Meat Goat Blog

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.