Guest guest Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Have to disagree with you here Donna - unfortunately much of the US goat is feed lot. Unless you can find a Kiko breeder. This goes back to know your farmer stuff. The NZ goat will likely be range fed - but then again - they developed the Kiko. Aliza Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Aliza, Please tell me where these feedlots are located?? Tennessee is second only to Texas in number of goats raised and sent to slaughter. Those goats go from the farm to stockyard to the processors in New York and Pa in about three to five days time. They do not go to any feedlots anywhere. What you buy in the store was most likely standing in the barn lot less than a week before. The exception would be the frozen imported carcasses from Australia which God only knows what/where it was. Most of them are 'feral' goats that are shot at fenced off water holes. While a USA live weight of 40 to 60 pounds is usually a three month old kid, a frozen Aussie import might be a ten year old feral scrub. Goats don't marble up like a beef does and if you feed them high grain diet they only put fat around their internal organs. So, feedlot is pretty much like shooting yourself in the foot and don't do a thing for making you more money. Not to mention that you flat can't afford the extra money that grain costs when you are only making a few dollars profit per head. I know the Kiko very well as many show them around here and they stuff them full of grain, too. Great gobby fat goats. So, don't go saying any breed is immune just because it's a certain breed. The Kiko don't impress me at all because the processor won't give you any more for a Kiko kid than they will for a dairy kid. In fact, the dairy kid will grade out higher because of it being longer in the loin. That's a fact straight from Dr. Pinkerton, who is world recognized as a meat goat authority. At least the Kiko does milk and mother better than the Boer, but that's about the only difference. Donna Safehaven Nubians Dandridge, TN > > Have to disagree with you here Donna - unfortunately much of the US > goat is feed lot. Unless you can find a Kiko breeder. This goes > back to know your farmer stuff. The NZ goat will likely be range > fed - but then again - they developed the Kiko. > > Aliza > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Worse yet when it comes to goats. Many Boer breeders have been convinced they should be creep feeding to get the gains up. We have had buyers here the last six months or so specifically wanting uncreep fed, nonBoer kids due to them being unacceptably fat. They tell us too much is hitting the cutting room floors as trim. They want the goat the way it used to be. We haven't used a Boer buck in about 5 years because we were never happy with winter hardiness etc and use Alpines due to our purebreds and have many buyers now that they have found us. Interestingly enough these are the same kids that a few years ago no one bidded on at auction but the strong ethnic pursuation in the market place is pushing the fattier carcasses into the background. Debbie Chikousky Manitoba, Canada gdchik@... http://www.winnipegbeach.com/chikouskyfarms/ Re:Grass fattened goat > Have to disagree with you here Donna - unfortunately much of the US > goat is feed lot. Unless you can find a Kiko breeder. This goes > back to know your farmer stuff. The NZ goat will likely be range > fed - but then again - they developed the Kiko. > > Aliza Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 It is not just the meat goat folks that keep pushing processed feed to their goats. I've had dairy goat owners tell me that they sure don't want their goats ranging. They want the goats to stay in a small area and use their energy to produce milk. Thus they are fed hay and feed and given a small area to roam. Didn't like the idea then, don't like it now. Some were very upset with me when I told them our girls " eat out " more often than " in " . Belinda in TN > Worse yet when it comes to goats. Many Boer breeders have been convinced > they should be creep feeding to get the gains up. We have had buyers here > the last six months or so specifically wanting uncreep fed, nonBoer kids due > to them being unacceptably fat. They tell us too much is hitting the > cutting room floors as trim. They want the goat the way it used to be. We > haven't used a Boer buck in about 5 years because we were never happy with > winter hardiness etc and use Alpines due to our purebreds and have many > buyers now that they have found us. Interestingly enough these are the same > kids that a few years ago no one bidded on at auction but the strong ethnic > pursuation in the market place is pushing the fattier carcasses into the > background. > Debbie Chikousky > Manitoba, Canada > gdchik@... > http://www.winnipegbeach.com/chikouskyfarms/ > Re:Grass fattened goat > > > > Have to disagree with you here Donna - unfortunately much of the US > > goat is feed lot. Unless you can find a Kiko breeder. This goes > > back to know your farmer stuff. The NZ goat will likely be range > > fed - but then again - they developed the Kiko. > > > > Aliza > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 We pasture our goats every day. Most people I know do. It cuts down on your feeding costs. My goats get good quality hay, a high quality dairy goat feed, minerals and plenty of fresh water. In addition they are in a pasture that has grasses, shrubs, branches, weeds, pine needles and all kinds of things for them to munch on. They also get treats, like fruit, from me. Out here most people raise Boer goats and none of them feed anything extra, all they get is pasture grass. Roni GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 I'm not Aliza but my idea of a feedlot for goats would be an area where there isn't enough grass or browse to support the animals and they must be supplimented with processed grains. There are folks in both the dairy and meat goat business who do this. Some because they don't have the space they should have for the goats to browse. Some because they think that limiting movement of the goats will give them more meat or milk faster. The goats from these farms might just as well be true " feedlot " goats as they aren't allowed the foods nature intended for them. And, you are correct, they go from these farms to slaughter in a matter of days. I've no idea how these people afford this but have an idea it might be like this: Did you hear about the fella who made a small fortune farming? He started with a large one! Belinda in TN > Aliza, > Please tell me where these feedlots are located?? Tennessee is > second only to Texas in number of goats raised and sent to slaughter. > Those goats go from the farm to stockyard to the processors in New > York and Pa in about three to five days time. They do not go to any > feedlots anywhere. What you buy in the store was most likely standing > in the barn lot less than a week before. The exception would be the > frozen imported carcasses from Australia which God only knows > what/where it was. Most of them are 'feral' goats that are shot at > fenced off water holes. While a USA live weight of 40 to 60 pounds is > usually a three month old kid, a frozen Aussie import might be a ten > year old feral scrub. > Goats don't marble up like a beef does and if you feed them high > grain diet they only put fat around their internal organs. So, > feedlot is pretty much like shooting yourself in the foot and don't do > a thing for making you more money. Not to mention that you flat can't > afford the extra money that grain costs when you are only making a few > dollars profit per head. > I know the Kiko very well as many show them around here and they > stuff them full of grain, too. Great gobby fat goats. So, don't go > saying any breed is immune just because it's a certain breed. The > Kiko don't impress me at all because the processor won't give you any > more for a Kiko kid than they will for a dairy kid. In fact, the > dairy kid will grade out higher because of it being longer in the > loin. That's a fact straight from Dr. Pinkerton, who is world > recognized as a meat goat authority. At least the Kiko does milk and > mother better than the Boer, but that's about the only difference. > Donna > Safehaven Nubians > Dandridge, TN > > > > > Have to disagree with you here Donna - unfortunately much of the > US > > goat is feed lot. Unless you can find a Kiko breeder. This goes > > back to know your farmer stuff. The NZ goat will likely be range > > fed - but then again - they developed the Kiko. > > > > Aliza > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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