Goat articles & Goat Information

Home   /   Goat Breeder Directory   /   Advertising   /  Email  

Article Reprinted With Permission From:

Suzzane McCoy
Clear Creek Pygoras
Portland, OR


Please Read Disclaimer

 All expressed opinions and information contained within the articles are strictly those of the author and not GoatFinder.com.  Use of any information is done so at your own  risk.

Profiting From Your Goats:
By Suzzane McCoy

 About a year or so ago we purchased our first two goats with the intent of  using them to clear brush. It didn't take long and we fell in love with them and ended up purchasing a couple more. Our interest in goats grew and  we decided to acquire a couple of does to breed.

Soon we found that most people who have goats, have them just for the pure joy that they can bring to you. We learned quickly that there isn't much of a profit margin in raising goats for the small goat farm, especially after vet bills and feed. For the most part we conceded that making any kind of profit from selling goats would be minimal.

However, this line of thinking changed one day when I took two of our goats to work with me. I own a kids (people) hair salon business in Portland, Oregon and there was a street fair scheduled for that day. We thought it would be fun to have our goats out in front of our salon for the neighborhood to enjoy.

I loaded the goats in the back of our pickup and took them in to work. They were on leashes so we could walk them around. My brother kept an eye on them to make sure that they didn't get into the shrubs.

Boy, were we ever surprised. When word got out that we had a couple of adorable little goats in front of our shop. It seemed as if the entire street fair crowd was just outside my business.  People were clamoring all over each other to get close to and touch our goats.  It was as if they had never seen a goat before. Because the goats were on leashes we were able to walk them around as if they were pet dogs. 

Seeing the intense interest the city dwellers had in our little guys started to make us think. What if people in the city could have goats? It wasn't long after the street fair that I checked with the county office about having goats and was surprised to learn that residences can have up to three goats under 150 lbs. each without a permit.

This launched a whole new campaign strategy to introduce goats to the city. A goat rental service. The main focus of the campaign is about providing young children with the opportunity to have a farm experience right in their own backyard. This provides a win win situation because the family gets to enjoy the goats and we profit from it.

What's really interesting, I purchased a square metal sign that read "URBAN GOATS" and placed it in my hair salon.  The response from curious people inquiring about this sign was a little overwhelming.  By accident, I created a very effective marketing tool that opened up discussions about goats.  

Our current plan is we would lease two goats per family for $35 month. This includes us coming by once a month to check on them to make sure that they are being well cared for, give shots and trim their feet and deliver hay if needed. The monthly visit opens up the opportunity to market other items to the customer, such as goat books, etc. 

The people leasing the goats would be responsible for erecting a small fence and provide shelter.  However, for a fee we would erect a small fence to maintain the goats while the family would have to provide shelter. Of course we are always available in case they have any questions.

We definitely wouldn't attempt this with normal sized goats. It makes sense that Dwarfs, Pygmy's or Pygora's are the best suited for this. They're small and will not take a lot to keep fenced in. We also decided that wethers would be the best choice to use for renting since they required the least amount of maintenance. 

At this time we are in the process of increasing our herd size so we can accommodate people wishing to lease our goats. We are reluctant to rent out our original goats because we are so attached to them.