[Roxy]

The time has come to think about advertising my Anglo Nubian kids.  Very hard, as I have some favourites, not least Little Un, who is still very small, and coming to me for extra bottles!!
I have two males, and 4 females in total.  I have made contact with a lady who buys Nubian males,she has a big herd in Lancashire, and a very successful by all accounts, goat meat business.  But, the more I think about it, the more sense it makes to keep one, or both males for eating myself.
I have got rather attached to one of the males who was bottle fed, and I have yet to convince myself I could actually eat something I have been so close to.  The other male I am not bonded to, so maybe could cope with him in my freezer.  There is no way my husband would eat goat meat, whether mine or anyone else's, and he would find this idea horrific.
Just wondered if anyone else bottle fed their kids, or indeed lambs, and then ate them, and how did you cope?
Looking at the prices of goat meat, I suppose I could always chicken out towards the end, and still make some money selling my fat billies on?!!  That seems daft I know when I have reared them.  Just a get out clause for me thats all if I find I cannot go through with it.  But then of course, I have another few months of getting attached, which may be worse. ......
 

[Skirza]

I didn't bottle rear my goats but they were still very tame and loved cuddles. Bonded with one little guy in particular. I didn't cope very well...had to do some VERY stern talking to myself..."At least they've have a good life....at least you know they wont go somewhere and be ill treated...it's good wholesome meat and no worse than going to the butcher for chops" etc etc. The worst bit of all was leaving them at the abattoir where the guy who does the killing informed me that he didn't like doing goats because they always seemed more intelligent - thanks for that, makes me feel LOADS better.


However, all that aside, we have a freezer full of goat meat which is delicious roasted and served with mint sauce...I am hoping it gets easier with each year 

[Lesley Silvester]

I've still got it to face.  Curry is 13 months now so must do it soon.

[tizaala]

At least you will know they were dispatched and butcherd in a humane manner and not left screaming while some barbarian slits their throats in some back street hallal butchery.

[Anke]

We have bottle fed male kids and brought them to the abattoir, then cut up the carcass ourselves. I can be completely detached from them once it comes back without its skin/head on and really the meat is wonderful.
 
My children also have no qualms about eating, and we have eaten named sheep. But we don't name any of our male kids, they are castrated at disbudding and are called billyboy 1, 2 and so on.
 
I think if you cannot eat meat that you have reared yourself you shoudl ask yourself why are you raising livestock. I find it worse bringing animals to the fat market.

[cuckoo]

We sent our two boys on Monday - whether and Rufus.  Collect them tomorrow.  We didnt bottle rear them - but have cared for them since they were born - both were well handled and travelled well in the trailer so not stressed.  I wouldnt sell a goat live for meat as for me the point is to have raised them and knowing when their time comes it is a 3 mile trip in the trailer and the end is humane.  Our 4 year old has been raised knowing that the pigs and the goats are to be eaten - she doesnt get upset - we just try not to name them - Rufus had a name as he was destined for a home that fell through.  So if I were you I would send them yourself and be proud to enjoy your own home produced meat.

[ballingall]

Although I have eaten goat meat, it's never been from my own animals. We do it with lambs- always have done. Get in some orphans, rear them on goats milk , grass, and a few leftover concentrates from the milkers in the late autumn/winter, and the cost for doing that is minimal. But- goats are more intelligent and I think t must be harder with them. I have a goatling with a fault, and it did cross my mind that I could send her to the abattoir. But I think I will be finding her a pet home instead. I decided if I took her I would need to go through with her (as much as possible) while the deed was done. But, then a male I had kept from the beginning, knowing he was for meat- I could probably do it if I had to.


In all honesty, if you are looking to rear your own meat lambs give you a better return. You can feed 3 lambs on the same amount of milk you would use on a male kid.


Beth

[chickenfeed]

we bottle feed both lambs and goats that are raised for meat they are raised from day 1 with the knowledge where they are heading. the plus sides are you know where your meat is from, you know they will not fall in the wrong hands and they will be killed by a trained slaughterman.
 
btw dad will not eat goat meat .....................but he eats loads of lamb 

[sokel]

We have had Goat meat a few times over the last year (not our own) but this year we are going to put the toggs that need to be kidded to a Boer Billy, The females will be registered as 50% boer
we intend to sell some of the kids and rear some of the billy kids for ourselves.#
we rear all of our kids on the bottle.
We have 5 lambs that we have reared this year. one was a very small lamb so he got special attention, even trained him to run up the steps onto the top of the horse mounting block to get his bottles 
made the big mistake of calling him Donald ! So we will see what happens when the time comes 

[Lesley Silvester]

As I only keep a few goats (three) I didn't feel I couldn't give him a name but 'Curry' was supposed to remind me where he was ending up. I love goat Curry.

[Penninehillbilly]

When I look at my billies I'm looking at their rumps and seeing joints, they are doing much better now they are out all the time (with field shelter). Billy (entire), Toggle, he has toggles and Toby? well that name just happened somehow - Toggle and Toby.
Easier than saying "one of the two smaller ones that has/hasn't toggles"
I called one male lamb Chops - and after he'd butted my knee out of joint I really enjoyed them (chops).