# "Harvesting" my bucklings...



## FreedomStarr (Oct 21, 2014)

I just got into Nubians when I moved to Oregon last spring. My doe had doe/buck twins and I retained them both. I also bought 4 more does and a polled buckling. They are nice looking critters with good pedigrees, but I wonder about excess bucklings next year since I am looking at a larger kid crop. Do weathers really have a good shot at life? I don't know anyone who has kept one for any length of time. I don't want one, but maybe other people would? Nubians aren't really "pet" sized, and not desired as pack goats... I was thinking that instead of pumping inferior bucks into the market or a bunch of weathers that might just be meat anyway, maybe I could try eating anything I don't want to keep, or I don't think is worthy of being someone else's herd sire. I'm pretty sure it will be hard for me. I don't even know if I will like goat meat (I love lamb and venison and elk, so I'm not just a beef only person). Any insight from those of you that eat some of your goats would be helpful. It would also be neat to eventually produce most of my own meat, along with my own eggs and milk. Thanks for taking the time to read!!


----------



## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

If you are willing to eat deer and elk, then you shouldn't have any trouble with goat.


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

And no gamey taste.


----------



## FreedomStarr (Oct 21, 2014)

How do ya'll not get attached? I've done in chickens and pigs- chickens are hard for me to get attached to, and the pigs annoyed me so much I looked forward to the day. My goats are all sugar sweet.


----------



## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I get attached to all my wethers, and since I have Nigerian Dwarves, almost all get sold as pets ... but some years I don't have enough homes for them, so I have harvested.

It's hard, but what makes it easier is knowing their whole life was as pleasant as possible, they enjoyed the sun, and their mom, and great food and care. And they'll never know a day of neglect, or abuse, and they won't face an uncertain future at auction.

There's a peace about it, because I know they not only served a purpose, but I'll never have to worry about their wellfair.

As for you question about whether or not they have a shot at life - I do have wethers I sold as pets, they are two years old now, still doing very well and very loved. Sometimes people want full sized wethers as companions to old or blind horses.


----------



## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

I started my herd with the thought that I was not going to eat my own goats and I would sell them all as 4H projects. Ya, that did not work so much.  AND my kids showed two wethers a piece but could only sell one at the Jr. livestock auction. Soooo......we discovered that goat is dang good! 

It is hard not to get attached to the little guys though. I encourage my children to either not name them or name them a food name so that they remember not to get too close. We practiced this with our steer calves,...we had Porter (house), Cinnamon, T-bone etc. The kids can't seem to help naming the goats so we just do our best. They have lots of girls to love on and play with when the wethers are gone. MY day sucks on butcher day, but everyone else is ok.

I feel exactly the same as ThreeHavens about how my wethers live. They never have a bad day. Their lives are just as good as any other goat here, just shorter. 

I do agree that nubian wethers do have a shot a being horse companions. I have been trimming hooves on one for a while now that lives with on older horse.


----------



## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

We processed an adult male and just can't make ourselves eat it! Weird too because we had no trouble with the llamas or wild game, something about the buck has us turned off. Husband decided we are going to eat a meat goat this year, we have a boer doe who had twins with my Nubian buck, of course we had to bottle these babies for a couple weeks until Mom caught up with production, now they are the sweetest little boys around who just want to crawl all over you to help with whatever chore you are doing, eat them? Is this going to be as hard to eat as the buck? It is the taste and the texture, we had all grind and we just can't do it. I swear if I add it to taco meat or chili I can still smell it... Help! I want to be able to eat this meat, but I'm sorry goats are so different than the cows, hated those cows but they tasted good. Husband is doing the deed and I will process. I have processed so many deer and elk I am not worried about this, I just hope that by processing myself I will be able to eat it.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Have you tried cooking it? Is there a smell or you just can't?


----------



## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

It took me 30+ years of goat owning before I was able to eat one. Yes, it is hard, but I just have the mind set that 2 of my kids will be going to freezer camp. I keep them with mom until they time i load them up. I wether the ones going early on, so they can stay with the herd. They have a very nice, happy 7 months before they leave. I thank them for their sacrifice and never waste the meat.


----------



## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

I think I figured it out. We took him to the butcher and just had burger made, I think they used his fat instead of beef or whatever. I have heard from other meat goat people to remove the fat and all is good, can't do that with the burger. It just didn't taste good and seemed to have a yucky smell.. So when I process this fall I will do as I do with wild game and remove the fat, bet I like it better that way.


----------



## top_goat (Sep 16, 2014)

We're more on the "we intend to" side of things, but I'd always been advised to keep a wether as a companion for my buck. We had twin bucklings two months ago, so one of these little boys is destined for that life, which will hopefully be a good one. The other has been sold as a replacement sire for a neighboring herd. I had intended to band "Pashda" at 12 weeks, but after he and his brother began tormenting my yearling doe horribly, we did it this past Sunday afternoon! (They'd gang up on her like rodeo bulldoggers coming out of a chute onto the calf -- one running on her side to keep her straight and slow her down, the other trying to mount her! It would have been funny if it wasn't so traumatic to poor Lizzie!) So little Pashda was introduced to life after hormones. In the future we "intend" to harvest unsalable boys. We'll see...all the best laid plans, and all that!


----------

