Goats of any breed or crossbreed are eventually slaughtered for human consumption. With the exception of the South African Boer goat imported via New Zealand in early 1993, there are no true meat goats breeds in the U.S. However, there are few breeds that stand out as more specialized for meat production. These are the Spanish, Myotonic, Nubian and Pygmy goats.

A clear indication that the meat goat industry is expanding is shown by the 13% increase in the number of goats sold through NC auction markets, from 27,874 in 1995 to 31,503 in 1996. Few crossbred animals having Boer genetics have yet been sold for meat. However, this is going to change in the near future because many producers have purchased purebred or ½ blood Boer bucks in 1996 due to the dramatic decrease in price of those animals. Boer genetics are finally becoming affordable and higher quality carcasses will soon be seen on the market.

Boer

The Boer goat of South Africa owes its name to the Dutch word “boer” meaning farm . The origin of Boer goats its vague and probably rooted in indigenous goats kept by Hottentot and migrating Bantu tribes, with a possible infusion of Indian and European bloodlines. The present-day improved Boer goat emerged in the 20th century, when South African farmers started breeding for a meat type goat with good conformation, high growth rate and fertility, short white hair and red markings on the head and neck. The South African Boer Goat Breeder’s Association was founded in 1959 to establish breed standards for the emerging breed. Since 1970 the Boer goat has been incorporated into the South African National Mutton Sheep and Goat Performance and Progeny Testing Program, which makes the Boer goat the only known goat breed routinely involved in performance and progeny tests for meat production. There are approximately 5,000,000 Boer goats in Africa, of which 1,600,000 are of the improved type.

New Zealand and Australian companies have imported the Boer goat into their respective countries for improving their own meat goat industries. In April of 1993, the quarantine restrictions for the New Zealand Boer goats expired and animals became available for importation into the U.S. The Australian Boer goats will be released in October 1995. In June 1993, the North American Boer Goat Association was founded, breed standards were established and registry of animals was begun. According to New Zealand researchers, the plane of nutrition plays a greater role than the light/dark cycle for Boer goats to breed out of season.

Male Female
Live weight (lbs) Avg Max Avg Max
Yearlings 100 180 80 135
Adults 250 290 140 200

Spanish

The Spanish goat came originally from Spain via Mexico to the USA. It is now a meat type goat found primarily on or around the Edwards Plateau of Central Texas. The Spanish goat has the ability to breed out of season and is an excellent range animal because of its small udder and teats. In addition, Spanish goats are usually characterized as being very hardy, able to survive and thrive under adverse agroclimatic conditions with only limited management inputs. Within the general group of “Spanish goats” there are those that are purely Spanish, whereas others represent an amalgam of all genotypes introduced to the area. There have been obvious infusions of dairy and Angora blood in many Spanish herds but no organized attempt has ever been made to use them for milk or mohair production. The term “wood” (Florida), “brush” or “briar” (North Carolina, South Carolina), “hill” (Virginia), and “scrub” (Midwest Pennsylvania) goat tends to be used in the Southeast and elsewhere. Until recently, these goats were kept mainly for clearing brush and other undesirable plant species from pasture lands. In recent years, the escalating demand for goat meat and the expanding interest in cashmere production have focused attention on the Spanish goat. Current estimates of the Spanish goat population is around 500,000 heads. Several Spanish goat producers in Texas have been intensively selecting for increased meat production for the past several years. From information obtained from these producers, these “selected” Spanish goats appear to greatly outperform the ordinary Spanish goat used primarily for pasture maintenance.

Myotonic

The Myotonic goat has several aliases including “Tennessee Stiff-Leg”, “Tennessee Wooden-leg”, “Nervous Goat”, “Fall-Down Goat” and “Fainting Goat”. The Myotonic goat is a very meaty and muscular animal. This goat breeds out of season, and in many herds it is usual for does to kid twice a year. Number of kids vary from single to four. The Myotonic goat suffers from a recessive trait called myotonia. When frightened, it experiences extreme muscle stiffness causing extension of hind limbs and neck. In this startled state, if unbalanced, the animal will topple over like a statue or will stand immobile until the attack, usually lasting only 10-20 seconds, passes. According to a Texas neurologist, this type of involuntary isometric muscle contraction could build a more tender muscle than a muscle developed by strenuous use. Little known about the earliest history of this breed except that in the early 1880′s a man appeared in Marshall County, Tennessee with a cow, three does and a buck of a unique strain. These four goats suffered from myotonic spells and were purchased by a Dr. Mayberry who propagated the breed. The population of Myotonic goats is informally estimated to be around 3,000 to 5,000 heads, with herds found primarily in Tennessee and Texas.

Nubian

The Nubian goat, also called Anglo-Nubian, is considered a dual- purpose goat breed used for milk and meat production. This breed was developed in England and is a composite of dairy goat breeds from India, Europe and Africa. Brought into the USA at the beginning of this century, the Nubian has become the most popular US dairy goat breed, with over 100,000 registered breeding stock.

Pygmy

The Pygmy is a dwarf, heavily muscled and short legged goat from Nigeria in West Africa. The Pygmy found its way to the Caribbean and North America as a by-product of the slave trade in the 18th century. In West Africa, the Pygmy is used almost exclusively for meat production. The pygmy is well adapted to humid climates, it usually breeds all year and twinning is frequent. In the USA, the Pygmy has so far been raised mainly as a pet and over 30,000 animals are currently registered with the National Pygmy Goat Association. The Piedmont Pygmy Goat club has three sanctioned shows a year, the NC Fair Pygmy Goat Show and two other shows held at the Agricultural Barn in Greensboro in spring and fall.

Kiko

The Kiko was developed over two decades of intensive selection from New Zealand feral goatstock. The Kiko is thought to be a vigorous, hardy, large frame, and early maturing animal that doesn’t need pampering.

PRODUCTION TRAITS

Four key traits to be considered for genetic improvement in goats used primarily for meat production are the following: 1) adaptability to environmental and production conditions, 2) reproductive rate, 3) gross rate and 4) carcass characteristics. Of these four production traits, only carcass characteristics are not readily measurable on the farm. With good record keeping and a set of scales, the meat goat producer can collect the information needed to measurably increase the productivity of his/her meat goat enterprise.

Adaptability

This trait is the most important of all the reproduction traits. The profitability of any meat goat enterprise may be greatly diminished if an animal’s ability to survive and reproduce is impaired by the production environment. The goat has proven to be perhaps the most adaptable of all the domesticated livestock. Indeed, the goat survives worldwide in a wide range of environmental conditions. However, when taken out of one environment and placed into another, domesticated livestock may not always realize its production potential. Therefore, we might expect Spanish goats to perform differently in the Carolinas and Virginia than they do on the arid Edwards Plateau of Texas. Similarly, Boer goats might perform differently in South African then they do in North American. In addition, different degrees of adaptability exist between breeds. For example, we might expect Spanish goats to be inherently better adapted to extensive, browsing conditions than Tennessee Stiff-leg goats.

Adaptability is a lowly heritable trait because natural selection has already reduced the genetic variability. Therefore, adaptability will respond slowly to selection.

Reproductive Rate

In animals kept primarily for meat production, reproductive rate is the single most important factor contributing to the efficiency of production. Reproductive traits of interest in meat goat enterprise would be conception rate, kidding rate, and ability to breed out of season.

In general, goats have a high reproductive rate with conception rate not being a problem. Several studies have demonstrated that although twins and triplets have no lower birth and weaning weights have slower growth rates, they produce more total weight of kid per doe per year. Therefore, prolificacy, defined as the number of kids born per doe, is an important reproduction trait. Goats that have evolved in the temperature zones of the world tend to be seasonal breeders, with females coming into estrus in the fall and anestrus occurring in late spring. This breeding pattern does not always coincide with the optimal marketing period of weaned kids. On the other hand, goats from tropical regions are non-seasonal breeders and kid all year-round. Therefore, incorporating this trait of non-seasonality into a meat goat enterprise would be advantageous.

Growth rate

Growth rate can be effectively divided into two periods: pre-weaning average daily gain and post-weaning average daily gain. A high pre-weaning average daily gain not only reflects the genetic potentiall of the growing animal, but also the mothering ability of the doe. In some production systems, kids are sold at weaning and therefore pre-weaning average daily gain is an important production trait to consider. In other production systems kids are sold as yearlings or as older animals and post-weaning average daily gain becomes an important production factor.

Carcass characteristics

Carcass characteristics of interest are dressing percentage, anatomical distribution of muscle and the ratios of lean:fat:bone. Generally, the dressing percentage of goats is around 50%. As an animal grows, the percentage of fat in the carcass tends to increase, the percentage of bone tends to decrease whereas the percentage of lean muscle stays about the same. The portions of the carcass with the largest muscle mass are the leg and shoulder. However, percentage wise, these portions tend to decrease as the animal grows.

NOTE: Portions of the material printed here was originally published in the “Meat Goat Production and Marketing Handbook”.

There’s a lot of hoopla surrounding meat goats. The South African Boer goat has almost single-handedly transformed the “lowly” meat goat industry into a force to be reckoned with. It’s now fashionable to raise goats, especially if they have red heads.

There has been a large increase in the number of goats being raised for meat, especially in the Southeast; though, it is difficult to document since agricultural statistical services don’t even have a separate category for meat goats. USDA statistics list dairy and fiber goats, but meat goats fall into their “other” category. Where I live, goats easily outnumber sheep and I’m sure that’s the case in many other locations. Meat goat shows are popping up at many of our county and state fairs. Sheep judges are being asked to place meat goat classes.

Like lamb, the demand for goat meat outpaces the domestic supply. Population demographics have changed and the majority of immigrants now coming to the U.S. have a preference for sheep and goat meat in their diets. Of course, also like lamb, imports are only too eager to fill the gap. In fact, goat producers face even more difficult challenges from imports than sheep people. Goat meat imports are incredibly cheap; often the only cost another country has is rounding up its feral goats. Meat purveyors in my area can purchased whole goat carcasses or cut -up goat meat for less than $2 per pound. Goat producers are not organized enough to get trade relief like the sheep industry. Moreover, while the lamb industry can play the “quality” card – American lamb is generally thought to be the best in the world – “a goat is a goat is a goat.” Thus far, taste panel tests have not shown a preference for goat meat from superior genetics, such as the Boer.

Strong demand also does not denote a strong market. The infrastructure is lacking in the goat business. The middlemen are the ones making most of the money. There is no grading system for live goats or goat carcasses. USDA is currently working to remedy this situation. Meat goats are generally not weighed at livestock auctions. The lack of weights and uniform standards makes it difficult for producers to follow the markets and know where the best place and/or when the best time is to sell their goats.

ASI admitted goat producers into its membership about a year ago. I think the Maryland Sheep Breeders should do the same; in fact, recruit them. I’m sure some sheep people are asking themselves if they should raise meat goats, either as a companion enterprise to sheep or as 4-H projects. Many rural persons who would have previously opted to raise sheep or cattle are giving meat goats serious consideration.

Raising meat goats is quite similar to raising sheep for meat. An enterprise budget would reveal approximately the same profit (or loss) potential. The same resources are required, the same amount of labor is needed. But there are some differences between the animals that you should know before getting started.

Some facts and (personal) observations about goats:

• Goats demand more attention than sheep. They are friendlier and probably make better pets.
• Goats do not like to get wet and will seek shelter in the rain.
• Goats like to climb and jump and require higher fences and gates in confinement areas.
• Goats prefer to browse. They will get on their hind legs to eat.
• Goats do not herd or flow through handling equipment as well as sheep.
• Goats can be contained in properly constructed high-tensile, electric fences.
• Male goats have an offensive odor, especially during the mating season.
• Male goats are very aggressive and can be difficult to manage.
• Goats are seasonal breeders, just like sheep.
• Female goats have a longer estrus cycle than ewes, a 21-day average.
• Female goats have a slightly longer gestation period than ewes.
• Female goats show more visible signs of heat (estrus).
• Goats are easier to artificially breed than sheep, due to a less complicated cervix.
• Goats tend to be more prolific than sheep and generally give birth to more twins and triplets.
• Goats seem to be more susceptible to parasites in grazing situations.
• Young goats seem to be more susceptible to coccidiosis.
• The demand for goat meat is almost entirely ethnic or religiously based.
• Moslems prefer sheep meat for their major holidays and eat goat meat on much more of a year-round basis.
• There is a strong demand for mature male goats for meat, mostly from Caribbean Islanders.
• Hispanics prefer to eat young goat, which they call “cabrito.”
• Goat carcasses look very similar to sheep carcasses when they are hanging on the rail.
• Goat kids are sold at lighter weights than market lambs.
• Meat goat kids bring a higher price per pound than lambs.
• Goats deposit less fat externally and more fat internally (around the organs) than sheep.
• Intact males are preferred to castrates in the market place.
• Goats are just as susceptible to predators as other livestock.
• Goats do not grow as fast as sheep or utilize feed as efficiently.
• Goats are picky eaters and do more sorting of feed ingredients.
• Unlike sheep, goats seem to tolerate copper in their diets and can be fed supplements containing copper, including broiler litter.
• Most goats (both sexes) are naturally horned. Natural polledness is associated with an intersex condition in goats.

This article appeared in the December 2000 issue of the American Sheep Industry News.