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.
I once ate goat meat kebabs, at a Sephardic bar mitzvah in Jerusalem.
I have no recollection of what goat meat tastes like because the sauce just about burned right through my esophagus.
Oh Lord,those little ones are cute. One looks as if it was waving.
Das good eatin' right there! Fo sure dat be!
If they are fed grains and grass goat meat is fine barbequed. If they are fed brush and noxious weeds they aren't tasty at all.
Waving good-bye I suspect. I've got a friend that raises goats on his farm. It's more of a way to maintain self reliance than anything else. He milks them, sells a few and eats a few.
They look delicious.
Goats eat oats whereas little lambs eat ivy.
Ping, good article on goats for meat.
Hopefully they won't befall the same factory farm, abusive condition as the cow and pig.
I was in a Pakistani family's backyard last year. There were four goat hooves lying beside an axe ebedded in a tree stump.
Trust me, if you have ever tried to raise them and been around them long enough, you won't mind killing them.
No, a kid'll eat ivy too. Wouldn't you?
LMAO
Probably why goat cheese is more popular. These guys look pretty tough.
Ping. Thought you might want to horn in.
Like donkeys.
Why pay more for something that tastes like chicken, when you can eat chicken?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.