# Do you butcher any of your goats?



## dhansen (Aug 10, 2011)

I keep telling myself that raising goats and not butchering any for our family is foolish.  Do any of you eat your goats?  I know they can't be pets or have names.... My husband says he will butcher one for me, but I don't even know if it tastes good.  I've had it in Mexican restaurants, but it always tasted like the spices/sauce.  Our family has eaten lots of venison and elk in the past.  Does it taste "goatie"?  That would do me in!  Opinions?  Suggestions?


----------



## ksalvagno (Aug 10, 2011)

We don't do the butchering ourselves but we recently took a goat in. We are getting all ground meat since it was an intact male. We previously put a 5 year old Boer goat into the freezer. The taste was good but the meat was tougher. We also put alpaca in the freezer at the same time and have to admit that we like alpaca much more than goat. Goat has a mild flavor. It isn't like chicken, pork or beef. I have no idea if it is like lamb since I haven't had lamb in years. It is hard the first time but gets easier as you put more in the freezer. Plus you can't beat the taste of home grown meat.


----------



## freemotion (Aug 10, 2011)

When I was a kid my father butchered the dairy kids in the fall.  It was delicious.  I know I should do the same with my bucklings, but I just can't bottle feed and then make the call....yet.  If I can't sell them as pets, I have a pasture set up that is a little out of view (from the house windows, mostly) and a little further back from the main gate and barn, so that will be my growing out pasture if the time comes.

Philosophically I am all for it.  I will buy goat meat from the local dairy and eat it with no issues.  Dairy goats tend to be very, very lean.  Proper preparation is a must.  Don't ask me what that is, though.....I haven't cooked with it myself other than the ground stuff from the dairy (culled older does.)


----------



## Hillsvale (Aug 10, 2011)

we eat goat... its the most eaten meat world wide, we have butchered at about 9 months!

Goat in my estimation taste a bit like lamb, is very dense and reminds me a bit of caribou. I always cook it from a thawed state and will generally "marinate" in a bit of olive oil and spices for the day.


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Aug 10, 2011)

we eat goat, not all the time though, My husband doesn't like it much, but he doesn't like lamb or venison very much either. The kids and I all really like it. We have it all ground into hamburger meat, so I have never worked with whole pieces or stew pieces.  


we butcher the younger goats at around 6 months on age. I would say if you have an older goat or a male past 9 months of age or so, it may taste even goatier. 

It is more similar to venison than the other meats, and has a a little softer texture than beef has.


----------



## wannacow (Aug 10, 2011)

I was wondering the same thing.  We've never tried goat, but I can't seem to find anywhere around here that serves it.  We love venision if it is a doe.  Can't stand the buck meat.  Yuk!    We grind all of our venison except for the back strap.  If the doe is older, we mix w/ ground beef.  Should we be brave and butcher w/o trying goat?  If so, should we process it like we do venison?  Also, if we processed a wether, would that solve the "goaty" or wild taste of a buck deer?


----------



## Hillsvale (Aug 10, 2011)

Our goat was a wether and did not have the "goatie" taste you mention


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Aug 10, 2011)

wannacow said:
			
		

> I was wondering the same thing.  We've never tried goat, but I can't seem to find anywhere around here that serves it.  We love venision if it is a doe.  Can't stand the buck meat.  Yuk!    We grind all of our venison except for the back strap.  If the doe is older, we mix w/ ground beef.  Should we be brave and butcher w/o trying goat?  If so, should we process it like we do venison?  Also, if we processed a wether, would that solve the "goaty" or wild taste of a buck deer?


Go for it. I  think you will like it. and yes it processes like venison. It has that membrane on the muscle like venison has, that can make it a little bit more of a job to butcher than say a rabbit or cow. If you don't get that membrane off it can make it tough when cooked. 

I would say, unless you are butchering a 2 yr or older buck, it will be very tasty, especially if you like venison.


----------



## wannacow (Aug 10, 2011)

20kidsonhill, thanks for your advice.  I forgot to add these will be dairy kids.  Is there a difference between them and meat goats?


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Aug 10, 2011)

wannacow said:
			
		

> 20kidsonhill, thanks for your advice.  I forgot to add these will be dairy kids.  Is there a difference between them and meat goats?


As far as taste, I don't know why it would be much different. Just wont have as high a percentage of meat as a boer goat would have.


----------



## Hillsvale (Aug 10, 2011)

I have a nubian boer cross last year which went to freezer camp... if your serious about a good cross the nubians can produce a nice carcass, the dairy kids would probably be a bit scarce on meat


----------



## wannacow (Aug 10, 2011)

I have a nubian that is in milk now, but am looking to breed her in the next couple of months.  I have a saanen yearling that I want to breed this month.  My problem is finding registered bucks around here.  Maybe we'll try a boer buck...  Hmmm.  Another thing to think about.    I am a first timer myself.  I got my first goats in March so I am very much a newbie.


----------



## kstaven (Aug 11, 2011)

If you find the taste a little strong for your taste then marinate it in some milk over night. Works well for wild game also.


----------



## dhansen (Aug 11, 2011)

Thank you all for all the advise.  I forgot about the soaking the meat in milk part, as it's been a few years since we had venison.  I think I might have someone come to the house to do the butchering because I want my husband to actually eat some of it .  The goat I have in mind is a nigerian dwarf wether so if we don't like the meat, we won't be wasting much!  He is a spazz goat so I would not miss him a bit!
  I finally milked one of my goats for our use and tricked my kids by putting it in the milk jug.  It took 2 weeks for them to figure it out and they actually liked it.  They don't mind drinking it now, but it's hard getting teenagers to try something new.  I was pleasantly surprised at how yummy the  milk is and will defintiely be drinking goat milk from now on.


----------



## genuck (Aug 11, 2011)

I've eaten goat overseas before, no idea how old it was (the goat not the meat). To me it tasted like a more delicious lamb. You know, if lamb is good this was the 'OMG I never had such good lamb before' flavor.

 Another way we've soaked venison is garlic powder and water over night. Haven't had any in a few years


----------



## mydakota (Aug 12, 2011)

We eat goat.  Up to about a year, we butcher like a deer with steaks, roasts,  and some ground meat.  Much older than a year and it's a "grinder".  The flavor is delicious. There is not much fat, so  we usually slow cook the roasts and they are very tender and tasty.  We fry the steaks with a little Montreal Steak Seasoning and they are wonderful.  

Around here we name all the wethers bound for freezer camp "Kenny".  We have SpottedKenny, KennyRoanie, and KennyB at the moment.  It is a reminder to the children not to get attached.  (We are South Park fans, and in South Park "Kenny" gets killed in every episode).  Sick humor, I know.  If it has a real name?  It is a keeper and you can get as attached as you want.  This years "keepers" are DeeDee and Wendy.


----------



## ksj0225 (Aug 12, 2011)

mydakota said:
			
		

> We eat goat.  Up to about a year, we butcher like a deer with steaks, roasts,  and some ground meat.  Much older than a year and it's a "grinder".  The flavor is delicious. There is not much fat, so  we usually slow cook the roasts and they are very tender and tasty.  We fry the steaks with a little Montreal Steak Seasoning and they are wonderful.
> 
> Around here we name all the wethers bound for freezer camp "Kenny".  We have SpottedKenny, KennyRoanie, and KennyB at the moment.  It is a reminder to the children not to get attached.  (We are South Park fans, and in South Park "Kenny" gets killed in every episode).  Sick humor, I know.  If it has a real name?  It is a keeper and you can get as attached as you want.  This years "keepers" are DeeDee and Wendy.




Love the Kenny reference...


----------



## freemotion (Aug 12, 2011)

When I was a kid the steers were Big Mac and the wethers were Lambchop. 

When you said Kenny I thought at first that it was a reference to the Kenmore freezer....


----------



## dhansen (Aug 12, 2011)

My teenage boys were trying to decide who would do the "killing" part.  Yuck!  Too much info for me.  One of them was in Tanzania for a few months this summer and said he ate a lot of goat meat and it was delicious.  He said it was NEVER butchered the way we do in America, just chopped up!


----------



## SheepGirl (Aug 12, 2011)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> We also put alpaca in the freezer at the same time and have to admit that we like alpaca much more than goat.


I didn't know you could eat an alpaca!  That must've been very expensive meat since alpacas cost over $3,000!


----------



## genuck (Aug 12, 2011)

mydakota said:
			
		

> .
> 
> Around here we name all the wethers bound for freezer camp "Kenny".  .


LOL, I forget who it was on the chicken forums that referred to her broilers as 'The Kennys'


----------



## mydakota (Aug 12, 2011)

genuck said:
			
		

> mydakota said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I know several folks who started doing it after I did.  Is her name Warpony by any chance?  LOL!


----------



## arabianequine (Aug 13, 2011)

SheepGirl said:
			
		

> ksalvagno said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I keep hearing this from people but see alpacas advertised on craigslist often for a couple hundred dollars? I don't understand.


----------



## arabianequine (Aug 13, 2011)

wannacow said:
			
		

> I have a nubian that is in milk now, but am looking to breed her in the next couple of months.  I have a saanen yearling that I want to breed this month.  My problem is finding registered bucks around here.  Maybe we'll try a boer buck...  Hmmm.  Another thing to think about.    I am a first timer myself.  I got my first goats in March so I am very much a newbie.


I heard that nubians were the fist meat goat. 

I have a saanen buck to breed to my boer does....and that is suppose to make the best meat goat. They will be big and grow fast. 

I will breed them this fall/winter for spring kids. I am a new goat owner to, as of May 1st 2011.


----------



## kstaven (Aug 13, 2011)

arabianequine said:
			
		

> SheepGirl said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have seen many alpacas and lahmas cheap around here.


----------



## kstaven (Aug 13, 2011)

arabianequine said:
			
		

> wannacow said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That will produce a nice meat carcass. Surprisingly a togg crossed will work well also.


----------



## pekinduck<3er (Aug 13, 2011)

Nope i dont but i get my husband to do it!


----------



## arabianequine (Aug 14, 2011)

kstaven said:
			
		

> arabianequine said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hmmm so I have a doe togg and just picked up a boer buck???? Now you got me thinking don't do that lol....kinda scary when that happens.


----------



## arabianequine (Aug 14, 2011)

kstaven said:
			
		

> arabianequine said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Me too but I had a neighbor I meet this spring that said they got into llamas because the alpacas were $3000. I was actually at a livestock auction earlier this year and there was several baby alpacas that went for $25 each and then the last 3 went for $30 so $10 each but the same person bought them all.


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Aug 14, 2011)

We had a really niced framed saanen/boer doe, she had a really nice bone structure on her and nice thick legs, her kids were always really nice. The problem we had with her was she didn't come into milk until three days after she kidded, not jut the first time she kidded, but every time. I tried to work wiht it and kept a couple daughters from her thinking they would still have the nice frame, but be better milkers. NOpe, The first doeling we got kids from at 18 months of age and she did the exact same thing. So we sent the entire bloodline to the the  sale barns. 

As far as muscling and bone mass,  they were really nices crosses.


----------



## ksalvagno (Aug 14, 2011)

arabianequine said:
			
		

> SheepGirl said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Alpacas have gone way down in price. Also helps when you have been in alpacas for 14 years and these were your own home grown ones. It really depends on where you live. I have friends that want to give me alpacas and they know what I will do with them. In Ohio, you can pick up alpacas on Craigslist or some of these small auctions for $25 or so. I know breeders who will sell their pet boys for $50 to $100. 

I just had one of my Nigerian males done. He weighed 101 lbs. Hang weight was 42 lbs and we got 17 lbs of ground meat. I'm sure I lost more with only doing ground meat. It cost me $60. While I'm sure some people would call that very expensive, I call it cheap compared to taking him to the vet and having him put down for $200 with nothing to show for that $200. He was an intact male that just didn't sell and I can't keep males around that I'm not going to use. The 3 that we have are stinky enough. I also won't take my goats to an auction because I want to know where they will end up. I'd rather them in my freezer than suffering from neglect or abuse somewhere else.


----------



## arabianequine (Aug 14, 2011)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> We had a really niced framed saanen/boer doe, she had a really nice bone structure on her and nice thick legs, her kids were always really nice. The problem we had with her was she didn't come into milk until three days after she kidded, not jut the first time she kidded, but every time. I tried to work wiht it and kept a couple daughters from her thinking they would still have the nice frame, but be better milkers. NOpe, The first doeling we got kids from at 18 months of age and she did the exact same thing. So we sent the entire bloodline to the the  sale barns.
> 
> As far as muscling and bone mass,  they were really nices crosses.


I guess I better buy some powered colostrum to have on hand. This will be my first breeding. I know I can freeze some if I get babies any soon yet.


----------



## kstaven (Aug 14, 2011)

arabianequine said:
			
		

> 20kidsonhill said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Always a good idea to have on hand.


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Aug 15, 2011)

kstaven said:
			
		

> arabianequine said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I always keep a supply from last seasons kidding, but if you are just starting out getting some from someone else, or getting what you can from the feed store is a very good idea.    

We milk the first goat we get a  chance to, even if you can get an ounce or two and save it, I figure better than nothing. Some does will have plenty even if they have twins, Or if both the twins start nursing on the same side then I take advantage of it and steal from the other side, ofcourse a single is a no-brainer.  We save it for the rest of the kidding season and then for the next years kidding season, and then I gather more and throw out the old stuff that didnt' get used. I am always happy to throw-out the unused stuff, since that is a good sign I didn't have too many problems. 

We freeze ours in small freezer bags, in 2 ounce, 4 ounce and 8 ounces packages. I really like the little freezer bags they sell in the baby section for mom's that pump breastmilk. They are a perfect size, a little pricey to get a box, but work really well, and are easy to unthaw in a warm cup of water. They also wash out pretty well, so I have been reusing them.


----------



## Hobby Farm (Aug 15, 2011)

We have several dairy buck kids from this year that we are considering butchering for meat.  Right now they are 4 months old and still intact.  For those of you that butcher your dairy buck kids, do you leave them intact?  We will send them to freezer camp mid November, making them about 8 months old.  Will they have more of a "goaty" taste by leaving them intact or will they still be young enough that it won't matter?


----------



## kstaven (Aug 16, 2011)

Meat may have a little stronger taste. The biggest thing is, there will be less meat.


----------



## greymane (Aug 16, 2011)

I have had goat many times, but never in the states.  I like it, but I think I would have an issue with eating my own goats.  I guess that is silly since I just dropped six of our chickens off at freezer camp this morning.


----------



## dhansen (Aug 16, 2011)

Kvasten,
What do you mean less meat?  Do you mean you get less meat from an intact male vs. a wether?  We are still stalling on the "killing" part.  I think my husband will have to shoot the wether rather than slit his throat.  Too gruesome for me!


----------



## ksalvagno (Aug 16, 2011)

With dairy breeds there would be less meat than a meat breed goat. If you have small goats, there would be less meat than the larger goats.


----------



## Prisca (Aug 16, 2011)

Hi!
We have raised goats forever - me 25 yrs and hubby more than that.  We love goat meat and is a main part of our diet. I do have preferences however. I do not butcher them at a young age. I prefer them to be 2 to three years of age - wethers or older than that does. For years we have bottle fed all the babies of our Nubian does. You hold them in your arms and it is the best feeling in the world. So I have been asked many times "How can you eat those babies?"  My answer is I don't eat the babies. I don't like the texture of the meat of the youngsters. After three months of age the babies go to the pasture and join the regular herd. There is little more contact with the wethers from that time until we are ready to put them in the freezer.  The does on the other hand will conceive, have babies and go into the milk barn to be handled twice a day. While we feed them and they see us and we pet them the wethers are just growing chubby. We wether the bucks at a very young age - about 6weeks.  The reason I prefer them to be 2 to 3 years of age as it has the best meat to bone ratio. We had one wether that was so big that after we butchered him I weighed the meat (no bones or fat) and came up with 168 pounds of pure meat! We have butchered older bucks that we did not want to maintain the bloodline on but we "Burdizoed" them a minimum of 6 weeks before so the "Goatie" taste would be gone and we have often given them a bath -- honest! (Oils can cling to the hair) I seldom grind the meat and prefer steaks, soups and stews, roasts and the like. When cooking it I find adding moisture and cooking it slowly makes for very tender and good eating. We do our own and invested in a meat band saw to help with the processing. Add a vacuum sealer and a few other things and you are ready to fill the freezer!

As far as the taste goes - it tastes like goat. Most people have no idea when they are eating it at any of the functions I provide food for. The plate comes back clean and am always asked for the recipe! In fact I served a cheesy bbq biscuit today at Bible Study and didn't bring home a bite of left overs. (Some of the cheese was made by me also)

Enjoy!
Prisca


----------



## nmred (Aug 16, 2011)

Prisca, could you share the cheesy bbq biscuit recipe?  It sounds delish!


----------



## wannacow (Aug 17, 2011)

I 2nd that!


----------



## SheepGirl (Aug 24, 2011)

arabianequine said:
			
		

> SheepGirl said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Many llamas here are cheap--usually no more than $500. Alpacas around here are expensive: if you look on breeder's Web sites, the average price is $3000-$5000 depending on their sex.


----------



## ksalvagno (Aug 24, 2011)

SheepGirl said:
			
		

> arabianequine said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It really depends on where you live. There have been several Craigslist ads in my area for free alpacas. Ohio has the largest number of alpacas and alpaca breeders so that is why alpaca males are cheaper.


----------



## SuburbanFarmChic (Aug 24, 2011)

I seriously considered butchering a llama earlier this year.   It was on craigslist for free because it was attacking people and they didn't care what you did with the carcass but it was not allowed to leave the farm alive and the woman couldn't put it down herself and I think there were issues with the vet saying "oh hells no" when he came out. It had tried to actually kill two people. I think they were thinking dog food but I kind of wanted it for people food.  I was not first in line though or I'd have a cool llama butchering story to insert here.


----------

