Why Didn’t I Think Of That!

Mineral feeder/ baby goat pellet feeder

(Thanks to Kathleen and Terry Regenold)
A PVC pipe with a Y attachment can be attached to the outside of goat pens for use as a mineral feeder or kid pens for use as a pellet feeder. The PVC is durable and has a large reservoir for feed or minerals.

Supplies:

• 3 pieces of 4″ PVC pipe
• 1 “Y” piece
• 1 cap that fits into the bottom
• 1 piece of 4″ PVC pipe cut 24″ in length (You buy a 10 foot section at Menards, and have them cut it in 24″ sections for you….giving you enough to make 5 feeders.)

Cost
A 10′ section of PVC pipe costs $11, “Y” costs $5.99, and cap $1.13. These work great for Mineral feeders and to feed baby goats their starter pellets free choice. You can make 5 feeders for under $50.

Nursing buckets

(Thanks to Kathleen and Terry Regenold)
We had a problem with 10 baby goats pushing on the buckets and tipping them over, even when placed inside another bucket that we filled 1/2 way with gravel to add weight. We cut a 2′ x 2′ piece of plywood, bolted it to the bottom of a 5 gallon pail, added straw to the bottom instead of gravel (the straw brings the sucker pail nipples up slightly above the rim of the 5 gallon pail so the nipples are not resting on the rim of the pail.) Now, as they stand around the pail, they are standing on the plywood making it impossible for them to tip the pail of milk over. The 5 gallon pail with the plywood on the bottom sits in their pen all the time and we just set a new sucker pail inside it twice a day for feedings.

Inexpensive Huts

(Thanks to Gary Phillips)
These huts, which can be used for kid housing, are inexpensive and easy to build
Materials required for 1 hut:
4 plastic pallets (these were purchased at an auction)
12 bolts, washers and nuts.
Total cost per hut was about $2.00
Use bolts to attach 3 pallets to form sides and top of hut. Pallets are longer than wide so you can cut end off 4th pallet to match height of the 2 sides. The scrap piece can be attached to the bottom from of the hut to block ground level drafts.

Motorcycle stand/hoof trimming chute

(Thanks to Kathleen and Terry Regenold)
We were using an old hog chute to put the goats in to trim their hooves. We needed something easier to get them up and in the chute, so we mounted the hog chute on a motorcycle stand that is hooked up to compressed air. We can now put the goat in the stand and lift them up without hurting our backs, bringing them up to waist level…no bending or lifting.

http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/extension/extpubs/PlanList97.htm#Goat

Whether you produce meat animals exclusively or are selling dairy bucks and culls, goat meat is an integral part of the dairy industry is meat production.
We’ve posted some resources below that will help you make good business decisions.

Financial Analysis Tool

This spreadsheet developed by South Dakota State University Extension Service is a decision aid for goat producers that provides a comparison of the profitability of raising kids for sale as market kids. The figures and calculations in this spreadsheet are general formulas only. This spreadsheet is based on a per head basis. Any figure in the INPUT Section can be changed by typing over the default figure in the appropriate cell. Calculations using the new value will be adjusted accordingly.