# mini goat and butchering???



## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

We use to have boers for meat. My ND's are for milk and cheese. I've noticed in our area there is a flood of ND's- reg and lots of non registered. What do you do with (especially boys) that don't sell?? I can't see giving them away since those usually end up food for someone else or just being re sold. There isn't much meat on a mini so it's not like you are getting much. There are a ton of non reg. minis from $30 (boys) to $75 for girls. I have a nice boy (with nice pedigree) who I have had for sale for almost 2 mos- registered at $150 or unreg at $100 with zero bites except someone who wanted him for $40.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I have put them in the freezer. I would rather that then be neglected. Even though it isn't a lot of meat, it was still cheaper to have processed than put down.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

I was afraid I might offend the dairy group (meat people are use to it). This boy is just 4 mos so obviously too small, if he's not sold probably by the end of Sept I'm thinking that may be what we do. Although, hubby is a little burned out with butchering right now (which is part of the reason we sold the boers and our meat chickens).


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## HerdQueen (Oct 15, 2012)

Have you tried offering him for trade?


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

yes, trade, for fencing, lumber, make an offer, etc., offered to take payments. I see a lot in this region (WA/OR) going pretty cheap even for decent animals. The unregistered are really taking a lot of what would have been good family milkers. Many aren't from tested herds and so many of the family milkers don't seem to be educated (not bashing them for it) or mind not coming from tested herds. If I do have someone contact me that isn't informed, I usually tell them wether they buy from me or not to look into why we test herds and give them links to that information.


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## HerdQueen (Oct 15, 2012)

The cheap goats killed me in New England too. I ended up trading most of my wethers and a nice buckling. I ended up with maple syrup, and hay. Which isn't bad, but dang! 

I have registered and non-registered stock. But my non-registered stock is still worth more then I have seen goats go for around here. I agree people need to be a little more educated as to what they are buying. 

Keep trying till fall. It'll pick back up, someone will be looking for a buck for breeding season.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

Yuummm new england maple syrup! I love pure maple syrup.  We have someone locally here who ran nonstop ads for free or traded animals, from poultry, rabbits goats you name it. Then you'd see that same animal for sale or trade a few weeks later. Now they're doing the 'herd/flock' reduction. They had contacted me about 2 goats and I turned them down since I knew the 'story'.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I harvest most of my wethers. There are just too many wethers out there going for cheap or free. I can't compromise on home quality, and I can't keep them all, so they have short and happy lives.  I plan to harvest between 5 to 8 months.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

thanks danielle


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

If you have the extra space and feed for wethers. There's nothing wrong with raising them up for butcher. Actually that's something i'm looking into.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Anything that doesn't sell will go in our freezer. So far only 2 have gone into the freezer in the past. I don't do it myself but it costs almost $200 to put down a goat and have the remains taken care of (we can't bury anything here). It costs around $60 to process the goat and that includes doing the cuts or grinding for ground meat and putting the meat in bags and freezing it. So it is a no brainer for me where to spend my money. My goats get a very happy life here even if it is short.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

It's not that I have the extra space and feed, but if they are still here then I think we will be looking at that. I don't have any costs with butchering. My husband does the kill shot and gets it to just carcass (I'm a baby and can't do it until then) brings the meat in, I clean it and he cuts or grinds the meat and I package it. We talked about it yesterday, since I'm only selling one at the moment but if he doesn't sell then that's probably what we'll do.


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