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In This Issue:Farmers and Ranchers Beware.........2All-breed Goat Sale..........................2Recipes.............................................3Importing Goat Meat to US..............3Meat Goat Seminar...........................4Production Sale.................................5Distribution Chains.......................6-7Goat Scour Treatment.......................7Anthelmintic Resistance...................8

Volume 3, Issue 1 February 2004

IMGP CONTACTS Clause Miller, President RR2, Box 220B Rushville, IL 62681 (217) 322-2811 cjmagmills@yahoo.com

Mike Meyer, Vice President 3410 Old Litchfi eld Trail Litchfi eld, IL 62056 (217) 556-0293 timberhills@consolidated.net

Roy Morrell, Sec/Treasurer RR1, Box 60 Camden, IL 62319 (217) 322-4806 wi_rmorrell@winco.net

R. Derek Hall, Board Member 2 Chatham Circle Kankakee, IL 60901-5802 (815) 933-2668 rderekhall@yahoo.com

Bill Rosemeier, Board Member 15252 W Busch Road Pearl City, IL 61062 (815) 443-2560 billr@mwci.net

Penny Hamell, Board Member 1650 E 1600 N Rd P.O. Box 1631 Taylorville, IL 62568 (217) 287-7347

Dave Thomas, Board Member RR 1, Box 188 Bloomington, IL 61704 (217) 662-1270 dthomas@dtnspeed.com

Erick Pece, Newsletter/Web 141 E 2350 N Road Ogden, IL 61859 (217) 583-3179 epdesign@myrealbox.com

From Clause for the Cause

The fi rst event of the New Year was our annual meeting held at Old Town Hall, near Bloomington, IL. on Sat. Jan. 17th with around 50 or 60 people in attendance. We began with a potluck dinner at noon, which included BBQ goat. The meeting began with the standard minutes and fi nancial report followed by a report by me of last years activities and a list of tentative events for this year.

The next thing on the agenda was the presentation of the amendments to the by-laws as proposed by the board of directors. The changes were for the clarifi cation of the name, changing from 7 members to 9 with the offi cers being selected by the board. There were a couple of other minor changes. Terms of offi ce will be for one, two and three years. They were voted on and passed. I will try to get the new by-laws typed and sent to all the Miller, Mike Meyer, Roy Morrell, Dave Thomas, Penny Hamell, Derek Hall, Vaughn Soling, Bernie Swank, and Bob Clawson being elected to the board and Jodie Boen and Chris Decline as alternates.

After the business meeting, Jeff Ramseyer, Shreve, Ohio spoke for a few minutes concerning United States Goat Producers Coop. being formed. There is more information elsewhere in this newsletter.

Marvin Shurley, President of American Meat Goat Association, Sonora, TX. was introduced. He spoke at length about the new national identifi cation plan for all livestock in the U.S. The fi rst phase of this is scheduled to begin June 2004. A copy of the newsletter I received is printed in this newsletter. I am personally opposed to this program in its present for because of the cost, un-manageability and more government intrusions and regulations.

A short board meeting was held and the following offi cers were elected for one year: Clause Miller, President; Mike Meyer, Vice President; Roy Morrell, Sec/Treas. The next board meeting will be at Dave Thomas’ Feb. 7 at 10:30 AM.

Later in the day Dr. Nuredin, president of Halal Farms, a slaughter facility in Shannon, IL. talked about his plant and his desire to buy Illinois goats rather than have to go to Texas or other long distances to purchase goats. They are presently butchering 1000 a week and want to increase that production. They are primarily paying premium prices for 40 to 60 pound goats but also buy heavier goats and cull nannies and billies. He says it does not matter whether they are wethered or not. They buy their goats by the hanging weight and will buy 1 goat or many. The plant manager is Bernie Knight and the phone number is (815) 864-2875.

Watch future newsletters and the website for more information of upcoming events: Youth Day/Seminar/Judging Lincoln Co. Fairgrounds Apr. 24; shows at Carlinville and Pontiac in July; the State Fair in August; and the production sale Sept. 11.

I wish you a prosperous and happy new year.

Clause Miller, President

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Farmers and Ranchers Beware This is no joke. I went into the website and looked it up. We have contacted our congressman and both of our senators on this. Montana already has excellent brand inspection laws. We don’t need another costly program. (Estimated to cost $1.3 Billion fi rst year) Please keep sending this on to others who have livestock. Its not only horses but all types of livestock. Thank you, Lyle & Grace LarsonSubject: IMPORTANT Horse LegislationDate: Wed. 7 Jan 2004 I didn’t create this e-mail, but am forwarding it because it is important to all who own livestock, including horses, and all that worry that “Big Brother” is already watching just a little too much. I also checked the internet spoof sites and can’t fi nd that this is spoof. Unfortunately, it is real, Pat Hampton of Northwinds Arabians is the author of this missive, and she asked that it be forwarded, so that’s what I am doing.Nina, Something REALLY dreadful is about to happen that will affect us all and our way of life. The USDA is sneaking in a massive plan that will force anyone who owns a cow, horse, mule, llama, pig, sheep, duck, chicken or anything else they deem to be livestock to be registered with the government and to comply with a list of rules that include: Having a federal site identifi cation number Identifying every animal on the site with an ear tag or electronic chip Recording every movement of every

animal on and off the site for any reason allow government inspectors onto your premises at any time to verify your animals and reports. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Implementation starts in June of this year if we cannot stop it. Everyone needs to write to every congressman before its too late. I am not sure which is the most mind-boggling, the invasion of privacy or the potential cost, most of which will be borne by the victims! This is not internet folklore, the 74 page document is available on their website. This is all under the guise of tracking animal disease. Her is the link to their site http://usaip.info/. People, if we, as cattleman and horsemen do not launch a massive campaign to stop this now, we are going to be living in a nightmare of government permits, paperwork and fi nes for the privilege of owning a saddle horse and Lord help those raising cattle commercially. A plan this massive and invasive should not be within the auspices of any government bureaucracy to just write and implement. The creation of such a big and restrictive plan should only be allowed by our elected offi cials, not by career bureaucrats.

You can contact your representatives online at: http://www.visi.com/jaun/congress/. The script that group mails everyone at once does not work but there is a contact form for each legislator that does work. Please read the details and write today! Pass this along to anyone and everyone who will help. Sincerely yours, Pat Hampton North Wind Arabians.

All-breed Goat SaleFloppy Ear Farm will be hosting an all breed goat sale on Saturday May 1st, 2004, 8AM - 2 PM, at the Manitowoc

Expo Fairgrounds, Manitowoc WI (northeastern WI). The facility is easily located off I-43, has plenty of parking, camping available, and the building rented is fully enclosed. This is a private treaty sale, not an auction. You deal one-to-one with your buyers. We will also have a Spanish interpreter on site to help with transactions.

Manitowoc is also where the ferry from Ludington, MI, docks.Breeders may rent 8’x6’ pens for $10 each (this is the only charge; we do not take commission from your sales).

Breeders who register before February 1st will have their farm mentioned in The Goat RAncher magazine as we have an article appearing in there in March. Stalls will not be set up back-to-back to minimize contact with goats from other farms. Well behaved bucks welcome as well as other animals (ie mini donkeys, alpacas, llamas, LSG puppies). Registration forms are available at our website for downloading and once registered, we will post your farm name on our website and a link to your webpage if you have one.

The sale has or will be advertised in Dairy Goat Journal, Goat Rancher, The Brayer, Meat Goat Monthly, Small Farm Journal, Countryside Magazine, Farm Show (pending), WI State Farmer Newspaper, The Laker Shopper, and The Country Today.

We welcome you to join us and make the fi rst time ever event a success. Regards,Christine KocourekFloppy Ear FarmRegistration forms can be found at:http://www.fl oppyearfarm.com/goatsale.htm

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United States Goat Producers CoopOpen to all goat producersCurrently in planning stagesCreated to help producers “bottom line” through group purchases, marketing, etc.Currently no charge to joinCurrently 168 membersCommunicates through email list at: meatgoat_coop@yahoogroups.comWebsite is www.usgpc.com

Interim Offi cers: President: John Dodd-Sealy, TX (jdodd35@yahoo.com)Vice-Pres: Jeff Ramseyer-Shreve, Ohio (jrams925@aol.com) Corresponding Sec: Jannette Wood Recording Sec: Dori Wyatt Treasurer: Laurel McGilvery

Recipes for this issue

This is a recipe that we thoroughly enjoy.

Slow Cooked Chops

1 Med. Onion sliced1 tsp. Dried Oregano1/2 tsp. dried Thyme1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder1/4 tsp. Salt1/8 tsp. Pepper13/4-2 Lbs chops (8 Goat chops)2 cloves garlic, minced

Place onion in a slow cooker. Combine oregano, thyme, garlic powder, salt & pepper; rub over chops. Place chops over onion. Top with garlic. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours or until meat is tender. Yield 4 servings. (It is important that the chops be cooked with the bone in)

Submitted by: Clause & Joanne Miller and Judy Robbins

Here is simplicity itself....I usually have my goat cut into 8 or 10 pieces. Take any one of these pieces, put in a pot with barely enough water to cover. Add 1 or 2 onions, 6 to 8 large cloves of garlic, both roughly chopped. Use FRESH onions and garlic - it makes a big taste difference. Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of chili powder, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer until tender, turning once or twice. The cooking time depends on what part you cook and the age of the goat. Approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours maximum. When tender, you can use it in burritos, or take the meat off the bones while some veggies cook in the broth, call it stew or soup. Don’t forget crackers or french bread to soak up the juice. If I make burritos, I only add a few beans and cheese and salsa. I save the broth for the next batch of goat meat. It gets stronger and better. I have served this to family,

Importing Goat meat to US“According to Florida A&M University’s

publication “’Markets for goats’”, 70% of the world’s population regularly dines on goat meat. As ethnic communities in North America continue to expand, so does the demand for quality goat meat. To answer that demand, roughly 327,000 goat carcasses are imported to the United States each year. In 1999, 492,000 domestic goats were slaughtered at federally inspected meat plants and another 300,000 at state inspected or informal facilities. Meat goats are today’s most productive livestock; the demand for goats raised and slaughtered to ethnic specifi cations vastly exceeds the foreseeable domestic supply.

Viable goat ventures for those opposed to slaughter include dairy marketing artisan quality goat milk, cheese, producing high-end Angora and Cashmere fl eece for handspinners, and raising dairy meat, or fi ber goat breeding stock.

This article also lists a few web sites of interest:Sustainable Goat Production; An overviewwww.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/goatoverview.html

Agricultural Alternatives; Meat Goat Productionhttp://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/ua340.pdf

Meat Goat Resourceswww.mgo.umn.edu/livestock/meat%20goats.htm

goat-eating ethnic groups (Mexicans, Afghanis, Africans) and cowboys.

Gayla RobertsAlways Enough RanchAcampo, California

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by Robert J. MelchiorMarket CoordinatorNortheast Sheep and Goat Marketing Programat Cornell University

Distribution Chains

Livestock progressing from producer to consumer can pass through many hands. For purposes of illustration, we will call the process the supply chain, with each handler considered a link in the chain. A typical supply chain for Northeast sheep or goats would appear as follows: Each participant in the chain has a specifi c function to serve. The function can, however, be assumed by another participant, bypassing in this way some of the links on the chain. For example, the producer may fi nish his lambs to a marketable weight and condition, thereby eliminating the need for the feeder. Moving beyond the feeder, let’s look at each of the links in the chain and determine the function that each contributes in moving the lamb or goat to its place on the consumer’s table. Most rural small producers market their lambs and kids at the local auction barn (Country Auction). The function of the local auction is to concentrate enough livestock in a single location to interest buyers in venturing out to the country to supply their needs. One Pennsylvania country auction used to advertise its weekly sales as the place “where buyer and seller meet”. In this day of specialization, it is important to note that while a particular auction may be successful in attracting beef buyers, those buyers probably have little interest in sheep or goats. So producers should be alert to deal with country auctions that have an active trade in their species of livestock. Also, in addition to attracting buyers, the local auction becomes a banker of sorts, absorbing the credit risk of out-of-area buyers. The conscientious auction house should be ever alert to actively attracting new buyers interested in local production and should be looking for a steady year-round fl ow of supply to meet the needs of these buyers. Frequently, the principal buyers at country auctions with concentrations of sheep and goats are livestock dealers. This is because the slaughter facilities that are doing much of the regional processing tend to be located near the urban centers they are serving. As they

tend to be small, these fi rms do not have the manpower to send buyers out to the numerous distant country auctions that exist in the region. These slaughterhouses tend to buy weekly and prefer to attend the large “terminal auctions”, which have suffi cient supply for them to

meet their entire needs at one place. Alternatively, they may buy from dealers or producers who are willing to ship directly to the plant. The dealers serve several functions. The fi rst is to relocate the product to where the demand is. A second and crucial step is to sort the product to position it for sale. With our diversity in the Northeast, different population groups prefer different products. Some consumers prefer

lean meat, others prefer some fi nish; some prefer young animals, some yearlings and some adults; some prefer small animals and some heavier. The farmer, when he decides to sell his output, usually decides to ship the culls along with the good production, and probably that tail ender who didn’t grow so well, also. The dealer then will direct these to locations that will be receptive to that particular product.

Dealers may move their purchase direct to slaughterhouse customers or into a terminal auction. The terminal auction is basically the same as the country auction discussed above, except that its customers are the end users of livestock in their current state (slaughter facilities), hence the name terminal. For the sheep and goat trade in the Northeast the principal terminal market is New Holland Sales Stables. Several other smaller auction houses located near metropolitan hubs also fi ll a similar function of supplying local slaughterhouses or retailers. In the beef trade in the Northeast, dominated by large packinghouses, the country auction buyers are very likely to be representatives of the slaughterhouses. In this circumstance the country auction can also be considered to be a terminal auction.

We have already briefl y discussed the slaughterhouse. In the Northeast sheep and goat trade, these businesses tend to be fairly small and supply specialty shops in metropolitan areas. In addition to processing the livestock, they are also distributing them. Much of the lamb and goat meat is distributed as whole carcass, and the specialty store then either further processes or sells the whole carcass to its customer.

There is also a trade concentrated mostly in

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Distribution Chains (continued)

the “meat districts” or food distribution centers of the metropolitan areas that consists of breakers and distributors (wholesalers). These fi rms buy whole carcass animals and break them down and distribute them to retailers and restaurants. They depend on large volumes of consistent product and more often than not are utilizing sheep or lamb brought in from outside the region. They tend to distribute to the larger stores and high volume restaurants.

The retailer usually maintains a fi xed location with a variety of products intended to attract local consumers. Retailers who are the recipients of Northeastern produced lamb and goat are likely to be specialty stores concentrating on meat or ethnic products. They are very likely to be buying whole carcasses. Goat is a specialty product rarely carried in a full line supermarket and so these specialty stores are not directly competing with the larger stores, as they do with lamb.

Each of the participants in the marketing chain fulfi lls a function for you as a producer, but each also exacts a price. If you can determine that price, you can balance it against the responsibility and decide whether you might want to take on the job yourself. The auction costs are usually quite clear. Commission charges may be fl at fees or percentages. Your alternative to the auction is to work directly with dealers and/or slaughterhouses and exact a competitive price. You will also then have to collect your money.

Determining the cost of a dealer may involve only comparing prices at a local auction with a terminal auction. For example, if the price for an 80 lb lamb at your local auction is $.90/lb and at New Holland it is $1.00/lb, you can fi gure that you are paying the dealer $.10/lb (minus the New Holland commission and possible shrink of the animal in transit) to transport, sort and collect the proceeds. He may be marketing elsewhere, but the price he receives will be closely related to that market. This explanation is simple, but in the real world it will not be as clear-cut. Does the local auction report its prices and if so, are the prices of products like yours clearly specifi ed (e.g. 80 lb lamb-prime)? The prices at the terminal auction are published, but with a price and weight range. It is also important to note the grade on published prices and to evaluate realistically the livestock you have to sell.

Finally, slaughterhouses and retailers are both expensive operations to maintain and far beyond what most producers could attempt to substitute for on a large scale. One could determine the total value of cuts from

a lamb or goat, or the carcass price and subtract out the cost of the live animal at a terminal auction and come up with the value added by these organizations, but such a procedure isn’t practical for most producers.

In summary, our livestock pass through many hands on the path to the consumers’ table. Each handler performs a function, and each exacts a price. The producer should be aware of what the functions are and which, if any, he could economically accomplish himself.

Goat Scour TreatmentIt could be E Coli, Samonella, or any thing else,

including coccidiosis. Generally, Penicillin does not work for scours. Ampicillin is drug of choice for Salmonella. Biosol (Neomycin Sulfate 200mg/ml) oral preparation can be bought over the counter. I give a grown goat 7- 10cc depending on goat body weight, and a kid 2-5cc depending on size. Scour Halt is Spectinomycin, and the label is for hogs. This product will work depending on the bacteria, but I think that Biosol is broader spectrum.

If either is used for 24 hours with no results, then you may have Samonella, and I recommend doing a culture. Any goat can be given Pepto Bismol for scours. Actually the Bismuth in the Pepto is the drug that has an antibacterial action, and slows replication of bacteria in the rumen and gut. It also helps reduce pain, and slows the scours down so that there is less risk of dehydration. I give a kid 5-10cc orally, and a grown goat 1-2 Tbs. orally. This can be repeated every 4 hours as needed. Wait for at least 6 hours after the last dose of antibiotic to give Calf Pac to replace normal bacteria.

I have given Nufl or, and Polyserum and stopped scours in one dose. Polyserum has antibodies to E coli, and Samonella.

Advertising Rates

You can place an advertisement in the IMGP newsletter or on our website! The rates for placing your ad on the website or newsletter

are the same, but they are to be handled separately.

$4 - business card size, $8 - 1/4 page, $16 - 1/2 page, $32 - full page

These rates are monthly, with a 3-month minimum.

To place an ad in the newsletter, please send the ad copy and check to: Clause Miller, RR2 Box 220B, Rushville, IL 62681

To place an ad on the website, please send the ad copy and check to: Erick Pece, 141 E 2350 N RD, Ogden, IL 61859

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Anthelmintic Resistance

ANTHELMINTIC RESISTANCE SPREADING IN USA (Exerts from a report by the USA Sheep and Goat Committee)

Dr. Tom Craig discussed anthelmintic resistance of Haemonchus contortus in goats. Resistance is widespread and increasing and is seen to all classes of anthelmintics especially in the southern United States. The primary processes for selection for resistance to anthelmintics are underdosing, rapid repeated use of anthelmintics and injection of cattle dewormers. Resistant worms are competitive except that the macrocyclic lactone (avermectins) resistant populations are not cold tolerant in the fi eld. Rapid, within grazing season, rotation of anthelmintics selects for multiple resistance. Goats metabolize anthelmintics more rapidly than sheep and a 1.5 to 2x dose should be administered to goats. Evaluation of anthelmintic resistance can be done by slaughter evaluation, fecal egg count reduction, or larval development assay. The larval development assay evaluates the ability of worm eggs to hatch and develop to the infective stage in the presence of varying concentrations of four classes of anthelmintics. Dr. Andres de la Concha reviewed the recent literature concerning the contagious ecthyma (CE) virus. He outlined recent outbreaks of CE in Texas in goats that had been previously vaccinated. He provided information from a small study in goats that showed that properly vaccinated goats were susceptible to viral challenge 3 weeks after vaccination. He reviewed the epidemiology and transmission of the disease, and the problems with having multiple strains of wild-type and vaccine viruses. Mechanisms of host immunity to CE are not well understood, but the repeated infection of sheep and goats underscores viral ability to escape the host protective immune response. Because diagnosis of CE is most commonly done only by clinical signs, it is possible that other, related viruses may be associated with the typical lesions. Improved diagnostic methods would enable differentiation between viruses. Dr. Sue Stehman described clinical signs and economic impacts of Johne’s disease in small ruminants. Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) is the causative agent, which has slower growth patterns than M. avium. Three strains have been identifi ed, with Group 1 affecting cattle, goats and farmed deer and Group 2 affecting primarily sheep. The prevalence of Johne’s disease in sheep and goats in North

America is unknown. The sheep strain has historically been diffi cult to isolate by fecal culture although recent progress has been made and is encouraging. Highlights of the National Johne’s Working Group meeting were presented and state Johne’s disease programs, several of which include goats, were mentioned. Australia’s International Market Assurance Program was outlined and the concept of Targeted Testing was presented. A National Check Test of Laboratories was proposed and discussed. An effective vaccine has been developed in Spain and is currently used in England and Iceland and is being evaluated in New Zealand. Updated information can be obtained at the USAHA National Johne’s Working Group website (www.usaha.org/njwg/njwg.html).

Dr. Katherine O’Rourke presented an update on scrapie research and the three-pronged approach of (1) epidemiology, including permanent identifi cation and traceback of animals, (2) pre-clinical diagnosis, and (3) genetic selection. The third-eyelid test was described and the numbers and descriptions of animals tested to date presented graphically. Tissue prep for the third eyelid test was improved late in 1998 and a new protocol used since January 1999. Feasibility studies and assay development are thus complete with the next step being determination of the assay performance characteristics by looking at hundreds of sheep.

Genotypically, the majority of scrapie-positive Suffolk sheep have been QQ at codon 171. Next, more sheep of more breeds need to be geno typed and the impact of various genotypes on susceptibility to scrapie as well as production traits needs to be assessed.

Dr. Diane Sutton presented an update on the Voluntary Scrapie Flock Certifi cation Program. The program can be viewed on the USDA-APHIS website (www.aphis.usda.gov).

Dr. Nora Wineland presented the report of the scrapie-test validation subcommittee.

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Meat Goats - A Twenty-First Century ReviewIt seems that everyone is talking about meat goats these

days. What is a meat goat and how is it any different from a “regular” goat? Very simply, a meat goat is a goat that is raised to be eaten by someone. Aren’t all goats raised to be eaten? No, some goats are raised for milk and others are raised for their fi ber such as cashmere or mohair. Believe it or not, over 80 percent of the people in the world eat goat meat on a regular basis. Goat meat is healthy and good for you since it is low in fat and cholesterol.

Many of the people who eat goat meat make up what we call the “ethnic market” which is made up of people from many different places in the world. The primary ethnic consumers in the United States are Hispanic, African-American, Mediterranean immigrants, Asians, Muslims and people from the Caribbean Islands. Some of these people like young, fat goats while some prefer thin goats and some really like the biggest (stinkiest) billy goat they can fi nd. Many of the goats raised in Texas are transported by truck to the major goat consuming markets on the East Coast (New York and New Jersey), Florida and California. The 2000 mile trip is very hard on the goats and they arrive at their destination in worse shape than when they left Texas. It would be much better if we were able to slaughter the goats in Texas and transport carcasses in refrigerated trucks to various parts of the country.

A recent research report entitled, “Market Potential for Meat Goats” was published by the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A & M University and presents much interesting information about meat goats and their market potential. According to this report most of the meat goats currently consumed are young goats which are tender and very tasty. These goats produce a dressed carcass that weighs between 10 and 30 pounds which means that the goat when it was alive probably weighed between 20 and 60 pounds. Ranchers and other meat goat producers are trying to cross several different types of goats in an effort to get a kid goat to weigh as much as possible in a short period of time. The goal of many of these producers is to raise a 70 pound kid in 90 days. Normally a kid goat will be weaned from its mother in about 90 days so what we see happening is that a kid goat is taken to market at the same time that he is weaned. Those ranchers that are growing goats for the market that prefers a heavier carcass (50 to 60 pounds) are trying to grow a goat that will weigh 100 to 120 pounds at around one year of age.

In order to achieve the goal of a heavy, fast growing goat a superior meat producing buck (and possibly doe) must be used. The boer goat from South Africa is considered to be the meat goat of the world. Boer goats were fi rst brought to the United States in 1993 and since that time have been used in goat herds throughout the country to produce a faster growing kid goat. People have crossed many different types of goats with the boer goat trying to fi nd the combination that will give the fastest growing kid with the heaviest carcass that will yield the most meat per pound of carcass. Boer goats have been crossed with Spanish, Nubian, Alpine, Toggenberg, Angora, Saanen, Ibex and several other goat breeds trying to discover what works best. One of the reasons that the boer goat was brought to this country was to try to cross them with angora goats. When the mohair incentive program was phased out many ranchers had thousands of angoras whose mohair had very little value. If the angora could be used to produce a fast

growing meat goat kid then the angora goats would have greater value to the rancher. Many people that have produced the boer-angora cross have found that the offspring is surprisingly good. Taking a long backed, thick chested angora doe and crossing her with a big, meaty boer buck produces half blood kids that still have a little mohair but are very stocky, meaty and grow rapidly. The second cross, that is taking this half blood doe and crossing her with a full boer buck produces a three quarter boer goat that is slick haired and is even thicker, grows faster and has more meat. While the other breeds mentioned above also produce fi ne offspring, particularly the nubian that gives a lot of milk, it seems that the angora-boer has some advantages. A recent carcass study conducted at Texas A & M University looked at several different meat goat carcasses and the angora-boer was ranked highest.

According to the A & M research study, the challenge for the meat goat industry is to identify new meat goat marketing channels and to build more goat consumer demand in a majority of U.S. homes, not just the ethnic population. Texas is the number one producer of both Spanish goats and angora goats. In the study Texas A & M identifi ed the following market channels for goat meat: retail chain food stores, independent food stores, eating establishments (restaurants) that were chains or franchises and fi nally independent eating establishments. When surveyed these market outlets reported that between 14% and 19% of these stores sold goat meat or products containing goat meat, such as burritos, hamburgers, etc. From a study of this group it can be estimated that the yearly demand for goat meat is about 4,800,000 goats per year. This is 14.7 times more goats that were reported slaughtered in approved government facilities in 1995. In 1995 the average carcass weight was 30 pounds. If the goal is to produce carcass weights of 50 pounds then the growth potential for goat meats consumed in the United States grows from 9.8 million pounds to 240 million pounds.

We are beginning to see feedlots that specialize in raising goats. If a goat enters the feedlot at 50 pounds and gains about .4 pound per day it would take 150 days to get the goat to weigh 110 pounds. A 110 goat should produce a carcass that weighs between 50 and 60 pounds. If a feedlot could hold 20,000 goats at one time and could process about 50,000 goats per year then it would require about 100 feedlots across the country to produce the 4.8 million goats that appear to be in demand in a year.

This is an exciting time in the history of goat raising. Because of the low price of cattle and the relatively high price being paid for goats, many ranchers have begun selling their cattle herds, building better fences and buying big nanny goats and boer bucks to begin raising meat goats. The sheep and goat slaughter facility being built in San Angelo, Texas (Ranchers Lamb of Texas) will provide additional momentum to the meat goat industry as the rancher can get his goats slaughtered for a reasonable price and ship carcasses rather than live goats to the markets throughout the country.

So how do you get started in the meat goat business? The fi rst thing that you need is a good fence. An old timer once told me that to hold goats you need to build the best fence that you can and then take a 5 gallon bucket of water and throw the water at the fence. If the water goes through the fence it won’t hold goats.

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Newsletter for February 2004Volume 3, Issue 1

Illinois Meat Goat ProducersClause MillerRR 2 Box 220BRushville, IL 62681

Illinois Meat Goat ProducersMembership Information

Membership dues are $35.00 for the 1st quarter; $27.00 for the 2nd quarter, $18.00 for the 3rd quarter, and $9.00 for the 4th quarter (per family and individual). Dues are renewable yearly in January. The due amount provides membership in the Illinois Meat Goat Producers.Members Name _

Farm Name _

Address City State Zip _

Phone ( ) - Fax ( ) - E-mail _Check One: New � Renewal � Please send this application to: Secretary/Treasurer Roy Morrell

R.R.1 Box 60 Camden, IL 62319