Why Goats? The Case for the Other Red Meat
We see goats everywhere. They show up in my Facebook feed for their adorable antics as babies. I see them on Reddit, doing all kinds of acrobatic feats. In fact, in my opinion, people who don't farm them have started to see them more as pets than what they truly are: a livestock animal capable of producing important commodities like dairy, fiber, and meat. While it's okay to keep livestock as pets (I actually have a pet goat myself), this trend can prevent social acceptance for the consumption of the healthiest red meat there is. It also has disastrous animal welfare implications when people purchase goats, but don't know how to properly care for them. A goat isn't simply a herbivorous dog. They're a lot more complicated than that. This problem is even further complicated by the fact that many veterinarians don't know much about how to treat goats, since veterinary curriculum tends to focus more on horses, cattle, and companion animals like dogs and cats. This leads to inexperienced people buying goats, and then not knowing how to properly care for them. This is why it is my opinion that people shouldn't own goats unless they have done research from reputable sources and talked to long-time goat owners about how to properly care for these amazing animals. This blog post will focus on why people should raise goats and include some tips for beginners on how to do it properly, for purposes of promoting the Other Red Meat, and for purposes of education to promote animal welfare.
Meat Goats
First, I'd like to explain a little more about which commodities these animals produce, starting with meat. I've eaten goat meat, and it's very tasty. It's also the healthiest form of red meat in the world, in my opinion. Here's a chart with the nutrient content of different kinds of meat compared to goat.
 |
| Data from the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Chart is per 3oz sample of each meat. |
In Middle Eastern tradition, shawarma is essentially many, many slices of meat (beef, lamb, or chicken, and of course goat are common, although not pork. Most Middle Easterners do not eat pork) placed on a stick, forming a massive cone of meat, and roasted to perfection. To serve, a knife is used to slice meat off the cone, and it is placed between slices of pita bread with lettuce, tomato, and possibly spices or sauces. My way of cooking it is a little different, because I make it in the oven instead of on a stick. I take a whole leg of goat (the back leg works best, although I've also done it with the front leg), rub it with spices including paprika, cardamom, red curry, salt, and pepper, cover with foil, and place it in the oven to cook slowly for about four hours. When it's finished, I take it out, slice the meat off, and put it in pita pockets with lettuce, tomato, and a creamy sauce made from plain Greek yogurt, seasonings, a bit of goat cheese, and some goat milk. It's absolutely to die for. I've also done goat in a crock pot similar to pulled pork, and I cook the rib rack and loin steaks on the grill. Other than that, goat can be used in place of lamb or beef in many recipes, and it goes great in stews or as ground meat in dishes like spaghetti or tacos. It has a rich flavor that isn't "goaty" at all, as long as the goat wasn't a buck.
Now that I've made you hungry, let's discuss how to get your hands on some of that delicious goat meat. Almost all the goat meat I've ever eaten in my life has been goat that my family farm has raised, mainly because it's so hard to find. I have had it in San Antonio, in a restaurant near the Riverwalk. The restaurant's name was Mi Tierra, and you should definitely check it out if you're ever in San Antonio, home of the best Mexican Food on the planet (except for Mexico itself, of course!). However, that's probably why I was able to find a restaurant that actually served goat. I've never seen it for sale anywhere else, including several trips to Whole Foods in Austin. Since goat isn't a popular meat choice in America, most of those who consume it here are part of the ethnic market. Their taste in goat varies greatly, from young bottle babies all the way up to old, stinky bucks. Urban foodies, however, seem to prefer their goat about 8-12 months of age, similar to lamb. This type of goat meat is called "chevon." However, since the market varies so much in type, this contributes to the scarcity of chevon in favor of meats like cabrito (meat from a milk fed kid, popular in the Hispanic market). For this reason, most people get their goat meat from local producers, and the overwhelming majority of it is purchased in the form of a live animal. People then either take the animal directly to a small, private slaughterhouse, or they slaughter it themselves. Chevon is just too difficult to market otherwise. My family uses a small slaughterhouse that actually makes most of its money processing deer, and they do a really good job. Your best option if you want to try goat is to find a restaurant near you, if you live in a big city, or to purchase a live animal from a local producer and take it directly to a private packer. Additionally, you can even raise your own chevon if you have some land in the country. Goats are not always an easy kind of livestock to take care of, but I'll go over some tips for beginners at the end. The main thing that is important when selecting meat goats is that any kind of goat can be eaten, but goats bred for meat production will produce the most meat in relation to feed consumption, which could save you money. There are several breeds, but I believe the best one is the boer goat (although I am a little biased!). They are the undisputed kings of meat production, and have the best flavor and feed efficiency. Other breeds include the Kiko and the Spanish goat.
 |
| An example of a boer goat. Picture courtesy of Able Acres Boer Goats. |
 |
| A Kiko goat. Photo from Iron Water Acres |
 |
| A Spanish goat. Photo from The Livestock Conservancy. |
Dairy Goats
Let's talk about dairy now! Most people, even if they have never had goat meat, are familiar with the dairy products produced by goats. Crumbly, savory goat cheese is a favorite on salads. I like it on artisan burgers, or with wine. I occasionally buy goat's milk from the store and put it in my coffee instead of creamer, and I've even made crème brûlée from goat's milk and goat cheese before. It was delicious with whipped cream and berries!
 |
| A picture of my experiment with the crème brûlée. Can you tell I love to cook? |
There is no shortage of cheeses that can be made with goat's milk, although I prefer a smelly gouda or cheddar. It has a very rich flavor and doesn't taste "goaty" at all. I've also cooked with goat butter before, although goat butter is very hard to make. Goat's milk is naturally homogenized, meaning it doesn't separate into cream like cow's milk. In most cases, it must sit for at least a week, or be separated mechanically. It, too, has a sort of nutty flavor that I love, and I actually found it at my local grocery store in the health food section. It's expensive, but it's very good!
So why should you drink goat's milk? There's evidence that it can be easier to digest if you're allergic to milk proteins, or slightly lactose intolerant. It is, however, a myth that those with severe allergies to milk or severe lactose intolerance can consume goat's milk with no ill effects. Goat's milk contains lactose, so you should tread carefully if you have an intolerance to bovine dairy. It also contains many of the same proteins found in cow's milk, so although sometimes people with milk allergies can drink it, you MUST be careful.
The second myth I would like to touch on in this post is raw milk. Although raw goat's milk carries less risk than raw cow's milk, I still wouldn't recommend giving it to children, the elderly, or those with immune system deficiencies. You can read more about the risks of raw milk here, and I encourage you to do so if you're skeptical. I've had people genuinely get angry at me for this point of view, but the fact is that raw milk carries a higher risk of food-borne illness than an improperly cooked hamburger, so please be careful.
Some breeds of dairy goats include the LaMancha, the Nubian, and the Saanen. LaMancha goats are the "Jersies" of the goat world because they produce milk that is the highest in butterfat. Saanens are the "Holsteins" of the goat world, because they produce the greatest volume of milk.
 |
| Photo from the American Dairy Goat Association. Note the genetic lack of ears. They have an ear hole, but lack an external ear like other goats. It's like how a manx cat has no tail. |
 |
| A Nubian. Photo from the American Dairy Goat Association |
 |
| A Saanen. Photo from Countryside Network. |
Fiber
Last, I'll discuss fiber goats. There are two types of fiber products we get from goats: cashmere and mohair. Although many people confuse the two, these types of fiber are completely different from each other. Mohair is the long "wool" that comes only from Angora goats. In contrast, all goats produce cashmere, although some goats have a genetic mutation that allows them to grow massive amounts of it. Any breed can have this mutation. I actually have a boer that produces a decent amount of cashmere in the winter, although not enough to do much with. Mohair, like wool, is harvested by shearing. Cashmere is much finer and must be "shed." Cashmere farmers collect it from their goats with combs during the shedding of their winter coat. This is why cashmere sweaters are so expensive. The fine fiber must be hand combed, and this is a tedious process.
 |
| Cashmere on a comb. Photo from APLF |
Now let's talk about mohair. First, understand that it's hair, not wool. Only sheep and angora rabbits produce wool. It is, however, a fine, long-fibered hair that makes great yarn and very soft sweaters, hats, and socks. Unfortunately, there's not much of a market for it anymore. Before the invention of synthetic fibers like Nylon and Polyester, mohair was a very popular fiber because it was versatile, strong, and warm. The Texas Hill Country had massive amounts of Angora goats to produce it. This is why the Angora national breed registry is located in the tiny town of Rocksprings, Texas. I actually used to work at a youth summer camp near there, and it's perfect country for goats. They would have thrived on the rocky, semi-arid terrain amongst the brush and browse. Nowadays, however, Edwards County, where Rocksprings is, and its neighbor, Real County (pronounced Ree-al), have hardly any Angora goats. Instead, the land has been turned into exotic game ranches. There are so many of them that invasive axis deer have become a nusiance, along with invasive blackbuck, aoudad, and even Pierre David's deer. This is why today, mohair is more of a niche market for those who prefer natural fibers. People make everything from dolls to blankets to sweaters with it, but it is a bit hard to get your hands on, although not to the extent that chevon is.
 |
| A commercial cashmere goat and her baby. Note the long, silky fiber of her coat and compare it to the Angora below. Photo from TripAdvisor. |
 |
| An Angora goat. Photo from The Goat Guide |
So you want to get some goats. Now What?
After hearing about all these awesome uses for the goat, I have no doubt a couple of you will want to get some. I'll go over the basics of care that all beginners need to know before they get them.
First, you can't get just one. The only exception to this rule is if you are purchasing a wether to feed out for your own consumption. Goats are highly social animals, and must have a buddy of the same species to bond with, or they can exhibit depression, anxiety, and stress. Bonding with a human is not enough. Even our buck has a wether for a buddy when he isn't in with the girls. If you want them to thrive, you MUST have at least two.
Second, PLEASE do some research about common illnesses in goats and how to treat them. For example, anemia is common in goats from heavy parasite loads. Even if you give them the best care possible, you WILL end up with an anemic goat at some point. While deworming with rotated dewormers (for example, worming with valbazen and then with Quest a week later) helps, anemic goats need supplemental iron and fortified B-complex vitamins to rebuild red blood cells. We like Ferrodex iron injectable for baby pigs in emergency situations at 1cc per 100lbs. For less severe cases, we use an oral product called Red Cell at 5cc per 75lbs daily until improvement is seen, in conjunction with injectable B-Complex at 1cc per 25lbs.
Third, think about what you want out of your goats. Will you be able to devote all the time, work, and money that goes into show goats (the industry that I'm a part of)? If you get meat goats, are you prepared to spend a lot of time fine-tuning their diet for maximum weight gain? Are you willing to milk your LaManchas twice a day and perform the dirty job of shearing your Angoras?
Fourth, I'd like to discuss supplements. Like people, goats need some form of multivitamin in their diet in the form of a loose mineral that is left out free choice. Copper, zinc, cobalt, selenium, and other minerals are very important in a goat's diet, and many soils are deficient in these. Therefore, it's important to supplement. There are specially made goat minerals that contain copper. These are the best quality because they are specifically tailored to a goat's individual needs. If you do purchase one of these, however, DO NOT give it to sheep. That much copper is toxic to sheep and will kill them. If you're running sheep and goats together, the best thing to do is buy a sheep mineral and give your goats a copper bolus annually. A copper bolus is basically a huge pill with copper in it that you shove down their throat with a bolus gun. It has slow release copper in it that provides them what they need for the year. If you don't want to buy expensive goat minerals, I've had good luck with Record Rack deer mineral. Deer and goats are very, very similar in diet and anatomy, so they have many of the same nutritional requirements. The only difference is that deer don't need as much copper, so a copper bolus would still benefit goats on deer mineral. The same applies to cattle mineral. And it MUST be loose. Blocks aren't good for goats because they don't have rough tongues like a cow. They can't usually lick enough from a block to meet their requirements.
Lastly, if you breed, be prepared to pull babies at some point. Our operation had its first difficult birth this kidding season, and I wasn't prepared to pull it. We lost both the mother and her gigantic, malpositioned kid because I was out of practice. When pulling a kid, make sure you have short, closely trimmed nails. Scrub your hands with Betadine surgical scrub to sterilize them, or put on an OB glove for cattle that goes up to the elbow. Slather on OB lubricant generously, and cup your fingers into a point. Gently enter the doe and see if you can feel legs. Follow them back to the body to see if you are dealing with the front end or the back end. If it's the back end, make sure you have both back legs and gently pull the kid out and down. If you feel a nose, make sure you have BOTH front legs, and that the head is tucked in between them. The kid will not come out if the head is turned back. Gently pull out and down. Find a goat mentor to help you out of sticky situations, and don't beat yourself up too badly if you lose a few.
Obviously, these few tips aren't all you need to know to be able to keep goats successfully. I recommend Storey's Guide to Raising Meat Goats and Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats if you're looking for books. If you'd rather look online, I suggest Tennessee Meat Goats. Their advice is compatible with all breeds, including dairy and fiber. There is also good information from Fias Co Farm if you're looking for dairy-specific information or doses for drugs. They also have a good kidding gallery. I do not like them as much though because they are against eating meat and have stated on their website that they don't give advice to meat goat producers. In addition, they have an unhealthy obsession with holistic medicine, and especially herbal dewormers. Please DO NOT use herbal dewormers. They don't work as well as chemical ones, and contribute to resistant parasites. If you use this site for information, don't pay attention to anything holistic. If it sounds like woo, it probably is. Still, the website has quite a bit of good information. Use your best judgement. You're smart people.
In any case, I hope this article has been informative and helpful. Goats are underrated, and are so much more than simple pets (although there's nothing wrong with pet goats if you know how to care for them!). If you are interested in getting goats and you have further questions, you're more than welcome to email me at my blog's official email address, or message me on Social Media using the icons below. Just click on them, and you can contact me! I'm more than happy to help. Goats are my passion, and it is my privilege to teach people more about them. Thanks for reading!
Second, PLEASE do some research about common illnesses in goats and how to treat them. For example, anemia is common in goats from heavy parasite loads. Even if you give them the best care possible, you WILL end up with an anemic goat at some point. While deworming with rotated dewormers (for example, worming with valbazen and then with Quest a week later) helps, anemic goats need supplemental iron and fortified B-complex vitamins to rebuild red blood cells. We like Ferrodex iron injectable for baby pigs in emergency situations at 1cc per 100lbs. For less severe cases, we use an oral product called Red Cell at 5cc per 75lbs daily until improvement is seen, in conjunction with injectable B-Complex at 1cc per 25lbs.
Third, think about what you want out of your goats. Will you be able to devote all the time, work, and money that goes into show goats (the industry that I'm a part of)? If you get meat goats, are you prepared to spend a lot of time fine-tuning their diet for maximum weight gain? Are you willing to milk your LaManchas twice a day and perform the dirty job of shearing your Angoras?
Fourth, I'd like to discuss supplements. Like people, goats need some form of multivitamin in their diet in the form of a loose mineral that is left out free choice. Copper, zinc, cobalt, selenium, and other minerals are very important in a goat's diet, and many soils are deficient in these. Therefore, it's important to supplement. There are specially made goat minerals that contain copper. These are the best quality because they are specifically tailored to a goat's individual needs. If you do purchase one of these, however, DO NOT give it to sheep. That much copper is toxic to sheep and will kill them. If you're running sheep and goats together, the best thing to do is buy a sheep mineral and give your goats a copper bolus annually. A copper bolus is basically a huge pill with copper in it that you shove down their throat with a bolus gun. It has slow release copper in it that provides them what they need for the year. If you don't want to buy expensive goat minerals, I've had good luck with Record Rack deer mineral. Deer and goats are very, very similar in diet and anatomy, so they have many of the same nutritional requirements. The only difference is that deer don't need as much copper, so a copper bolus would still benefit goats on deer mineral. The same applies to cattle mineral. And it MUST be loose. Blocks aren't good for goats because they don't have rough tongues like a cow. They can't usually lick enough from a block to meet their requirements.
Lastly, if you breed, be prepared to pull babies at some point. Our operation had its first difficult birth this kidding season, and I wasn't prepared to pull it. We lost both the mother and her gigantic, malpositioned kid because I was out of practice. When pulling a kid, make sure you have short, closely trimmed nails. Scrub your hands with Betadine surgical scrub to sterilize them, or put on an OB glove for cattle that goes up to the elbow. Slather on OB lubricant generously, and cup your fingers into a point. Gently enter the doe and see if you can feel legs. Follow them back to the body to see if you are dealing with the front end or the back end. If it's the back end, make sure you have both back legs and gently pull the kid out and down. If you feel a nose, make sure you have BOTH front legs, and that the head is tucked in between them. The kid will not come out if the head is turned back. Gently pull out and down. Find a goat mentor to help you out of sticky situations, and don't beat yourself up too badly if you lose a few.
Obviously, these few tips aren't all you need to know to be able to keep goats successfully. I recommend Storey's Guide to Raising Meat Goats and Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats if you're looking for books. If you'd rather look online, I suggest Tennessee Meat Goats. Their advice is compatible with all breeds, including dairy and fiber. There is also good information from Fias Co Farm if you're looking for dairy-specific information or doses for drugs. They also have a good kidding gallery. I do not like them as much though because they are against eating meat and have stated on their website that they don't give advice to meat goat producers. In addition, they have an unhealthy obsession with holistic medicine, and especially herbal dewormers. Please DO NOT use herbal dewormers. They don't work as well as chemical ones, and contribute to resistant parasites. If you use this site for information, don't pay attention to anything holistic. If it sounds like woo, it probably is. Still, the website has quite a bit of good information. Use your best judgement. You're smart people.
In any case, I hope this article has been informative and helpful. Goats are underrated, and are so much more than simple pets (although there's nothing wrong with pet goats if you know how to care for them!). If you are interested in getting goats and you have further questions, you're more than welcome to email me at my blog's official email address, or message me on Social Media using the icons below. Just click on them, and you can contact me! I'm more than happy to help. Goats are my passion, and it is my privilege to teach people more about them. Thanks for reading!
I'm a full-time college student at Texas A&M University, where I'm in the process of getting my Animal Science degree, with eventual aspirations to go to law school and work as a consulting lawyer for agriculture corporations. I grew up around animals, and currently manage an operation that breeds show-quality boer goats for 4H and FFA exhibitors. My family also raises commercial cattle in south Texas, where I also worked in cotton farming.
Comments
Post a Comment