Until recently, these goats were kept mainly for clearing brush and other undesirable plant species from pasture lands. In recent years, the escalating demand for goat meat and the expanding interest in cashmere production have focused attention on the Spanish goat.
Current estimates of the Spanish goat population is around , head. Several Spanish goat producers in Texas have been intensively selecting for increased meat production for the past several years. From information obtained from these producers, these "selected" Spanish goats appear to greatly outperform the ordinary Spanish goat used primarily for pasture maintenance.
This goat breeds out of season, and in many herds it is usual for does to kid twice a year. Number of kids varies from single to four. The Myotonic goat suffers from a recessive trait called myotonia. When frightened, it experiences extreme muscle stiffness causing extension of hind limbs and neck.
In this startled state, if unbalanced, the animal will topple over like a statue or will stand immobile until the attack, usually lasting only seconds, passes. According to a Texas neurologist, this type of involuntary isometric muscle contraction could build a more tender muscle than a muscle developed by strenuous use. Little is known about the earliest history of this breed except that in the early s a man appeared in Marshall County, Tennessee with a cow, three does and a buck of a unique strain.
These four goats suffered from myotonic spells and were purchased by a Dr. Mayberry who propagated the breed. The population of Myotonic goats is informally estimated to be around 3, to 5, head, with herds found primarily in Tennessee and Texas.
The Nubian goat, also called Anglo-Nubian, is considered a dual-purpose goat breed used for milk and meat production. This breed was developed in England and is a composite of dairy goat breeds from India, Europe and Africa.
Brought into the United States at the beginning of this century, the Nubian has become the most popular United States dairy goat breed, with over , registered breeding stock. The Pygmy is a dwarf, heavily muscled and short legged goat from Nigeria in West Africa. The Pygmy found its way to the Caribbean and North America as a by-product of the slave trade in the 18 th century. In West Africa, the Pygmy is used almost exclusively for meat production.
The pygmy is well adapted to humid climates, it usually breeds all year and twinning is frequent. In the United States, the Pygmy has so far been raised mainly as a pet and as a show animal, and more than 30, animals are currently registered with the National Pygmy Goat Association. The Kiko was developed over two decades of intensive selection from New Zealand feral goatstock. The Kiko is thought to be a vigorous, hardy, large frame and early maturing animal that doesn't need pampering.
Four key traits to be considered for genetic improvement in goats used primarily for meat production are the following: 1 adaptability to environmental and production conditions, 2 reproductive rate, 3 growth rate and 4 carcass characteristics. Of these four production traits, only carcass characteristics are not readily measurable on the farm. This trait is the most important of all the production traits.
The profitability of any meat goat enterprise may be greatly diminished if an animal's ability to survive and reproduce is impaired by the production environment. Most meat producers find it ideal to select a good, full-breed buck and breed him with several mixed-breed nannies.
Whatever market you find for your goat meat will determine what qualities you want in the kids. Here are some notable breeds often recommended when raising goats for meat. Boer goats were bred in South Africa for meat and selected for their superior body shape, high growth rate, and fertility. These large-framed animals may be white and reddish-brown, or all red with short hair and black, brown, or red markings on the head and neck.
Boers have short horns that are curved close to the head. They have long, pendulous ears, and are known for being docile. The Boer is highly resistant to disease, and it does well in hot, dry, and semi-desert areas. Reaching slaughter maturity in about 90 days, they can reach a size of about to pounds for does and to pounds for bucks.
Before Boer goats became available in the United States in the late s, Spanish goats were the standard meat goat breed, especially in the South. These goats are descendants of the goats brought by Spanish explorers, making their way to the United States via Mexico. They're medium-sized and lanky, mostly short-haired, and they come in all colors. Spanish goats have long, often twisty horns. They're sometimes considered to be more a category of a goat than a defined breed.
Spanish goats have been replaced by Boers as the favorite meat goat in the United States, but they have found a new purpose—for controlling invasive brush plants, such as buckthorn. The term brush goat is a general term used to refer to various breeds and breed mixtures that are known to be adaptable and hardy, both of which are useful in their capacity for eating brush and unwanted vegetative growth.
They are also known as hill goats, briar goats, or native goats. Just like the Spanish goat, this is not a specific breed but rather a category of goats. Brush goats are usually genetic crosses between meat goats and dairy goat breeds. Tennessee fainting goats are, in fact, from Tennessee and are also called myotonic goats, nervous goats, wooden goats, or stiff leg goats.
When startled, these goats go rigid and "faint" or fall down. Mutton or goat meat is very much in demand and also there is no religious taboo over it. Additionally goat meat is lean meat and contains less cholesterol content. Initial investment required in goat farming is quite lower than dairy farming. Various banks provides loans for goat farming. Goats can bear bitter taste to a large extent than other animals. Therefore, they eat almost all types of plants that are not consumed by other animals.
Thus it is excellent organic manure. We all know that milk and milk products are the essential food items of human beings, supplying adequate nutritional supplements,…. These are very tall goat breeds found in the Ramanadhapuram and Thirunelveli districts of Tamil Nadu. Hope the article was useful to you. If you want us to write on any particular goat breed in detail, then do let us know through the comment box given below
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