Goat Grazing System

Goat Grazing System Creates New Profits

New Mexico rancher Darrell Baker finds it easier to raise goats, steers, hogs and broilers on well-managed pasture than in confinement. Photo by Darrell Baker

Raising a herd of goats on 13 acres of pasture containing a nutritious mix of cool-season grasses and legumes proved more profitable and required less labor than a confinement system, a New Mexico producer found. Aided by a SARE grant, Darrell Baker improved his pasture and installed a sprinkler irrigation system to evaluate the profit potential of management-intensive grazing for dairy goats. The grass-based system was a winner. Baker earned $1,900 an acre raising grass and letting the goats forage compared to the $400 an acre in profits he cleared when he raised alfalfa for livestock feed. Since then, Baker has increased his herd size from 64 to 175 because it is cheaper to raise replacement stock and he has more time to handle a larger herd. 'I'm turning that grass into a product that's a lot higher value and I'm running a higher stock density per acre,' he says. While less time-consuming, grass production requires new management skills, Baker found. Grass production peaks in May, meaning he needs to harvest excess for hay or increase his stocking rate that month. Baker will pursue alternative marketing strategies for his goat cheese. He plans to process traditional New Mexico cheeses like queso blanco, which will appeal to the local population more than the more commonly sold French varieties. For more information, go to www.sare.org/projects/ and search for FW96-001

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