# Selling goat milk commercialy?



## goatlady1314

We are thinking about selling goat milk commercialy is it profitable?

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## goatlady1314

Anyone?

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## [email protected]mojo

Ummmm... depends.  I think in most, if not all, states you have to have a Grade A license . There are a couple of members here who do, so maybe they'll chime in when they get a chance. 

Please add your name, location and breed(s) of goats in your siggy line. It helps everyone to answer questions and give info. Thanks. 

ETA: WELCOME TO THE FORUM!!!!


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## goatlady1314

Thanks  my name is chaney. I live in IOWA. I have lamanchas sannens nubians alpines and toggenburgs! 

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## eam

Chaney, welcome to the forum.

A few questions for you first:
- Are you thinking of selling raw or pasteurized milk?
Many states don't allow sales of raw milk but I don't know about Iowa. Pasteurizing is expensive.
- When you say commercial, do you mean wholesale or retail?
- Do you think you have a market for your milk? 
- Would you sell from the farm, farmers markets, elsewhere? 
Again, this would depend on local laws.

I think selling milk can be financially viable but you'll never get rich. Others with more knowledge than I can chime in but around here (I'm in VT), it's more the value-added products that make a dairy venture more financially successful - cheese, yogurt, cajeta, etc. but they're expensive to start up.

You need to understand Iowa's laws first and foremost and I'm afraid I can't help you there. Good luck!
Elizabeth


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## hsmomof4

Chaney,
what she meant was to go to your profile and edit it so that your name, location, and type of goats appears at the bottom of every post that you make, automatically. It makes it easier for people to help you when you have questions.


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## hsmomof4

As for Iowa, it looks like you would be required to be a Grade A (milk people can drink, but it can be used to make other dairy products) or Grade B (milk that can only be made into other dairy products, such as cheese) dairy, raw milk sales in Iowa are illegal. That makes a very big difference. To set up a Grade A dairy will require a substantial monetary investment on your part. I think that I estimated once that doing that would cost at least $100k. IF you had a market for your milk, you could turn a profit, but we are talking milking 40-50 goats, twice daily, I am thinking. There are a few people on here who do have full-up Grade A and maybe they will respond. I would start here with your research: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/site...g-regulations-guide-small-scale-producers.pdf


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## goatlady1314

We already have 100 does and we are gonna milk 500.

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## goatlady1314

Is that $100k for building everything and the equipment or is that for the feed?

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## hsmomof4

That was what I calculated, a number of years ago, as a bare minimum, do most of it yourself on the cheap, cost of getting a dairy set up.


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## Ziggy

You really need to do you own business plan based on your location and startup costs. If you are just going to be milking and selling bulk to a processor my guess is that it will take at least several hundred to break even and recoup any start up costs. If you value add (eg bottled milk, cheese etc) you may be able to make it with far less being milked. At any rate I can assure you it is not a way to get rich quick.


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## Ziggy

From talking to friend in the Midwest I know the buyers don't pay a lot so your goats and feed costs will need to be very efficiently managed in order to have any hope of turning a profit. I have a friend in the Carolina's who gets about twice the price supplying local cheese makers compared to what my contacts in the Midwest are getting selling bulk to the big buyer out there.


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## goatlady1314

Well there's a pretty good price here in iowa so we r gonna try it

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## lovinglife

Good for you! Keep us posted on your progress and lessons learned. I would love to do the same if I could. Good luck!


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## goatlady1314

Ok so today we called for a parlor and thats comes with EVERYTHING you need to start milking! The only problem is..... its $29000 :-/


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## hsmomof4

$29k is not that expensive for all of the equipment. Like I said, I priced things out at at least $100k for start up costs for equipment, building, etc. I didn't include the goats in that calculation.


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## Ziggy

Just wondering what you are getting for 29K - does than include pipeline and bulk tank? for how many goats?

as the other poster said even $100K to get a licensed operation up and running is conservative.


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## goatlady1314

It would include a parlor with 12 goats on a side, automatic feeders for the bunks, a 500 gallon take, a air compressor to run the automatic bunk and gates, a tank washer, all the pipeline, milkers, ABSOLUTLY everything u need to start. If hes going to let us make payments then we are going to buy it !!! Im so excited


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## sydneyjd

Cool!! I can milk 2 at a time with mine  Where are you ordering it from?


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## goatlady1314

Well I found it on Craigslist but it's only 2 years old


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