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Selecting
Meat Goats
Melanie Barkley, Bedford County Extension Agent
and
Linda Spahr, York County Extension Agent
INTRODUCTION
Evaluating livestock is a basic skill needed by anyone who raises
livestock. Selecting animals is the same as judging them because
you evaluate each individual based on the merits of the ideal animals.
Livestock can be evaluated for their potential as either breeding
animals or market animals. Different characteristics are selected
for based on the purpose of the animal.
BREEDS OF MEAT GOATS
A breed is a group of genetically related animals that reliably
passes on certain characteristics or traits to their offspring.
Goat meat is produced from many goat breeds in the U.S. Some of
these breeds have been genetically selected specifically for meat,
while others were bred to produce milk. Some of the major meat breeds
of goats and their characteristics are listed below:
South African Boer Goat:
The Boer goat was developed in South Africa as a breed meant
solely for meat production. Because of intense breeding over
the past 50 years or more by South African goat breeders, the
Boer goat is considered far superior to any other breed for
meat production. These compact, muscular goats have a high growth
rate, muscular carcass, good fertility, and functional conformation.
Boer goats are white with red heads. They have pigmented skin
and roman noses. Under good nutritional conditions, Boer goat
crossbreds (especially with Nubians) produce outstanding weight
gains and carcasses. |
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Nubians:
This breed is used for both milk and meat production. They are
a large, proud, graceful breed with roman noses and long, pendulous
ears. They can be any color. Kids have a high growth rate and
are generally fleshier than other dairy breeds. They are used
to crossbreed in many operations because they can improve milk
production and muscling. |
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Spanish Meat Goat:
These smaller-bodies goats are found mainly in Texas and were
originally were used for clearing brush and maintaining pasture.
Smaller, more agile goats are dominant in the wild. Body shape
and size, ear shape, horns, hair, and color vary greatly due
to climate, terrain, and available breeding stock. Because of
the recent increased demand for goat meat in the south, wild
Spanish goats are being crossbred with larger dairy and angora
goats to produce a meatier animal. |
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Tennessee Meat Goat:
These goats were developed from fainting goats (when startled
their muscles lock up suddenly, and they fall over and lie stiff
for a few seconds). A fainting goat averages between 17 and
25 inches in height, and weighs between 50 and 165 pounds. These
goats come in a variety of colors and have very long ears that
stand out to the side of the head. The constant stiffening and
relaxing of the muscles may result in heavy rear leg muscling,
tender meat, and a high meat-to-bone ratio. They are very calm
animals and make excellent pets. They are also herding animals,
so they should be kept with at least two or three of their own
kind. |
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Kiko:
The Kiko is a meat breed that originated from large dairy males
crossed with New Zealand based stock. These were then back-crossed
to dairy males. They were selected for twinning, growth rate
and constitution. |
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For more information on goat breeds, visit the Oklahoma State goat
breeds directory at http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/BREEDS/GOATS.
PARTS OF A GOAT
In order to describe the merits of goats, one should first learn
the parts of the animal. This will help in describing positive and
negative merits possessed by each individual. It is also helpful
to know these parts when evaluating breed characteristics.
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Parts of a Goat
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- Poll
- Forehead
- Muzzle
- Ear
- Dewlap
- Point of Shoulder
- Brisket
- Point of Elbow
- Knee
- Hoof
- Dewclaw
- Sheath
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13. Flank
14. Pastern
15. Hock
16. Stifle
17. Barrel
18. Pin Bone
19. Tail
20. Hip
21. Withers
22. Loin
23. Back
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Ideal Market Goat
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The ideal market goat can vary, depending on the market that
you are selling the animal to. The Greek Market prefers a
goat that weighs between 55 and 65 pounds while the Roman
Easter market prefers goats that weigh 20 to 50 pounds. The
Christmas market has a wide range at 25 to 100 pounds. The
Muslim market prefers young animals that weigh 50 to 70 pounds
and older animals that are lean and weigh between 110 and
115 pounds.
In addition to weight, market goats should have a clean and
smooth shoulder, a long wide and deep loin, and a fairly level
and square rump. The leg should be well muscled and the animal
should stand squarely on its feet and legs and have strong,
strait pasterns.
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| Livestock
judging
Once you know what the major breeds of livestock
are, what they look like, and the external parts, you can begin
to appreciate why it takes considerable practice to become a good
judge of livestock. Before
you start judging livestock, try to make a mental image of the perfect
animal. You can do this by recalling the most desirable features
of the high-quality animals that you have seen and thinking of them
as belonging to one animal. You can also study pictures of champions,
show reports, current livestock magazines, or “ideal-type”
pictures from the breed associations.
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Each
time you evaluate a individual animal or analyze a group of livestock,
you should rely on a system of observing the animals. Listed below
are a few pointers for evaluating an animal or group of livestock:
- Stand
back—Allow enough room between yourself and the animals so
that you can see all animals at one time. Usually, 25 to 30 feet
is a good distance from which to view the animals. You should
become skilled in evaluating livestock from a distance and handle
the animals only to confirm your observations. It is a mistake
to evaluate an animal only with the hands. Market goats are often
placed on visual appraisal and handling.
- Three angles—Try to look at the animals
from the side, front, and rear. Compare each animal to the others
in the group and to the “ideal” animal that you have
pictured in your mind.
- Big things first—Always look for and
analyze the good and bad characteristics of each animal, in major
areas such as: frame size, volume, condition, muscling, structural
correctness, movement, and breed character. Learn to study the
animals carefully. Concentrate on the parts where we get the high-priced
cuts. A keen livestock judge is orderly and never haphazard. Make
your evaluation decisions according to the big things, unless
a pair of animals is very similar, in which case you must analyze
the minor differences between the animals.
- Close
inspection— When you are near the animals for close inspection
or handling, you should simply confirm the decisions you made
at a distance. If an animal appears or handles differently than
what it looked like from a distance, and if the difference merits
consideration, then change your decision. During close inspection
of goats, move quietly and cautiously so the animals don’t
become nervous or excited. The following section deals with a
suggested method of handling goats:
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Handling market goats
One key to handling market goats is to develop a system to accurately
determine differences in muscle and finish. Each goat should be handled
in the same manner. If you handle one goat from rear to front for
finish or fleshing on the back, handle all goats that way. |
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The way the goat stands will affect what you are
able to feel. The goat should be standing squarely on all four
feet while it is being handled. |
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With your fingers extended and together, check
the width and smoothness of the top of his shoulders. |
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Handle the topline of the goat for finish and
muscle. Begin by evaluating the width, spread of muscle, and
firmness of finish directly behind the shoulders. |
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Continue down the topline of the goat. End by
evaluating width of the loin and rump. |
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Next, check for finish over the rib of the goat
by starting on his lower fore rib. Continue handling toward
the last rib of the goat. |
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The final location used to determine finish of
a goat is at the last rib. Goats should feel trimmer at the
last rib compared with the fore rib. Trim, muscular goats are
so firm and hard when handled. Fat goats are soft to the touch,
and you will find it is difficult to distinguish the bones of
the shoulder, spine, and ribs. In addition, fat goats will have
a large middle as they tend to deposit more fat internally as
compared to other species of livestock. |
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Evaluate muscle dimension of the high-priced regions
of the goat by grasping the loin and checking for width and
depth. |
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Handle for length of loin by placing your fingertips
at the last rib and determining where the goat's hooks fall
on your hand or forearm. The three dimensions - width, depth,
and length - contribute to the total volume of muscle in the
loin, which is one of the more valuable cuts. |
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Next, handle the goat for width and length of
rump. |
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Determine the size of the leg and the amount of
firmness of inside and outside muscling by grasping the leg
firmly at the stifle region. Using one hands, or both hands,
press firmly with fingers meeting on the inside. The leg should
be firm and heavily muscled, and the muscle should extend toward
the hock. |
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SUMMARY
Evaluating livestock is a skill that takes many years and much practice
to perfect. After purchasing your first livestock, it may take years
to breed a group of animals that best fits your needs. Be sure to
stay current with industry standards as you work toward your goal.
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| Adapted from: Pennsylvania 4-H Livestock
Judging Manual written by Keith Bryan and Pennsylvania 4-H Market
Goat Project Reference Manual. |
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This publication is available in alternative
media on request.
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