# How was your experience butchering goats?*Graphic Discussion *



## Cuttlefishherder (May 8, 2011)

We had to butchered our first one yesterday, because she wouldn't be trained and wouldn't stop screaming at 4 in the morning, every morning. I expected flailing like chickens, I just forgot that it would be on a larger scale. It took her a while to stop kicking and she screamed a bit, it was kind of disturbing, I have seen rabbits scream and chickens cluck with no head; I think it was the larger scale that made it more grotesque. Though after that ordeal was over the cleaning process was very fun and new. I have only butchered chickens and a goose so far, but now I have goat to add to that list. 

How was your experience/ experiences?


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## 20kidsonhill (May 8, 2011)

Warning!!!!!!! if you are squimish stop reading!!!!!!!!!
Okay so you have been warned, reallly stop reading if you don't eat your goats or want to know about butchering.I have seen their throats slit and bled out, and this can take a little time for them to stop fighting. We had a gentlemen come and butcher a couple goats every few months and because of his religion he couldn't shot them and then bleed them out. He did a good job not hesitating and getting the job done quickly, but it does take longer for them to stop fighting. We haven't butchered ourselves we bring one in every now and then and have them butchered. But if we were to do it, we would shoot them first and then bleed them out. 

The rest of the job was much easier looking, but he didn't take the time at my house to trim up all the meat from that membrane, he would, gut, skin, quarter and pack it up. this is interesting, he didn't waste any of the parts, so he would keep all the organs and clean out the stomach, The stomach he would share with friends who used it for health problems. and then the last thing he would do is STOP READing if you are squirmish, YOU have been warned, The last thing he would do is saw out the brains, That was a lot of work for a little bit of stuff.  It was interesting getting to know him. He would always say a prayer before he butchered and offer the goat water.


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## elevan (May 8, 2011)

This is a job that we "can't" do ourselves and choose to hire it out. Given the choice of just bleeding or shooting and then bleeding if we did it ourselves we would choose to shoot them first.

I do find it very interesting learning how different cultures approach the task. And sort of comforting when they "thank or bless" the animal in some way.


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## Cuttlefishherder (May 8, 2011)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> Warning!!!!!!! if you are squimish stop reading!!!!!!!!!
> Okay so you have been warned, reallly stop reading if you don't eat your goats or want to know about butchering.I have seen their throats slit and bled out, and this can take a little time for them to stop fighting. We had a gentlemen come and butcher a couple goats every few months and because of his religion he couldn't shot them and then bleed them out. He did a good job not hesitating and getting the job done quickly, but it does take longer for them to stop fighting. We haven't butchered ourselves we bring one in every now and then and have them butchered. But if we were to do it, we would shoot them first and then bleed them out.
> 
> The rest of the job was much easier looking, but he didn't take the time at my house to trim up all the meat from that membrane, he would, gut, skin, quarter and pack it up. this is interesting, he didn't waste any of the parts, so he would keep all the organs and clean out the stomach, The stomach he would share with friends who used it for health problems. and then the last thing he would do is STOP READing if you are squirmish, YOU have been warned, The last thing he would do is saw out the brains, That was a lot of work for a little bit of stuff.  It was interesting getting to know him. He would always say a prayer before he butchered and offer the goat water.


*Graphic Detail*
I cant be squeamish after yesterday. We were highly unsuspecting when she started squirming and screaming, we knew she was dead we shot her right in between the eyes, but we thought she was never going to stop moving. I had to hold her mouth shut so that the neighbors wouldn't get curious. We had to take and cut her throat twice because we didn't cut deep enough the first time, but the second time we cut we knew we hit the vein. There's no real question about whether you've hit it or not, because you'll know. 

But the cleaning is the fun part in my opinion, I recently read up on how to break down a chicken, and I really realized that its all the same when you get down to it, all the same cuts, all the same muscles.


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## whetzelmomma (May 9, 2011)

I had a hunter friend help me, and I followed a shoot/bleed method I found on line. She didn't scream, but did move a lot. I knew it was normal, but it still can be unsettling. I have also never seen meat SO fresh at dressing... so it was weird to see muscles twitching sans skin. Still, I like knowing that while she was a live, she had a great life, and I know she had no idea she was about to die/or what happened.


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## carolinagirl (May 9, 2011)

we use the shoot/bleed method too.  We sold a goat to a gentlemen who cut it's throat and that just seemed a little too brutal to me. I like knowing that they are brain dead quick.  When they are shot they go down and move quite a bit but I think it's just a reaction of a brain that has just been destroyed.  I never heard one scream though.  that must have been very unsettling.  I can't help with the actual killing part, but I am find with helping to clean them.  This is the unpleasant part about raising animals for food.  I know that ALL meat requires than an animal die, but at least my own animals were raised with kindness and had a clean death.  Can't say that about most grocery store meat.


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## Livinwright Farm (May 9, 2011)

I haven't butchered one of ours yet, but I know I would elect the hunter's way: shoot, hang, bleed out, then after a couple hours(depending on the size of the goat), start the cleaning process.

I will add(for those of you who butcher chickens), you can achieve multiple goals at once by using a smaller scale carcass hanging post, tie the chicken by the feet(instantly calm chicken), then pull down on the neck, and then using a hunting knife, make a quick cut and step away. The chicken will bleed out and won't thrash as much.


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## 20kidsonhill (May 9, 2011)

I wouldn't mind butchering them ourselves, but my husband doesn't like goat or lamb meat or deer for that matter, even though occasionally he goes hunting, but he just refusses to butcher the goats, says it is too much trouble. I don't see what the big deal is and would actually enjoy doing it. But he works 60plus hour weeks and the last thing he wants to spend the weekend doing is butchering meat that he doesn't even want to eat. He has a very sensitive smell and taste, I can understand if it just doesn't taste good to him.  My 3 kids and I love it,a nd i would prefer to eat goat and deer for all my meals over any beef or pork, Now chicken/turkey/rabbit another whole category. 

My 10 year old son on the other hand thinks butchering is the coolest thing on the planet and started his own little rabbit farm last fall, just so he would be able to start learning how to butcher. The debat we are having is blunt force trauma vs, a bullet. My husband works were they have to discuss animal rights and proper kill methods and blunt force is considered the most human on small animals like chickens and rabbits. But my son can't do this by himself, so I am trying to talk him into just letting him put them in a small box and shooting them with the 22 or the pellet gun.


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## rabbitlady4433 (May 9, 2011)

With rabbits you might try the "broomsticking method".  It's easy and quick and my 8 year old daughter can do it on her own with no assistance.  You just put it on the ground with the broom handle on top of its neck, right where the spine meets the head, apply firm pressure to the handle and pull up on the hind legs.  It's very quick.  When ever we butcher the rabbits, we don't say a prayer because we are not religious, but we do give thanks to the animal for all it does for our family and promise it a quick and dignified death.

Another cool thing that my daughter learned and does with all animals we butcher (we are big hunters), is learn the anatomy of the animal.  It makes things a little less grotesque. 

 (It's also impressive when an 8 year old will start naming all the organs and their functions to some of the old timers we hunt with.  I'm not proud or anything lol)


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## 20kidsonhill (May 9, 2011)

rabbitlady4433 said:
			
		

> With rabbits you might try the "broomsticking method".  It's easy and quick and my 8 year old daughter can do it on her own with no assistance.  You just put it on the ground with the broom handle on top of its neck, right where the spine meets the head, apply firm pressure to the handle and pull up on the hind legs.  It's very quick.  When ever we butcher the rabbits, we don't say a prayer because we are not religious, but we do give thanks to the animal for all it does for our family and promise it a quick and dignified death.
> 
> Another cool thing that my daughter learned and does with all animals we butcher (we are big hunters), is learn the anatomy of the animal.  It makes things a little less grotesque.
> 
> (It's also impressive when an 8 year old will start naming all the organs and their functions to some of the old timers we hunt with.  I'm not proud or anything lol)


my son's grandfather who is working with him on butchering(because my husband doesn't want to) is a large animal vet. and has been going over the anatomy with him. He does find this very interesting and loves the time with his grandfather.  My husband is capable of butchering, but apparantly has the right to throw a trantrum about it and refuse to help. You should have seen how thrilled he was when I decided to get a 4 cage rabbit hutch and start my son with his own little set-up.  As you can tell this is a sore subject between us. I have been persistant, because as a mother I have tried to encourage my children with their talents and interests and this boy loves gardening, hunting, butchering, and cooking. He is so proud to have raised a rabbit, took part in butchering it, and we are having it for dinner.   My husband has come around a little bit as he sees his son's faithfulness when taking good care of the rabbits and the pride and my husband has even suggested we try worm farming with the rabbits. 

I was reading a little bit about the broom stick method.  I have read mixed opinions about it.  I have never seen this method done, can't really picture what you mean. I will look into it more, But I thought I read that if not done correctly the animal can suffer,that there is a large margin for error. This would not sit well with us. We are really big about proper methods. But I will keep looking into it. and read more on it.

When you say pull up on the rabbit do you mean, keeping the body in a line and pulling away from the broom handle, or do you mean pull the rabbit upward towards the sky, bending the neck of the rabbit, while pulling?


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## carolinagirl (May 9, 2011)

I saw a method of slaughtering once that looked really easy.  You get a board and cut a slot in it large enough to slide the rabbit's neck into.  The board is firmly attached to something in a horizontal position.  You could screw it to the top of a fence post.  Slide the rabbit's neck into the slot and pull the rabbit down quickly.  His head is immediately dislocated and he is dead instantly.  I have not tried it but it seems like a really easy and fool proof method of doing it.


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## elevan (May 9, 2011)

carolinagirl said:
			
		

> I saw a method of slaughtering once that looked really easy.  You get a board and cut a slot in it large enough to slide the rabbit's neck into.  The board is firmly attached to something in a horizontal position.  You could screw it to the top of a fence post.  Slide the rabbit's neck into the slot and pull the rabbit down quickly.  His head is immediately dislocated and he is dead instantly.  I have not tried it but it seems like a really easy and fool proof method of doing it.


You could accomplish this with a tree with a "tight y-crotch" too.


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## theawesomefowl (May 9, 2011)

Interesting. I'd like to taste rabbit.


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## Cuttlefishherder (May 9, 2011)

I have only recently begun to dispatch chickens, and I want to get a pellet gun for rabbits.



> When you say pull up on the rabbit do you mean, keeping the body in a line and pulling away from the broom handle, or do you mean pull the rabbit upward towards the sky, bending the neck of the rabbit, while pulling?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBYv..._query=butchering+rabbits&aq=f&has_verified=1 

This video has the best example I have seen so far, I preferably want to do a pellet gun for rabbits but we will see when the time comes.



> (It's also impressive when an 8 year old will start naming all the organs and their functions to some of the old timers we hunt with.  I'm not proud or anything lol)


That is one of my favorite things to do while cleaning, I took anatomy in high school and we dissected cats, the guy who came over to help us butcher the goat thought that it was hilarious that me and my friend were naming off and looking at the organs as they rolled out of the body cavity.
  I've cleaned a few older chickens that had really fatty livers, they weren't red, they were mistakable for fat, it was totally gross. In older hens I have found rotten eggs,and then had to throw out the bodies because they would be in edible because I busted the yolk. Yuck. In those cases I was glad we killed the birds before they started suffering.

I know now though that after killing, skinning, and cleaning a goat, that cleaning a rabbit will be a breeze and cleaning chickens is a pain! lol


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## damummis (May 9, 2011)

I use the broomstick method on my chickens.  Works great.

I have 2 goats and ewes I will have to cull eventually.  I called the butcher.  $25/kill then $.50/lb to process.  I think I will do it myself.  I am such a cheep Yankee.  

Thanks for the warning about the screaming and flailing.  The only thing that screamed when I killed it were the lobsters when I throw them in the pot.


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## Livinwright Farm (May 9, 2011)

damummis said:
			
		

> I use the broomstick method on my chickens.  Works great.
> 
> I have 2 goats and ewes I will have to cull eventually.  I called the butcher.  $25/kill then $.50/lb to process.  I think I will do it myself.  I am such a cheep Yankee.
> 
> Thanks for the warning about the screaming and flailing.  The only thing that screamed when I killed it were the lobsters when I throw them in the pot.


$0.50/lb is cheaper than around here


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## rabbitlady4433 (May 9, 2011)

Pull upward tward the sky thus breaking the neck.  If it takes more than a second you took to long.  A very fast yank upwards with the pressure on the neck will completely sever the spine.  I have NEVER had one that didn't successfully um ya know.  A mild warning that if you pull to far sometimes it will almost decapitate them and if you don't pull far enough then what you said could be true.  You will definitely know when the job is done.  There is some mild thumping sometimes after, but it's just the brain shutting down.  I've never had one scream though.  I believe that would be the tell tale sign you didn't go far enough.


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## carolinagirl (May 9, 2011)

rabbitlady4433 said:
			
		

> I've never had one scream though.  I believe that would be the tell tale sign you didn't go far enough.


I agree...in all the years we have been hunting and butchering animals, I have never heard one scream.  They do thrash around, but never made a sound.


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## 20kidsonhill (May 9, 2011)

carolinagirl said:
			
		

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I was thinking the same thing, not that I have alot of experience, but even the onse  that were tied up and just bleed out, with-out shooting first didn't scream, some muscle spasms, but it all was done remarkably fast. 

I am wondering if the screaming was due to improper angle of the bullet , again I am no expert, just thinking they shouldn't scream that bad, if at all.


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## Livinwright Farm (May 9, 2011)

theawesomefowl said:
			
		

> Interesting. I'd like to taste rabbit.


Have you ever had dark meat chicken? then you have tasted farm raised rabbit.   I know people say "such n' such tastes like chicken", but rabbit really does!  SOO good!  I can get rabbit from Market Basket for $4-5.99/lb!!  We get them frozen and they keep for a year in the freezer at least!


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## carolinagirl (May 10, 2011)

Any recipe that calls for chicken is delicious with rabbit.  The taste is very similer, but rabbit is not dry like chicken can be.  It's yummy!


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## rabbitlady4433 (May 10, 2011)

I absolutely LOVE rabbit!  I also have GI issues and if I eat rabbit at least twice a week I have half the problems I would otherwise have.  For any of you out there with crones disease or IBS you should give the rabbit a try, it's the most easily digestible meat out there without giving up the protein.


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## Livinwright Farm (May 10, 2011)

rabbitlady4433 said:
			
		

> I absolutely LOVE rabbit!  I also have GI issues and if I eat rabbit at least twice a week I have half the problems I would otherwise have.  For any of you out there with crones disease or IBS you should give the rabbit a try, it's the most easily digestible meat out there without giving up the protein.


It is also a *complete* protein! Not many of those out there!


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## RabbleRoost Farm (May 11, 2011)

Cuttlefishherder said:
			
		

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It probably took so long for her to die because of your method of going directly between the eyes... Remember that goat's skulls are super thick to deal with the constant battering and butting that they all do. When my buck was done, all that was used was a .22 pointed to a spot behind his ear. The gun made just a tiny pop sound, and Tomahawk (yes, the one in my avatar) went down dead. Jumped on him, slit his throat, hung him to bleed. It was over with really quickly and he just dropped like a stone. Didn't make a sound. I prefer this method to just slitting their throat, because at least this way they're stunned (if not immediately dead) before they get sliced open.
I said thank you to him before it was done, gave him some good scratches and a hug, and even a little bit of grain, and then while he was eating he was shot. I miss that guy, but it was his purpose from the beginning to breed the does and then be eaten, and he fulfilled it wonderfully. I'll always have the stinky buck rag and collar from him, not to mention memories 


As for all of the same sort of muscles and such on different animals - yeah, I pretty much feel the same way about that as you do. 
They're basically the same whether you're doing a chicken, a turkey, a rabbit, or a goat. The cleaning process is practically identical too - bleed, skin, gut, cut into pieces.


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## Cuttlefishherder (May 11, 2011)

RabbleRoost Farm said:
			
		

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Well, the bullet exited one of side of her jaw, off to the side even though we shot point blank, we know that she was non responsive for quite a while, about 5 minutes, and while we had her hanging upside down we slit her throat and THEN the antics began, while she was bleeding out she started twitching and screaming began. We really like this girl, her name was Twinky, but she was very neurotic, screaming at the top of her lungs at 5 in the morning and biting people who weren't paying attention. We couldn't bring ourselves to sell her because we would be selling a problem. She never stopped screaming in the mornings, she even screamed at the spray bottle.  Now it is so nice and quiet in the mornings, its unbelievable, we can sleep again!

I didn't want to shoot between the eyes for that matter, but I wasn't the one with the gun. 

Where behind the ear did you shoot? The ears seem like they would be a soft spot in the skull, I'd like to try that next time.


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## RabbleRoost Farm (May 11, 2011)

Yeah that doesn't sound clean to me, but it's over with, nothing else can be done about it now.

Hmm... Just behind his left ear, around where it met the skull. It was so easy, I turned away because I didn't want to watch, and then when I turned around he was just down dead. The barrel was pointed towards the center of his skull.
Someone else shot him for me, I don't point and shoot without looking! Well, I don't shoot period - yet. I helped with cleaning, which wasn't that bad. Rabbits, goats, and deer (and other ruminants I imagine) have a sort of weird fermented grass smell, but that's to be expected.

I have heard that the smaller caliber bullets also ping around in the skull more instead of firing straight through and out the other side, so they're definitely at least brain dead before the throat slitting. Bigger bullets tend to splinter bones and brain matter back into the meat and make it difficult to clean properly.

Even did a couple rabbits that day because everything went so well. Clean shots on the rabbits meant easy skinning - just cut a hole in the belly skin and pull off. But there was one that didn't get shot very well, her skin was extremely tough to pull off because of the adrenaline (I'm assuming). I do like the broomstick method too, but if you can get a clean shot on a wiggly rabbit, that's easier to do than physically killing them yourself (to me anyway).



This conversation would definitely freak out a pets-only goat owner. Sorry guys!


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## whetzelmomma (May 11, 2011)

Cuttlefishherder said:
			
		

> Well, the bullet exited one of side of her jaw, off to the side even though we shot point blank, we know that she was non responsive for quite a while, about 5 minutes, and while we had her hanging upside down we slit her throat and THEN the antics began, while she was bleeding out she started twitching and screaming began. We really like this girl, her name was Twinky, but she was very neurotic, screaming at the top of her lungs at 5 in the morning and biting people who weren't paying attention. We couldn't bring ourselves to sell her because we would be selling a problem. She never stopped screaming in the mornings, she even screamed at the spray bottle.  Now it is so nice and quiet in the mornings, its unbelievable, we can sleep again!
> 
> I didn't want to shoot between the eyes for that matter, but I wasn't the one with the gun.
> 
> Where behind the ear did you shoot? The ears seem like they would be a soft spot in the skull, I'd like to try that next time.


I used this blog post and my "jumping off" point. CLICK HERE **GRAPHIC PHOTOS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES** Except she shot from in front. I can't remember now, where I read it, but another web post I read while researching how to kill properly said to shoot behind the head, between the ears, below the horn line, gun lined up like there is a line from the barrel to the tip of your goat's nose. That's the shot we took, and our goat went down immediately. A little kicking while bleeding out, but 100% involuntary. No screaming. 

20kids: Q for you... can you taste the "buck" when you ate your goat? I've been worried about that smell permeating the meat flavor.


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## 20kidsonhill (May 11, 2011)

> 20kids: Q for you... can you taste the "buck" when you ate your goat? I've been worried about that smell permeating the meat flavor.


I didn't notice a buck taste, but my husband said he could. We buctchered at 6 months of age.  My kids love it. beg for us to butcher more goats. I would say, if you are a picky venison eater, you would find goat a little "barn yard" tasting. We butcher does, also, so I don't think buck taste is the right discription more of a deer taste or barn taste. Also, Has a little bit different texture. But I really like it. But I really like venison, also. 

A good way to try for a beginner is to get some ground and add a packet of onion soup mix to a couple pounds of meat and grill some burgers with it.


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## RabbleRoost Farm (May 11, 2011)

I have tasted doe meat and the meat from my buck. I'd say the doe was more tender and mild naturally, and the buck was a stronger flavor. I didn't mind it much, but some people won't like it. If he had been a wether (and different knives had been used to skin and gut too probably) there wouldn't have been any difference in flavor I bet.

That method of behind the ear pointing towards the nose is basically what was done here. The skull is thinner there, won't have to worry so much about missed shots unless the goat is flailing before you even shoot it.


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## Cuttlefishherder (May 12, 2011)

whetzelmomma said:
			
		

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That's the same blog I looked at lol,we will be shooting from behind the head next time. No more screaming, that was really bad. But it will be a while before any more goat butchering, or any kind of butchering for that matter.


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## RabbleRoost Farm (May 12, 2011)

Of course my buck hung longer too, so that may have strengthened the flavor some.


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## SuburbanFarmChic (Jun 7, 2011)

Just wanted to second your decision.  We've butchered 2. One we couldn't get near, he went a little nuts, and we had to do a front shot from about 15ft away. It dropped him but wasn't clean. However we were cutting to bleed immediately. 

Second was shot like that post. From the back of the head, nice and clean. Cut was just to bleed not to finish the job.


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