There are a lot of different breeds of goats around the world. However, of all those breeds there are only a handful which are popular for eating. These goats are lean, intelligent, and into eating greens, which is a great combination if you believe in the old saying, “You are what you eat.” They are not used for milking and most of them aren’t used for fibers (cashmere fiber, etc), with the exception of the Spanish specimen.
There are a few reasons certain groups of these animals are chosen for meat and certain traits they carry. These goats grow faster and rummage through brush with great hunger. Some are quite independent and able to take care of themselves as they evolved from very harsh or scarce conditions. Their immune systems are strong and have resistance to parasites, rotting of the hoof, and the breathing/respiratory problems that tend to be common in other breeds. The goats bred for meat are simply the apex foragers on the farm.
In the United States, here are the breeds that are good for rearing and selling as meat, listed below.
- Boers – This is possibly the top of the class of goats for consumption. The Boer is a white and reddish breed typically, with horns that tend to curve backwards towards their scalp. Larger than the smaller goats clearly, it can weigh up to 380 pounds with ease. The bucks tend to be larger than the does when full grown. The difference in weight can be as much as one hundred pounds or more.
- Kikos – When you see a white goat, it’s likely this breed. It has scimitar-like longer length horns that look like the kind of animal you might see in a Harry Potter film. Their ears are pretty distinctive, a little larger than normal. They also stick out, away from their head. A Kiko can get quite large if you are not supplemental feeding them, but it’s fine if you have a large range for it. The good news is that these large goats are more affordable to manage.
- Tennessee Fainters – The fainting goats are also known as “stiff-legged-goats” because of the way they drop and fall to the ground whenever they try to use their muscles too quickly. Though they are a good goat for meat, they are not big. The bucks and does of this crew only stand about 25 inches tall and weigh 50 to 75 pounds. Their colors and patterns vary heavily but you will be sure to know them with a quick yell, as once shocked they just fall to the ground like bowling pins.
- Texmasters – A crossbreed of the premier goat, Boers, and the Tennessee Fainters. It’s a decent-sized animal that was bred on a ranch in the state of Texas, where everything is bigger. Onion Creek Ranch developed this as a more economical breed for certain environments, but it still has the flavor and size of the two favorites.
- Spanish – kind of long and slender for a goat, with lengthy horns that twist toward the end, this European-bred goat is average sized. Most have short hair but there are a few that have been found with more than average. The colors vary and Spanish goats can be found in any piece of the spectrum.
There are a few other meat goats out there. Savanna and MoneyMaker are two breeds that are growing in popularity amongst mutton eaters.
Tags: American goats, characteristics, European goats, goat meat, meat breeds