Feed costs are the single biggest expense in goat farming. Whether you’re raising meat goats, dairy does, or fiber animals, what you spend on feed eats up a large chunk of your budget. And if you’re like most goat farmers, you’ve probably noticed that commercial feed prices keep climbing while the quality seems to be all over the place.
That’s the reality of buying feed these days. You’re paying more, but you’re not necessarily getting better feed. Sometimes the pellets are too hard and the goats won’t touch them. Other times they crumble into dust before they even reach the feeder. The ingredients change from batch to batch, and your goats notice. A sudden change in feed can put them off their feed, drop milk production, or slow growth.
So here’s the question that more and more goat farmers are asking themselves: is it worth producing feed on my own property? The answer depends on a few things, but for a lot of operations, it’s becoming harder to ignore the numbers.
The Problem with Relying on Commercial Feed
To be fair, commercial feed is convenient. You order it, it shows up, and you feed it. But convenience comes at a price, and that price isn’t just the number on the invoice.
First, there’s the inconsistency. Commercial mills produce feed in large batches. The ingredients they use depend on what’s available and what’s cheap at the time. One batch might have a different protein source than the last. The pellet quality might vary. The fines content might be higher. Your goats can tell the difference, even if you can’t.
Second, there’s the markup. By the time that feed reaches your farm, you’ve paid for the ingredients, the processing, the packaging, the transportation, the mill’s overhead, and their profit. Every stop along the way adds cost. And you’re paying all of it.
Third, there’s the waste. Goats are picky. They’ll sort through mash feed, picking out what they want and leaving the rest. Even with pellets, there’s waste from spillage and breakage. You’re paying for feed that never makes it into the animal.
The Case for Making Your Own
When you produce your own feed, you eliminate a lot of those problems. You buy ingredients at wholesale prices and process them yourself. You control the formulation and the pellet quality. You produce fresh feed when you need it, not feed that’s been sitting in bags for weeks.
The savings are real. On average, farmers who produce their own feed cut their feed costs by 15% to 25%. For a herd of 100 does, that can easily mean thousands of dollars in annual savings. And the benefits go beyond cost.
Your goats get consistent feed, batch after batch. They eat better, perform better, and waste less. You’re not at the mercy of a commercial mill’s production schedule or ingredient sourcing. You’re in control.
Of course, producing your own feed means you need the right equipment. And that’s where a lot of people get stuck. It can be hard to know what you need and what it’s going to cost.
What Makes Goat Feed Different
Goat feed isn’t the same as chicken feed or pig feed. Goats have specific nutritional needs, and their feed has to be processed a certain way to work well.
Fiber is a big part of it. Goats are ruminants, and they need enough fiber to keep their rumen working properly. But they also need energy, which means grains. Getting the balance right is about more than just the formula—it’s about how the feed is processed.
The pellet size matters. Adult goats do well with pellets around 4 to 6 millimeters. Kids need smaller pellets. If the pellets are too big, they’ll have trouble eating them. Too small, and they might not get enough roughage.
The hardness matters too. Goats will reject pellets that are too hard to chew. But if they’re too soft, they’ll crumble into dust. The right balance comes from the right die configuration and the right conditioning.
What the Machine Does
A goat feed making machine takes the ingredients you buy and processes them into finished pellets. It grinds the grains, mixes everything together, conditions the mix with steam, and presses it through a die to form pellets.
The grinding step gets the particle size right. The mixing step ensures every pellet has the same nutritional profile. The conditioning step softens the fiber so it binds properly. The pelleting step compresses everything into a dense, uniform pellet.
The machine’s capacity matters. If you’re feeding a small herd, you don’t need a huge machine. If you’re running a commercial operation, you’ll need something with more throughput. It’s about matching the equipment to your scale.
The Manufacturer’s Role
Buying a pellet machine is a long-term investment. The quality of the equipment and the support behind it make a difference in how the machine performs and how long it lasts.
Richi Manufacture has been building feed pellet equipment for decades. They’ve installed thousands of machines across the world. Their experience with goat feed production means they understand the specific requirements—the fiber content, the conditioning needs, the die specifications.
The equipment is built to last. The dies and rollers are made from wear-resistant materials. The bearings are sealed. The motors are sized for continuous operation. And the support doesn’t end when the machine ships. Installation, training, and after-sales support are all part of the package.
The Upfront Cost
The biggest barrier to producing your own feed is the upfront cost. A pellet machine isn’t cheap. But it’s important to look at the long-term picture, not just the initial price tag.
If you’re spending $20,000 a year on commercial feed and you can save 20% by producing your own, that’s $4,000 a year in savings. Over five years, that’s $20,000. The machine pays for itself.
There are ongoing costs too—electricity, maintenance, die replacements. But those are manageable, and they’re part of the cost of doing business. The savings from reduced feed costs and improved performance more than offset them.
What the Goats Get
At the end of the day, it’s about the animals. Goats that eat consistent, high-quality feed perform better. They grow faster, produce more milk, and stay healthier.
Consistent feed means consistent nutrition. Every pellet contains the same balance of nutrients. The goats can’t sort through it. They eat the whole ration, and they get the full benefit of what you formulated.
The feed is fresh. There’s no vitamin degradation from long-term storage. The pellets are clean, with minimal fines and dust. The goats eat better, and the barn stays cleaner.
The Practical Reality
Producing your own goat feed is a step that makes sense for a lot of operations. The equipment is available, the ingredients are accessible, and the economics work. It takes some learning, but the resources are there.
The goats won’t complain. They’ll eat well, perform well, and you’ll see the results in your bottom line. The feed costs will go down, and your control over the operation will go up. For most farmers, that’s a trade worth making.
If you’re considering it, start by working out the numbers. Look at what you’re spending on feed now. Figure out what you could save by producing your own. Factor in the equipment cost and the operating costs. The math usually tells a clear story. Once you see the numbers, the decision gets a lot easier.
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