Meat Goat Blog

LGD's Clean Up After Birth With Good Reason

Some folks find it strange and others almost become sick when they see a LGD clean up the after birth from kidding. It is not the most appetizing picture. But it serves a purpose that protects the herd. The after birth leaves a strong smell for predators and signals weakness in the doe and newly born kids.

The dogs eating the after birth eliminates the oder, thus reducing the natural instincts of coyotes, bobcats, etc. The fewer predators, the fewer the losses. It also means less work for the dogs if predators aren't creeping around looking for the next meal.

LGDs serve multiple purposes from guardian to midwife to wet nurse. It's still fascinating to watch. The dogs carefully watch over the does and the kids and look on with motherly interest on each  new arrival.  Clean up is just one more way they keep things properly working.

Deep Snow Makes It Hard To Forage

Two weeks ago, our does were eating some store bought feed, but without much interest. Hay was eaten even slower. After a full week of snow on the ground, the forage must be getting harder to find. The does are waiting for the feed and eating four times as much. They have also started to eat the round bales that were ignored the past three weeks.

As we have pointed out in other posts, does in the last few weeks before kidding require lots of protein to deliver healthy kids and raise them. We feed pretty heavy at this stage and will continue until things turn green. Goats like people need good nutrition for proper development. With everything buried in snow at close to the peak means the does need some assistance.

This is the only part of the year we supplement with grain, but it will easily pay for the feed with the fast growing and healthy kids over the next couple of months.  

Raising Meat Goats: The Short Version

The short version of raising meat goats is " Don't ".  It's hard work. But if your hard headed ( like some people we know ) and think you want to give it a try, there is a nice summary on the subject at http://ohioline.osu.edu/as-fact/0014.html. The authors,Tony Nye and Robert Moore, Extension Agents, address the major points in an easy to read and well written text.

If you are considering raising goats, take a quick look at the article for an overall analysis.

Water Supply Is Critical In Winter Months

Goats require water 365 days per year. Summer is a given and most people readily understand water in the heat is necessary to survival. New goat breeders may not be as aware of the importance of water in the Winter.

During cold periods the water supply can freeze and leave your goats without proper hydration. Since it is cold, some people may think the goats don't need water. While it is true they don't drink quite as much, water is every bit as essential. Water helps keep the goats warm and aids in warding off disease and illness. Without the proper amount of moisture in the body, it stops functioning.

Goats require fresh water at all times. Don't forget to check their water just because it's cold and don't think eating snow replaces the ability to drink.

That Goat's Too Skinny

Goats have a hollow place in their side when they haven't eaten in a while. It is in the back third and make a really sunken place. Some people unfamiliar with goats assume it is poor from not eating or has something wrong with it. Compared to a goat that has just eaten, it is a significant difference. But it is a misconception as to the goat's health. One good meal and just hours later the sunken place is gone and the goat looks good again.

A goat is hard to gauge by just looking. The best way to determine the body condition is by feeling with your hands. It takes some practice, but far more effective than a visual check. So just because you see a goat with a hollow spot, don't assume it means much.

Leasing Bucks versus Owning

There are benefits to leasing bucks as well as owning your own. Leasing allows you to choose from a number of ranches and really vary your breeding program. It also means the cost of upkeep over the year is eliminated. As any experienced breeder will tell you, your investment can vanish in the blink of an eye. Losses happen and there is no guarantee your expensive, special buck will still be around next year when breeding season arrives.

Ownership gives you the ability to observe the buck year in and year out. How does he do in wet, humid periods in terms of parasite resistance. Can he produce healthy offspring from does you believe will produce your goals. The question of where is my next buck coming from is answered.

Owning allows you to market your farm based upon the attributes of the buck. While leasing let's you take advantage of the marketing someone else has done.

We have tried both ways. Both are workable and have advantages. The best part of leasing is you don't have to figure out a way to keep the bucks in their pen until you are ready to start breeding as opposed to when they think it's time to start. In the end, it's just a matter of choice as to leasing or purchasing.

Why Do You Want Goats?

The goat business has a number of business models and strategies like every other industry. Success in the goat business comes in part from sound, well considered goals. For example, do you want to produce meat, cheese, or simply to clear some over grown property. Are you looking for a new kind of pet or trying to catch the next fad to make fast money?

If you aren't sure what you truly intend to accomplish, you probably won't get there. We raise meat goats on a commercial scale. Secondary to the meat is keeping the brush cleared. Health and self sufficiency rate far higher on the scale than registry papers or nice ribbons hanging on the wall.

Nothing wrong with those goals or endeavors, they just aren't ours. Decide what you want to achieve before you start spending your hard earned money jumping in the business and your investment will have a greater chance for success.

Teach Your Bucks To Lead

Some bucks lead, others do not. If you have far to go, the ones that lead are so much nicer to handle. We have both kinds. Of course there are two kinds of leaders. We have both of those also. I like the one who walks along with me like a horse or dog. The other type is a true leader; he's in the lead as he drags you through the brush, the creek, and other places you don't care to go.

We like the rope around the horns as opposed to the neck. It does not choke them and seems to give more control over the direction you go. With the ones that are hard to lead, it sure helps to have someone helping you with a stick or prod. You control the direction while the person in the back helps with the forward motion.

Since our goats don't get a lot of feed, sometimes a feed bucket is just ignored. In these cases, the bucks that lead are much easier to move. If your bucks do not lead, you can train them.  Just like most livestock, it does take a little time and effort.

Breeding Season: When Is Best Time To Breed?

The best time to breed really depends on you. There is not a text book answer other than it is usually between August to December. With a roughly five month gestation, it gives the breeder the option of choosing when the kids arrive ( assuming you can keep them apart that long ).

We bred in August one year because the bucks broke down the pen and went to work. Other years we have waited till November and even bred some in December. Spring is nice for tagging and checking out the new kids. If they are born too late, the flies really create some problems. Kids to early in the year mean several months of cold weather and it's hard to tag in the dark. By the weekend, some of ours have grown enough it's hard to catch them.

This year we started Labor Day weekend so the kids will come a little earlier. We have some first year doelings that will be bred in December. It will give them a little more time to develop and we want to use a buckling that was born late this year that hasn't quite matured enough.

The best time to breed is really up to you and when you want the kids to arrive.

Spanish Goat Buyers Beware

We regularly receive telephone calls and e-mail from folks wanting to buy Spanish goats. No surprise there, Spanish goats have many of the attributes people want. The disturbing factor is how many people believe they can purchase " registered " Spanish goats. It causes us to wonder if there are breeders trying to sell Spanish goats with papers.

If someone tries to sell you a Spanish goat that is registered or can be registered, you need to think twice about it. The Spanish Goat Association states:

"We've only just begun the Association, and so far it seems that all we have is a group of really nice breeders who know who's who with Spanish goats, and who are very dedicated to preserving the breed. So far, it doesn't seem as if any herd or goat registration is necessary, needed, or particularly wanted. This may change in the next decade, so although we'd like to be prepared, there's no rush on developing a registration process."

There are no registration certificates that come with a Spanish goat. As you can see from another quote taken from the web page:

" Spanish goats, brush goats, woods goats, briar goats, scrub goats—none had registration papers, none had national sires to boast about, and the names became synonymous with “no particular breed.”

Sooooo buyers of Spanish goats take note - they don't come with papers! Caveat Emptor applies; let the buyer beware.