? About Goat Meat

powderhooves · #1 12/22/08, 09:21 PM

We put my favorite buck down this year after an injury. He was a sweetheart. His brother has always been one nasty goat. No personality, difficult to handle. He's always butting everyone else and is so bossy. Tonight he was ready to butt me but I looked him square in the eye and told him he'd better think twice. I also want to breed away from the Navajo flat face. I was carefully planning breeding this year. I had 4 does I wanted to breed him with, selected by color. Hubby felt sorry for the buck and now I'm set to have who knows how many kids or what colors because he moved him over. (According to hubby he was just so sad and all he did was look over the fence at the ladies.) So...

I told my husband to tell his friend he could "have" the buck. He said, "he already told me he didn't want him because he was one of your pets." Funny, because he wanted the other buck and I wasn't willing to give him over because of the meds I had him on. I didn't think the meat would be healthy.

So...I think my husband is the one attached to this buck but I want to take Bucky for a "ride" down the road a piece when someone is at work.

My question is....he stinks.....and has been in rut. Will the meat taste bad?

MissMenagerie · #2 12/22/08, 11:45 PM

I butchered a ND buck that was in rut a couple months ago (that someone gave us!) and his meat was fine. Just make sure when skinning, the hair side doesn't touch the meat. It had a very, very slight off taste, but roasted with onions, potatoes and garlic and a bit of salt, it was fine. I don't know if yours would have a stronger flavor because he "led an active life style" or not. He could always be dog food if the meat is to strong. Or ground up, mixed with lots of spices and made into sausage.

powderhooves · #3 12/23/08, 02:35 AM

About the dog food...another question...My neighbor had sheep and they butchered one lamb. She gave her Great Pyr some of the bones and said she finally had to get rid of the dog because it got the "taste" and started after her flock. She won't even feed lamb and rice dog food anymore. What do you think??? That sure would be a good idea if it wouldn't cause problems with the dogs.

Skykomish · #4 12/23/08, 08:33 AM

My Alaskan pup has been fed whole rabbits (fur included) and now he is rabbit crazy. But I would think if the dog didn't get the scent of the fur and the look of the animal (ie looks like it came from the grocery store) it wouldn't affect them. You can feed a dog raw meat from the grocery store and they never realize what it really is.

powderhooves · #5 12/23/08, 09:14 AM

Rosemary had hers butchered and only gave the dog bones from their barbeque.

cybercat · #6 12/23/08, 10:31 AM

Do not kill animal around the dog. This is what can turn nice animals bad. Story not related my FIL kill a steer in front of a bull it turn mean after that, before it was a nice bull.

Also do not feed fresh that day but wait or even cook the meat. I would give fresh bones later in the week or month after an animal has be butchered.

Ernie · #7 12/23/08, 10:59 AM

I don't believe what you're saying, Cyber. I've butchered animals before in front of the dogs and they patiently sit there waiting for organ meats and other pieces I don't want.

Dogs are meat eaters and they already know where meat comes from. They know it instinctively. What everyone is describing is a discipline problem that went uncorrected and only blossomed into a full-blown issue after the butchering of an animal. Any dog that you have, you should be able to leave a piece of raw, bloody steak in a bowl in front of it for hours or even overnight and not have that dog eat it until you give the command. Heck, my dogs are better disciplined than my KIDS. (I couldn't get away with that trick if it was chocolate in front of my 5 year old.)

Ernie · #8 12/23/08, 11:03 AM

Oh, and getting back to the original topic ... OLD bucks will have a bad taste, sort of gamey and musky. It can be covered up by cooking with red beans, strong pot herbs like spinach or turnip greens, or (my personal favorite) lots of chilis and peppers in a tomato broth (like a chili). There are some people who love the taste of old buck though, so if you haven't had it then it's worth a try to find out if you're one of them. Not all meat has to taste grocery store bland, you know. It's interesting occasionally to have something with a flavor different than the rest.

Oh, and give your husband heck about ruining your breeding program. Livestock breeding is a science that can stand no meddling or emotional decisions.

MissMenagerie · #9 12/23/08, 11:09 AM

I think it depends on the dog. I have butchered two or three goats in front of our dog and he just waits around for the feet. He has never shown any aggression towards the livestock, he is scared of the sheep! Our giant 150lb+ dog is scared of our 75lb sheep!

You could always cook it before giving it to the dog, or grind it up and use it for cat food, then you wouldn't have to worry.

narcj · #10 12/23/08, 11:13 AM

I think too , it depends on the breed of goat. Boers are bred to have mild meat and my friend made posole from the meat of a 5 year old buck. It was fabulous and didn't taste gamey at all.

Jotun · #11 12/23/08, 11:46 AM

I agree with Ernie. With almost no exception I can butcher almost anything here in plain sight of any of my dogs and they patiently wait for their part. Dogs are scavengers by nature and do well with a wide variety of foods. You don't do your canine any favors keeping them on purina. Now I'd like to point out that the nature in which you slaughter is very important. Chasing a chicken around the yard in plain sight of your dog may give it the idea that chaseing chickens is acceptable to you. Calm and controlled managment will instill these values.
Far as eating bucks goes I don't know. It is true however that the more mature a buck deer is the more flavorfull the meat is. Likewise boar meat has a substancially stronger flavor that that of barrows or gilts. This flavor doesn't bother me. I cooked boar meet in a cast iron skillet once however and dw still won't use that skillet. Ethnic groups often prefer the flavor and we threatened our buck with if he threw all boys again he was going to be the guest of honor at an african wedding

Jotun

catdance62 · #12 12/23/08, 01:39 PM

We've eaten bucks before and they taste just fine (to me). We usually grind a fair amount up for burgers etc. and usually put salt, parsley, and sometimes "Tony's" seasoning in the ground meat. To me even a buck tastes less "gamey" than a sheep of any gender or age. IMHO

cybercat · #13 12/23/08, 02:46 PM

Remember this was a LGD who is raised with the animals. I was not saying that a dog can not see livestock killed and then would go nuts. I was refering to a LGD going nuts after it saw its family killed. My bad for not being clearer. I know very well dog are carnivors mine eats raw all the time. Way better than store bought crap dog food.

It is good to hear about goat being less gamy. It was one of our thoughts when getting goats if they would taste gamy like lamb. I wondeer if dairy goats taste sweeter like diry cows to beef cows. Hubby grew up with both and says dairy always tasted better. I have heard that from amny others also.

powderhooves · #14 12/23/08, 03:50 PM

Is the buck considered old if he is only about 18 months old????

Somehow I got to figure out how to connect the horse trailer (my husband always did that)...find a friend...neighbor...and take him to the butcher. We've got so much snow already. Hubby did place the trailer so we could attach if we had an emergency with minimal shoveling.

powderhooves · #15 12/23/08, 04:05 PM

Do you think I could ask for his hide back and tan it.....get the stink out of it?? Would make a nice rug. He's a gorgeous buck....

Ernie · #16 12/23/08, 04:14 PM

I don't think 18 months is too old. But again, personal preference. You won't know if it suits your taste until you try some.

When I've had animals butchered in the past, I ask for the hides, liver, kidneys, hearts and tongues. A custom processor will do that for you.

powderhooves · #17 12/23/08, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ernie

I don't think 18 months is too old. But again, personal preference. You won't know if it suits your taste until you try some.

When I've had animals butchered in the past, I ask for the hides, liver, kidneys, hearts and tongues. A custom processor will do that for you.

Is it hard to tan yourself or expensive to have done professionally? Thanks!

catdance62 · #18 12/23/08, 06:19 PM

I've got a buck that is about 8 years old, but I get a pretty polka-dot buckling out of him this kidding season, he's headed for the freezer. I'll let you know how it goes!

Ernie · #19 12/23/08, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by powderhooves

Is it hard to tan yourself or expensive to have done professionally? Thanks!

I don't know about having it done professionally, but it's not too hard to do it yourself. So I say, anyway. I've done a lot of hides and came out with a mediocre product afterwards. I can't quite get the level of softness that some people can. Not sure yet what I'm doing wrong, but I'll keep trying.

powderhooves · #20 12/23/08, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ernie

I don't know about having it done professionally, but it's not too hard to do it yourself. So I say, anyway. I've done a lot of hides and came out with a mediocre product afterwards. I can't quite get the level of softness that some people can. Not sure yet what I'm doing wrong, but I'll keep trying.

Wish you were around here so you could put some wheels on Bucky. I'd pay well! My husband told me I couldn't take the trailer because of the icy snowy roads. He's such a softy. I am too but frustration is helping me get over it......fast. He told me we should take Serendipity (the triple nippled black doe) and Boots (a wether).....because he knows those are my precious little sweethearts. He's not making this easy. I'm going to call tomorrow and see if they have pick up service......for Bucky not Boots or Serendipity. As little as hubby is out in the barn he might not even miss him until Spring :-) I'm out there at least two hours every night. That's my "me and my goats time" and I always tell everyone I don't need any help. Tonight it was 13 degrees. My son came out to say "hey" and had to go back in because he was freezing.