One of the first decisions a meat goat farmer needs to make is whether to market suckling kids or weaned market kids or both. Suckling kids for the Easter market must be born in the winter. In a cold climate, this means you will need to invest in a draft free, yet well ventilated, barn and excellent winter feed and bedding for their dams during late pregnancy and lactation. Frigid temperatures at birth leading to frozen or weak newborn kids are the main problems. Pneumonia and bacterial diarrhea problems from poorly ventilated barns and overcrowding can also be problems. Prices received for suckling kids ranged from about $1.35 to $2.10 per lb live weight in 2004 and varied according to the quality of the kids and access to competitive buyers. Unthrifty kids could sell for less than this and farms selling directly to end consumer or retail stores might do far better.

In contrast, market kids are often born in late March through early May and graze out on pasture until slaughter anywhere from 45 to 100 lbs from mid summer to early winter. A three-sided barn at kidding time can often suffice even in cold climates. Instead, your investment will be in good quality pasture and goat proof fencing or in an economical source of good quality roughage to base their diet on. Internal parasites are probably the biggest problem with raising market kids. The amount of expensive supplemental grain needed during late pregnancy and lactation and for the weaned kids will depend on the quality of your roughage. These kids generally sell for less than suckling kids, ranging from about $.80 to $1.25 per lb live weight depending again on quality and access to buyers. Again, unhealthy animals may bring less and direct sales may bring more.

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