Meta (Facebook and Instagram) Rules Present Interesting Challenges for Farmers

First, let me say that if you have received the link to this article in response to a private message or a post comment, I apologize if it seems impersonal. That is not at all my intention. It’s just that time is precious and I’ve found myself having the exact same conversation hundreds of times.

I feel it’s rude to leave messages unanswered for long periods of time, but sometimes I just can’t help it. I’m busy. Often with matters of life and death. So I’m hoping I can save myself some time by having you read this instead.

You cannot advertise animals for sale or adoption on Facebook. I understand the reasoning behind this rule. They are trying to prevent unnecessary breeding and cruelty to animals.

Meta has taken this rule to the next level though. Did you know that I can’t even advertise eggs… like for your breakfast… for sale?

This presents some interesting challenges. If I have animals available for sale, I can’t just be straightforward and say what I have and post an asking price. I have to be vague and just hint at what I’m trying to say. As you can imagine, this leads to a lot of misunderstanding. So, I’m going to try and make some things very clear.

We make our living by raising and selling animals. So we usually have animals for sale. It’s VERY rare that we are just giving them away. We have bills to pay just like everybody else. We invest most of our time and money into raising healthy animals and trust me, it can be VERY time-consuming and costly. We cannot afford to just give them away.

We have chosen not to work off of the farm. That means we have to find ways to make enough money to cover our expenses with what we have here. Those expenses have skyrocketed over the last couple of years. For example, a round bale of good quality hay used to cost $40-$50. They are now listed for anywhere between $125 (for poor quality) to $300. Our power bill last January was about $300, this year it was almost $800.

I want to note here since I have seen a LOT of debate over the rising cost of feed, I don’t think it’s price gouging. Yes, it’s sickening, but the costs to make that same bale of hay has risen too.

Trust me, I completely understand the ‘sticker shock’ that comes with the prices I am asking for my animals or other products. I’ve felt it myself. Yes, I feel a little guilty sometimes. Then I sit down and crunch numbers and realize that my asking prices are still not going to pay the bills and I’m certainly not getting paid for my time.

Before I set a price for an animal I check around and see what other people are selling them for. Right now I have several bottle baby goats, on Kijiji they are listed for anywhere from $125-$200 for males to $200-$400 for females. I am still in shock over it. I have had many, many bottle babies given to me because in reality, they cost more to raise than you can sell them for at market prices.

Let me break it down.

Newborns need colostrum for the first 24 hours of life. Without it they could very well die. If they don’t die, they will certainly fail to thrive and are destined to have a shortened and sickly life. One bag of colostrum powder costs about $65. Granted that should provide enough colostrum for more than one goat, it isn’t free. For the first 24 hours, they typically need to be fed every two hours around the clock.

As they get older they will eat more at each feeding and you can gradually extend that time between feedings. Usually by the time they are a couple of weeks old they can get by on just 2–3 feedings a day. I find they do better with being fed more frequently, as it is closer to how they are raised by their mothers.

For best health outcomes, a baby goat needs milk for 12 weeks. They must be fed several times a day. Fortunately, I have dairy goats, so I can milk my goats and feed that milk to my bottle babies. By the way, that doesn’t mean I have ‘free’ milk. I have to ensure my nannies are in good health to have that milk and I have to put in the time to collect it.

If you don’t have access to fresh milk you have to buy milk replacer. A 50-pound bag of milk replacement powder costs $120. There will also be the cost of hay and mineral supplements and potentially vet care.

Livestock market prices can fluctuate greatly from one week to the next. They are based on an animal’s age and weight. Typically bottle babies do not grow as well as those that are dam-raised. On average though, one can usually get about $150-$200 for a 12-week old kid if you ship them to market.

I hate shipping our animals to market. I know that most animals sold at livestock auctions end up as meat. Even if they don’t end up on someone’s plate, I have no way of knowing what kind of homes they are going to.

I deeply love my animals. I provide them with the best care I possibly can. I even went as far as getting an Animal Sciences diploma, so that I am prepared for almost any emergency.

I want them to go to good homes, preferably with people who know what they will need. At the very least someone should have a mentor to help them learn. I don’t mind mentoring people on animal husbandry, but it begins long before I ever sell you your first animal. You should know what you’re getting yourself into before you bring an animal home.

Do your research. There’s plenty of information online. There are wonderful groups on Facebook where people are more than willing to help you learn. There are great books written. Take the time to find out what you are getting yourself into BEFORE you bring home any living creature! Anything less is cruel, not just for the animal, but for you too.

Goats are herd animals. If you don’t already have some I will NOT sell you just one. That is just begging for trouble.

The animals I post are not free. I won’t let them go to just anyone. You need to let me know that you either have the knowledge and means to properly care for them, or you have to lay out for me your plan to learn. I am asking $150 for male bottle baby goats and $250 for females. They will not be sold until they have had colostrum and are strong. I will not provide a health guarantee, as there are just far too many variables that come into play, especially when selling animals this young. Again, do your research and know the risks!

I am not hard set on those prices. I know that if you are just looking to raise them and then ship them to market there’s no money to be made. I don’t really want them to go to an auction. I’m willing to negotiate and will often give kids looking for a 4-H project an amazing deal. I want to encourage people, especially kids, to get involved in raising animals.

These policies go for all the animals I sell.

This piece was originally published on Medium. It has been edited to conform to Vocal standards.

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