I get it about not wanting to put up with a buck or ram because they can gat downright nasty. Ram especially are bad, never turn your back on a ram are the words of wisdom. I still wouldn't take a ewe or a doe (if I owned goats) to a stud breeding because of disease transmission. It's just not worth it.

You don't sound like a know it all. This is a discussion on studding out a buck and some agree, some disagree. You opinion is just a valuable as anyone else's. This is why we have discussions, get the pros and cons in the discussion and the OP can make up their own mind on it. Nobody is mad at anybody, sometimes strong "advice" can come out not sounding quite as intended. We are family here, like family we are all different and we don't all agree. That's what keeps things lively here. If we were all the same, this would be one boring place!
 

Duckfarmerpa1

Herd Master
Joined
Oct 30, 2019
Messages
1,798
Reaction score
3,370
Points
313
Location
Kane,PA
Getting a buck temporarily means you own it, right?

I get it about not wanting to put up with a buck or ram because they can gat downright nasty. Ram especially are bad, never turn your back on a ram are the words of wisdom. I still wouldn't take a ewe or a doe (if I owned goats) to a stud breeding because of disease transmission. It's just not worth it.

You don't sound like a know it all. This is a discussion on studding out a buck and some agree, some disagree. You opinion is just a valuable as anyone else's. This is why we have discussions, get the pros and cons in the discussion and the OP can make up their own mind on it. Nobody is mad at anybody, sometimes strong "advice" can come out not sounding quite as intended. We are family here, like family we are all different and we don't all agree. That's what keeps things lively here. If we were all the same, this would be one boring place!
What I meant was Stud service, but many people will actually have their doe stay for a long Perot time, like two weeks, or bring the buck to you, just the same. And I was saying that, only because some , on here, were saying that that idea didn’t sound safe..that the other animals could be sickly....what I have found...through y research, is that these places who do studs servi, are accredited, so, their animals are all up to date with vaccines, deworming, etc. so, there isn’t any worry, I would think. As I said...many of the very seasoned goat owners do it, simply because owning bucks are difficult.

Well, I’m not good at giving “strong” advice...and typically pretty wimpy..but I do speak up when it’s a topic I care about. :)
 

thistlebloom

Herd Master
Joined
Nov 18, 2019
Messages
2,037
Reaction score
7,612
Points
383
Location
Idaho panhandle 48th parallel
Well, I’m not good at giving “strong” advice...and typically pretty wimpy..but I do speak up when it’s a topic I care about

Well it's an interesting topic, and I appreciate the back and forth and different views expressed. You did fine @Duckfarmerpa1 .
It's been said recently, but discussions here are healthy and we all don't have to agree.
 

Baymule

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
33,092
Reaction score
98,655
Points
873
Location
East Texas
What I meant was Stud service, but many people will actually have their doe stay for a long Perot time, like two weeks, or bring the buck to you, just the same. And I was saying that, only because some , on here, were saying that that idea didn’t sound safe..that the other animals could be sickly....what I have found...through y research, is that these places who do studs servi, are accredited, so, their animals are all up to date with vaccines, deworming, etc. so, there isn’t any worry, I would think. As I said...many of the very seasoned goat owners do it, simply because owning bucks are difficult.

Well, I’m not good at giving “strong” advice...and typically pretty wimpy..but I do speak up when it’s a topic I care about. :)
By all means, speak up!
 

TXFarmGirl

Loving the herd life
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Messages
101
Reaction score
90
Points
143
Location
East Texas
Thank you all so much for your replies and opinions. She says she appreciates all of y’alls time taken to respond to her questions. She is asking now, if anybody here does have any goats for profit? If so, what do they do with them?
 

Mini Horses

Herd Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2015
Messages
9,291
Reaction score
29,340
Points
728
Location
S coastal VA
Look -- "stud farms CAN WORK". The health security is taken to higher dimensions - for all the reasons expressed. So, the idea isn't new. The operation just has to know & address the pitfalls of their animals, especially health & housing.

So, now....some farms DO sometimes share a buck. Most often the owners know each other, the farms, the herds, the health & care status. Think lending your car. Hmmmm. what might happen...good insurance. OK

Goats do not normally command a really high fee for service. $50-100. It would not be profitable for me and mine are registered Saanen & registered Nubian, excellent milk line pedigrees and all that. A goat can & will breed a doe in estrus in a nano-second.! A driveway quickie. If not cycling, well...days or up to 3 wks. The doe is in for a SHORT time normally. So 1-3 days. If she must stay, there's daily care "room & board" plus liability. Then there's the rebreed if didn't catch...you should use a contract. See, it can be done.


My mini horses -- back in the day when showing, breeding, etc. -- I turned people away. Yep. $2,000. a hit and mare care. Big difference. That was profitable. My animals were kept quarantined when back from a show, they always had extra vaccines, etc., etc., incoming mares had health certificates, fresh vet checks, kept in separate "quest barns" and pastures. Hey, at the cost of them then, no one wanted an issue. I sometimes collected the stallion and AI'd my own mares if he had been on circuit, less exposure. (foaling mares were all on cams, too)

Only the HIGH priced goats are in these situations. Our normal herds are loved, well fed & vetted, not $10-50K stock, however. Most of those are AI'd anyway.


I think we're all ok with whatever you feel suits you. We just like to point out all the "watch for's" we can think of beforehand. :D =D There's a guy in my area with only studs for service. Horses, goats, llamas, sheep. Bet there are a lot of privacy fences there. :lol:
 
Last edited:

SaanenMom

Ridin' The Range
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
27
Reaction score
20
Points
70
Location
South-central Idaho
Having raised goats for 20 years, I do have bucks. Do the bucks pay for themselves? Because there are not many Saanens, even my GCh and SGCh don't pay for themselves. What is happening is that I can sell an occasional buck to the dairies that have gone in around here. But I have to do additional testing for Alpha S1 Casein at $30 a head so the dairy knows what the buck is likely to pass on genetically. Do I get what their genetics are worth? Not really. If you have a lot of Nubians in the area, it might pay you. However, I doubt it will because many people get into goats for 4H, home milk and cheese and usually find any ol' buck to keep around. But Idaho can be a different than Texas.
You might look into NDs, they are everywhere.
Laura
 

Latebloomerar

Chillin' with the herd
Joined
Dec 31, 2015
Messages
9
Reaction score
14
Points
30
Location
Jonesboro, AR
No responsible goat owner would rent out a buck to who knows what kind of disease the prospective lady goat might bring to the rendezvous. Likewise, no one with any sense at all would bring their doe to be bred by a buck that has already "been around" with many other does owned by many different people. Not trying to be mean, but wouldn't want you to jump into this without knowing the facts.

I don't have goats, I have sheep. I have read enough on the goat forums we have here to know that the breeders do not loan out their bucks for drive by breedings. Both goats and sheep can carry disease that nobody wants in their flocks. The better breeders test their animals and take precautions to keep their flocks disease free and are picky about the replacement stock they buy.

While it might sound like a good idea, in reality, the chances of transmitting disease and or illness make it a risky proposition, both for the health of the stud goat and the does brought to him for breeding.

This is why everyone keeps their own breeding stock.
WE have a couple of ladies visiting one of my boys right now but I investigated the home they came from and their biosecurity. We thought a long time before we told him it was alright. They only live less that a mile away so I allowed it after speaking with the breeder who sold them the does. Still not certain I did the right thing. Would have to come from farms that test regularly. Sorry.
 

Latest posts

Top