[plumseverywhere]

Am getting prepared for our first mating season with the goats - please bear with me for any daft questions but I want to get it right and would prefer to ask people here than rely on books as I know you have been there and done it and are very honest and helpful!!

My concern today is what to do with boy kids.  My doe is a cross breed so any kids she has will not be pure bred and not likely to be going off to be studs for anyone! with this being the case, is there much call for pet castrated billies? I know I have one of my own but he was originally intended for slaughter for meat just we kind of fell in love with him and can't (!) and it was not our plan - he came with his mum who I now milk.

sorry for sensitive question but trying to become well informed now
thanks 

[tazbabe]

my mother had goats, sold the milk, home made cheese and the meat to local shops. all the young billy's went for meat.

if you time it right, and slaughter the right way, indian restaurant owners will give you a good price, for their own use, not for the restaurant use, we found.

[Sharondp]

Goat meat is becoming very popular - not just with indian restaurants (our local does a great goat curry!) so you may be able to sell to butchers.

[chickenfeed]

  we rear male kids for meat it always sells very well at a good price, but check the slaughterhouse will kill goats we have 2 that will and 1 that wont around here.

[plumseverywhere]

Thank you for your replies.

do you know the reason why the 1 slaughterhouse won't do goats?
don't you find that you bond easily with goats (I know that sounds soppy!!) but I found that the sheep last year didnt' interact with us (unless there was food involved) but the goats are almost dog-like!

[chickenfeed]

  no i dont get attached its all mind set the billys would have been killed soon after birth if we did not rear them for meat, you have to set your mind to the fact they are meat.

[Roxy]

I have had no problem selling my male goats for meat - a local man to us, would take as many as he could get.  We just reared them to about 12 weeks.  There is no way I could have them killed at birth.  If I was not absolutely sure I could sell them, then I would not rear them.  There are a lot of castrated males of all breeds available for rehoming as pets, so thats not a sure way of finding homes as there as so many.

This is obviously just my opinion, but I do feel there are far too many goats being bred nowadays, and people are struggling to get homes for them all - probably due to people's financial problems, they cannot afford to feed them!!

I have been fortunate this year that we have nanny kids.  One male born at the end of last year, but he has become our intact billies companion, as was the intention from the start with him.

I think the selling for eating is the best option, and the one I would be happiest doing.

[Anke]

We are rearing a GG wether for meat this year, and unless someone wants him as a pet (and he is an "only" one, so highly unlikely) he will go for meat after Xmas (as by then there should be space in the freezer). I am not advertising him, but people know I have him. My girls have asked to keep him as a pet, but I will be firm, and there is no space for him in the goathouse by next year's kidding time anyway. (We have also two BT female kids)

We bring our pigs, lambs/mutton to the abattoir every year now, and it has not been a problem. Slightly different though due to goats having a different nature to sheep and their way of interacting with humans. I think when you are breeding goats for milk you need to have a strategy re boys from the start and then stick to it. Not sure I could kill them at birth, but what would I do if I had many more males than females - don't know...

[Eve]

And now the dummest question of someone who has never been anywhere near a goat: what exactly is a goat like as a "person"? From what I read here they're friendly and playful, a bit like dogs? Or are some the headbutting type?

Just wondering, as there's a small goat farm nearby and I was thinking of getting some males for meat next year but prefer to learn about them before getting any  .


Eve 

[jameslindsay]

I have 12 goats and would easily keep more as they are loving, friendly, nosey and cheeky things. As with any animal you get back what you put in to it.

[plumseverywhere]

I totally agree with James - my 3 are pet goats (although the milking goat is my business partner now!) and they are intelligent, interactive, funny, cheeky - and intuitive. On a bad day I have been known to sit and have a chat with them and my saanenX will try to climb on my lap for a cuddle    they just seem to know when I'm a bit down which is lovely and they are good listeners lol.

[Sharondp]

That is so sweet! I want one..or two...or three.....

[Eve]

Sounds good - I didn't know that you could actually connect with them (if you know what I mean), or if they were 'nice' in the sense that pigs are if you are good to them. (My pigs spend hours sitting on my lap for a cuddle! )

Eve 

[plumseverywhere]

you can hold a conversation with them but they always like to get the last 'maaaa' in - neighbours must think i'm bonkers maaa-ing at my livestock but the goats like it.
i've also had some children from troubled backgrounds (happily in good homes now) visit and the goats make a beeline for them and you can see the connection and a soothing happen

[Eve]

Sounds very promising. And uuuh... Plumseverywhere: do you sell soap made from goats' milk or am I reading that little line at the bottom of your posts wrong? 


Eve