Cirlcle of Life- recipes for buck meat

jolly rabbit · #1 04/28/14, 06:46 PM

I have been raising small livestock for a couple of years now and I am definitely used to the circle of life by this time, I have picked up to many dead baby bunnies to count. slaughtered chickens, but yesterday was on another level. my wife and I came home to a very unhappy goat yesterday (our buck) he was bleating so loud, we heard it as we pulled up. I noticed immediately he was bloated, trying very hard to defecate. he was also trying to urinate. every time he would "push" he would let out this horrible scream/bleat. anyhow I would not stand to see him suffer, and the store was closed to get the bloat medicine we were reading about on-line. so I dispatched him with a .22 lever action I have for general farm use. it was a clean kill, my first time butchering out something that big. (I used the butcher thread, thanx) it was like butchering a 150lb rabbit. we were right in our assumption he was very bloated, urinary sack was completely full, intestines were full of air. not good, poor guy. anywho just wanted to share my experience. anybody know any good recipes to try for a 2.5 year old buck.

harvestmoonfarm · #2 04/28/14, 07:50 PM

I'm so sorry about your buck, but what you're describing sounds more like urinary calculi than bloat (stones block the urethra and they are unable to urinate). As far as how to use the meat, you can use it in place of beef in any recipe.

jolly rabbit · #3 04/28/14, 07:57 PM

thanks, we were curious about that as well, but I clean his pen every morning, I found no feces, and when I dressed him, he had some much inside of him, all in clumps throughout the poop chute, almost triangle shaped, he was really not in a good place. we are expecting our new 2 month old nubian/boer cross next month, I guess he and he alone will bond with our anatolian.

harvestmoonfarm · #4 04/28/14, 08:06 PM

What were you feeding your buck? Bucks and grain (without ammonium chloride) aren't a good mix.

jolly rabbit · #5 04/28/14, 08:20 PM

the grange co-op suggested pro text, its a mixture of grain and pellets, he got about 3 cups of that and big ol' pile of orchard grass.

Frosted Mini's · #6 04/28/14, 11:10 PM

Be sure to feed your next buck either some form of alfalfa with that diet or else skip the grain portion. Grass hay + Grain = high phosphorus = urinary stones.

jolly rabbit · #7 04/29/14, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frosted Mini's

Be sure to feed your next buck either some form of alfalfa with that diet or else skip the grain portion. Grass hay + Grain = high phosphorus = urinary stones.

I am kind of Confused, I will have to go back and go through my meat goat book and read through again. I was told not to go above 12% protein with that goat (from previous owner) and i know alfalfa is typically 12-18 %, the pro txt was grain and alfalfa pellets, i will def do some more research before our wether gets here next month. thanks for the insight.

V-NH · #8 04/29/14, 05:57 AM

Can you feed bucklings hay and grain?

CAjerseychick · #9 04/29/14, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by V-NH

Can you feed bucklings hay and grain?

My bucklings been on alfalfa hay, graze and sweet feed his whole life.... except for the abcess issue, he is fat and sassy.... and spunky poor little guy....

punchiepal · #10 04/29/14, 05:30 PM

Protein and calcium/phosphorus balance are two different things.

Yes, many goats do well on around 12% protein.

What we are talking about is the balance of calcium/phosphorus. It should be approx 2 calcium to 1 phosphorus to keep the body in check for urinary stones.

Many grains are not balanced to this ratio. Check your tags to find the balance of the grain you are giving them. Grass seems to be naturally balanced as is alfalfa. Grain, if not balanced, and added to either of these forages upsets the body and can cause it to produce stones.