# Need Advice - Getting Into Meat Goats!



## Rise_and_Shine_Ranch (May 16, 2015)

Hi! I have been reevaluating my needs and wants for goats. I still want to use my Nigies for milk but I might want to have goat meat for everyday meals and for special events.

The reason I am posting is because I have some questions that I am wanting a opinion from some old pros and experienced goat peoples. 

So I want to raise some meat goats. First off, NO Boers!! They are just wayyyy to big for me. I am used to Nigerians. I was thinking about kikos. Or a kiko cross. I need some opinions on this one. I want goats that aren't too big and ones that are good browsers. The plan is that they are going to be grass fed. Any ideas for breeds that fit that description? I am not planning on showing or anything. I am located in Washington, if you guys know any breeders (or you!) that I can get quality stock from please tell me!

Feeding the goats. I have heard all kinds of things on this one. I am planning on letting the goats munch on my acres of forest and brush I have. As I plan to not feed grain, do you guys have any tips? Alfalfa straight? Grass hay? I want to know how you do it. Tips you learned how to build muscle. 

Slaughter. Okay, I am TOTALLY inexperienced here. I have done meat chickens, but never anything bigger. Is it pretty difficult? I am a quick learner, but is it something best left to the pros? Opinions please.

Lastly, thank you so much people of Goat Spot. I have asked some newbie and bit stupid questions and learned from mistakes while on here. You guys have all been so kind! I just want to give a toast to all the helpful people on this site! You guys make me feel welcome!


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## BOERKING (Jan 5, 2015)

Well Kikos also get pretty big. But they where originally bred to stay in harsh conditions without much care. But I don't know if that trait still exists. It may I am not to familiar with Kikos. I have had both Kikos and boers. They can both get around the same size depending on thier quality.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yeah most of the 'meat breeds' are going to be big. But there is fainting goats, I don't think they are overly big and even pigmy, basically you can eat any goat you get get a bigger bang for your buck on the boers kikos and such. 
If your not really wanting to feed much more then grass then what I would do is let them out to graze during the day and at night throw them some alfalfa. This will bring them in at night and also make sure they are nice and full at the end of the day. If you leave hay out free choice they will probably eat that over the other. Goats are smart and will be lazy if you let them. 
As for muscle I would think running around grazing and jumping up for leaves would be enough......not for sure on this one but if it was me I would just leave them be and let them do their thing


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Yup, Kiko & Boer can get pretty big and any goat can be used for your table.
For the most part ours are fairly easy to handle.
Kiko breeders are far & few in these parts & costly but then again I have never really done a search.


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## Rise_and_Shine_Ranch (May 16, 2015)

So, if I let my Kikos do there thing. Will they give a decent carcass? What if I cross them? I have read that they aren't really that meaty. I'm sorry, I don't mean to ask 10 million questions. I just want to make sure I know what I want before I jump in!


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

OK, this may seem a dumb question, but, if you like your NDs, why not just ramp up your production of NDs? ND wethers and cull doelings taste just as good as any other goat, you are already set up for them, you are already educated about them...

Remember, all goats are edible.

If you prefer doing another breed altogether, how about Pygmies? Small, manageable, yet meaty...

As for butchering, look online and on you tube, for videos/instructions on field dressing/butchering deer. They are fairly plentiful, much more plentiful than the same thing for livestock, and goats are butchered exactly like deer.


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## Rise_and_Shine_Ranch (May 16, 2015)

I had never really considered that as an option. Just using wethers and cull doelings as freezer fill. That may work wonderfully for us however. We are having trouble getting rid of buckling this year... We may just have to send our first off to the butcher.


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## rjmonri (Apr 15, 2015)

We have enough Saanens for milking, so we bought a Boer Buck for this years season. They start kidding in September but the Boer Buck has been easy to keep and should put some meat on the Saanen carcasses. I am a bit squeamish these days to cut the throats, so we will be sending our meat goats to an abattoir and then cutting up the carcasses at home.


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Why don't you get some meat goats and cross with a mini? In a few years you would have mini meat goats. Maybe some one has already bred some? We have found in Australia there are people that want meat goats but not the size of them. We have been trying to breed mini boers. We have some boer girls we put to a mini buck. Our first crosses are now one year old. They are much shorter than the full boers but still quite solid. They are raised on mainly pasture and as they are still growing grain once a day.


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## CritterCarnival (Sep 18, 2013)

Bree_6293 said:


> <snip>. We have been trying to breed mini boers. <snip>


That's what we've decided to try. We have a mini-Boer doe that we bred to our new mini-Nubian buckling. If she settled, we should have some cute Christmas time babies...hoping for blue-eyed, Boer marked, mini's!! 
Sorry, need to take new pictures...

Ain't Miss B'havin' AKA: B-Butt








Hootenanny Holler BL Gold Rush (pending) AKA: Rush Man


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## polopony (Jun 24, 2011)

How about a Pygmy? They are small, but have a good meat to bone ratio.


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## Rise_and_Shine_Ranch (May 16, 2015)

Don't yell at me, but I may have just been convinced to go standard. As in big goats.

My neighbor has big goats, and just showed me how great they can be. So mellow, so calm and cute! I may end up getting a different breed, but oh man I am hooked! 

So, this is kind of a meat question, but what breed do you guys recommend for creamy milk, a good amount of milk, Sweet personalities (this is the big one for me, big pushy goats = not for me) and one that I can breed to a meat buck to get big, meaty freezer kids? By the way, crosses are an option. I am not set on purebreds.

Sorry, I am laying on the questions here, I just know you guys have great advice!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

LaManchas, they already dress out with a good meat to bone ratio (better than Nubians) and cross well with Boers.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yep I agree with goat hiker. Lamancha boers (laboers) are my all time favorite cross. I started out with one lamancha, now I have 5 crosses lol they grow so dang fast and are nice and stocky. 
I'm not a big fan of Nubian X boers the first go around. A NubianXboer bred back to a boer is pretty nice but still not a lamancha lol
I did have a saanen doe and liked her kids bred to a boer, but I've only ever had her and she was a moose of a girl, so not sure if that's the norm with that cross or not


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Aahh, Nobody's gonna yell at you! To clarify, though, are you talking SWITCHING to a larger goat? or ADDING a larger goat breed, like you first were?

All breeds can be sweet, and all can be horrible. My LaMancha is the pushiest, most physically abusive doe I have. Her sister, before she met with an accident that resulted in euthanasia, was mellow and loving to the extreme.

My advice, since you are not set on purebreds, is to find does that have physical and mental traits you like. They'll likely pass those on to their kids, but if they don't, well, those are the ones you cull and put in the freezer. Within a few years, you will have a hardy, congenial herd.

Yes, my LaMancha is the next one to go, and not just for personality issues. She is also my hardest keeper. Lovely girl though!


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