The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: frogsnsprogs on February 16, 2012, 01:59:21 pm
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Can some one help me please?
I'm thinking of getting a couple of pygmy goats for breeding to eat, but I can't find any info to tell me if this is viable.
Does anyone out there do this?
If you butcher, say, a 10 week male, what sort of weight of dressed meat might you expect, or is this all a bad idea?
thanks for all the replies so far...I should have said, I want pygmies as an attraction to my gite in France, the meat would be a "by-product", and I have a local butcher to help me out.
All I really want to know, is the probable weight of meat I might expect, and has anyone actually any experience of this?
Sorry if it wasn't clear at the start, I'm new to your website, and appreciate the help.
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a 10 week old male dairy goat would be no where near slaughter weight so a pygmy would be very much a waste of time imo. the slaughter cost is the same regardless of size & weight.
i would not bother killing any dairy male kid under 6 months and then i would expect to get anything from 38 - 52lb of meat back (these weights are based on last years kids) £28 kill and cut
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If you are interested in goats for meat only Boers are the best and IMHO the only sensible option. If you want both milk and meat get a dairy goat (large one - Nubian or British Saanen or a cross) and mate with a Boer billy.
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Have to agree with Boers for meat goats. My mum used to keep British Alpines and she would keep a castrated billy kid for at least 6 months before it was slaughtered. She also kept a couple of Boers and they were definitely good eating :yum:
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I keep Sanaans but Curry's father is British Alpine as I couldn't find a male sannan when I needed one. He's eight months old now and still scrawny. Don't know how much meat I'll get from him. I'm thinking of crossing with a Boer next time in case she has males again.
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when you say scrawny what do you mean ? lamb and kids should kill out about the same size it only the wolley coats that gives a lamb the impression of size i am sure you will be surprised with the weight once its back.
we can manage to get bt's to around 38lb at 6months (meat in the box weights) the sannens we did last topped 53 & 54lb at the same age so all in all about the same weight as a good lamb. well worth the time and effort and the upside is these are all male dairy kids that would have been pts soon after birth so their lives are not wasted.
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thanks for all the replies so far...I should have said, I want pygmies as an added attraction to my gite in France, the meat would be a very useful "by-product", and I have a local butcher to help me out with the slaughtering, etc
.
All I really want to know, is the probable weight of meat I might expect, and has anyone actually any experience of this?
Sorry if it wasn't clear at the start, I'm new to your website, and appreciate the help.
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I think you may find that pygmies are such characters and so endearing that you won't want to eat them! It seems like eating the family dog! (they don't do that in France do they???? :o :o - (only joking ;D)
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when you say scrawny what do you mean ? lamb and kids should kill out about the same size it only the wolley coats that gives a lamb the impression of size i am sure you will be surprised with the weight once its back.
we can manage to get bt's to around 38lb at 6months (meat in the box weights) the sannens we did last topped 53 & 54lb at the same age so all in all about the same weight as a good lamb. well worth the time and effort and the upside is these are all male dairy kids that would have been pts soon after birth so their lives are not wasted.
He's not as tall as his Sanaan mum and she is short for her breed, also quite delicate looking - almost feminine - not solid like mum. HIs dad was enormous. He eats well and is not skinny but there just doesn't seem to be much meat on him.
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when you say scrawny what do you mean ? lamb and kids should kill out about the same size it only the wolley coats that gives a lamb the impression of size i am sure you will be surprised with the weight once its back.
we can manage to get bt's to around 38lb at 6months (meat in the box weights) the sannens we did last topped 53 & 54lb at the same age so all in all about the same weight as a good lamb. well worth the time and effort and the upside is these are all male dairy kids that would have been pts soon after birth so their lives are not wasted.
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He's not as tall as his Sanaan mum and she is short for her breed, also quite delicate looking - almost feminine - not solid like mum. HIs dad was enormous. He eats well and is not skinny but there just doesn't seem to be much meat on him.
the meat should be there, i remember our first kid going i thought the same as you, no meat on him then the butcher phoned to say he was ready to collect and what a good weight he was. is he castrated ? if so thats where he gets his lady looks from.