Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


New dairy goat cost of production study released; shows feed to be greatest expense

Thursday, July 16, 2015

by SUSAN MANN

Feed is the largest expense for dairy goat operations, accounting for 31 per cent of overall expenses in producing milk, according to a new cost of production study by Ontario Goat.

The second biggest cost is interest debt at 8.7 per cent while labour is third at 6.4 per cent. The study released Wednesday also revealed the cost of production for a standard litre of goat milk is $1.37.

This is the first time the industry has had a cost of production study done, says Ontario Goat executive director Jennifer Haley. “We can’t just look at this and say this is the be all and the end all. This is just one snapshot in time.”

What’s important about this study is it’s specific just to the goat operations on the farms, she notes. The study “separated out other ventures on the farm or any kind of off-farm income.”

She says the study shows the industry is in a growth and development phase.

“Lots of other livestock sectors have had huge (government) investments over the past 30, 40 years to get them where they are today,” she explains. “What we see in this cost of production study is the goat industry has self-financed any growth that it has had through its own investment.”

The cost of production study is based on a random sample of 2014 data 2014 from 14 licenced Ontario dairy goat farms. A third-party accounting firm collected the data from the farms.

Haley says the farms varied in herd size, feed management systems, barn types and milk marketing methods and are statistically representative of Ontario’s licenced goat producers.

Haley says some people might say the cost of production number is too high “but I think it’s reflective of investments that producers are making back into their farm.”

Ontario Goat is hosting workshops in the fall where the cost of production will be discussed. The organization also plans to develop ideas on how the industry can reduce its costs of production and increase productivity. Furthermore, it plans to find ways to get government funding for research in various areas, such as dairy goat nutrition so feed costs can be reduced.

The cost of production study will be updated this year, next year and in 2017. The study was funded by Ontario Goat and Growing Forward 2, the national agricultural policy framework. BF

Current Issue

June/July 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Ontario crops respond to summer heat

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

According to the OMAFA Field Crop News team, Ontario field crops are showing rapid development as summer-like temperatures have dominated late June early July. The warm spell has accelerated growth and helped reduce the heat unit deficit from a cool spring. Corn fields have seen a burst... Read this article online

Canada’s Place in Global Food System Resilience

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Canada’s food system is facing serious pressure due to global supply chain issues, climate change, and rising food prices. According to a KPMG report, bold and united action is needed now to make Canada’s agriculture sector more resilient and self-reliant. With the global population... Read this article online

Calf Auction Raises Funds for Youth

Monday, June 30, 2025

Wyatt Westman-Frijters from Milverton won a heifer calf named Ingrid through a World Milk Day promotion by Maplevue Farms and a local Perth, Ontario radio station. Instead of keeping the calf, 22-year-old Westman-Frijters chose to give back to the community. The calf was sent to the... Read this article online

Cattle Stress Tool May Boost Fertility

Friday, June 27, 2025

Kansas State University researchers have developed a cool tool that may help reduce cattle stress and improve artificial insemination (AI) results. The idea came from animal science experts Nicholas Wege Dias and Sandy Johnson, who observed that cattle accustomed to their environment... Read this article online

Ontario pasture lands get $5M boost

Friday, June 27, 2025

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $5 million to strengthen shared community grazing pastures. This funding supports the province’s plan to protect Ontario’s agriculture sector and help cattle farmers improve pasture quality, ensuring long-term sustainability and... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top