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MEAT, MILK, AND HAIR GOATS
The Three Types of Goats

There are three types of goats: meat, milk, and hair (fiber) goats. Each type serves a specific purpose.

(1) Dairy goats. This goat's purpose is to produce milk; its body utilizes protein and other nutrients to make milk, not meat or fiber. The conformation of the dairy goat is long legged so that females can carry large milk-filled udders without damage from obstacles in its environment. The dairy goat is long bodied to accommodate long-legged fetuses in utero. Highly productive dairy goats are often line-bred or bred to high milk-producing buck genetics for maximum milk production and domesticated for ease of handling. A commercial forage-based management system is not ideal for goats that require a lot of feed, handling, and care.

(2) Hair (fiber) goats. Hair goats utilize protein to produce quality fiber. In the USA, Angoras are the best known hair/fiber goat. Forage-browse based Angoras generally have inadequate milk for raising more than one kid because their genetics have been focused on producing quality fiber rather than milk. Cashmere is a type of hair, not a breed, and many breeds produce cashmere during cold weather though it usually is not quality fiber.

(3) Meat goats. This category is where people get confused because most of the goats in the USA that are considered "meat" goats have been, during their development, crossbred with milk or fiber animals. Boers, Kikos, and even Spanish goats are significantly DAIRY in genetic make-up: Boers (Anglo Nubian bucks), Kikos (Saanan, Toggenberg, Anglo Nubian bucks), and Spanish (almost any buck of dairy genetics to try to put some size on them).

True meat-goat body conformation is short-legged, deep, and wide bodied, like Angus cattle, with milk-on-demand udders that are close to the body to avoid being torn on brush as they forage/browse. "You don't eat what's between the belly and the ground."

Because goats have been so extensively crossbred, finding genuine fullblood meat-goat genetics can be a challenge. I've been raising goats since 1990, and the only breed that I know of without any "dairy" or "fiber" genetics is the Myotonic breed. If there was ever a breed that is both misunderstood and unjustly maligned, it is Myotonics. Myotonics are the only 100% meat-goat genetics on this planet. Like lifting weights, the stiffening develops MEAT as muscles contract and relax.

Dual-purpose goats might be considered a fourth category, except (as the cattle industry also discovered) there is no such thing as a successful dual-purpose breed, i.e. a breed that produces equal amounts of two of the three types (meat, milk, hair). Boers are South Africa's attempt to produce a dual-purpose (meat and milk) goat. Boer performance since its arrival in the USA around 1992 has disproved that concept. Successful breeding produces either meat, milk, or hair goats.

Meat, milk, and hair goats have been developed for specific purposes. Crossbreeding one type with another type can dilute the genetics of the purpose for which they were developed. A long-term and well conceived crossbreeding program may produce a goat with hybrid vigor and a meaty carcass if the producer uses a fullblood meat-goat sire on other-breed does and the producer knows what he is doing.

Around 1995, I decided to develop a meatier commercial goat than the so-called "meaty" Boers that arrived in the USA by putting Tennessee Meat Goat™ genetics into them. (Tennessee Meat Goat™ is the trademarked name of larger and more heavily muscled fullblood Myotonic goats developed at Onion Creek Ranch in Texas by Suzanne Gasparotto in the early 1990's.) The result is the commercial meat breed TexMaster™ that has been breeding "true" (no outliers) for decades. Consistency of body conformation is the hallmark quality of a meat-goat breed. I have been selling fullblood TexMaster™ breeding stock for almost 30 years.

People who raise goats as pets . . . or for any reason other than slaughter animals . . . will occasionally have goats that need to be sold at auction. It would be wise to put some meat-goat genetics into these animals because they will bring more money. Buyers at commercial auctions are looking for goats that have more useable meat on them and less waste. To achieve that, fullblood meat-goat genetics need to be part of that hybrid mix.

Suzanne W. Gasparotto, Onion Creek Ranch, Texas 8.1.24

Come Learn in Person!!
How to be proactive in your herd management!

Join us at the once a year GoatCamp™ at Onion Creek Ranch in Texas where you will learn from the experts in hands on as well as classroom instruction. (Where no question is too dumb!!)

Taking reservations for GoatCamp™ 2024

Oct 21-24, 2024

FAMACHA training. Doing microscopic fecal counts. Reading fecals.

Learn how to diagnose and treat illnesses and diseases

Nutrition: learn best nutritional practices

Tubing, injections, tattooing, eartagging, handling and restraints

Hoof trimming, hoof care

Necropsy demonstration

Diseases affecting goats

Drawing blood, disease testing

Selecting goats for breeding, market sales

Marketing your animals

Humane slaughter demonstration

Breeding, Kidding, Kid care

Importance of private property rights to goat owners.

...and much more, all on a working goat ranch.

The GOATCAMP™ Instructors

MARK SWENING, DVM - VETERINARIAN, Coleman, Texas Vet Clinic

JAMES MILLER, DVM, LSU - PARASITOLOGIST

KENT MILLS, HI PRO FEEDS - NUTRITIONIST

DAN BYFIELD, AMERICAN LAND FOUNDATION - PROPERTY RIGHTS & LEGISLATIVE ISSUES

BOB GLASS, PAN AMERICAN VET LABORATORY - SERUM DIAGNOSTICS

SUZANNE GASPAROTTO, ONION CREEK RANCH

PAT COTTEN, BENDING TREE RANCH

Classroom Instruction as well as Hands-on Work with Onion Creek Ranch goats on a working goat ranch

TUITION PER STUDENT - $550.00 IF RECEIVED BEFORE 10-1-24

$575.00 IF RECEIVED ON OR AFTER 10-1-24

Registration Form on the GoatCamp™ page at www.tennesseemeatgoats.com

Additional Information or questions: Suzanne Gasparotto - 512-265-2090 (Texas) or email her at onioncrk@centex.net

GOATCAMP™ TESTIMONIALS:

My name is Christy Dalros. I attended Goat Camp™ in October. A few weeks ago, I noticed one of my does was not acting like her normal self. She had recently given birth to triplets and had been fine up until then. I check eyes at least weekly and she had good pink membranes prior. When I checked her eyes that day she was at a 4 on the FAMACHA scale. I immediately took a fecal sample and her count was extremely high. I began deworming her but she went down to a 5 on the FAMACHA scale soon after and developed bottle jaw. I have been so worried but I have run fecal samples on her weekly and continued deworming. I started her on daily iron and B-12. I also started giving her all the alfalfa she wanted for the added protein. I am happy to say that today she had no signs of bottle jaw and her eyes were at a 3 on the FAMACHA scale.

I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to attend Goat Camp™ last year. Without your class, I would not have known what to do. I lost more than 10 goats last year by this time and because of the training GoatCamp™ gave me, I am happy to say that ALL of my goats are thriving. I run my own fecal tests, something I would never have known how to do without Goat Camp™, and I refer to your articles and the notes from GoatCamp™ regularly. Thank you so much for the knowledge you shared. You have helped me more than you know.

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I want to send you a huge thanks you for doing what you do and offering me the opportunity to attend Goat Camp and learn from the best!! There was a ton of new information for me to absorb but equally valuable was to confirm whether or not I have been doing things correctly or not. It was amazing to see how you setup your operation and all the things you had to consider . Since I got home, I set up monthly random fecal testing to monitor wormload. I also have a Jeffers shopping list and a few books to add to my collection. After the necropsy, all the things that I have read and pictured finally made sense. I found that demonstration fascinating and really well explained. The 4 days for information was more than worth the time and travel and you have provided me with more confidence in looking after my little herd. I wish you all the best with your business and hope you continue to educate others, as your experience and knowledge is priceless. Shelley Helmer Canada

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We had the most amazing experience at Goat camp . The information I found there was very impressive. That is one of the best decisions I have made going into this venture. My second best decision is I will be back next year. My brain hurt trying to retain all the info. I will continue to review everything you supplied but I will be lucky if I have retained 50%. My 82 year old Mother was so excited when I explained all that went on she wants to come with us. Brian returned for a second GoatCamp™ and was amazed at how much he has missed the first time around! Thank you, best money we ever spent. Brian & Lori, Rockport, Texas

Click here for more photos from the very successful 2023 GoatCamp™