Meat Goat Blog

Breeding Season Just Around The Corner

Fall in Oklahoma is breeding season for most goat ranchers. This year we are breeding some pure Spanish and some more Kiko/Spanish crosses. Although we really like our crosses for parasite resistance and hardiness; we received more interest in 100% Spanish for some reason. So like all good businesses, we are planning to have some Spanish for those buyers that want them. But we have to tell you our 50/50 crosses make some tough, hardy goats.

Breeding season is planning time for us as we try to match the best attributes of our bucks with the does. Sometimes the planning turns out like we would expect. In some cases, we are flat out surprised by the results. It is really funny to see pure white kids running through the green pastures produced by a black mother and tan buck. We laugh because color is meaningless for production purposes. It does occasionally help sell them to people just for the eye appeal.

Currently we plan to breed two 100% New Zealand kikos, one pure bred Kiko, a commercial cross (50/50 ) and a young Spanish buck. Our does are primarily Spanish or Kiko/Spanish crosses.  Most have already been matched with the entries in the computer for  late October or early November.

Goats Used For Flood Control

How many goats does it take to prevent a flood?  "About 400 of the four-legged weed-whackers stripped vegetation this week as part of a Goat Grazing Trial Study sponsored by the organization Parents for a Safer Environment with the cooperation of the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. The goats grazed a one-third-mile stretch of the creek bed extending north from Henry Avenue and skirting the perimeter of Collins Elementary School." according to Tom Lochner
Contra Costa Times.

Normally herbicides are used to control the foliage, but goat are part of an experiment to avoid water contamination. Of course you do get a few goat pellets in the water.  "The experiment includes measuring fecal bacteria contamination in the water and other parameters and comparing them to water pollution from a vegetation-abatement effort of similar scope using herbicides."

We applaud trying goats over chemicals. Hopefully others will see the project and goat will increase in popularity for brush control. http://www.goats4h.com/Goats.html

Famacha - Our Way

We recently discussed Famancha and how it sometimes isn't accurate as far as we are concerned. Here are some of the problems we have experienced and what we have done to make it more useful for a commercial operation.

First, we figured out pretty fast you never have one of those color chart/cards when you want one. Like most people, we found ourselves using memory to match the colors or just plain guessing. I sure most reputable breeders would never do this - unless . . . . . .  Yep, there are a lot of us who haven't always had the card available as we checked eyes.

Second, sometimes goats don't cooperate. One of our bucks was checked a week ago with the examiner lying on the ground looking up while the other one was wrestling him toward the ground. Probably should made  a video so we could show you how not to do it! It would have been a hit!!

Third, some of us have been accused of being just a little bit color blind when we pick out our clothes in the morning. If you see colors differently than others, it makes it doggone hard to consistently rate eye color unless it always the same person doing the checking. Maybe other farms are different than ours, but we don't always have the same person there to check.  Believe it or not, some days we don't even have the same person looking at all the goats!

Fourth, the amount of sunlight streaming down seems to change the way the color looks just a little. Bright days as opposed to rainy, grey days seem to give slight variations. Ever notice how the color of your truck ( for those of you who actually wash your vehicles ) looks  different in the evening than in the middle of the afternoon.

While we completely agree Famancha, to the extent it indicates a degree of health, is a useful tool. It is not always convenient to have a color chart and certainly not completely accurate means to test for parasites. It is  also difficult for some of us to distinguish one shade of pink from a marginally lighter shade except when we are matching our socks to our shirts.

We have developed our own approach that is a little simpler.

Goats are checked by one person as much as possible to maintain consistency.  The scores are marked using three colors that are suitable to meat producers: white, medium, and pink. White is pretty easy to see. Pink tends to stand out pretty well. Everything else is medium, sort of like medium well. Using three grades is easier for folks who don't count well and really gives us the information we want.

Goat Hangs Ten!

Hey, you have to check out this video on YouTube of the little goats surfing! Great video for a few laughs! Thanks to the folks who did it for sharing with all of us!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIkJgH6uN_c

Famacha, As Good As It Sounds?

Famancha has really been in vogue the past few years. I can't recall a seminar or meeting  that hasn't addressed it. Many of the speakers make you stand up and promise to regularly and faithfully perform it before letting you leave the room. Once I was forced to commit to using it every two weeks before I could leave the talk to go to the restroom. Okay, a slight exaggeration. Still, it has been a constant source of discussion by goat breeders and educators everywhere. But is it really as good as touted?

We are not veterinarians and don't have backgrounds in animal science, but it seems like Famancha needs to be kept in perspective. It is essentially nothing more than an examination of the eye lids or other body parts to see if the color is pink. We use a form of Famancha so don't think we are against it. However, we haven't always found it exactly accurate. For instance, some goats, like some people, have different pigment. We recently wormed with the help of a veterinarian assistant. He helps us work our goats twice per year.

After we finished checking the goats and doing our traditional Fall worming, he said " those goats with the eye lids that were lighter in color, don't look wormy to me." I agreed - those does didn't look wormy. So why did some have truly pink eyes and others a lighter pink or almost gray color. Good question.

We have also seen our bucklings in a forage test have Famancha's of 2 and 3 with almost no indication of parasites in the fecal samples. Some goats just seem to show less pink than others.

We still agree with the basic premise of Famancha, but believe people need to keep it in perspective. It is an indication of anemia and possibly parasites, not a confirmation. Later in another post, we will tell  you our modified version of Famancha for those interested in what we have been trying.

Making Money with Meat Goats

We recently told you about a  fabulous blog we found on goats. http://allthingsgoat.com/. They have linked to a video about making money raising meats goats you might want to watch if you are thinking about getting into the business.   It provides a little history someone looking at raising goats might want to know. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC54UJnDgLY&NR=1>

All Things Goats - Cool Blog

We recently learned about a goat blog you might want to check out. All Things Goats covers information about goats generally with more of a focus on dairy goats. The editors have done a wonderful job with the articles, photographs, and the design. We are just a little envious and wish this blog looked more like it. Oh well, maybe later. We enjoy the fancy, pretty goats other people raise and like to see them. By the same token, we like to see other EXCELLENT goat blogs published by people interested in providing good information. You ought to check this blog out some time.

Kids Need To Be Tested

Goats breeders need to test their kids, the goat kids. The public schools will test the other ones. So why should a breeder test kids? Because breeders should want:

  -  to improve their herds by finding out areas needing improvement

-  want to sell with integrity and not false promises

 -  meet other breeders who have livestock that complement their own herds

-  better the goat industry by supporting those conducting the tests

We have bought goats from several sources over the years with all kinds of results; some good, some not. The animals that didn't turn out  to be what we expected were not necessarily sold to us by people who were dishonest or mean spirited. Some breeders raised goats designed for the show ring and a nice barn between shows. The breeders just didn't understand our ranch and the rugged environment where our goats live. Some of the goats we bought came with assurances that were genuinely believed by the seller, although never fulfilled.

A dead goat is just as much a financial loss bought from a disingenuous breeder as it is from an honest breeder that doesn't know the limitations of his goats. If you want to make money in the goat business, you MUST have quality goats or spend a lot of time taking care of them.  Pedigrees are not the same as genetics. Pedigrees are an indicator of genetics, nothing more.  We have the papers of the dead goats to prove it.

People wanting to get into the meat goat business need to locate quality breeding stock: parasite resistant, sound feet, good foragers, and capable of raising more of the same. Forage tests help verify what breeders tell you and likely really believe to be true.

What is a Buck Forage Test Anyway?

A buck forage test is an objective way to test goats for certain attributes. It is monitored  by a third party who objectively measures the characteristics. The purpose is to scientifically determine whether the animals produced truly reflect the intended result and provide information to the breeders, potential purchasers, and others.

The tests are not all alike, although most of them:

1. test only bucklings more than 90 days old and less than 6 months,
2. monitor weight gain, usually adjusted to an average daily gain,
3. require Famancha scoring and egg fecal counts approximately every two weeks,
4. periodically examine feet for soundness, and
5. watch for other signs of poor health or disease.

The test managers generally like to avoid possible bias or favoritism since there can be social or employment connections to the participants. The test managers often assign  a new identification number to the bucklings and remove all identifying tags immediately when the bucklings arrive. In this way, the test manager doesn't unintentionally give better marks to one animal because of unintended bias. Some of the attributes are clear and simple such as weight. Other things such as Famancha scores are more subjective and the good test managers want to make sure everyone is treated fairly.

The examination usually lasts 90 -150 days and the entry fee is around $100.00. Many tests have a warm up period in which the bucklings are given a chance to adjust to the new surrounding and recover from the travel. It is not uncommon for the Oklahoma test to have bucklings from across the country. The bucklings traveling 1,000 miles would be at a disadvantage to those only traveling 90 miles if required to  start the very next day after arrival .

It is not uncommon to see an award ceremony following the test with an auction of the participants. The overall procedure can be different depending upon the sponsor. Since these tests are regularly underwritten in part by the use of some third party's facility, the tests are routinely connected with college and university agriculture departments or some other foundations.

 

New Buck Forage Report From The Oklahoma Test

The Oklahoma Buck Forage Test released some new weight and fecal scores today. None of the bucklings have gained much weight since the test started. Mary Penick, test manager, believes the lack of weight gain is partially due to the drop in protein in the pasture as the Fall starts. There were 12 bucklings  disqualified for parasites. These bucklings were pulled from the test and wormed after receiving Famancha scores of 4 or 5.  One of the things you learn when you participate in these tests is that you can't predict how a goats performance by looking at the animal. Some of the goats pulled from the test were animals from other farms we thought would do really well. It is sort of like judging whether a human child will be able to play professional football when he is starting to walk at two years old. You can guess and speculate - it's a lot of fun - just not real scientific. If you want to really know about your goats, give some thought to entering a test once in a while. Aside from the information you will learn, it is just good, clean entertainment. But, then I enjoy sitting on the back porch watching the wind blow through the trees!