What do you do with your male Dairy Goats?

The Tin Mom · #41 10/13/13, 07:45 PM

Never heard of goat tying... But heard of goat roping YEARS ago... May depend on where you live...

gila_dog · #42 10/13/13, 11:01 PM

Here's what happened to the 3 bucklings that I bought from a dairy.

What do you do with your male Dairy Goats? - Goats

Laura Workman · #43 10/13/13, 11:04 PM

Lucky, lucky boys!

LFRJ · #44 10/15/13, 10:33 PM

I'm with Laura. We had our first goat butchered on the premises last Spring. We hired a mobile butcher with whom I was very specific about how I wanted the dispatching to go - even though it wasn't their preferred method. They did a beautiful job though, and I was pleased with my decisions to skip a terrifying ride to the Halal butcher who would not have been able to dispatch with a pistol.
The way it went for our boy was much as Laura described. Here one moment, lights out the next. It gave us confidence to move forward with our meat goat plans, even though we're not knowledgeable enough (yet) to do it on our own.

CAjerseychick · #45 10/15/13, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFRJ

I'm with Laura. We had our first goat butchered on the premises last Spring. We hired a mobile butcher with whom I was very specific about how I wanted the dispatching to go - even though it wasn't their preferred method. They did a beautiful job though, and I was pleased with my decisions to skip a terrifying ride to the Halal butcher who would not have been able to dispatch with a pistol.
The way it went for our boy was much as Laura described. Here one moment, lights out the next. It gave us confidence to move forward with our meat goat plans, even though we're not knowledgeable enough (yet) to do it on our own.

Just curious how much did they charge to come do your boy ( and what specifically did they do-- ie what cuts did they butcher into?
Just trying to get an idea of what we would be looking into , if next summer we end up with 4 or 5 bucklings....

chamoisee · #46 10/15/13, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazytenn

Yeah bu that's like throwing meat away

Why? It tastes fine, as long as you kill them before they're old enough to go into rut.

crazytenn · #47 10/16/13, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chamoisee

Why? It tastes fine, as long as you kill them before they're old enough to go into rut.

I say that because if I did it that way I would be slaghtering before they started to really put on some significant muscle weight. Castrating allows them to grow to full size before slaughter which will yield a larger amount of meat. Slaughtering them when they're still little negates the extra muscle growth which is in a way like preemptively throwing away good goat burger : )

dozedotz · #48 10/16/13, 01:47 PM

We either shoot them as per Emily's description and use the meat ourselves or for the dogs or we sell them as breeding bucks. Much prefer to do it ourselves than to send our babies off to the sale barn. We are a small herd homestead and do not show. Our goats are all tested and healthy from excellent backgrounds (both show and milk). Still, we personally do not have a "breeder's name" built from long years in the business or show wins. Most people buying bucks want one of the two or both! So, we advertise the really good looking boys for $100. w/papers and $75. without at about 3 months of age and they do sell (Missouri). Many people have said that we are selling them too cheaply to people who "you don't know what they might do." Thus far they have been proven wrong and our buyers of our "cheap" bucks have been faithfully letting us know how the boys are doing and are very proud to have the genetics in their herds. We are happy knowing that the boys have a chance to live and breed. The other bucklings that are not so fine are raised with love and caring and never mistreated...as Emily says, they are happy right up to the end and never see it coming. They did not have to travel and be frightened or suffer being "shown" at the sale barn.

chamoisee · #49 10/16/13, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazytenn

I say that because if I did it that way I would be slaghtering before they started to really put on some significant muscle weight. Castrating allows them to grow to full size before slaughter which will yield a larger amount of meat. Slaughtering them when they're still little negates the extra muscle growth which is in a way like preemptively throwing away good goat burger : )

Oh. But then, they are competing with their sisters for milk, and I want their sisters to breed their first fall, to save on feed. Doelings need to grow, bucklings/wethers, sadly, are not only disposable but also a threat to future milkers

LFRJ · #50 10/17/13, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAjerseychick

Just curious how much did they charge to come do your boy ( and what specifically did they do-- ie what cuts did they butcher into?
Just trying to get an idea of what we would be looking into , if next summer we end up with 4 or 5 bucklings....

Sorry, didn't catch your inquiry earlier. The mobile we selected charges $34 for slaughter and $40 to cut and wrap. (Ofal is up to the owner to dispose of). Our boy's hanging weight was 36lbs (I'm including the entrails here). Not sure if that's a terrific deal - but for the peace of mind and professional job (including the packaging) it was a deal for us.

Dispatching instructions were to take the buckling out of immediate sight of the other goats and to dispatch with a gun before moving to the throat. The team moved so smoothly and quickly that this part of the process took maybe 15 seconds. (That we should go so quickly!) The buckling was able to get a couple of distress calls out, but nothing that disturbed the rest of the herd greatly.

We asked for whatever standard cuts they'd supply if for a say a lamb, so we got shoulder roats, ribs, leg roasts, and some ground. We also were provided the kidney, liver and heart on-site as well as the testicle. (still in the freeze).

A bit more detail at this post
Well ThAT was easy!

CAjerseychick · #51 10/17/13, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFRJ

Sorry, didn't catch your inquiry earlier. The mobile we selected charges $34 for slaughter and $40 to cut and wrap. (Ofal is up to the owner to dispose of). Our boy's hanging weight was 36lbs (I'm including the entrails here). Not sure if that's a terrific deal - but for the peace of mind and professional job (including the packaging) it was a deal for us.

Dispatching instructions were to take the buckling out of immediate sight of the other goats and to dispatch with a gun before moving to the throat. The team moved so smoothly and quickly that this part of the process took maybe 15 seconds. (That we should go so quickly!) The buckling was able to get a couple of distress calls out, but nothing that disturbed the rest of the herd greatly.

We asked for whatever standard cuts they'd supply if for a say a lamb, so we got shoulder roats, ribs, leg roasts, and some ground. We also were provided the kidney, liver and heart on-site as well as the testicle. (still in the freeze).

A bit more detail at this post
Well ThAT was easy!

Ok that seems reasonable about a dollar a pound, (still want to try the barter with the neighbor for slaughter) I do appreciate the reply though....

Laura Workman · #52 10/17/13, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAjerseychick

Ok that seems reasonable about a dollar a pound, (still want to try the barter with the neighbor for slaughter) I do appreciate the reply though....

My math puts it closer to $2 per pound, with $74 to process 36lb hanging weight.

LFRJ · #53 10/17/13, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laura Workman

My math puts it closer to $2 per pound, with $74 to process 36lb hanging weight.

... and a bit more than that per lb if you were to calculate feed - which wasn't huge since he was just over a year and raised on browse supplemented with some hay.

We bought him as a stud having no buck of our own at the time. He was something of a bargain in himself, given he wasn't the best of the lot - but despite his young age (I think he was 4 - 6 months during breeding season) - he got the job done, sired 8 offspring AND stocked the freezer a little.... so if you calculated all costs weighed against what it would have cost to have each doe boarded and serviced separately, I'd say we came out okay.

Laura Workman · #54 10/17/13, 11:42 PM

Oh, no, I was just talking about processing cost being $2 per pound hanging weight.

CAjerseychick · #55 10/18/13, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laura Workman

My math puts it closer to $2 per pound, with $74 to process 36lb hanging weight.

I was just wanting to have slaughter done, processing I do not mind figuring it out myself (we have 300 lbs of dogs to feed and a bunch of cats besides the meat loving humans, nothing is going to go to waste)...
Does make me think though, maybe some one wont want to come and just slaughter goats? I will make sure and be clear and ask in advance....

aart · #56 10/18/13, 05:15 AM

Does 'hanging weight' usually include entrails?

Doug Hodges · #57 10/18/13, 06:32 AM

I can clean and debone a deer and have it on ice in under 30 minutes. Or have one quartered and on ice in 15. However, I've been doing several every year for 35 years. The cleaning won't be hard for me. Killing the pet will be the hard part.

Sent from my iPhone using Homesteading Today

cfuhrer · #58 10/18/13, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aart

Does 'hanging weight' usually include entrails?

This may differ by region or processor but in our neck of the woods hanging weight is measured between slaughtering and butchering, thus the animal is devoid of entrails, head, hooves and hide. Hanging weight is just meat, bone, fat and sinew.

dozedotz · #59 10/18/13, 08:21 AM

Doug, Our first bucklings (2) we had Emily help. It was very worrisome leading up to the event. Once the little guys were put down it was fine. It was quick and they did not suffer at all. I had to make myself stay to watch...wanted to just let Emily and Mac handle it...like a standard sissy! Anyway, I talked myself into it and am glad I did. Since then it is less stressing due to the fact that I now know that in addition to it being necessary and providing needed meat (no waste), it is also comfortable and calm and non threatening to them. They do not have to "go some where else" and be frightened before they die...and I do sincerely believe that the lead up is the worst part...for them and us. You being there and taking care of things is the best way.

Laura Workman · #60 10/18/13, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Hodges

I can clean and debone a deer and have it on ice in under 30 minutes. Or have one quartered and on ice in 15. However, I've been doing several every year for 35 years. The cleaning won't be hard for me. Killing the pet will be the hard part.

Sent from my iPhone using Homesteading Today

Wow! Can you take a video for us, PLEEEEEZE??? I'd really be interested in any tips I could get from it. I've done a few, but it takes me hours rather than minutes.