When to send to freezer camp?

[norcalgal]

So when do you guys usually slaughter your whethers?What age or weight? We have one right now, he's a Lamancha alpine cross. He was born March 16th and was so big it took 3 of us to pull this kid out. We left him on his dam (we bottle raise doelings) and he's getting way huge already. We plan on leaving him with his dam until either she weans or we butcher. We know we still have at least a couple of months, but we're just curious what others do. We're pretty new to butching so any tips would be appreciated.

[mammabooh]

It will be my first time this fall. I plan to take them when they are 90-100 pounds, or by the end of October. Mine two are ten weeks old and are still nursing...one is 40 pounds and the other is 45, so I don't think there will be any trouble with them getting to a good size by fall. Mine are both Lamanchas.

[norcalgal]

Thank you! We did one last year but he was a sannen we had bought that was incredibly mean so he had to go. Our big boy this year is probably about 45ish pounds and is 8 weeks. I'm sure he will make 100 by the fall when we do the turkeys. The nearest butcher is an hour away so we're not sure if we will butcher ourselves or send Em up there.

[mammabooh]

We're going to send these first two to the butcher. We've never eaten goat, and Hubby is still coming around to the idea, so I want to spare him all of the gory details the first time around. It's my plan to get him hooked on it so he'll want to raise all of the bucklings for meat next year...hopefully, we'll process them ourselves then. This first time will be an experiment just to make sure we like it so we'll know if we want to progress to the next step.

[punchiepal]

I have read the the feed to meat conversion drops off about 16 weeks, and that seems to hold pretty true. I prefer to butcher our own b/c I like to remove what fat there is, especially the one inside the back leg muscles.

[mammabooh]

Originally Posted by punchiepal

I have read the the feed to meat conversion drops off about 16 weeks, and that seems to hold pretty true. I prefer to butcher our own b/c I like to remove what fat there is, especially the one inside the back leg muscles.

Have you seen any sort of chart online with that sort of info? Mine are dam raised and have all the pasture they could ever eat, so they're not costing me anything, but I'd like to know that sort of stuff if we ever decide to bottle feed the meat boys in the future.

[punchiepal]

I don't remember where I read it. Just know that the weights I have kept, they seem to not gain the massive amount of weight compared to what they were eating after about 4 months.

[norcalgal]

Originally Posted by punchiepal

I don't remember where I read it. Just know that the weights I have kept, they seem to not gain the massive amount of weight compared to what they were eating after about 4 months.

Good to know!

[Clovers_Clan]

I haven't butchered but have sold meat cross wethers for meat. The market seems to prefer 4 month olds. And gains do seem to slow about that age. They really slow down after weaning and have to be grained to keep fat, so that really is probably most economical. I have also noticed the dairy wethers don't put much meat on past that point, just get lankier. If you have the pasture to finish them longer it might make it worth while to keep them longer, especially if you have to pay a per head kill fee. But if you are paying per pound to butcher, earlier probably makes more sense. Most people I talk to that keep them to a year are doing so to keep them as companion animals for their buck through the winter, then send them to freezer camp when another wether is ready to wean.

[jwal10]

10-12 weeks while still getting milk. Mine are pygoras but I do the same for all milk goat kids. I want the milk fat. I halve or quarter and pull the meat after roasting over coals....James

[Pony]

When I get hungry or they get ornery, whichever comes first.