Meat Goat Blog

Goats Can Help Solve Oklahoma's Increased Fire Danger

Reporter, Diana Baldwin, of NewsOk.com reported the increase in red cedar in Oklahoma and the growing threat to pasture land and the fire danger created. As anyone knows that ever threw a cedar tree into a fire, the tree bursts into flames. Oklahoma faces future fire problems because the red cedar is taking over eastern part of the State.  The article contends it is the worst environmental threat to the State since the dust bowl.

The problem could be significantly reduced with goats. Although we have read goats aren't supposed to eat red cedar, our goats have stripped several trees on our property with seemingly no adverse effects. The smaller trees are killed by the goats and the bigger trees are cleaned up high enough to allow easy access by a chainsaw. Maybe folks need to follow Google's lead and buy or lease some brush eaters to reclaim the pasture land.

Meat Goat Cooperative Meeting

The meeting for the Meat Goat Cooperative took place in Pittsburgh Co. last week. It has been reported there were 25 people in attendance. Dr. Phil Kenkel discussed how a cooperative could work and how long it would take to put one in place. There were 13 producers who volunteered to serve on a steering committee to look into the project and talk to other producers about their interest. The committee will need to determine approximately how many goats and what size goats would be available at certain times of the year. JJ Jones is going to develop  a survey for the steering committee to use in looking into the possible cooperative. If it looks like the venture is feasible, then a membership drive can be initiated. This process will take quite a while to do it the correct way and make sure it works appropriately. Undoubtedly, it is a worthwhile endeavor.

Interested In Tips For The Oklahoma Buck Forage Test

Good news for those wanting some tips on the Oklahoma Buck Forage test! The test manager, Mary Pennick, a livestock specialists for the Kerr Center will be speaking at the AKGA convention. She is a really nice individual and quite informative. Don't miss out on hearing her report on last years' buck forage test and using the information to better compete in the 2009 test. She will probably discuss the goat sale that often follows the test. Selling goats is the bottom line for goat breeders.

Goats For Sale: What Should You Look For?

                                                   

                                     

                       

The ads, Goats For Sale, are everywhere you look. Prices range all over the spectrum. Most the breeders  seem helpful, honest, and ready to sell you what they claim are quality goats. Many breeders advertise they don't sell culls.  First time goat buyers are often confused and not exactly sure what to buy. Many of these first time buyers will end up buying some goats with the idea "it's just goats, how hard is it to put them in a pen with some weeds?" Okay, we've been there too. Sure wish we knew back then what we know now!!

Here's a few ideas to consider if you are buying goats for the first time that may help you:

1. Don't  buy your goats at an auction unless you always wanted to be a veternarian.
2. Make sure you build your fence before you buy the goats.
3. Remember goat breeders have good and honest hearts, they truly believe their goats are the best. Just because they believe doesn't mean you have to.
4. You need to find how the goats you are going to buy have been managed. What are they fed? How often are they wormed? What shots have they been given? How long has the breeder owned these goats? Is the climate the same as where you plan to raise them?
5. Some breeds of goats are more susceptible to parasites than others. We assure you parasites will be one of your worst enemies if your goats are not parasite resistant. You can drown the goat in a bucket of the wormer, and still not kill the worms.
6. Don't buy pregnant does and plan to move them to your place to kid. Too many times you will end up without kids until the next year when you breed them again. Goats do not handle stress very well.
7. Buy as many goats as you can from one breeder - after you interview several and find the one you trust the most. The more goats you buy from different places, the greater risk you'll get a strain of parasites that are immune from all wormers on the market. 
8. We like Kikos and Spanish goats because they require less time and effort by us. BUT, just because it is a "Kiko" or "Spanish" doesn't mean much. We have bought Kikos and Spanish goats that died within weeks to a couple of months. All car makers have lemons and all goat breeds have breeders who sell their culls as top quality.
9. Figure out what a bag should look like on a doe. Don't buy does with bags so big the kids can't nurse unless you just like bottle feeding every 4 hours.

Alert, Quick, Athletic = The Kids We Want

We had some May kids from a few does who apparently bred late. We were busy and didn't get them tagged the first few days. One was born about 9 days ago, a Kiko/Spanish - she's just what we want. This morning she happened along a paddock with a tree on one side so she was between the fence and the tree. We carefully eased up to catch her, one of us on either side. She was trapped; well almost. When she made a break for it, I grabbed about 2 feet above the ground in anticipation she would try to go over my arm. We still haven't tagged her. Looks like we will have to use the working pen and alley way for this one.

This is the type of kid we want to raise. Alert, she saw us and never took her eyes off us. Quick, when she decided to go, it was a like a blink of the eye. Athletic, she jumped over my arm, over 2 feet in the air, and got away at 9 days old.  In a commercial operation, you need goats that can take care of themselves and avoid hawks, coyotes, bobcats, cougar, etc. We have some good LGDs. but they can't be everywhere at once. We need goats including kids that do their part as well. It was fun!!

2009 American Kiko Goat Association Convention

The AKGA convention is just around the corner, June 25th -27th at the Sequoyah County Fairgrounds in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. If you haven't been there, it is worth your time. Besides the Goat Meat Cook-off, there are several classes by experts from around the country. Dr. Richard Browning, a recogized and respected authority, will be there to talk about his research. There are many other speakers scheduled to discuss goat nutrition, managment of your farm, business plans, reproduction, birthing and neonatal care, and last years' Oklahoma Buck Forage test.

You can gain a great deal of knowledge from attending and make some new friends in the goat industry. The AKGA Board and the members serving on the various committees have put forth a lot of effort to make this convention " the best ever!"  Better put it on your calendar right away to be there!

2009 Oklahoma Buck Forage Test Check -In

As we recently mentioned, the 2009 Oklahoma Commercial Meat Goat Forage Performance Test is scheduled to begin pretty soon. Check-in is June 25th. There will be a warm up from June 26th - July 11th. The test period runs from July 12th - October 21st. There will be a Field Day with awards October 24th. The test data will be available to the public.

If you want detailed information about the entry requirements and test protocols, you can find it at the Kerr Center's web page: www.kerrcenter.com/event_links/goat_buck_test.htm.

Web Page Marketing For Your Goats

Sometimes new goat breeders are like new parents. They can't wait for the kids to arrive, then they can't get them to leave. Marketing isn't given much consideration until it it time for the kids to go and  the opportunity for the best price is missed.

We highly recommend Harry Bryan with The Bryan Group, www.bryangroup.net. He has several affordable plans for hosting your web page and does really nice work. He is prompt, fair, and quite helpful. We met Harry on the internet a few years ago when he began hosting our web page, www.postoak.us.  He takes care of us and never wastes your time  or tries to sell you something you don't want!

We recommend new breeders to start their business from the " sale of their kids" and work backwards. Give careful thought to your marketing strategy before it is time for your kids to leave and send Harry an e-mail. By the way, this is our endorsement of him. He didn't ask us to do it, but earned our recommendation.

2009 Oklahoma Commercial Meat Goat Forage Test

The Oklahoma buck forage test will soon begin. We believe objective tests to evaluate the traits and characteristics of goats is a better indication of future performance than a long string of herd sire and doe history in a pedigree. Although we provide the bloodlines of our registered stock because some people want to know it; ancestry really does not give most buyers nearly as much information as the tests results provide. 

As a commercial operation, we want quality livestock that can reproduce without a lot of work and effort by us. We simply don't have the time and manpower to baby sit our goats. Forage tests tell you a lot about your herd's parasite resistance level when bucklings are placed with other animals from different herds and compared.

The Oklahoma test is sponsored and conducted by the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture in a partnership with the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. It is a great way to see how your goats measure up against other farms and ranches in a friendly, but informative competition. We appreciate the sponsors and their fine work.

Google Uses Goats For Mowing

Dan Hoffman , Director of Real Estate at  Google posted a blog about his company's use of goats for mowing. They have 200 head used to keep the lawn mowed. As a goat breeder, I like the idea. We need more companies using goats - the old supply and demand. If you have any ideas on how to market goats to Google, let us know.!! By the way, take a look at his post http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/mowing-with-goats.html