Showing posts with label Goat Farming. Show all posts
Goat Farming is Profitable
Posted by Unknown in Goat Farming, Philippines on Monday, 13 May 2013
By Henrylito D. Tacio
Sun Star
GOAT farming is gaining ground in the Philippines.
"Goats are
very popular among Filipinos because they require low initial capital
investment, fit the smallhold farm conditions, and multiply fast,"
explained the Laguna-based Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry
and Natural Resources Research and Development (Pcarrd) in its
investment briefer.
"Culturally,
goats are integral to every special occasion such as birthdays,
baptisms, weddings, and fiestas," Pcarrd added. "Hence, they command a
higher price compared with other meats in the market."
Bryan Regencia
and his brother Harold think so, too. That was the reason why after
buying a 3.6-hectare land in Mati City in Davao Oriental, they decided
to raise goats in what they called as Sagana Farm.
Actually, it
all started as a hobby. When they were still young, the two of them love
having animals in their backyard. Bryan grew up and became an
information management graduate working in a prestigious company in
Cebu. Harold, who is two years younger than his brother, finished
nursing and worked in a government hospital.
Both were at
the peak of their careers when they decided to raise goats with support
from their parents, Fe and their late father Cyrus.
"It was the
passion for animals that drove us to go into farming," the two said. "It
was our utmost dream to have our yard full of farm animals like goats,
pigs, turkeys and chickens."
They started
with five native does and an upgraded buck of Nubian. "We intended to
raise goats for meat as there was a great demand at that time," Bryan
recalled.
Since the farm
they bought had already mangoes and coconuts, they adapted an integrated
farming system and plant more fruits like durian, lanzones, mangosteen,
and banana.
But farming is
easier said than done. Neophyte as they were in farming, the number of
goats dwindled to three. Based from that sad experience, both realized
they could do it on their own. So, they decided to seek help from
experts and experienced livestock farmers.
From them, the
two learned what the problems were why two of their goats died. For one,
it was due to poor nutrition as the animals were only fed with banana
leaves, cogon, and other indigenous grasses. For another, the goats were
tethered believing that was how meat goats are raised.
But despite
this setback, it didn't deter the two to stop what they had started. The
brothers bought more goats. They also improved their method of
management. They shifted to cut and carry method of feeding their goats;
they planted different varieties of legumes and grasses like flemingia,
indigofera, ipil-ipil, kakawate, tricanthera, malunggay and napier as
forage for their goats. They also dewormed their animals periodically
and provided them with supplemental vitamins and minerals.
Despite this,
the income they would realize didn't happen. In January 2011, the
brothers sold all their meat-type goats. They used the money as their
initial capital for their dairy goat project. They started with 10
purebred American Nubian does and one purebred buck.
While waiting
for the goats to arrive, Bryan sent his brother and farm helper to the
Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) in Barangay Kinuskusan in
Bansalan, Davao del Sur to undergo training in dairy goat management.
"I wanted them
to equip themselves with proper knowledge on how to handle and
management a dairy goat farm operation," Bryan said.
After a few
more months, they acquired an additional 10 heads, bringing their stock
to 20 females and one male. Offspring were produced and the stocks grew
to 47 heads, which they branded as the "Black Delight."
"With dairy
goats, you don't need a very big area and a large herd for it to be
sustainable," Bryan now realized. "You will not earn only from milk but
also from manure, culled meat and breeders."
Forage Crops for Goats in Philippines
Posted by Unknown in Goat Farming, Grass, Grazing, Philippines, Silage and Forage on Tuesday, 29 January 2013
(Sun Star Davao)
The increasing demand for goat meat is a boon to farmers engaged in
goat-raising, making backyard and commercial projects a promising
investment field.
As
in any other industry, a decisive factor in the development of a
commercially viable goat raising industry is the product. As everybody
in livestock-raising knows, the right choice of feeds has a direct
bearing on the quality of the meat.
"Goats should
be fed nutritious feeds on a year round basis," says Roy C. Alimoane,
director of the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) Foundation
Inc. in Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur.
The question is
how? "Native grasses decline fast, have low volume per hectare, are
inadequate for high stocking rates, and do not respond well to
fertilization," Alimoane explains.
Obviously, the
solution is to plant new, improved, and more efficient grass and legume
species, which are palatable to goats. A 50-50 combination of both
provides three advantages: 1) it improves milk production and chevon
quality, 2) fertilizes the soil, and 3) helps prevent soil erosion.
Every pasture
land is unique. The variables are soil, elevation, climate, and
location. Certain types of grasses and legumes will grow well in one
area, badly in another. Goat raisers should put up test plots and secure
technical advice and, depending on the performance of different
species, gradually expand.
Some of the
promising pasture and forage crops for goats are star grass, napier
grass, guinea grass and para grass for grasses and ipil-ipil,
centrosema, stylo, siratro, kakawate, kadios, flemingia, and rensonii
for legumes.
Star grass (Cynodon plestostachyus)
-- A very aggressive, creeping perennial, this East African native
grass can easily crowd pasture grasses and legumes. It is very resistant
to trampling and drought but tends to become very stemmy when mature.
Above average in crude protein, young stands are relished by goats. It
responds well to fertilization and, with cuttings, is easily
established.
Spreading
quickly, star grass effectively holds sandy soils along waterways and
embankments. It's very tolerant to grazing and trampling and is
particularly useful in alleys and paddocks near the corral which are
frequently over stock.
Star grass
grows well in the Cagayan Valley, Negros Occidental, North and South
Cotabato and Davao provinces. It blends well with centrosema.
Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) --
Also known as elephant grass, this is the most popular improved pasture
species in the country because of its vigor, productivity, drought
tolerance, and relative ease in establishing it. Like the star grass, it
responds well to fertilization.
While
unable to tolerate water logging, this species grows under many soil
conditions. Although commonly used for soilage and silage, it may be
grazed. It also makes excellent stands with legumes like centrosema and
siratro.
Napier grass,
which is a similar to sugarcane in appearance, can be propagated
commercially by means of stem cuttings. If it is not grazed and allowed
to become overgrown, napier grass becomes tall and stemmy. It is an
excellent species for zero grazing in goat-raising. Napier grass is low
in crude protein.
Guinea grass (Panicum maximum)
-- This African native grows on a wide range of soil but is better
suited to medium to highly fertile soil. It responds well to high level
of nitrogen fertilization.
Like the napier
grass, it cannot tolerate water logging. Guinea grass can be
established commercially using rootstocks and seeds. It grows well with
legumes, like centrosema and stylo, and under trees of semi-cleared
conditions. Guinea grass is only average in crude protein.
Para grass (Brachiaria mutica)
-- This species has become popular due to its ability to grow well
under waterlogged conditions. A trailing grass that roots freely at the
nodes, it responds well to nitrogen fertilizer. It is best suited for
low flat lands and where poor drainage is a problem.
Para grass is a
common weed in irrigation channels and drainage ditches. It is
extensively used in Davao's low coastal goat and coconut farms as well
as in the Bukidnon's highlands (up to 760 meters above sea level).
Like napier
grass, it’s very easy to establish from stem cuttings. It is not as
resistant to grazing as guinea grass, but para grass seems to be the
goats’ favorite grass. It is average in crude protein.
Ipil-ipil (Leucaena leucocephala) --
This is a perennial shrub or tree. Ipil-ipil leaves are bipinnate with
white head inflorescence. It is recommended as a folder crop for
backyard goat-raising. The young stem and leaves can be dried and
pulverized into leaf and stem meal or it may be fed as fresh-cut forage.
Although
ipil-ipil contains an undesirable alkaloid called mimosine, which causes
feather loss in poultry and hair loss in horses and pigs, goats can be
fed high levels of ipil-ipil without any adverse effects. Ipil-ipil is
very high crude in protein.
Centrosema (Centrosema pubsecens)
-- This is a trailing and climbing perennial with bright purple flowers
weakly rooting at the nodes. Centrosema grows well even on acidic soil
and is adaptable to the high rainfall areas in the eastern part of the
Philippines.
Like other
species, it combines well with many grasses. Moderately tolerant of
waterlogged conditions, it is recommended for grazing under coconut
trees. In feed value, it is high in crude protein and goats find it
every palatable.
Siratro (Phoseolus atropurpureus) --
A twining perennial with many branched hairy stems and trifoliate
leaves with distinctive indentations on the margins, it grows on a wide
variety of soils, is drought resistant, mixes with grasses, and seeds
profusely.
Although
siratro is susceptible to Rhixonctonia during the rainy season, it
recovers quickly in summer. This species is not widespread and seed are
very hard to obtain. Siratro is high in crude protein.
Calliandra (Calliandra calothyrsus)
-- A shrub that rarely reaches more than ten meters tall, calliandra
with its red flowers is usually grown as an ornamental. While it does
not produce seeds readily, it grows very well in Mindanao.
Calliandra
grows on many different soils, including infertile ones; it even grows
in heavily compacted clay-type soils with poor aeration. Per fresh and
dry weight basis, it has crude protein content of 9.42 percent and 28.26
percent, respectively. But the leaves are high in tannins which may
restrict absorption of the protein. As such, it should be fed with other
legumes and grasses.
Kakawate (Gliricidia sepium) --
This is small tree that grows up to 10 meters high. It has an open
crown and often contorted trunk that is 30 centimeter or less in
diameter. It does well in moist and dry soil, even with heavy
concentration of limestone. In addition, it can tolerate acidic soil.
The leaves
contain over 20 percent crude protein and are nutritious for livestock.
When given to goats, it should be mixed with other legumes and grasses.
Kadios (Cajanus cajan)
-- A woody shrub that can grow as tall as 3.6 meters, it can be grown
in a wide range of soils but cannot withstand water-logging. It thrives
in light sandy soils, but grows best in neutral deep loams. The pods,
husks, and foliage can be used for feeding goats. The dry seeds contain
about 22 percent protein.
Flemingia (Flemengia macrophylla) --
This is a shrub attaining two to three meters in height. It has deep
root system and produces dense foliage. It looks somewhat similar to
kadios but does not produce edible beans. It is somewhat shade and
fire-resistant. Per fresh and dry weight basis, it has six percent and
18 percent crude protein, respectively.
Rensonii (Desmodium rensonii) --
This is an erect shrub which grows well in moist areas with even
rainfall distribution. It can be planted by seeds or by cuttings. It is
very fast growing with good foliage production, yielding 1.9 kilograms
per linear meter of hedgerow. Its coppicing ability is excellent.
With a crude
protein content (23%) rivaling alfalfa in the temperate climates,
rensonii has been successfully tested at the MBRLC as an animal feed not
only for goats, but sheep, cattle, rabbits, and swine as well.
Chaseburg Farmer Finds New Use for Goat Milk Soap
Posted by Unknown in Goat Farming, Milk, Soap on Monday, 28 January 2013
(LaCrosse Tribune)
CHASEBURG — Meghan Klum was throwing away a few buckets of extra goat
milk every day on her family farm. Klum, who began raising goats with
her mother in 2007, was looking for a way to lessen that blow when one
day in March 2010 the answer came in the mail: soap.
“I had never heard of goat milk soap before,” said Klum, 26. “So I thought, ‘Why not?’”
Now
the kitchen in the small Chaseburg farmhouse is filled with scents of
sweet pea and roses. Soap shavings sit in a big kettle on a worn stove. A
few soap bars sit hardening on a nearby counter. Klum digs a spoon into
a pot of goat milk as oils heat on the burner.
The extra milk
she uses in her soaps comes from mothers who recently gave birth.
Farmers can’t sell that milk, so the Klums usually just gave some to the
farm animals and tossed the rest.
“We decided to try and make a few extra dollars with the soap,” Klum said. “I went for it and have been doing it ever since.”
It didn’t come
easy for the first-time soap maker, who learned of the trade from a
mailed flyer that provided goat farming news and tips. The first batch
burned. Klum hadn’t paid enough attention to the heat levels.
But after a few
trial-and-error runs — and plenty of free misshapen soap bars for
friends — Klum got her recipe down right. She named it Mama’s Milk Soap.
Next step: get it to the people.
That didn’t come easy, either.
“I couldn’t
figure it out,” Klum said. “Then I thought, if I was buying soap, why
would I pay $3 when I could pay 50 cents at department stores?”
Klum turned to the Internet and found a primary benefit of using goat milk soap: a moisturizer for dry and sensitive skin.
She began
attaching labels to her soaps touting the benefit. She now sells up to
60 bars a month — and has seen a complete turnaround in her own
once-dry-and-scaly skin.
Klum eventually wants to start crafting shampoos and liquid soap.
“It makes me
happy,” she said, as she spooned a pile of pink soap bits into a pan.
“The smells are great and it’s just fun to do.”
And the farm rarely throws out a gallon of goat milk.
Raising goats not just kid stuff
Posted by Unknown in Goat Farming, USA, Zz_Wordpress on Monday, 10 September 2012
SIDNEY – Storm clouds hung heavily over Jen and Andy Miller's rural Sidney minifarm Tuesday while the couple talked about their new business.
Suddenly, through a window, Jen Miller saw her goats streaking across their enclosure, headed for shelter.
"It must be raining," she said. "Goats hate rain."
 |
| Jen and Andy Miller pose with their goats and dogs on their farm in rural Sidney. |
That's just one thing Miller, a veterinarian, has learned about the species she studied for one day during her four years at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.
The Millers will open their pastures, show off their goats and their new kids and share their experiences with other producers, 4-H club members and anyone else interested in goat production during a University of Illinois pasture walk at 6 p.m. April 24.
It's one of several walks the UI schedules each year so visitors can learn more about successful animal husbandry systems, said animal scientist Dick Cobb, a sheep specialist,
Visitors can also check out federal Conservation Reserve Program practices on the 15-acre farm that include 3 acres in filter strips and 1 acre of shallow-water area that's a haven for passing waterfowl.
The Millers have learned how important fencing is to keep their animals, which they're raising for meat, under control. Goats, they said, are always looking for a way out.
"They say if it won't hold water, it won't hold a goat," said Andy Miller, a mushroom specialist at the Illinois Natural History Survey. "They test the fencing every day, even electric fencing.
The Millers now know how important good pasture and rotation are to keep goats healthy and free of a parasite that can kill them. They've both become so adept at identifying worm infestations and treatment, they teach classes to other breeders.
And Jen Miller, president of the Illinois Meat Goat Producers, is looking for new markets for owners of goat herds, most of which are small.
"About 75 percent of the world eats goat and a lot of people from those countries are coming here," Andy Miller said of their intention to sell to ethnic markets.
"The biggest problem is, most people raise them on small acreage like us, and everything in the food business is done on volume," said Jen Miller, who hopes to get area and state meat goat producers together so they can pool their animals to fill larger orders from restaurants, especially those in the Chicago area.
"Even one goat a week to one restaurant is 52 goats a year," Andy Miller said.
When they started the farm in 2005, the Millers did their homework.
"We got goats because they're small and I can work around them safely," Jen Miller said.
"They're the fastest-growing livestock in the U.S., and they work well on small acreage," Andy Miller said.
They picked a New Zealand breed, Kiko, because they're low-maintenance animals, bred specifically for meat production, but to get their stock, they had to travel because Kikos are uncommon in the U.S.
"We're scientists and we like to do research so we read books and got on the Internet to find them," said Jen Miller, who works at Hill Animal Care, Mahomet.
They don't want to go into the goat business full time: both like their day jobs. But the hardy herd is fun to come home to, they said.
"Goats are a riot," Jen Miller said. "They look for trouble. If you've had a bad day at work, they take your mind off a lot of things."
Anne Cook
How to Deworm Goats
Posted by Unknown in Goat Farming
De-worming a goat is not as simple as other farm animals. There is no set schedule or de-wormer to give the goat. Goats are very susceptible to many harmful worms. Learn how to keep your goat free of worms.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Multiple pastures
- De-wormer
De-worming
- 1De-worm new goats before allowing them to joining your existing herd of goats. New goats can introduce new parasites and worms to your herd.
- 2Quarantine newly wormed goats in a dry/dirt pen for a few days before turning them out into a grazing pasture. This allows the eggs that are not killed by the de-wormer to be passed in the dry area.
- 3Use different de-worming products each time you de-worm your goats. Parasites in goats can become immune to de-worming products.
- 4Rotate your goat herd often to different grazing pastures. Goats can graze in the same pastures used by horses and cattle.
- 5Keep your goat herds down to a managable number. Too many goats grazing in one pasture will quickly cause the pasture to become infested with parasites.
- 1
Tips & Warnings
- Worms and parasites in goats are controlled better by proper pasture management than by de-worming products.
New-wave cheese
Posted by Unknown in Australia, Cheese, Cheese Making, Goat Farming, Raw Milk, Recipe
 |
| Cheesemonger Richard Thomas: ''Every day that goes by I see an improvement,'' he says of the Australian industry. Photo: Eddie Jim |
While most Australian cheese has a reputation for being bland, a handful of cheesemakers are proving they can compete with their European counterparts.
EVERYONE'S talking about the two women who run a small goat farm in regional Victoria. In cheese circles, Carla Meurs and Ann-Marie Monda are regarded as possibly the best cheesemakers in the country. The pair, along with a handful of artisan cheesemakers around Australia, are proving that we can produce exciting specialist cheeses.
Experts such as Will Studd (founder of the Calendar Cheese company and host of TV's Cheese Slices) and Richard Thomas (founder of the famed Gippsland Blue) have long been frustrated by the local industry's rate of growth, and the bland, safe cheese that's been produced with an eye on supermarket shelf life. But now there are rumblings of a turning point, talk that a new generation - including Holy Goat's Meurs and Monda - is finally beginning to produce an Australian style.
 |
| Outspoken advocate of raw-milk cheese Will Studd. Photo: Angela Milne |
Holy Goat Organic Cheese is deemed every bit as good as its international counterparts, and better than many. It is Studd's favourite, while cheesemonger Laurie Gutteridge calls it a cheese ''you can wave a flag about''.
''This is Australian cheesemaking at its very best,'' says Gutteridge, founder of the TasteCheese website and consultancy, and cheesemonger at Giant Steps in Healesville.
''There are a handful of producers around the country who make exceptional world-class cheese but they are certainly few and far between. It's such a young industry and we do have the opportunity to do something wonderful with the right organisation to support small cheesemakers to think outside the box.''
Apart from Holy Goat, he commends Shaw River Buffalo Cheese, Bruny Island Cheese Company's range, Tongola (fresh and washed-rind goat cheeses), WA's Cambray Sheep Cheese, and Queenslander Fromart.
Thomas started Gippsland Blue in the 1980s and now works as a cheesemonger at De Bortoli Wines' Yarra Valley cellar door. ''Every day that goes by I see an improvement,'' he says. ''Not just in the production but a new culture is being born. The onus is not entirely on the farmer or the cheesemaker or the cheese merchant but a combination of the three working together.''
Names to look out for include: Jack Holman, cheesemaker at Mary and Leo Mooney's Yarra Valley Dairy, who won a grant to travel to France last year to study white-mould lactic curd-style cheeses such as Saint-Paulin and Saint-Marcellin; Frenchman Matthieu Megard re-opened the old Timboon cheese factory last year and is producing L'Artisan cheeses using Schulz organic milk; Sandy and Julie Cameron's Meredith Cheese is the largest on-farm producer of sheep and goats' milk in Australia; and Main Ridge Dairy is a cheesery on the Mornington Peninsula with a herd of 170 milking goats. Further afield in Queensland, unique hard cheese is handmade from the milk of a single herd of Jersey cows by Christian Nobel at Fromart cheesery, while in Tasmania, Healey's Pyengana continues to win plaudits.
Top Tasmanian cheesemaker Nick Haddow, of Bruny Island Cheese Company, says Australia is starting a long way behind the rest of the world. But he's upbeat about the future. ''We're a small population a long way away [from Europe] with not a great deal of history in cheesemaking compared to other places,'' says Haddow. ''What we are doing is exciting and generally of high quality. When you look at other new-world situations such as New Zealand or America, we stack up very well.''
Franck Beaurain, the head of the Australian Specialist Cheesemakers Association, is more effusive. He argues that Australian cheese is as good as its European equivalents. Beaurain, the cheesemaker at Jindi, is a big player who has recognised the demand for artisan cheeses, launching an award-winning upmarket range, Old Telegraph Road. He says there is a growing demand in Australia for stronger cheese, while the French are preferring milder ones.
Not always liked by smaller cheesemakers (it's a particularly divided industry), Beaurain is nonetheless widely admired for his cheesemaking skills. ''I was in France last week and the quality here is very comparable to there. Australia is definitely on the map for specialty cheese. We don't need to catch up, we are there with quality. But we'll never catch up with the tradition.''
But Studd disagrees. He says cheesemakers are special people doing a difficult job but still believes Australia is being left behind.
''When you put the flavour of international cheeses up against ours, often Australian cheeses don't stack up,'' he says.
 |
| Nick Haddow from the Bruny Island Cheese Company discovered it was possible to make raw cheese by following regulations carefully. |
Cheesemonger Anthony Femia says that within the country, it is Victoria and Tasmania that are leading the way for farmhouse cheeses. ''There are a few cheesemakers out there who are creating something to reflect our Australian terroir,'' says Femia, formerly a consultant at Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder.
''Too many cheesemakers are not educated enough to make something worthwhile. A lot of them are just making standardised brie and feta.''
He loves Holy Goat, Capra Organic Goats Cheese, Red Hill Cheese, Tarago River, Bruny Island, Pyengana Cheese, Bangalow Cheese, Woodside, Meredith and Jindi.
Marieke Ferdinands, cheese educator and manager at distributor Calendar Cheese Company, says what Australia really needs is more hard cheese. ''It's easier to make money from soft cheeses than hard cheeses, which take months or years to mature,'' says Ferdinands. She has encountered a growing demand for local cheeses, but maintains that imported benchmark cheeses are important because they push local prosucers to improve.
Prices for specialist Australian cheeses start at about $50 a kilogram, compared with about $80 a kilogram for imports. The best of the locals, such as Holy Goat, can cost about $120 a kilogram. Bill Tzimas, of Bill's Farm at Queen Victoria Market, says customers are willing to pay if the quality is there. ''It's a turning point,'' says Tzimas, a qualified cheese grader and judge for the Australian Dairy Awards. ''We are seeing quality Australian cheeses come through and it's an exciting time.''
----
Happy goats
ALL the goats at Carla Meurs and Ann-Marie Monda's Sutton Grange farm have names and personalities. Some are cheeky, some naughty and some skirt around bleating for attention. Soul sisters Meurs and Monda had a dream to be leading cheesemakers and, after years of travel and study, they've made that happen with Holy Goat. A shared passion, long hours, well-honed cheesemaking skills and a 100-strong herd of happy goats means they now produce one of the most innovative ranges of cheeses in Australia.
At their bucolic 80-hectare organic holding near Castlemaine, they spend seven days milking goats and making cheese. Home is a simple cottage with views of Mount Alexander, the cheesery a purpose-built shed. Twice a day the goats are milked, 12 at a time, ensuring that the freshest milk is pumped straight into the cheesery. The women, who trained with renowned cheesemaker Gabrielle Kervella in WA and worked in cheeseries in Europe, make eight French-style Holy Goat cheeses, including the acclaimed La Luna. The cheeses are made by hand using the traditional soft curd-style of slow lactic acid fermentation.
Bankers were sceptical about the two women who wanted to make goats' cheese but their timing, which coincided with the rise of farmers' markets, ensured their initial success in 2003. They now employ four others on the farm.
The pair, who have won many awards, believe Australian cheesemakers should take inspiration from their European counterparts. ''We are producing too much soft cheese, too much camembert and brie, and not being innovative enough. People should take advantage of being small producers to make more interesting cheeses.''
----
The experts select ...
Will Studd's top five
■Holy Goat La Luna (Vic)
■Healeys Pyengana (Tas)
■Bruny Island C2 (Tas)
■Gympie Farmhouse Chevre (Qld)
■Shaw River Mozzarella (Vic, above)
Our cheesemongers' top picks
Vic: Capra organic goats' cheese, Holy Goat organic cheese, Jindi Old Telegraph Road, La Latteria, Meredith Dairy, Red Hill Cheese, Shaw River Buffalo Cheese, Tarago River.
Tas: Bruny Island Cheese Company, Heidi Farm Cheese, Healey's Pyengana, Tongola Goat Products.
SA: Woodside Cheese Wrights.
WA: Cambray Sheep Cheese.
Qld: Fromart.
NSW: Bangalow Cheese.
And, look out for: Holy Goat is working on an organic 80 per cent cows' milk, 20 per cent goats' milk, possibly to be called Shorthorn or Cowboy; Bruny Island's Nick Haddow will release a cheese with local truffles; Franck Beaurain of Jindi's Old Telegraph Road is developing two cheeses, one a semi-hard gruyere-style cheese with ash in the middle and another port salut-style.
Boer Influence on the Meat Goat Industry - Fad or Future?
Posted by Unknown in Cattle and Livestock, Goat, Goat Farming, Meat, Meat Animal on Sunday, 9 September 2012
By: "Dr. Rick Machen"
(Goat World) Boer goats are being released from a New Zealand quarantine station. After consuming their airline tickets, some have boarded a jet bound for the United States of America...and the meat goat industry hasn't been the same since! Never before in the history of domestic meat goat production has an event created so much excitement and enthusiasm. People which, heretofore would have never been associated with goats, now consider meat goats a viable enterprise. Longtime goat breeders are excited about this new genetic material and its potential to radically change the meatgoat industry. Who are these new kids on the block, where did they originate and what role(s) can they play in the U.S. meat goat production industry?
The Boer Goat
Boer goats were developed in South Africa and can be classified into five different types: Ordinary, Long-haired, Polled, Indigenous and Improved or Ennobled. The first four types are of little or no interest to American goat breeders. South African breeders organized the Improved Boer Goat registry in July, 1959 and have concentrated on improving this goat which is of great interest to U.S. producers.
Trade sanctions and the fear of such diseases as hoof and mouth, scrapie and heartwater have prohibited importation of goats directly from South Africa. Goats were taken from South Africa to Zimbabwe and subsequently placed in quarantine in New Zealand in the mid-1980's. Many of the goats in the U.S. have come from the New Zealand quarantine. A small group of South African origin has been imported into Texas. A protocol is now in place to bring embryos from South Africa into Canada, place them in reciepient females and then bring the recipient females into the U.S. Relative to the diversity of our domestic goats, the Boer genetic base currently in the U.S. is narrow yet rapidly broadening.
Once confined to South Africa, Boer goats are now also found in Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the Middle East.
Boer goats range in color from solid red to almost completely white. The most preferred and widely recognized color pattern is a white body with dark cherry red neck and head with a blaze face. The ears are long and pendulous. Both sexes are horned. Horn size and mass exhibited by the males are much less than traditionally found on Angora or Spanish goats.
South African breeders have emphasized muscling and structural correctness in their selection programs. As a result, the Boer goat is a thicker, meatier animal than our domestic goats. Frame size is moderate; not as large as many of the dairy breeds (i.e. Nubian, Saanen). Mature bucks can weigh in excess of 300 pounds while the largest does will exceed 200 pounds. Birth weights range from 6-15 pounds and preweaning average daily gain can exceed 0.5 pounds. Does are recognized for excellent udder conformation.
Boer Contributions
It should be mentioned here that all goats (Angora, Spanish, cashmere and the dairy breeds) qualify as meat goats. The Boer goat can contribute several pieces to the development of an improved meatgoat. Possible contributions include: Muscle/Body mass - This may be the single most significant contribution. As previously mentioned, the Boer is moderate in frame size but heavier muscled, wider through the chest, deeper sided and more correct on its feet and legs compared to most domestic goats. An increase in muscling will be reflected in higher dressing percentages, higher lean to bone ratios and a more attractive product in the meat case. Improvements in muscling and carcass conformation could result in additional fabrication and retail marketing strategies for goat meat. Growth rate can also be increased with Boer genetics. Data collected on Boer-sired kids born in early 1994 include preweaning growth rates in excess of 0.5 pound per day and 100 day weaning weights as high as 80 pounds. This potential for rapid growth will be an important consideration in an accelerated kidding program. Milking/Mothering Ability - Does are recognized for their excellent udder conformation. The females have strong mothering instincts and, when provided adequate nutrition, easily produce enough milk to raise twins or triplets. Browsers - Results of South African research indicates that Boers preferred a diet that consisted of 85% browse and 15% grass. Apparently, they will function well as a biological method of brush management. Long breeding season - Estrus activity appears to be much the same as Spanish goats or the dairy breeds; a broader window of opportunity than offered by the Angora female. If an accelerated kidding program (three crops in two years) is desirable, this attribute will certainly prove beneficial. Prolific - Data from South Africa and New Zealand indicates that, provided adequate nutrition, Boer females are capable of weaning 180-200% kid crops. Males and females can be sexually competent at 6 and 8 months of age, respectively. Good temperament - Boer goats appear to be very comfortable with human interaction. This could be due to their management in South Africa but also appears to have a genetic component. Embryo transfer kids born in this country to Angora or Spanish recipient dams are very docile and often seek out human attention. If goat production occurs under more intensive conditions, this temperament will prove advantageous.
Feeding and Management
Little scientific information is available concerning the nutrient requirements or digestive physiology of the Boer goat. However, several observations warrant inclusion in this discussion.
Boer goats like to eat and they are good at it. Unlike most Spanish and Angora goats, Boers seem to be much less "picky" in their eating habits. Halfblood kids also seem to exhibit similar eating behavior. If these habits are real and heritable, the Boer could make a feedlot phase in goat production more feasible. Previous feedlot efforts have been largely unsuccessful because of unsettled dispositions and poor feed consumption. The feedlot phase mentioned here is aimed at growth and weight gain more than fattening. Including a feedlot option in goat production could assist in managing the seasonality of goat marketings.
Judging by their appearance, Boer goats appear to have greater rumen capacity (gut fill) than other domestic goats. The increased spring of rib, greater depth of body and a paunch protruding on both sides of the abdomen point toward greater digestive tract capacity. Under range conditions, greater rumen capacity allows for consumption of larger quantities of poor quality roughages. Greater forage consumption relates to improved performance. South African data comparing Boer goats to sheep indicates they selected a lower quality diet (higher in crude fiber).
Bloat and acidosis have never presented a real problem for goat feeders because domestic goats seem to have effective intake regulation mechanisms. However, cases of acidosis have been observed in Texas Boer goats offered an excessive amount of feed. Higher crude fiber contents (>16%) should be considered when feeding goats in confinement, especially under self-fed conditions. Several feed mills have also elevated the coccidiostat levels in goat feeds to combat a potential coccidiosis problem.
Goat meat is particularly appealing to the diet-health conscious population because of its high lean to fat ratio. Boer goats appear to be "easy keepers"; capacity for subcutaneous and abdominal fat deposition appears to be greater than Spanish or Angora goats. While abdominal fat deposition represents efficient energy storage by the range animal, large quantities of internal fat adversely effect the dressing percentage of slaughter animals. In addition, excessive body condition can be detrimental to the reproductive performance of the doe.
Fad or Future
Fad is defined by Webster as "a custom, amusement, or the like, followed for a time with exaggerated zeal; a craze". Boer goats are the latest craze and the exaggerated zeal associated with them has been reflected by market prices. Numerous individuals have brought in excess of $50,000 at public auctions. The craze and zeal which became apparent with the first New Zealand auction in January of 1993 continue today. The question on the mind of every interested party is, "How long will the craze continue?"
No doubt, price has kept many commercial goat producers out of the market. However, prices have softened significantly and are currently more compatible with commercial meat goat producers' cash flow. As ac\vailability continues to increase, prices for the premier breeding stock should stabilize in the $2000-3000 per head range.
Performance and carcass information on crossbred and percentage Boer goats indicates that, in fact, the Boer does have the genetic predisposition to increase growth rate and feed efficiency. Carcass merit is enhanced in Boer-sired offspring. Similar information on the purebreds will follow when collection of such becomes economically feasible. As value of the purebreds comes more in line with meatgoat prices, the influence of the Boer on the Meat Goat industry will expand rapidly.
Improved carcass characteristics, greater growth potential, improved appetite, enhanced mothering abilities, docility, long breeding seasons, biological brush management - all are pieces of the puzzle entitled Meatgoat Production and Management.
According to the definition, Boer goats are a fad. However, they appear to be a fad with a future.
Florida Goat Production Conference, Gainsville, Jaune 14, 1997
