Posted on 05/23/2005 7:42:47 PM PDT by SJackson
Judy Brown Regional Editor
REEDSVILLE - Boer goats, bred for meat, hardly resemble dairy goats, says Christine Kocourek of Floppy Ear Farm.
Ms. Kocourek and her husband, Keith Schroeder, who own a 10-acre farm in Manitowoc County, are securing more land for an expanding meat goat business built around Boers.
The animals grow quickly to 80 pounds, and then are butchered at up to 10 months old. Unlike their dairy goat relatives, Boer goats are solid meat animals with bucks weighing 200 to 300 pounds.
"They gain weight real fast compared to dairy goats," Ms. Kocourek said.
She said Boers are a hardy, browsing breed that work well at clearing brush and graze with other animals such as cattle and sheep. They have brown heads or capes and white bodies.
Boer goats, native to South Africa, are desired by Indians, Greeks, Jamaicans and Hispanics.
"Eighty percent of the world's population eats goat meat," Ms. Kocourek said.
The United States annually imports millions of pounds of goat meat, mostly from Australia.
"It's not just a fad where you have to develop a market," she said. "The market is already there."
Floppy Ear Farm started with one buck and two pregnant does.
"I thought it was really neat, but at that time a percentage doe was bringing $2,000," Ms. Kocourek said.
Since then prices have decreased. Does sell for $150 to $200 and registered bucks sell for as high as $1,000.
So far this season, 30 kids have been born, with nine more does due, Ms. Kocourek said.
Old Boer does produce two crops of kids a year.
Floppy Ear Farm sells meat goats, wethers and breeding stock.
"We don't advertise our meat, but now we sell everything," she said.
All Floppy Ears Farm goats are registered, but the registry lets them register animals that are half Boer bloodline "so you can breed up," she said. "When they become fifteen-sixteenths you can register them as American purebred."
The farm's breeding stock has sold as far away as Mexico, she said. Ms. Kocourek sells full, purebred and percentage animals.
Some of her foundation animals are fifth generation. The selection of breeding animals is based on rate of gain, milking quality and birthing ease, she said.
Floppy Ear Farm will host the second annual Midsize Market 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 4 at the Manitowoc County Expo in Manitowoc.
Five Wisconsin farms have registered to take Boer goats to the sale.
"This is our farm's attempt to provide an economical and excellent facility for small breeders to showcase their animals," Ms. Kocourek said.
interesting!
I plan to buy some boer goats soon.
Many years ago, in the Khwarism kingdom, the empire centered around the cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Gurgange in the territory now called Uzbekistan, there was a bridge across a narrow section of the Syr Daria river and this bridge was guarded by a troll, named Ali Mohammed Qa-eelbasi. This was before the padishah Mohammed of the Khwarism empire burned the beards off of four of the infidel dog Chengis Khan's ambassadors and Chengis Khan reduced that entire territory to a smoking ruin (may he who cannot take a joke endure Allah's curse).
Now, this Ali Mohammed Qa-eelbasi was quite wealthy by inheritance and by dint of clever investment strategies and stock trading and, having no need of money or wealth beyond his possessions, and being an islamic troll, rather than demanding money from travellers seeking to cross his bridge, was in the habit of demanding various other favors from them.
One morning while Ali Mohammed was guarding his bridge and attempting to catch fish in the Syr Daria, he heard the light clatter of little hooves on the wooden planks of his bridge and looked up to see a little billygoat traipsing across the bridge, trippity, clippity, clippity, trippity, and this little goat (Allah be praised!!) had glossy white fur and flowers in his mane, and was wearing a silk petticoat with what appeared to be lace panties underneath, Ali Mohammed could not be quite certain, and a little training bra from Bloomingdales', and had a coy smile upon his face.
"ALLAH BE PRAISED"!! shouted Ali Mohammed! Surely the faithful shall prosper, this must be my lucky day!!!!
And, the little goat looked at Ali Mohammed, the coy smile still on his lips, and said:
"Verily, I should be happy for you to have your way with me and ravish me to your heart's content but, were you to do that, you would then be too exhausted to appreciate my brother when he passes this way. He is only a short distance behind me and he is a larger, finer and more lovely goat than I; he buys ALL of his clothing from Victoria's Secret."
Now, when Ali Mohammed heard this, he was overcome with passion and desire, and could scarcely restrain himself; nonetheless, he replied: "Go then, with Allah's blessing", and allowed the little goat to cross the bridge unmolested. "I shall (eagerly) await your brother!"
Ali Mohammed went back to his efforts to catch fish and, about a half hour later, he heard a somewhat heavier fall of hooves across the wooden planks of his bridge: clippity cloppity clop, clippity cloppity clop, and Ali Mohammed looked up to a sight which aroused within him a veritable paroxism of passion. This was a larger goat with a gossamer veil over his face, red roses braided into his glossy white silky fur all around, a golden necklace and the thinnest sort of a purple gossamer bodice of finest khitan silk, and dark, brown bedroom eyes.
"ALLAH BE PRAISED!!!" shouted Ali Mohammed, "Verily, this must be the luckiest day of my life, for surely no troll has ever beheld so lovely, and desirable, and alluring a goat as thee!"
"Patience!" replied the goat. "Surely you might have me if you wish, but then you would be too exhausted to appreciate my eldest brother, who travels only a short distance behind me. He is the sexiest and most voluptuous and alluring goat in all the world, and he buys ALL of his clothing at Sexy Sadies Midnight Boutique. Verily, were he standing here beside me, you would not notice me at all!"
Ali Mohammed somehow or other managed to restrain his lust and passion and allowed this goat to pass as well and, after ten or twelve minutes when he collected his wits and got his pulse and breath back under control, returned to his fishing poles.
Now when the eldest brother amongst the three goats came up to the bridge over the Syr Daria river and walked upon its wooden planks, Ali Mohammed did not notice at first, because this goat's hooves, for some reason, made no noise. Ali Mohammed was in fact taken by complete surprise as this third goat walked up to within five feet before the troll ever saw him at all. This goat had a silken veil as did the second goat, and gossamer clothing but, underneath the gossamer, appeared to be a very strange goat indeed, yellowish with black stripes, a long tail, fearsome claws, and huge, very non-goatlike teeth. This third goat spoke these words:
Bless, O Lord, this food to my use and me to thy service, and make me ever mindful of the needs of others through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.and, with that, seized the unlucky troll in his massive jaws, chewed him into bitesized pieces, and wolfed him down.
A lot less expensive too.
BEEF IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER.
We raise millions of these goats here in central Texas. The illegal aliens love em. That's the market. White people don't eat goat. Much.
"Hopefully they won't befall the same factory farm, abusive condition as the cow and pig."
Yeh, did you see that on CBS right after the bit about global warming and bat boy.
Since I grew up on a corporate style hog farm as did my wife, I can tell you that they arnt treated all that bad first off. Secondly, we arnt talking about wilber from Charlotte's web here, hogs are nasty mean creatures. They treat each other much worse then I ever treated them and they would do that in the woods or the ritz carlton as soon as they will in the hog house. Like anything else, there is the occasional A-hole that abuses his animals, but that is the exception, not the rule. I wasnt raised to do that sort of thing, plus, it costs a farmer money whenever the hogs get stressed out and die. Its not worth it.
Well, if I am ever down your way and I need a date, help me pick out a pretty one.
There's a world of difference between factory farm animals and free range cows and pigs, esp. chickens. Seeing as how you grew up on a corporate farm I won't arue with you because anything I say you'll take as an insult.
Whoa! I wouldn't want to get one pissed at me.
Ewe just don't like PETA trying to ram their views down your throat.
BTW Cyborg, that was a /sarcasm last quip, NOT directed at you! You're OK, it's the PETA freaks I was addressing along with pinging some others who live for fun/PUN-ishment.... ;^)
I suppose because PETA says it, it must not be true.
Well okay *lol*
I had goat in Kenya. Delicious!
"Ewe just don't like PETA trying to ram their views down your throat."
Yep, these militant vegans grow crops and raise magic mushrooms and weed and yet, despite all that work, they never have a full cornucopia to shophar it.
fyi -- a little like lamb, but more stringy. Ever go to Levana's Mesorah dinner? They serve all sorts of kosher delictables -- goat, dove, locust, etc.
bump
I have a few on my website posting looking for goats.
Wish I had some to sell them
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