TIPS FOR PROSPECTIVE MARKET MEAT GOAT EXHIBITORS

As you begin to plan for your meat goat project, there are many issues that you need to think about and many decisions to be made. Before acquiring your goat, you need to be sure that you have adequate facilities. A living area of 25 sq. ft. per animal is desirable with 15 sq. ft. per animal of that being shelter or a shed area where they can get out of the rain, snow, etc. Like all other animals, they will be healthier and gain more weight if they are in clean living conditions, so you will need to make provisions for keeping their lots clean. Goats may get out of places that would confine other animals, so make sure you have a secure lot. Barbed wire for construction of goat lots is not recommended. Goats need room to exercise themselves and if they do not have it, then they will require extra walking time with you each day. Objects to climb and jump will also provide exercise and the more exercise they have the harder and firmer they will handle in the show.

SELECTION

Selection of your goat for the show is very important. You should pick a goat that is structurally sound, medium to large framed, heavy muscled, and has growth potential. It is also important to select a goat that is the correct age for our show. According to our rules, the permanent teeth cannot have ruptured the gum or you will not be allowed to show. Goats typically lose their milk teeth and get their permanent teeth between 10-14 months of age, so be sure to select a goat that you know you will be able to show.

UPON ACQUIRING YOUR MEAT GOAT YOU NEED TO

1.  Any goat brought onto your property should be quarantined from other goats/sheep for 30 days.

2.  Goats should be dewormed and vaccinated for enterotoxemia, also known as overeating disease (1 vaccination upon arrival and another, called a booster, 2 weeks later) using a Clostridium Perfringens Type D & C vaccine (Also called a 7 way clostridium). All injections should be given under the front leg or in the neck region, absolutely no shots anywhere else.

3.  Any grain fed should be limited during the first two weeks after acquiring the goat in order to prevent overeating disease.

4.  Weigh your goat within the first few days so you have a starting weight to calculate your average daily gain (ADG) on your record book.

STARTING ON FEED

Start slowly! Give your goat a chance to settle into the new surroundings. Provide good quality hay or pasture access and plenty of fresh, clean water. As previously mentioned, you want to limit grain the first 10 days to protect against overeating disease. Start with ¼ pound of grain or complete feed plus free choice hay per day and increase by ¼ pound feed per day until on full feed. Unlike cattle and sheep who consume 2.5% of their body weight in dry matter per day, growing goats will consume 3.5 to 5%. You will need to calculate this and increase feed depending on the weight of your goat. A 50 pound goat may consume 2-2.5 pounds per day, while a 75 pound goat will consume 3 to 3.75 pounds of feed per day. Do not rely on cup sizes or estimated weights, weigh the ration to ensure you are feeding enough. Once on full feed, if using a complete feed (because it contains roughage too) hay should be cut back to ½ pound or less per day. They should be hand fed twice a day, feeding ½ of the ration at each feeding. A complete feed for growing/finishing meat goats can be used and is highly recommended for those with little experience feeding livestock. The complete feed should be a 16% Crude Protein ration. A lamb feed can be used if goat specific feed can’t be found. Goats fed properly should gain 2-3 pounds per week. If your goats are not gaining at this rate, call me because we need to figure out what is wrong. To help estimate the amount of feed you will need, it will require 5-7 pounds of feed for every 1 pound gained by your goat.

Urinary calculi, or waterbelly, can be a problem in both sheep and goats. In order to prevent this problem, a mineral mixture should contain calcium and phosphorus in a 2 to 1 or 4 to 1 ration plus trace minerals designed for goats. If you have both goats and sheep, a sheep mineral should be used, realizing that the goat’s copper needs may not be met. Goats need copper in higher quantities than sheep, but copper is toxic to sheep so feeding a goat mineral to lambs may result in death of the lamb.

If you have any questions or your goat is not gaining at the appropriate rate, please let us know so we can help you figure out what the problem is.

Prepared by: Jamie N. Stowe

Extension Agent, ANR (Animal Science)

Pittsylvania County

(January 2017)