My daughter is going to be raising meat goats for 4H this year and she and my wife were helping birth them all day yesterday.
I've never heard the term "meat goats" before and I'm on farms almost everyday. That's a great experience for your daughter Bruce. Awesome!!
It's used a lot around here. In 4H you can raise/show dairy goats and/or meat goats. Meat goats are born now and killed/butchered in the fall after the County Fair. They weigh in around 80-90 pounds and get sold at the 4H auction on Saturday night. Apparently you don't really make money on meat goats but we should break even although it is likley that we will keep at least one and butcher for ourselves. That may be problematic considering my wife and daughter but I think they will be cool with it. We get 50 broilers for the poultry project this spring. She'll be doing that also. Steve, I highly recommend getting your daughter involved in 4H. My daughter's confidence and knowledge have really bumped up since we have been doing this. She enjoys it thoroughly and it is great learning experience. Between taking care of animals and studying to learn about her new 4H projects there isn't much time for TV LOL.
I have a friend who raises goats to kosher standards and sells them not only to the Jewish, but also the Muslems want goats raised to the same standard. Says he does pretty good profit wise. 4H is excellent for teaching children responsibility and I would recommend to anyone raising children in the country.
Right on Bruce!! I too was In 4-H and FFA all the way through school. It's a great experience like you said for kids. Our 4-H chapter Is just 1/2 mile down the road where they have their meetings and such. I don't remember how old I was when I joined. What's a good age you think to get your kids Involved with 4-H? My daughter Is 4 years old, will be 5 this July.
I think 8 is a good age but it just depends on the child. 8 years old and they have been in school and are used to learning new things and also a little bit used to studying and doing some things on their own. They may have clubs that are for younger kids though. You may want to start checking into it now so you will have a better idea of when would be a good age for her.
That is great that you are getting your daughter involved in something other than just watching tv and playing video games. How does the meat taste? I havent herd any one say that they liked it.
I was thinking maybe there was only the "Old Goat." Just kidding... I can tell you are one cool dad and are creating timeless memories with your children.
LOL I was talking to my wife about that. I have never had it (knowingly) but, since my daughter is doing this, I was wondering the same thing. She talked to a lot of folks and they said either beef or venison, most said it reminded them of venison. So, I think we are good to go . My wife wants to raise two lambs along with the goats. The meat rabbit project is on hold ( I am glad of that ).
There is a butcher by me that also raises goats. I was picking up my venison around Christmas time and there was a line out of the shop of Muslims picking out the goat they wanted slaughtered. I like the sounds of raising the lambs, that is some really good meat.
Good luck eventually killing and eating those things! I raised market lambs in 4H, and my sister got really attached to one ewe, When my dad and I loaded them up to take them to market, she cried and threw a fit. Anyway, long story short, that sheep lived a long comfortable life, never seeing the inside of the sale barn.
LMAO Oh I could see that trying to happen. She's been pretty good about understanding that the animals we raise are our food and I remind her occasionally during the whole time they are growing. That's another good aspect about this. We teach her to treat the animals with respect and kindness and that while we are caring for them we take very good care of them. We also kill them humanely and treat their carcasses with respect. We appreciate that they died to be our food and show that appreciation in our handling of them. Although she was there when we killed and plucked (she helped pluck) the broilers she raised she didn't have to stay for all of them, just the first few so as to understand the complete process. She handled that OK. I do not think I will make her be around (my wife probably won't be either) for the goat and lamb processing.
pretty cool activity/org. for your daughter! if you dont mind me asking... how are the animals killed when it comes time?
I was going to use a .22 short to the head but after talking to folks that have killed a lot more goats than me, they just open a jugular vein and let them bleed out. Don't know if I'll do that or not. Chickens are put in a cone and then cut their heads off. Some folks cut the jugular on chickens too but mine have bled out just fine when removing their heads. Rabbits, a blow to the back of the neck and then cut the jugular to bleed out.
LOL We'll see but, if they do, I won't be the one shoveling their **** or tending to them in the rain and cold .
