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Southwest Research Center includes
Goat Production Tour in field day
By Doug Rich
What is the most consumed meat in the world? If you guessed beef, pork, or poultry you are wrong. Goat meat tops the list as the world's most consumed meat.
That fact combined with a growing Hispanic population has created a demand for goat meat in this country. Add to that the fact that goats prefer to browse for grass on steep, rocky ground to level pastures, and it is no wonder that the popularity of goat production is expanding in southern Missouri.
This year a goat production tour was part of the annual field day held at the Southwest Research Center near Mount Vernon, Mo. "We are seeing tremendous growth in goat production," said Randy Saner, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist. Total pounds of goat meat consumed in this country has risen from 41 million pounds in 2001 to 50 million pounds in 2003. Federally inspected goat slaughter has risen from 10 million pounds in 1997 to 24 million pounds in 2003. But the goat industry is not yet mature in this country, according to Saner. The number of goats in this country continues to grow along with the price of goat meat.
In 2002 Texas County reported the most goats in Missouri with 2,223 head on 60 farms. Shannon County, Barry County, Phelps County, and Howell County completed the top five goat producing counties in the state. That is not hard to understand when you consider the topography of those counties deep in the Ozark hills of Missouri.
Mark Kennedy, a state grazing land specialist with the National Resource Conservation Service and a goat producer from Texas County, said goats prefer browse to grass and grass over legumes. Kennedy said goats are on of the easiest species to work with on grazing management because they are uniform grazers. "Goats readily adapt to intensive grazing management," he said. "Once they get started they learn they are moving to something better to eat."
He recommends stocking eight to 12 goats per acre if the producer's goal is to eliminate brush from a pasture. One to three goats per acre is a sustainable stocking rate that will reduce brush but maintain browse. A six to 12 pasture rotation is ideal.
Kennedy uses six to eight strands of high tensile electric wire as his perimeter fence as much to keep his goats in as to keep predators out. He uses training pens to teach the goats to respect the electric wire. Two strand poly wire fences are used to subdivide pastures for grazing.
It is not exactly true that goats will eat anything but almost. Debbie Sanders, a local goat producer, said goats love buckbrush, multiflora rose and sumac. They will also eat locust trees thorns and all, cedar trees, Johnson grass, fescue, turnips, acorns, and sericea lespedeza. "They prefer to eat ragweed when it is shorter and late in the growing season," says Sanders. "Goats will eat bull nettle but not until October and they prefer red clover to white clover." Sanders, who grazes goats on a 12 acre tract at the Wilson Creek National Battlefield site, has learned that goats will not go in to dense brush because of predators. Kennedy and Sanders agreed that predators are a problem with goats.
Mark Kennedy noted that goats eat different grasses and browse at different times of the year. His goats eat stockpiled fescue in the winter, winter annuals in the spring, and legumes like red clover in the summer. Although some people believe that goats eat grass right into the ground, Kennedy said they actually prefer to leave about 4-inches of growth. This is a inborn control for limiting the intake of parasites which is critical in goat production.
Ann Wells, divisional veterinary manager with Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas, said when it comes to parasite management chemical dewormer is the worst solution. "Parasites develop resistance to these chemical dewormers very quickly," said Wells. "We need to slow this process down." Warm, moist weather like southern Missouri experienced this summer created a parasite paradise, according to Ann Wells. To manage parasite populations before resorting to chemical dewormers Ann Wells suggested delaying grazing until after the dew is dry; not forcing animals to close to manure piles; using weather to decrease larval survival time; maintaining pasture diversity; and grazing goats with cattle. If it becomes necessary to use a chemical dewormer Wells suggests using it at the beginning of grass greenup; fasting 12 hours prior to deworming at least two hours afterward; retreating three weeks later; only treating animals that need it; and holding animals in one area for 24 hours after treatment. She recommended that producers not under dose or apply the dewormer as a pour-on.
Goats have traditionally been used as an inexpensive way to clear brush from pastures, but the growing demand for their meat is creating new markets and new demand.
SIDEBAR STORY-PUT IN BOX
Randy Saner, livestock specialist with the University of Missouri Outreach and Extension provided a list of available goat markets in Missouri. Markets are available at the following locations and times:
*Kingsville Livestock Market-third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m.
*Owensville Livestock auction-second and fourth Saturday of the month at 1:30 p.m.
*Potosi Livestock Auction -every Saturday at 11 a.m.
*St. Clair Livestock Center-every Thursday 5:30 p.m.
*South Central Regional Stockyards in Vienna-every Wednesday at 10 a.m. (Mixed livestock)
*Southwest city Livestock Auction-every Saturday at 4 p.m. (mixed livestock)
*Urbana Stockyards-every Monday at 11:30 a.m. (mixed livestock)
*Wright County Livestock in Mountain Grove-every Monday at 11p.m. (mixed livestock)
*Highlandville Market-day and time not available
*A graded goat sale for high quality animals has been started at Koshkonong
Date: 9/23/04
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