by Gail Bowman
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.
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.
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. I am one of those people who have to watch what they eat. I
can eat chicken, some kinds of fish, turkey and chevon. I prefer chevon
from an animal that is at least 75% Boer. The Boer influence changes
the taste of the meat to a milder, more veal-like flavor. When you
have as few choices in your diet as I do, you learn what you like. I
have not had the opportunity to try Kiko or Fainting goat meat. My
comparisons are with dairy goat meat.
The Direct
Market Niche and the Commercial Meat Herd In our area, if you put
out the word that you have meat goats for sale, you usually have enough
calls to sell your animals right off your ranch. I get about $1.00
per pound on the hoof. I have had other breeders tell me that they
can get more for goats with Boer blood. This is a good example of
one way to market your goats - find a profitable direct market niche.
One of
the most popular market niches in the meat goat industry today is the direct
market. A `direct market' is a group or type of buyer that will come
directly to your ranch to buy from you, for a specific reason. There
are many direct market niches for meat goats. I have already suggested one
type of direct market niche: the ethnic meat market. Another direct market
niche involves the growing trend in the 4-H and FFA clubs to raise meat
goats. One of the most profitable direct market niches supplies Chevon to
the local restaurants that are serving an ethnic clientele. Another direct
market niche is the market for meat breeding stock. Commercial meat
breeders will usually pay about double, for breeding stock, what you might
have expected to receive for the same animal by the pound.
Many
breeders are now working together, in cooperatives or associations, to meet
large commercial sales contracts. These contracts supply the meat
markets on the east and west coasts of the United States, and require a
supply of high numbers of animals, of a consistent quality, on a regular
basis. At this time, much of the meat for these contracts is being
imported because there just are not enough meat goats in the United States
to supply the contracts.
In many
areas of the country, slaughter houses are being constructed specifically
for goat meat. However, almost none of the goats being processed at
these facilities are actually meat type goats. There are just not
enough meat goats being raised, which are not pre-sold to direct markets,
to supply a production facility.
Fullblood Meat Goats
There
are several types of 'meat' goats: Boer goats, Tennessee Fainting Goats,
Kiko goats, and 'Spanish' goats. However, only three of these are
true breeds with breed associations and standardized meat breed characteristics.
These are the Boers, Kikos and Tennessee Fainting goats. The
'Spanish' goats are an indigenous goat of the southern United States. There
are a couple of breeders who have done a terrific job of breeding these
animals up into a very good meat animal. However, no registry or breed
standards have been developed at the time of this printing.
Boer goats are large framed animals resembling, in many ways, the Nubian goat.
The most striking difference between a Boer goat and any other type
of goat you may have seen, is the size. A Boer is a large, double
muscled animal developed in Southern Africa specifically for meat and hardiness.
They can consistently produce more muscling in less time than any
other breed of goat, and will pass this capability to their kids. Boers
are vibrantly colored and relatively uniform throughout. They are
easy to raise, have mild temperaments, are affectionate, require no milking,
no special care, no shearing, and no fancy fences. Boers and Boer crosses
also have huge rumen capacity. The Boer goats were developed to clear
land that was too difficult to be cleared by humans. They spend a
lot more time grazing than other types of goats do. One reason for
this, is that they are out grazing in the heat of the day when dairy goats
are wilting in the shade. They are also out grazing when the snow
is blowing across the pasture. They will graze and thrive on ground
that will not support dairy goats without supplementation.
The Kiko goat is a recent development of a New Zealand company called "Goatex
Group LLC". These hardy goats were developed as a result of a
government funded project to get the native goat population in New Zealand
under control. As part of this project, in the 1970's, many goats
were hunted and killed, and thousands more were captured to cross with angoras.
Some of the native goats confined during this project exhibited enhanced
characteristics for growth and meat production. The members of Goatex
isolated these animals and began to cross them with hair and milk goats
to find a combination that would yield the best results in both hardiness
and meat carcass production. The resulting breed was called "Kiko"
meaning "meat for consumption" in Maori.
Fainting
goats are not huge animals. They average between 17 and 25 inches
tall, and weigh between 50 and 165 pounds. They come in a wide variety
of coats and colors, with long ears that stand out to the sides of their
heads. Fainting goats have very distinctive 'bulgy' eyes. Several
breeders have spent a lot of time and energy breeding this basic breed up
into an 'improved' meat goat that is larger and heavier and crosses well
with Boers.
Fullblood
breeding animals are a whole different industry from the meat production
industry. However, the two are very closely tied. When you take
a look at what you want to raise, you might consider adding at least a few
quality fullbloods to your operation. If the meat industry in your
area blooms and expands, there will be more demand for good fullblood meat
goats. We are heading into an era of serious meat production.
In all
livestock industries, there is a place for the good registered herd sire.
These animals must be proven to be fertile and prolific, adaptable,
disease free, and have the meat and muscle characteristics that will add
productivity to a commercial meat herd. It may be a good idea to consider
whether or not you want to make the initial investment to start a good breeding
stock herd. Or, alternatively, add a few breeding stock to your meat
herd, or some meat production stock to your fullblood herd. The two
types are not mutually exclusive. As a matter of fact, one usually
leads to the other. If you start with a meat herd, but have to add
a fullblood herd sire, sometimes you will also be tempted to buy a fullblood
doe to go with him. Then you are suddenly producing herd sires for
your neighbors. This is a good idea, because one good fullblood sale
a year can pay nearly 1/5th of your feed costs for a year (if you are raising
50 goats).
What are the prices on fullblood meat goats expected to be in the long run? Many things will affect the answer to that question. I know a couple who breed fullblood registered angus cattle. How many rural communities have plenty of cattle? How can these people make their money? They market. They have big production sales where breeders come from all over the world, or tie into a satellite link, to buy their stock. I believe that there will always be top breeding stock. People that advertise, raise quality disease free animals, and let the meat producers know they are out there, will always have a market.
As in all industries, the price you will be able to get for good fullblood stock will depend on the quality of your animals and the effectiveness of your advertising. If you do not want to market, you will probably be able to sell your fullbloods to your neighbors at about $250 each, indefinitely. If you are well known, and advertise, and you have animals that make the buyer's head turn, you will probably always be able to get at least $800 for your fullblood meat goats. At the time of this printing the prices for good fullblood stock are about double that amount, and are actually going up. These prices have been stable for three years now, and the market seem to indicate that they will remain firm in the future.
Whether you are interested in raising goats for meat or for breeding, or some combination of the two, meat goats, and goat meat, are here to stay. The market is increasing and expanding, and shows no signs of slowing down. You don't need a lot of specialized equipment to raise meat goats, and you can reasonably plan to raise about 6 does with their kids per acre of good edible vegetation. As an industry, meat goats are replacing beef, hogs and dairy herds nation wide. Meat goats are the newest and fastest growing small acreage industry in the United States.
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 276 N. Baltic Place, Suite A, Meridian, Idaho 83642 83644, 208-735-0777,
David & Gail Bowman,
for $19.95. Gail Bowman has raised meat goats in the Northwestern
United States and has a bachelors degree in education. |
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