Meat Goats as Companion Livestock
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By Gail Bowman
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Studies
show that the goat meat industry is the fastest growing livestock industry
in the United States. The main reason is that the goat meat
industry is not looking for someone who is willing to try an unknown meat
for the novelty of it, as the buffalo and ostrich breeders have been. Meat
goat producers are not raising an `exotic' product. Goat meat is already
eaten by 70% of the population of the world, and it has been since the beginning
of time. What we are breeding is a better, bigger, meatier
animal. Goat meat is seeking market acceptance in the western
culture, and is offering an alternative to some of the failing agricultural
products in the United States, and the world. |
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The demand
for `chevon', or `cabrito', or `goat meat' in the United States is so high
that producers can't keep up. Because of this vacuum, much of the
goat meat sold in the United States is imported from New Zealand or Australia.
About 1.5 million pounds of goat meat is imported every week. And
demand just keeps growing. |
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Much
of the demand is generated by the changing ethnic demographics of the continent.
About 63% of the red meat consumed worldwide is goat! Much of
the goat meat demand in the United States comes from ethnic groups that
include Middle Eastern, Asian, African, Latin American and Caribbean heritage.
Most of these groups buy goat meat whenever they can find it, and they are
willing to pay better prices for higher quality meat. |
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Chevon:
What is so special about chevon (goat meat)? Many people have
digestive problems that require a careful diet. The molecular structure
of chevon is different than that of other meats. Therefore, chevon
digests more easily. It is also a low fat, good tasting alternative
to chicken or fish. Here is a table that shows the comparative nutrition
of chevon: |
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3oz
roasted |
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Calories |
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Fat |
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(g) |
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Sat.
Fat(g) |
|
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Protein(g) |
|
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Iron |
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(g) |
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Chevon |
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122 |
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2.58 |
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.79 |
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23 |
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3.2 |
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Chicken |
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120 |
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3.5 |
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1.1 |
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21 |
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1.5 |
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Combining
Goats with Other Livestock: Goats can be a good companion livestock
with cattle or sheep if they are in conditions where they can browse. If
given a choice, goats will eat brush and tall weeds, cattle eat tall grass,
and sheep eat shorter grasses. Goats and sheep tend to graze the high
ground, while cattle prefer to stay in the valleys. Grazing a combination
of these different livestock can help you to manage risk, and promote plant
diversity on our rangelands. |
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Researchers
at the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho, found they could
increase rangeland stocking rates by 60% when they grazed cattle and sheep
together. They also found that plant species diversity increased.
Although these studies do not include goats, you can see that the
parallel would apply. |
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There
are advantages, and disadvantages, to combining species on rangeland. For
one thing, chevon prices are on the rise, while beef prices have dropped.
Different species also have their young at different times of the
year. This can insure that you have production stock to sell more
often during the year. However, some ranchers worry that they would
need to keep the cattle away from the goats when they are kidding. However,
goats' natural instincts would cause them to go and find a hollow or bush
to kid in, so it is unlikely that they would be bothered by the cattle. |
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If
you are already set up for cattle, you may find that raising goats will
bring you new challenges and opportunities. You cannot treat a goat
in a cattle squeeze chute, if that is what you already have. On the
other hand, you can't treat a cow by running her into a corral and catching
her, either. If you come across a goat that is having trouble kidding,
you don't need any special equipment to help her out. The vaccines
that are used for cattle are generally used for goats, too. And if
your bucks run the range with the does, you will automatically be kidding
year-around, maximizing your profit potential. |
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Both
sheep and goats eat many weeds, including one called `leafy spurge'. This
weed costs $250 per acre to kill with chemicals. However, you can
graze sheep or goats with your cattle and the weed is controlled naturally.
The same is true of many other types of weeds, including thistles, Russian
olive trees and berry bushes. |
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With
the economic climate changing in the agricultural industries, we all need
to be looking for ways to maximize our profit potential, while fully utilizing
our resources. Goats kid in high multiples, on a relatively short
cycle. Meat goats are low maintenance, and can thrive in relatively
poor conditions. Soon, we will see cattle and goats grazing together
in more areas, just because it makes good economic sense. |
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This
article is an excerpt from the new book, Raising
Meat Goats for Profit by Gail Bowman. This great informational
guide to goat husbandry, marketing meat goats and the meat breeds, is available
from Bowman Communication Press at PO Box 1626, Twin Falls, ID 83303,
208-735-0777, boergoats@onewest.net,
for $19.95. Gail Bowman has raised meat goats in the Northwestern
United States and has a bachelor's degree in education. |
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