What to do with buckling crop -- Part 2

From my last post:


Let's assume the bucks that are destined for the slaughter house and not the breeding pen now average 45 pounds. I plan to market the bucks no earlier than November so they will be here another 6 months. If I let them forage all summer, if we get an occasional rain and if pasture nutrition remains moderate, I might see a .2 pound per day gain per head. Over the next 180 days the typical buck should gain 36 pounds for a total weight of 81 pounds — a good market weight. However, with some supplementation — .7 pounds a day of 16% feed — I might boost that to .3 pounds ADG for a total of 54 pounds of gain, or 99 pounds total weight, which may be too heavy and garner a discount from the slaughter buyers. I'll do some more ciphering and get back with you...


OK, here's what I came up with. I'm assuming a feed conversion rate of 6:1. In other words, it will take 6 pounds of feed to produce 1 pound of weight gain. Feeding .7 lbs. a day per head will require 126 pounds of feed per head over the next 180 days. At 23.7¢ per pound for Purina's Noble Goat 16% feed, that adds up to $29.86 per goat for feed. If all my predictions are accurate (HA!HA!) and the bucks gain an extra 18 pounds each, at $2.50 a pound at the sale barn, I will earn an extra $36 a head. $36 extra profit minus $29.86 extra feed cost = $6.14 per head extra profit. If I get discounted and the goats only bring $2.00, I'll be in the hole if you consider any kinds of labors costs.


Bottom line: Feed them a little to keep them coming around the catch pen. Otherwise, let them be goats and make it on pasture. Regardless of what they weigh and what they bring at sale time, if you have no inputs, you're still ahead of the game.


With the high price of replacement does these days, commercial as well as registered stock breeders can produce cash flow by selling quality doelings. Most years I make what I need to run the farm by selling replacement does. Whatever I get for the slaughter goats and cull/old nannies in the winter is just gravy and comes just in time to pay the winter feed bills.