# Just tasted goat for the first time ...



## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I have never tasted such sweet, supple meat! This meat was from a year old wether that had been a pet to us, but unfortunately had become violent with my older, retired girl, and the kids. We just couldn't have that, and with no pet homes in sight (especially not for a goat that wasn't gentle to other goats ... we didn't want to spoil our other, more pet-quality wethers from their chance at a home), we chose what we felt was the most humane option for him.

It was strange eating meat from an animal I had raised, but what a satisfying feeling. This meat did not come from an animal that was stuck in a crate, abused, and fed unholy crap its whole life. This meat came from an animal who was loved, valued, and healthy. 

I'm not sure I'll be able to eat store-bought meat again! I've been spoiled! And so have my parents, they loved it too.

Anyway, just wanted to share the experience. It was definitely a good one.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Spoiled? How right you are! The ground beef mush they sell in the store is no match.
Wait till you get to the liver, oh so mild! Nothing like the mass produced heavy tasting leather.
Did you do him yourself?


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

No, we had him brought to a small, local butcher. He only had maybe a 5 minute wait, so we feel very good about that. 

I can't wait to try the rest! We had the ground meat in enchiladas last night, we still have more to try.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

It is delicious. I want to have more sometime but can't seem to find a butcher or a friend to do it for me. I want to learn how to clean and all myself but I'd like to have help the first time. 

I've had goat meat several times. I sold wethers for meat before I tried it and didn't understand why people would eat goat (I was very much I newbie). Then I tried it and finally understood. It was hard to way store bought again but I didn't have a choice lol! I've also had fresh lamb.... talk about juicy!


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## TrinityRanch (Mar 26, 2013)

I love it! Glad everyone else does too. And it's such a versatile meat, just like any other 

My mother said it tasted just like tri-tip! I couldn't understand how she could bring herself to insult it like that....


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

:ROFL: Trinity!


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## TrinityRanch (Mar 26, 2013)

nancy d said:


> :ROFL: Trinity!


Sorry, I'm not a huge tri-tip fan at all! It is good, but too hard to chew and I always end up choking to death on it. Chevon is tender and delicious. When we had it, we ate it on shish kabobs and homemade stone-oven pizza. I think it's time to get some more


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I need to get brave to try goat too...we raise hair sheep and finally tasted that meat...very good...we do our own chicken, turkey sheep and pig..now we must be brave and do goat...we just began our boar lady prorgram..but of course we got babies so it will be a while be fore we breed them...Hubby would have no problem...Im just not there yet...but truly getting close....I no longer get angry when folks stop and ask if we sell goats for meat lol..


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

Try the meat as a sandwich using a blueberry bagel as the bread. Its sooo good. Goat meat goes good with blueberries surprisingly.



TrinityRanch said:


> Sorry, I'm not a huge tri-tip fan at all! It is good, but too hard to chew and I always end up choking to death on it. Chevon is tender and delicious. When we had it, we ate it on shish kabobs and homemade stone-oven pizza. I think it's time to get some more


Tri-tip can be absolutely divine and melt in your mouth if cooked correctly and sliced thinly.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

awesome! 

do you know if the butcher rested the meat before you had it? i've heard for barbados black belly sheep, it has to rest for 5 days...do you know if it's the same for goat?


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Yes, he did keep the meat for a bit.


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

It took me 30+ years to finally bite the bullet, swallow my guilt and raise a buckling for meat. Last year I had a buckling that I could not sell, so off he went. OMG! I am raising 2 for this year.


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## OutdoorDreamer (Mar 29, 2012)

I keep telling myself if I can't sell my buckling before fall, he will go to the freezer. I am anxious to try goat meat since you all say it is so good!


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

I have never tried it before, I love my goats too much! Lol, I couldn't bring myself to do it.
I butcher myself, I can drop and dress a pig, cow, deer, bear, mountain lion, chicken, duck, goose, pretty much any animal, but never a goat! I've been butchering since I was 11 (well, helping back then), never had a problem with it, but I have such a strong attachment to goats, they are some of my best friends.....
maybe if someone else raised one and I never knew it....
I don't know, I can eat pork, beef or chicken no problem, I love those meats, but with all the other animals, I have a hard time eating them because of the thought of what it was kinda gives me the ebi-gibies. 
I tried lamb for the first time in my life a few days ago, to me it tasted like goose. I don't really like goose, if I had a choice between a chickens and a goose, I choose the chicken. Lol


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

I want to try goat meat.. But I couldn't raise it and eat it.. I will happily and have raised my own pigs, chickens, rabbits and turkeys.. But I just don't think I could do a goat lol! But fresh homegrown meat is beyond good isn't it!?! Yumm!! :drool:


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces-ADG said:


> I have never tried it before, I love my goats too much! Lol, I couldn't bring myself to do it.
> I butcher myself, I can drop and dress a pig, cow, deer, bear, mountain lion, chicken, duck, goose, pretty much any animal, but never a goat! I've been butchering since I was 11 (well, helping back then), never had a problem with it, but I have such a strong attachment to goats, they are some of my best friends.....
> maybe if someone else raised one and I never knew it....
> I don't know, I can eat pork, beef or chicken no problem, I love those meats, but with all the other animals, I have a hard time eating them because of the thought of what it was kinda gives me the ebi-gibies.
> I tried lamb for the first time in my life a few days ago, to me it tasted like goose. I don't really like goose, if I had a choice between a chickens and a goose, I choose the chicken. Lol


I adore my goats. They are like family to me, very precious friends. But I feel I am protecting them ... this way I don't have to send them to homes that I'm not sure about, or to auction. This way if they don't get sold to an AMAZING home, they spend their lives by their dam's side, soaking in the sun, being loved on and cherished.


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## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

Spring farm raised kid goats, when the meat is the light pink color, is some of the highest quality meat you will ever eat. Nothing compares to it. The only thing close is suckling kid lamb. I have 12 does now and I plan to get more so I can have more kids for the table. Enjoy the fruits of your labor.

GT


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## serenityfarmnm (Jan 6, 2013)

Dani-1995 said:


> It is delicious. I want to have more sometime but can't seem to find a butcher or a friend to do it for me. I want to learn how to clean and all myself but I'd like to have help the first time.
> 
> I've had goat meat several times. I sold wethers for meat before I tried it and didn't understand why people would eat goat (I was very much I newbie). Then I tried it and finally understood. It was hard to way store bought again but I didn't have a choice lol! I've also had fresh lamb.... talk about juicy!


http://www.ozarkjewels.net/homebutchering.htm This is the method we plan on using if/when we get to the butchering.....


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

serenityfarmnm said:


> http://www.ozarkjewels.net/homebutchering.htm This is the method we plan on using if/when we get to the butchering.....


that's what I have planned for my buckling! I just need to find someone with a .22 who would have the stomach to pull the trigger.

i'd love for a small butcher shop that I would trust to treat my animal properly, do the deed quickly and then cut things up into proper pieces, but alas.....not down here. butchers down here don't understand the different cuts of meat. I had friends buy a whole lamb, and they said the meat was never hung so it was tough, and they received a package that had weird pieces cut up...just clumps of meat stuck together. a thin rib piece was stuck to a leg piece, and shoulders cut up with a band saw...... they couldn't discern what was what! scary stuff!

don't want that for my boy! so...gotta suck it up and do it myself!


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## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

nchen7 said:


> that's what I have planned for my buckling! I just need to find someone with a .22 who would have the stomach to pull the trigger.
> 
> i'd love for a small butcher shop that I would trust to treat my animal properly, do the deed quickly and then cut things up into proper pieces, but alas.....not down here. butchers down here don't understand the different cuts of meat. I had friends buy a whole lamb, and they said the meat was never hung so it was tough, and they received a package that had weird pieces cut up...just clumps of meat stuck together. a thin rib piece was stuck to a leg piece, and shoulders cut up with a band saw...... they couldn't discern what was what! scary stuff!
> 
> don't want that for my boy! so...gotta suck it up and do it myself!


When you want something done right, do it yourself. You get the best quality and cleanest conditions when you do it yourself.


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## audrey (Jul 17, 2012)

TH I can't remember, do you have nigerian dwarfs? thats what I have, and have wondered what I would do if I have a wether I can't sell. I figure they really don't seem to have hardly any meat on them, but I guess it would still be some huh. How much did you get off him?


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

did you do anything to fatten him up? mine's a diary breed so he's not very meaty...i'm wondering what I can do to fatten him up (not too much...). more grain?


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Yes, I raise Nigerians, but our boys get no grain, too much of a danger IMO. I wouldn't do it even to fatten them. They are given free-choice hay, quality minerals, and a token bit of alfalfa pellets to even out the Calcium/Phosphorus ratio. 

Surprisingly, we got a decent amount of meat from him, and he was as dairy looking as they come. I also love the fact that I knew he was healthy, and we know everything he ate. Certainly they don't give as much as a full-sized wether, but the biggest thing for me is that 1: He will never be neglected or abused, 2: We will not have more goats than we can care for and 3: His life served a good purpose. And he had a good life as well.


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## Texaslass (May 15, 2013)

We sadly had to get a couple of our goats butchered once, so we kind of forced to get used to it. We had an American alpine that was lame for a long time; we took her to the vet, gave her medications, couldn't figure out what it was. She was walking on her knees for a long time, and we just couldn't find out what the problem was. but she was healthy in every other way, so in the end we decided that it was kindest to put her down. :blue: At the time we had a buckling from her that we couldn't sell, so we sent them together. I almost gagged when I first tried it, but it was really good. It was like a combination of beef and venison, but more like venison, just not so "wild" tasting. I hate butchering animals, but after that, I want to raise some for meat. It's so good.
-disclaimer- BTW, I know I've been relating a lot of bad experiences on here since I joined, but I hope y'all will forgive me. We had absolutely NO experience with any farm animal when we got our goats, and though we did try to learn about them before we got them, we were still painfully naïve. We had never had anything but dogs and a couple cats before. Plus we did not know _anyone_ that could ask advice from, and the vets really don't deal with goats around here.
We had some unpleasant experiences, but on the whole our goats were healthy, and we did our best to take care of them as we'll as we could.

If any of y'all have any idea what was wrong with her, I'd like to know for future reference.


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## Texaslass (May 15, 2013)

Now that I think about it, that doe had started grazing on her knees not long after kidding; it had been rainy for a while, so at first I was afraid she had hoof rot, but her hooves were okay, she just didn't want to walk on them. She was very healthy, and always a little fat, even with very little feed, almost more nigerian proportioned. I think she had a well-developed rumen. 
I wondered if maybe she had founder? I remember reading about it for the first time and thinking that that could've been the problem, and I can't remember what we gave her for it, but I know we did give her something(s), but nothing seemed to help. Is there something else that would affect her walking like that?


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## WarPony (Jan 31, 2010)

serenityfarmnm said:


> http://www.ozarkjewels.net/homebutchering.htm This is the method we plan on using if/when we get to the butchering.....


i used this site as reference when i started processing my own. The wether dropped like a stone with only a slight amount of residual reflex kicking (this is usually bilateral rythmic kicking of the hind legs and is purely reflex NOT the animal struggling, but if you are not prepared for it the movement can be upsetting) and the rest went really smoothly. It was a bit difficult to get the hide off, took longer than I had planned for but otherwise this method worked perfectly. We didn't process that one in to cuts, we spit roasted it whole at a Rendezvous. We haven't done one in proper cuts yet, had too many doelings and not enough wethers for that.


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## goatgirl16 (Nov 21, 2012)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces-ADG said:


> I have never tried it before, I love my goats too much! Lol, I couldn't bring myself to do it.
> I butcher myself, I can drop and dress a pig, cow, deer, bear, mountain lion, chicken, duck, goose, pretty much any animal, but never a goat! I've been butchering since I was 11 (well, helping back then), never had a problem with it, but I have such a strong attachment to goats, they are some of my best friends.....
> maybe if someone else raised one and I never knew it....
> I don't know, I can eat pork, beef or chicken no problem, I love those meats, but with all the other animals, I have a hard time eating them because of the thought of what it was kinda gives me the ebi-gibies.
> I tried lamb for the first time in my life a few days ago, to me it tasted like goose. I don't really like goose, if I had a choice between a chickens and a goose, I choose the chicken. Lol


I feel the same way!!! Lol


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## enchantedgoats (Jun 2, 2013)

i've only had goat once it was very good like venison. it was an italian bbq. we are contemplating putting a wether in the freezer but we have not had any problems with selling them as pets.


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## jennnaragsdale (Mar 5, 2013)

lottsagoats said:


> It took me 30+ years to finally bite the bullet, swallow my guilt and raise a buckling for meat. Last year I had a buckling that I could not sell, so off he went. OMG! I am raising 2 for this year.


You should wether them it makes the meat so much better!

Sent from my iPhone using GoatSpot


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

ThreeHavens said:


> Yes, I raise Nigerians, but our boys get no grain, too much of a danger IMO. I wouldn't do it even to fatten them. They are given free-choice hay, quality minerals, and a token bit of alfalfa pellets to even out the Calcium/Phosphorus ratio.
> 
> Surprisingly, we got a decent amount of meat from him, and he was as dairy looking as they come. I also love the fact that I knew he was healthy, and we know everything he ate. Certainly they don't give as much as a full-sized wether, but the biggest thing for me is that 1: He will never be neglected or abused, 2: We will not have more goats than we can care for and 3: His life served a good purpose. And he had a good life as well.


I have one Nigerian wether I can't sell and was wondering if we should raise him for meat. Thank you for sharing! How old was he when you took him to the butcher?


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

You can, that is your choice! Ours was a year old. Most we will harvest at about 8 months.


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

ThreeHavens said:


> You can, that is your choice! Ours was a year old. Most we will harvest at about 8 months.


What age do you wean them?


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Currently, I do not wean until harvest. The wether I used this year was weaned at 8 weeks because I sold his momma.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I am excited to try goat meat! I am actually going to have two doelings processed since we had no bucklings....and maybe a third if she doesn't sell.

With me staying at home now, beef has become too expensive for us so we can't wait to substitute goat!

How do you recommend it being cut? I'd like to try ground!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Ground is great! The butcher gave us a little of everything. Just finished the ground and we're going to try the other cuts.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Awesome....you have to let me know how you like it! Do you think the ground would be good in spaghetti sauce?


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Yes I definately think so. We made mexican dishes and hamburgers out of it too.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

MMmmm...MM! I can't wait


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## OutdoorDreamer (Mar 29, 2012)

I finally got to try goat meat. I processed a goat today for the first time ever.
He was a 4month old Nubian buckling that never sold. He and my two keeper bucklings were being housed together, and he had a bad habit of bullying my young Alpine buck at the feeder, so it was time for him to go.
it was hard for me at first because this was my first time butchering anything I had raised myself, especially an animal born here in my barn. I deer hunt and am familiar with butchering animals I've taken in the wild, but this was so different. I used a gun and it was over so quick and I was very relieved that it was peaceful. 
The butchering itself was just like a deer, but much smaller. Since this little guy was 4 1/2 months old he didn't have a bunch of meat to cut up and debone, so it went quick and didn't take a lot of work. I ended up with 2 bone-in shoulder roasts, 2 bone-in hind leg roasts, and a package of loins. I used a $40 vacuum sealer from Walmart to package everything.
What an experience today, I can now say I put meat in the freezer from something I raised myself. I was sad at first but now very thankful. I hate eating store bought meat because it is most of the time from animals not treated right. I know my buckling lived a happy life and was always treated with respect even up to the end.
I actually already got to try the meat today. I took the tenderloins and pan fried them in butter with just a little bit of seasonings and they were delicious.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I just got my goat meat back. I got 16 lbs of meat from a kinder doe. Not much...but I had it all ground so we can substitute it for beef. Haven't tried it yet though, since it was my Bailey  Might take a bit for this one.....BUT the herd is much better off without her.....just part of farming, I guess.


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## Texaslass (May 15, 2013)

What was your reason for processing her?


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Love this thread. Between our rabbits, chickens and goats; WE DO NOT BUY MEAT!!!!! I would have a hard time eating meat that I did not know where it came from. Or what it has been injected with.

We have done everything with goat that we used to due with beef. It makes a wonderful spaghetti sauce, lends itself well to Mexican dishes (either ground or cut in chunks), is great curried and served over rice. If you run out of freezer space, it cans really well. Comes out so tender it falls apart. We do everything ourselves including grinding sausage. I make a wonderful thing that is kind of a cross betwee linguica and cherizzo.
The last time we butchered I had a big roast and didn't know what to do with it. I finally just threw it in the Crock Pot on high over night. It came out like a chuck roast that has been stewed. (But much better of course.)
We raise our animals with lots of TLC. But we know they are for meat and do what is needed. If we want milk every year we will have surplus kids.
(Rabbit makes a wonderful Italian/breakfast sausage.)


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Byccombe said:


> What was your reason for processing her?


Well, for one...she was very pushy toward my yearling Nubian....just mean, like not letting her in the shed when it was raining, or letting her drink if she was thirsty...stuff like that. For two, she had tint, two holed teats and therefore useless as a milker....third, she was a screamer for grain, very nerve-wracking to milk my other doe to her serenading  So, a combination of issues...including space. I have space for 3 grown does and kids....I chose to have 3 milkers.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Oh, and the first bag is thawing in the fridge right now....it's 10 1/2 parts ground goat to 3 1/2 parts pork fat....how does that sound to everyone? The guy I had do it is a butcher and only charged me 80.00 to take her off the property, do the deed, grind it, and bring me the meat...he lives 30 minutes away...I thought that was really reasonable. Do you?


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## Texaslass (May 15, 2013)

NyGoatMom said:


> Well, for one...she was very pushy toward my yearling Nubian....just mean, like not letting her in the shed when it was raining, or letting her drink if she was thirsty...stuff like that. For two, she had tint, two holed teats and therefore useless as a milker....third, she was a screamer for grain, very nerve-wracking to milk my other doe to her serenading  So, a combination of issues...including space. I have space for 3 grown does and kids....I chose to have 3 milkers.


Extremely good reasons, IMO! :lol: I would process one like that too! I hope you enjoy the meat.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

About to process my second wether. I have to admit, I'm really looking forward to the meat, even though we still have some left over.  I think I like goat meat as much as I like their milk. My pet-quality wethers ended up finding great homes -- this guy is sweet, but is LOUD and demanding, so he wouldn't make as good a pet. :laugh: So glad he had a good life with us.


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## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

This seasoning is great on goat meat


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Here is our meat all packaged and ready for freezer. Some of it is ground and I love having ground goat meat. Then there are some great steaks too. My husband and some friends all did the packaging and butchering this year. These should have been butchered in the fall but we had some health issues and had to wait until 2013 of Jan or Feb. But the meat was so tender. This is our 'Happy' Meat. We don't sell any goats for meat but instead take care to do it ourselves and I feel better about that knowing that they lived a good happy life 'till the very end. I think that was 1 1/2 goats.


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## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

The kings prime cuts from a 1 year old wether. All Boneless loin, ribeye, and tenderloins


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Mmm! Looks so yummy! 

If it wasn't my own goat I would LOVE to try goat meat! I just don't know if I could do my own goat :/ odd seeing where we do rabbits, pigs, turkeys, and chickens... I just don't know what it is about my goats.. Lol!


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

now i'm hungry and want to do up a roast. mmm.....roast leg with yorkie pudding! *drool*


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

GTAllen said:


> The kings prime cuts from a 1 year old wether. All Boneless loin, ribeye, and tenderloins


GT~ What breed of goat was that from? How many lbs do you get from one generally?

Also, I had him take her off the property because I was attached. I now realize that was selfish. She would have been MUCH less stressed had I allowed him to slaughter her here. Next time, no matter what I feel, I will deal with it and have it done less stressfully for the goat. Just adding this so newbies make a more informed decision.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

You generally get 47-49% dressing off a goat. So close to half its live weight


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## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

NyGoatMom said:


> GT~ What breed of goat was that from? How many lbs do you get from one generally?
> 
> Also, I had him take her off the property because I was attached. I now realize that was selfish. She would have been MUCH less stressed had I allowed him to slaughter her here. Next time, no matter what I feel, I will deal with it and have it done less stressfully for the goat. Just adding this so newbies make a more informed decision.


FB Boer. I got 30lbs of ground, 25lbs of steaks, and 2lbs stew trim all boneless. I also gave away about 30lbs++ of shoulders, ribs, and trimming.


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## OutdoorDreamer (Mar 29, 2012)

Today's dinner was a bone-in shoulder roast in the crockpot, slow cooked for about 5 hours with open pit barbecue sauce. It's done and I couldn't wait to taste it. It is soo good!!


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## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

OutdoorDreamer said:


> Today's dinner was a bone-in shoulder roast in the crockpot, slow cooked for about 5 hours with open pit barbecue sauce. It's done and I couldn't wait to taste it. It is soo good!!


That sounds good. Going to do some Jamacian curry goat this weekend.


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

I do love goat meat - mostly in Indian dishes and also in Indonesia, they do goat satay (its a street-side shish kebab prep with a spicy peanut sauce, I would never ever have thought to use goat in this and it is really very delicious)...
Just am struggling with killing an animal I raised, although I do feel its alot better to give it a good life and a good death....
I mean I fish and I kill them and eat them.... it just feels different being a goat (havent even been able to eat one of our chickens, although LOL our dog killed all the extra cockerels and this years' hatch .... was all pullets)....

Maybe a thread on this... 
but yes goat is yummy and those cuts look amazing .... we have enough pasture and it would be great to cut on the meat bills....


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

My goats are all pets, that is what makes it so hard and they are so cute with such personality. BUT I was raised on a farm, and got used to eating my pets when I was a child. You learn to deal with it, the more you experience it the easier it should be, not that it ever gets real easy for me. It is a great feeling knowing you are raising your own healthy meat from healthy happy animals that did not suffer! It does help if you know the ones that will be in the freezer, don't make them pets! LOL


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