# Butchering Question



## Perfect7 (Apr 19, 2010)

We are about to butcher our first wether in October. I called a local butcher in our area and he will do it for $35 plus .35 a pound hanging weight, but we have to haul the remains back home in a bag to bury (yuck). I then found another company that processes deer October-February (about our butcher time, too). He charges about $100 and gets rid of the remains himself.
Just curious about what the rest of you do? Do you butcher yourselves? Take it somewhere? I can see how doing it ourselves would be more cost effective later on, but can't see buying the equipment to do so until I see if we even like goat meat.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I've not done it myself, but have watched my parents butcher a wether...I come from a family of hunters and we always processed our own deer, I can't imagine a goat being anty different and we never had any "fancy" equipment to do it either..just a gammon for hanging, a few sharp knives and a hack saw for bones. Freezer paper and freezer bags for wrapping.


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## redneck_acres (Oct 18, 2007)

I know years ago when my folks checked into having one done at the Butchers-they said they wouldn't do it because supposedly it is tuff to do. My folks have butchered wethers before-long ago-in fact so long ago I do not remember them doing it. I know i've tried goat meat before and it is pretty good.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Only cause I am lazy - I usually have a butcher do it - he charges me 45 for the kill and then does the meat any way that I like - I usually do half ground - half stripped for making stew / jerky - for a total cost of about 100.00 and only bring home my meat.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I have a local butcher come out...to our place ... he... humanely puts down the goat....but leaves at my place....stomach content ... yuk... the smell is quite unbearable.......then we tell him... the cuts we want...he hangs it in his big freezer for a while..... then cuts and wraps it..... it is easier for a butcher to do it..for me.. as... I don't have the heart to kill.....  he is the only butcher near me....that does goats...


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## redneck_acres (Oct 18, 2007)

Allison you have it ground? How do you like it that way? I've never tried it ground.


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## Mully (Jun 23, 2009)

I pay $65 per goat to be butchered, dressed, and packed and frozen ...they take care of the waste.


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## Perfect7 (Apr 19, 2010)

Thank you everybody! I don't have the heart to kill either, but I think I could help process and clean once it was over with (assuming I knew what I was doing in the first place). DH is a retired cop, so maybe he can later on! :chin: We're still procrastinating on "harvesting" five roosters.
I can also handle buying a hacksaw, sharp knives, and something for hanging. We'll go to the butcher for now, but it would one day be nice to go from start to finish without a middle man. (mental note to get vicks vapor rub under my nose for the stomach contents!)
I'm glad to hear somebody say ground because I was thinking ground, steaks, and ribs but don't know how the meat is done for goats. Saying it's "like lamb cuts" doesn't help because I've only had lamb once at a restaurant. :shrug: 
I can do ground meat, ribs, and steaks!


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

I can be a hard person sometimes but when it comes to butchering goats I just cannot do it. I could probably cut them up after they were dead but its the actual killing part that bothers me. I know, I'm a wuss 

We take them to our local butcher, they charge $35 for the butcher fee then $0.38 a lb hanging weight to cut it up. We usually just grind it all up into burger and then have at least one goat made into salami.

For goat cuts, they have leg roasts and wherever else they get a roast from(I forget) and chops(the goat equivalent of a steak) and then the rest of the meat is usually ground.


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## Perfect7 (Apr 19, 2010)

Okay, thank you! Now I can say "ground, chops, and roast" instead of asking for steaks and looking like a moron!  Now I can sound like this isn't my first time going to the butcher. I'll have to just refrain from kissing my poor wether goodbye (at least once I'm in the public eye).


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