Goat meat is low in
fat and is a nice tasting alternative to chicken and fish when looking for
meat with lower fat levels. Goats do not store fat within the meat,
rather, the fat is separated with the skin at the time of processing.
This is what results in lower fat levels associated with the meat.
It also means that it is not similar to mutton in taste or smell, so for
those of you who don’t like lamb, do not make the mistake of thinking that
goat meat is the same thing as mutton.
Meat goats are a
great choice for those wanting to raise their own meat while keeping their
investment costs at a minimum. The initial costs of goats are much
less than cattle and goats require much less feed as well.
They also have the benefit of producing young twice a year compared to
cattle calving only one time a year. Goats are also ready for
butcher at approximately 80 pounds on average, which a good meat goat is
able to attain at 5-7 months of age.
We have
approximately twenty-five head of meat does and we are never at a loss to
sell kids. We always have more calls for sales than we have kids
available to sell. When comparing cattle to goats, our personal
experience has proven that we have less invested in our goats than we do
in cattle and that the goat return is a much higher overall percentage.
In recent years goats
have become a popular means of pack transport and have proven themselves
to be as good as, or even better than, horses or mules for carrying
baggage and equipment. They are definitely more surefooted and user-friendly than horses, mules or llamas. Packs are
loaded from above on a goat, so it's not necessary to be able lift loads
high to place packs on them. This can be a great help for
people that might be handicapped in some way from lifting heavy loads into
higher positions for the larger animals. It also makes it a
great and an accessible hobby for children. Add the fact that
goats can be transported much easier than horses or mules and you begin to
see the advantage that they can offer to the backpacker seeking assistance
or companionship on the trail.
Goats can also be
trained to drive and pull carts. Not only has packing and cart
driving become a rather varied hobby for goat owners, it just helps to
give another boost to the versatility of one of nature’s most diversified
species of livestock.
Goats
also make great companions; no matter the breed, goats are curious,
personable animals that love attention. Goats work well for
company for both people and animals. It is a common practice to use
goats as companions for all types of livestock that do not do well alone.
There are even many racehorses whose stall buddy is a goat.
Countless people love to watch and photograph their goats just for the
antics that they pull on a daily basis. We have one doe that as a
kid would sit on the four-wheeler and ride around the farm with us.
It was great fun and quite a show for our visitors, as well. Even
today she will still comes up to the four-wheeler while the other goats
run away from it.
Currently, the word
diversity is preached endlessly to both the farmer and small homesteader.
It is generally understood that diversification has definite benefits when
looking at what all we can do and produce ourselves, for less cost.
While many animals work well and have a defined purpose on the homestead,
goats have most definitely proven themselves to have very diversified
purposes, and deserve considerable consideration when choosing what types
of livestock to purchase and raise.
