# butchering ND wether



## Steph

We seem to be having a few wethers from last year that no one wants to buy. My husband and I are considering having some wethers butchered. They are Nigerian Dwarf. I know we will not get the amount of meat that we would from a meat goat but we are wondering how much meat we will get from a Nigerian? At what age do we need to butcher? I don't want to see them go to auction and not know where they are, I'd rather eat them.


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## liz

I'd like to know opinions as well as experience from others on this matter as well.

I know this was a tough call to make on your part Steph and I do agree with your reasons.

Has anyone here made use of excess ND wethers besides as pets or hayburners?


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## Mon Reve Farm

Here is a recent thread where we were talking about this...
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=19289

We had four done a month or so ago. All were wethers. One was 18 months old and the others were a year old. The two smallest we got legs and the rest ground. The two largest we got chops in addition to the legs and ground. Our butcher charged us much less than his normal goat rate since they are minis. All meat was package in butcher paper.

I have only used the ground so far and the family has been ok eating it except DH. But he's a city boy so he doesn't eat half the stuff the rest of us do unless I lie to him about what's in it.


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## Steph

Thank you Amika for the link. It isn't an easy decision to make to eat our boys. I would rather eat them than have them go to auction and be eaten by someone else. Atleast I know they have had a good life and were well cared for while they were here. We don't plan to do the butchering. My husband said he can eat them but doesn't think he could kill them.


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## Mon Reve Farm

If you read Joel Salatin's work he says that his livestock have one bad day. They live their lives as they should except for the day they are harvested.

It took me a little while to get there with the goats verses the chickens and ducks. Since it was expected with one over the others.

But I decided I would rather give them a good life and then harvest them verses trying to sell them on Craigs List for a minimal amount and then have to worry about their quality of life. I'm sure there are many that would argue with that...


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## milk and honey

Glad to hear your take on this... I've been thinking that unwanted or unsellable goats .. I would prefer to butcher. But living on the 'Left Coast" where there are SO many rescue orgs. and so many adds that say "NOT for meat" ... I've wondered if I was the only one who thought this way. I think it is a great idea to put meat in the freezer rather than to get desperate trying to sell a goat. (and I have all Nigies) By the way.. last month Bon Appetite magazine said that goat was the next "up and coming" meat! I look forward to trying it one day!


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## Steph

Thank you for the support. I was worried I would offend other Nigerian breeders by wanting to eat my wethers. I have already given away a few wethers this year. I have been doing everything possible to sell these boys to good homes. I have never eaten goat meat before so I don't even know if I like it or not. I know I won't have a problem eating chicken that we butcher. I've known from the start that we will be eating them.


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## freedomstarfarm

Some may be put off by it. I would have no problem with it. I have heard that it is a very lean meat some compare it to venison. I love venison!


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## lissablack

Goat meat is delicious. You have to learn to cook it because it is very lean. Even on a fat goat. The fat isn't marbled in the meat like beef is.

Jan


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## liz

I have heard that it is similar in comparison to deer, the fat isn't through the meat but more so on the innards and under the hide.

Hey...Steph, it's been awhile since I've had goat...maybe I'll need to try some once you get yours and of course, if I have the need to go in the same direction, I'll know wether or not I'll be able to "hide" it with burgers so someone else here will eat it :wink:


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## Steph

All we eat is venison. I have't eaten store bought meat since watching Food Inc.


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## liz

You know how to cook deer...and I'm sure you've had some that has had a "gamey" taste to it, Chevon would likely be similar in the ways it can be prepared.

I wouldn't mind doing summer sausage or jerky with it because when I've done it with deer, it gets inhaled.


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## Sans Gene Goats

Sounds to me like you are making a thoughtful and considerate choice. :hug:



milk and honey said:


> Glad to hear your take on this... I've been thinking that unwanted or unsellable goats .. I would prefer to butcher. But living on the 'Left Coast" where there are SO many rescue orgs. and so many adds that say "NOT for meat" ... I've wondered if I was the only one who thought this way. I think it is a great idea to put meat in the freezer rather than to get desperate trying to sell a goat. (and I have all Nigies) By the way.. last month Bon Appetite magazine said that goat was the next "up and coming" meat! I look forward to trying it one day!


Yes, I see the same here in my little corner of the Left Coast too (lol - love that term!)

Personally, I would much, much rather have one of my goats go to a home that would care for them well but might eat them, rather than somebody who thinks getting mini goats is fun and then not take care of them just dumps them off somewhere or ships them to auction.


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## citylights

My two cents -- I see absolutely nothing wrong with butchering them for personal use... I would much rather "put down" an animal than subject it to a bad life. And what's the diff in putting it in your freezer? I, too, live on the Left Coast...


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## luvmyherd

Left coaster here who eats her surplus goats. We did go into goats knowing that we would be eating them though. We do our own butchering. We hope to get enough meat next year to not have to buy any red meat. It is very tasty and tender. It lends itself well to stew and curries and Mexican dishes.



Steph said:


> All we eat is venison. I have't eaten store bought meat since watching Food Inc.


Right there with ya. Here we are drinking raw milk, using eggs from our own free range chickens, rabbits who have a community hutch instead of cages, growing several different gardens........................WHY would we buy mass produced meat?!?


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## Steph

Luvmyherd I have done some reading on the community or pasture type rabbit raising. Mine are currently in cages but I would love for them to have a more free natural existance before their one bad day.

Food Inc was such an eye opener! I got chicks shortly after watching it. We are expecting our first eggs soon! I can't wait to see what the fresh happy chickens taste like too!

We are even growing an open pollinated field corn that has not been geneticlly modified this year. We grew if for the first time last year and collected our seed corn for this year. We also, grow oats that we feed to our animals that is not GMO. Trying to keep it as natural as possible. I hope to have my greenhouse up and running before winter too.


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## luvmyherd

There are ups and downs to the community hutch but I would not do it any other way now. My son and husband sectioned off part of the barn, then they built an outdoor pen with a door(we had to roof it this year as one of the cats developed an appetite for baby bunny). They dug a trench all the way around both and burried chicken wire so they cannot dig out. We actually have a dirt floor so they bury their nests. So every now and then we go out to find a new litter of babies (usually about 3 weeks old) running around.
The down side is that we have to be careful where we step cuz the floor is riddled with tunnels. :GAAH: But you should have seen them the night we put them in it. They were all leaping and jumping and looked so happy. I could never put them back in a cage.
We have a dear friend who bought us a huge bunch of heritage seeds this spring. We are going to harvest seeds for next year.
You will love your fresh eggs and fresh chickens. Are your birds heritage? We bought Buff Orpingtons a few years back. They raise their own babies so we have meat and eggs without having to go to the feed store every year for Cornish Crosses that can't even breed. :hair:


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## Steph

I have a variety of ages and types of chicks right now. I started with red pullets and leghorns from Tractor Supply in April. I got 12 guinea and 11 Rhode Island Reds and a rooster June 9 from Ideal. Last week I got Black Australorps, Buff Orpington, Americanas, and Barred Rocks and roosters of each breed. I also got a Leghorn Rooster from Mcmurray. I want to see which breed I like. I hope I can breed the ones from that hatcheries. The first 2 groups are just starting to get to know one another. I am hoping to figure out which breed I like. My husband would like to get Java's.


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## luvmyherd

Wow, sounds like you are off to a great start! We are sticking with ours as they are breeding well; but when we have some cash we want something a little meatier. After raising X's that are eating size in 6-8 weeks it seems like it takes forever to get any meat on these guys.
Good luck to you.


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## Itchysmom

I don't think most of us would look down on you for doing this. It is a part of farm life after all! Those rescues tend to get my goat ( HA!) most of the time with their holier than tho attitude. Not sayin all are bad.

If I cannot find home sfor my future goats, they will be in the freezer. My last year whether did not tast good, his banding went wrong and he tasted bucky. If that happens with future guys....my dogs will be lovin' me as it will be dog food. My friend said she never bought commercial dog food when she had her goats.

I feel every animal serves a purpose. Whether it be a companion or food.


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## Steph

Thank Itchysmom. It's nice to know other's eat their goats too. My vet said I shouldn't have a problem feeding my LGD's goat. We are planning to feed our dogs a raw natural diet. We are getting more rabbits (flemish giants) so we can have meat for them and us. One of our LGD is having allergies to commerial dog food. It's what got me going with getting chickens.

I agree every animal has a purpose. They have a happy home til they have one bad day.


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## luvmyherd

Steph said:


> We are planning to feed our dogs a raw natural diet.


We extended our dear Tiffany's life by a good three years with a raw diet. The important thing is they need it all; bones, innards, fur. When we get a new dog it will never have commercial dog food. They get less fleas and do not get those skin problems caused by processed dog food.
I am hoping we can find an industrial strength meat grinder that everything can go into and then be canned or frozen.


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## Steph

My vet said to feed them the whole animal except the fur and intestines. She said bones are ok as long as they are not cooked and to feed them all the other organs. Raw is better than cooked meat. Canning would cook the meat. I also thought to can it until I talked to the vet. She also told me veggies are good to give them. Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, peas is what I plan to use with a little bit of rice. I am going to try 2 hard boiled eggs per dog once our hens start to lay more (only got 3 eggs so far) and meat (rabbit, deer, goat, chicken). I am still in the planning stages of the raw doggie diet. If you have any advise I would greatly appreciate it.


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## newmama30+

I agree that everything has purpose on the farm. We are getting ready to butcher some of the hens I bought last year, they are 3 yr olds, and not laying as much as last yr. We have 2 or 3 one yr old hens, and 5 buff orpington's that are just starting to lay, plus 11 chicks that 2 hens hatched out in 3 batch's. All extra roosters are going to be stew next spring. I love that the free range chickens are hatching their own chicks. We have butchered our own goat once, a doe that had sever mastitis, the meat was okay when I cooked it, but after Randy cooked it one night and did it too fast the kids won't touch it now. So when the time comes to do it again the dogs will eat well for awhile.


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## packhillboers

It is always better to value an animal's life for it's intended purpose. In your case it is looking like these are to become meat for your freezer which is way better than sending them away to an auction or to an unwanted home where they are not cared for properly and even worse-to an uniformed rescuer who thinks they should be free in nature to survive on their own. It is hard to butcher ones that you are around everyday but it is the most practical & responsible solution sometimes. I do believe we are butchering 3 of our Boers next week. They will leave this world eating a favorite treat.


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## megan

Steph said:


> I am going to try 2 hard boiled eggs per dog once our hens start to lay more (only got 3 eggs so far) .


Fresh eggs are IMPOSSIBLE to peel after hard boiling. We put ours in the back of the fridge for 2-3 weeks before cooking them or else the shell refuses to come off and you lose most of your egg with it.


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## newmama30+

I agree megan. we love hard boiled eggs, but DH always gets in a hurry to boil them up! I had to chuckle last spring when we got down to the last of the eggs that we got before the Hens quit laying last fall, he boiled them up and they peeled great. Not long after it warmed up again and the hens started to lay again, he immedately boiled up some eggs, and tried to peel them like the last ones, got mad cause the shells didn't want to let loose!


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## packhillboers

If you could hear our family discussions on random subjects, you just might find it hilarious to try and keep up with how quickly we can change subjects but to read it play out in this post does humor me some. You have to admit that it is somewhat funny that the subject line switched from butchering goats to boiling eggs.


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