GETTING STARTED IN THE MEATGOAT BUSINESS

Bulletin I, Vol. VII

Selecting and Evaluating Goats forMeat Production

By

Angela McKenzie-JakesExtension Animal Science Specialist

Florida A&M UniversityCollege of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture

Research and Cooperative Extension Programs

To My Producers

Florida A&M UniversityCollege of Engineering Sciences, Technology, and Agriculture

Research and Cooperative Extension Program

Statewide Goat Program

Acknowledgments

Special appreciation and gratitude is extended to Ms. Marian Gibbons for her constructive criticisms and advice whilereviewing and editing this publication. I would like to also extend my thanks to Mr. Gerry Bryant, Ms. Eunice

Cornelius, and Ms. Norma Tillman whose contribution to this publication has been invaluable.

New publications from the “Getting Started in the Meat Goat Business”series are coming soon

Website http://www.famu.edu/goats

This publication is also available on CD

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgment............................................................ i

Table of Contents.......................................................... ii-iii

Introduction................................................................. 1

Production Traits ........................................................... 1-2

Educating Yourself.......................................................... 2

Breeds of Meat Goats....................................................... 2-6

Finding a Reputable Breeder................................................ 6

Judging Breeding Stock................................................... 5

Judging Breeding Stock..................................................... 7

General Appearance................................................... 8Head and Neck........................................................ 8-9Forequarter............................................................ 9-10Body.................................................................... 11Body Condition Scores (BCS).......................................... 11-13Hindquarters........................................................... 13-14Mammary System of the Doe......................................... 14-15Mammary and Reproductive System of the Buck..................... 15

A Final Note................................................................... 15

Meat Goat Judging Terminology...............................................16-18

References.....................................................................19

Notes...........................................................................20-22

Introduction

Whether you are starting a purebred orcommercial goat operation there are somebasic skills and knowledge you should acquirebefore selecting animals for your farm.While visual characteristics are importantparameters for selecting goats for yourherd, there are four production traits thatshould also be taken under consideration.These traits are adaptability, reproductionefficiency, growth rates and carcass merit.These performance indicators can assist youin increasing genetic improvements in yourgoat herd as well as enhancing productivityand profitability of your farm operation.

Production Traits

Adaptability

Goats are able to survive and reproduceunder a wide variety of environmentalconditions. However, some breeds are bettersuited in certain climatic conditions thanothers. For example, the Spanish goats mayperform better in the arid Edwards Plateauin west-central Texas rather than the humidsubtropical climate of Florida. Adaptability, therefore, refers to how wellan animal can adjust to their productionenvironment. Since, adaptability is a lowheritability trait, improving thischaracteristic in your herd may take sometime. It is therefore, advisable to selectgoats that will be maintained under the sameenvironmental conditions in which they willbe expected to perform on your farm.

Reproduction Rates

Reproduction efficiency is one of the mostimportant economic traits in terms oflivestock production. Maintaining good re-productive functions in the herd is pivotalto the success of any livestock productionsystem. Productivity and profitability in the

goat herd are measured by ovulation rate,conception rate, the number of kids born,the number of kids weaned and the frequencyin which they are produced. Therefore, thedoe must be able to give birth three timesevery two years and wean 1 1/2 to 2 kidsper year to earn her keep in the herd(McGowan, 1995). However, the seasonal breeding behaviorof goats raised under the environmentalconditions of Florida, has seriously limitedthe producer’s ability to increase herdproductivity. Does generally come into estrus(heat) from late August through the earlypart of January with the anestrus period(absence of heat) occurring in late spring.This breeding behavior does not alwayscoincide with optimum marketing periodsand may reduce your opportunity to accessmarkets that bring the highest economicreturns. Fortunately, there are a fewsynchronization drugs available today thatcan be used to induce heat in out-of-seasondoes. Check with your local veterinarian,extension agent or extension specialist foradditional information. To improve reproduction efficiency in yourgoat herd, select replacement does that wereborn as twins and cull all nonproductive does.

Growth Rates

Growth rates consist’sof two phases; pre andpost-average dailygains. High pre-weaningaverage daily gainsreflects the genetic potential of the kids,and the mothering ability of the doe(Luginbuhl, J. 1998). Post-weaning average daily gains (ADG) isthe measure of the individual animal’sperformance and the type of management ithas received up until this point. Stuntedanimals are usually the results of poor man-agement during the critical stages ofdevelopment. To increase post-weaning1

ADG, select animals that are healthy andhave the highest postweaning growth rates.

Carcass Merit

Some carcass traits to consider are dressingpercentage, muscle-to-bone ratio and thedistribution of lean-to-fat and fat-to-bone.For meat goats the dressing percentageranges between 40-55% depending on thebreed and condition of the animal. When theanimal grows, the fat percentage willincrease and the percentage of bonedecreases. The percentage of lean muscledoesn’t change much and the legs and theshoulder of the goat tends to have the highestmuscle mass on the animal (Luginbuhl, J. M.1998). With the possible exception of carcasscharacteristics, these production traits canbe easily evaluated on the farm, if the pro-ducer has maintained good productionrecords and has access to a scale (Gipson,date unknown). If these records are notavailable, you will have to solely rely onyour visual skills and sense of touch to as-sess the merit of the animals that you areconsidering purchasing for your farm. To improve carcass merit in your herd, se-lect animals that are heavy muscled in therear, loin and front and hindquarters.

Educating Yourself

Before purchasing any animals, take a live-stock judging class if one is offered in yourcommunity, familiarize yourself with thestandards for each breed and learn theanatomy of the goat to be able to make anaccurate and consistent comparison betweenindividuals within a herd and between farms.You will also need to be able to identifygood and bad characteristics in the animalsin order to deduce which goats can best as-sist you in reaching your production andmarketing goals. As a last word of advice, start small.Purchase a small group of animals (1 buck to 2

25 does) to start your goat business anddon’t purchase the most expensive animals inthe beginning. Raising goats can be quite alearning experience for the first two tothree years. Many times you will learn fromyour mistakes, but the consequences can befinancially devastating. By starting small, youwill be able to learn if your feeding,breeding and herd health program aresuitable for your herd without majorrepercussions. When you are ready to expandyour herd, you will have gained several newskills and knowledge to identify potentialproblems, weaknesses and strengthens inyour business.

Breeds of Meat Goats

A breed is considered a group of animalsthat are genetically related and can pass oncertain characteristics to their offspring.There are over sixty recognized breeds ofgoats that exist in the world today. In the U.S., there are three primary typesof goats. They are the dairy, fiber and meatgoats, which totals over 2.5 million heads.All of these goats can be used for meatproduction, however, with the introductionof the Boer goat into many breeding programsaround the U.S. in the early 90’s, certainbreeds and crosses are now acceptedexclusively for meat production.

The breeds of meat goats that areavailable in the U.S. today are listed below:

Boer Goat

The Boer goat from South Africa wasimported into theU.S. in 1993. Theword “Boer” isderived from theDutch word meaning“farm.” This namewas probably usedto distinguish thesenative goats fromthe Angora goatsthat were imported into South Africa duringthe 19th century. In the U.S., the Boer goat is consideredthe leading meat breed because of itsexceptional carcass yield, high muscle to boneratio (7:1), high dressing percentage (55-60%) and earlymaturity. Boergoats have highfertility rates(200%), matureearly (4-6 months)and are prolific. A mature male canweigh between 260to 380 pounds andthe female between 210-300 pounds. Theyare capable of obtaining average daily gainover 0.88 pounds under feedlot conditions.Boer does can alsoproduce three setsof kids every twoyears with weaningrates over 160%(Casey andNiekerk, 1988). They are hornedanimals withconcave faces and pendulous ears that aresimilar to the Nubian goat. The most popularcolor in the U.S. is a solid red head with awhite stripe extending from the muzzle

to the tip of the head with a solid white body.Boer goats can also have a solid red bodysometimes referred to as the chocolate Boer.Today, the Boer goats are used extensivelyin breeding programs throughout the U.S. toupgrade native goat herds.

Kiko

After two decades of intensive selecting,the Goatex Group, LLC corporation of theNew Zealand developed a breed of goatcalled the Kiko meaning meat. The Kiko’swere selected for growth rates, fertility

rates, early maturity, soundness of feet,kidding ease, enhanced male virility and easeof maintenance. Like the Boer goat, the Kiko

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was imported into the U.S in the early 1990’s.Kiko are hardy, large framed, mature early,have enhanced fertility, more resistant toparasites and have the ability to achievesubstantial weight gains under extensiveconditions. Generally, Kiko’s are white incolor, but some are born multicolored. Thefemale is capable of producing and rearingher offspring under less favorable conditions(American Kiko Goat Assoc., date unknown).

Spanish

The Spanish goat of Texas were firstbrought into America in 1540 by CoronadoDesoto and other Spanish explorers (She-

(ppard, 2007). It is believed that some ofthese goats either escaped or were releasedinto the new country. Spanish goats are not

considered a breed, rather they were dev-eloped through natural selection. Spanishgoats are agile creatures with no specificbody, ear shape, horns, hair and color. Theyare able to thrive in less desirableenvironmental conditions while producing andrearing their young.

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Texas Genemaster

The Genemaster is a hybrid cross that is3/8 Kiko and 5/8 Boer. This breed wasdeveloped in Texas in the early 1990’s. Intrial breeding studies conducted by the

Goatex group. The Genemaster attained thesame average weight at 296 days, two monthsearlier than the purebred Boer goat. In carcass studies, the third generation ofoffspring on average yielded more meat percarcass than the purebred Kiko. TheGenemaster is also more resistant to internalparasites, a characteristics that hasmanifested itself from the Kiko bloodline(American Kiko Goat Association, dateunknown).

Myotonic (wooden leg or fainting goat)

The origin of the Myotonic goat has beentraced back to Marshall County in Tennesseewhere a man named Tinsley came to town

around the 1880’s bringing along his wife,his goats and a “sacred” cow. After a short

stay, Mr. Tinsley left his wife, his cow andsold his goat herd to Mr. R. Goode beforeleaving the community. Today’s Myotonic goats are believed to bethe descendants ofMr. Tinsley’s herd.The Myotonic goator better known asthe “TennesseeStiff-Leg” or“Fainting Goat” isone of the fewbreeds of goats that are native to the U.S.and are found in the eastern part of the U.S.The Myotonic’s in Tennessee are smaller thanthe Myotonic’s in Texas. This breed of goat suffers from a recessivetrait called myotonia. When frightened, theywill experience extreme muscle stiffnesscausing extension of the legs and neck andthey will fall over like a statue. This processwill last about 10-20 second. The Myotonic goat has been selected formeat production because of its heavy rumpand deep chest area. Colors may range fromblack and white to multiple colors. The doeshave been reported to have good milkproduction and good kidding ease (Inter.Fainting Goat Association, date unknown).

Pygmy

Pygmy goats areheavily muscled, shortlegged goats fromwestern and easternAfrican counties. Theywere first imported into the U.S. in 1959

by the Rhue family of California and theCatskills Game Farm in New York. By the 5

1980’s the population of Pygmies goats inthe U.S. increased significantly. Pygmiesare mostly raised for pets, shows andsometimes meat. The mature doe measures“16” to “22 3/8” inches at the withers andthe colors can range from caramel, brownagouti or solid black (Pygmy Goat Associa-tion, 1995).

Florida Native

The Florida Native or commonly referredto as the wood goat are meat-type goats thatare native to the state of Florida. This goat

is not a breed, but has evolved over time dueto natural selection and are possiblydescendants of the Spanish goat. The nativegoat of Florida has no defined color patternor weight range. Florida Native goats arehardy and have exceptional kiddingpercentages, twinning rates, weaning ratesand are quiet prolific (McGowan and Nurse,1990). Birth weights generally range between5-7 pounds and weaning weights 20-25 poundsat fourth months of age. Florida Native goats are rarely seen todayprobably because many producers are usingthe Boer goats in cross breeding programsthroughout the state of Florida.

Nubian Goat

The Nubian goatoriginated in SouthAfrica. It is large insize and carries moreflesh than other dairybreeds. This makes it a very useful dual

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purpose animal that is it can be raised fordairy and meat purposes. The udder of theNubian is capable of holding large quantitiesof milk, but it is sometimes more pendulousthan that of the Swiss breeds. The Nubianbreed leads the way for the dairy breeds inbutterfat production: it produces onaverage, 5% or more butterfat content. Thisis surpassed only by the Nigerian Dwarf ,Pygmy goat and Boer goat breeds, which areless likely to be used for large scale milkproduction.

Because of the higher fat content, theNubian milk has a better flavor than lowerfat milks. Milk production is lower than theSaanen goat and Alpine breeds. The Nubianbreed standard specifies large size,markings can be any color. Black, red or tan,are the most common colors in combinationwith white. The ears are long, pendulous, andthe nose is roman shaped (concave). A mature doe should stand at least 30inches at the withers and weigh 135 poundsor over, while the males should stand at least35 inches at the withers and weigh at least175 pounds. The Nubian is sociable, outgoing,and very vocal (Oklahoma University, 1996).

Finding a Reputable Breeder

Word of mouth is often the best way offinding reputable goat breeders. Talk withother producers to find out where they pur-

chased their livestock or if they have anyanimals for sell. Also, check the internet forwebsites of goat organizations. Obtain theaddresses and phone numbers from theirmembership list to find out who may haveanimals for sell or what breeders theyrecommend. Other options include contacting your localextension office or veterinarian forrecommendations on where you can purchasequality goats. Check the classified ads in yourlocal newspaper, goat magazines or theFlorida Market Bulletin for a listing of goatbreeders. You may also meet other goatproducers that have animals for sell whileattending your local goat shows, field days,workshops or goat conferences. Whatever you do, don’t become so,desperate or impatient that you buy youranimals from a livestock auction becausechances are they are someone else’s culledanimals. Furthermore, don’t purchase anyanimals from a farm where the goats aremismanaged or from a farm that has a historyof disease related problems. Take your timeto find a breeder that raises healthy animalswith good visual appeal and the managementsystem on the farm is exceptional. It is also preferable that you identify abreeder that has maintained good productionrecords. If these records are available, itwill enable you to select individuals fromthe herd that has the best growth potentialand reproductionr a t e s .Unfortunately, noteveryone keepsgood records. In addition to therecords, appraiseeach animalindividually andtake a look at theiroffspring if theyhave any at the time. Upon closer inspection,check for structural defaults, abnormalities(i.e., lumps, abscesses), health problems andmuscling characteristics.

Judging Breeding Stock

Once you know which farms you will bevisiting to potentially buy your livestock,keep a mental image in your head on whatyou think the idea goat should look like for

your farm. Develop a system by which youcan evaluate each individual animal. For ex-ample, stand back at least 25-30 feet fromthe goat to see the whole animal at one time.Observe the animals from the side, front andrear. Look for good and bad characteristicsin each animal such as frame size, structuralcorrectness, muscling, conformation, healthand finish/condition. Palpate the animal toconfirm or disapprove of your initial se-lection. These characteristics can best beappraised by observing the general appear-ance of the animal, the forequarter, the hind-quarters, the back, the head and the neckof the animal.

These characteristics are defined as thefollowing:

1) Structural Correctness- refers to theskeleton, feet and legs of the goat.

(2) Muscling- can be determined byexamining the loin, the rump, forequartersand hindquarters.

(3) Conformation - refers to the combinationof structural correctness and muscling whichrefers to the frame and shape of the animal.

(4) Growth- is a reflection of the overallskeleton size and development of themeat goat.

(5) Balance/Symmetry-describes how theparts of the body blend together includingeye appeal.

(6) Finish/Condition- measures the amountof fat covering the body. External fat canbe measured by a procedure known as bodycondition scoring (BCS). By palpating thespine and transverse processes, the goat canbe assigned a numeric value between 1 (thin)and 9 (obese) to determine fat density. Bodycondition scores can also be used to monitorthe nutritional status of the herd (McGowanand McKenzie-Jakes, 1996).

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General Appearance

Animals selected for meat production mustbe able to move around freely to forage.They must have good depth of body, theymust be rectangular in shape when viewedfrom the side, show superior growth, show

good muscle development and structuralsound. The buck should be masculine inappearance and the female feminine inappearance. Ideally, the hair should be smooth andglossy. Rough hair is generally an indicationof external parasites or malnutrition. Theskin should be loose and pliable with fleshevenly covering the body which helps the goatadapt to various climatic conditions and it

may provide possible resistance to externalparasites. Signs of potential problems includescontinuous coughing, difficulty in walking,diarrhea, mucous discharge from the eyes ornose, rough hair, thin, isolating itself fromthe rest of the herd, vomiting, swollen joints,listless, lumps or abscesses.

Head and Neck

The meat goat should have a strong headwith bright eyes, wide nostrils and a well-formed mouth. The neck should be medium in

length, well-fleshed and blend smoothly intothe forequarters. The jaws must fit well together notexcessively over or under shot. It isimportant to check the teeth especially ifyour are looking for breeding stock. Olderanimals may not have many reproductive

years left and may not be worth the invest-

ment. While you are examining thealignment of the jaw, check the teeth toestimate the age of the animal. Mature goatshave 32 teeth of which 24 are molars and 8are incisors. All of the incisors are in thelower jaw. The upper front jaw consists of adental pad. When the animal is less than one year ofage, the teeth are small, white, sharp andnarrow (refer to fig.3).

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Fig 1. Folded ear (left) and swollen eye on the right picture.

Fig 2. Wart on face (left) and a lump in the neck area (right).

Around one year of age the center teethwill fall out and are replaced by two largepermanent teeth (refer to fig. 4.). The per-manent teeth are large, wide and broad.

When the teeth are half way up from thegum line, it will take another six months (theanimal is 1-1/2 years old) before the animalis a two years old. As the animal approaches24 months, two more teeth will fall out. Oneon each side of the yearling teeth. When thenew teeth are half way up from the gum theanimal is 2-1/2 years old. When the teethare completely up from the gum line the ani-mal is 3 years old and so forth. Betweenthree to four years of age, the adult goatwill have six permanent teeth (fig. 4) andeight permanent teeth in the fifth year. At five, the goat will have a complete setof teeth (8 permanent teeth) and the bestway to determine the animal’s age at thispoint is by observing the amount of wear oneach set of incisors. Around the age of six,the two yearling incisors will be begin toshow wear. The teeth closes to the yearlingincisors will begin to show wear and the ani-mal will be seven years of age. When the

permanent teeth begin to spread apart orfall out, the animal is definitely old (10 yearsor older) unless the teeth have been knockedout. An animal that has its jaws misaligned,or teeth missing may not be as efficient ingrazing. (Ensiminger, 1986)

Culling Faults:

• Bull Neck• Neck to long or thin• Parrot mouth (upper jaw is overshot)• Under shot jaws• Narrow muzzle

After examining the teeth, check the colorof the mucous membranes of the eye andcompare the results to the eye color on theFAMACHA AnemiaGuide. The chart has fiveeye color scores. A scoreof one or two shouldresult in a eye colorthat is rosy red or red-dish pink indicating thatthe animal requires no de-worming treatment. Goats with a score of 3may or may not requireany treatment (optional).However, goats thatexhibit a score of 4 or 5(ranging from pinkishwhite to white) willrequire immediate attention.

Forequarters

Next, examine the forequarters. The fore-quarters include the shoulders, withers, bris-ket and forelegs. The brisket areas must bebroad with fleshy shoulders blendingsmoothly in proportion to the body. This in-sures ample room for heart and lung devel-opment and shows evidence of proper mus-cling and ligament strength. Loose or wingedshoulders may lead to problems in mobility

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Fig 3. 1 day old to 1 year old (left) and 1 year old to two years old.

Fig 4. 2 years old to 3 years old (left), 3 years old to 4 (center) and 4 years old to 5 (right).

Fig 5. FAMACH Anemia Guide

due to insufficient strength to support theweight of the animal’s body. The withersshould be slightly rounded and slightlyhigher than the height at the hip bones andmoderately covered with flesh. From the front view, there should be ad-equate width between the forelegs with mus-cling in the forearms.

The legs should be straight, medium in length,perpendicular to the ground and show evi-

dence of muscling. Goats with large legs areusually more muscular than goats with small-er legs.

Ideally, the legs should move with frontfeet pointing straight ahead and not turnedinward or crooked as shown in figure 7-9.Therefore, goats with strong parallel legsare usually more hardy and agile. Strong pas-terns with well-formed feet and tight toesare also essential for mobility of the goat.This may prevent possible injuries, infec-tions and the hooves are easier to trim. Anydeformities in the pasterns may cause theanimal to become lame.

Culling Faults:

• Posted Leg• Knock or Bowed Legs• Pasterns turned inward or outward• Weak Pasterns• Loose (Open) or Winged Shoulders• Open or Splayed Toes• Malformed Feet

• Enlarged or Swollen Legs

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Fig 6. Drawing adapted from Dumas and Higbie, (1995).

Fig 7. Front legs correct alignment (A). Incorrect alignments (B) toes pointing outward, (C) knock knee and (D) bow legged

Fig 8. Toes pointing inward (left) and toes pointing outward withswollen knees (right).

Fig 9. Pasterns are correct (left), pasterns are incorrect (center)dewclaws are to close to the ground , pasterns are incorrect the toesare open (right).

Fig 10. Trim your goats hooves regularly to prevent lameness.

Body

The ideal goat should a have a long, deep,barrel that is wide from the front to the

rear of the ani-mal. The heartgirth must belarge with fleshywell-sprung ribs.The chest floorshould be muscu-lar and wide be-tween the fore-legs which indi-cate the animal’scapacity to con-sume large quan-

tities of feed and forages and the animal’sgrowth potential. Does however, should havea more angular chest area than the buck. A

straight long, back is a desirable character-istics in meat goats. This indicates the stru-

ctural soundness of the animal. The loin andrump area are the best gauge for determin-

ing muscling in the goat. The loin should belong, wide and oval-shaped on each side ofthe backbone (Dumas and Higbie, 1995).

Culling Faults:

• Excessive Short Back• Sway Back• Roach Back

While examining the thickness and lengthof the loin and rump of the goat, check formuscling under the animal’s point of elbowand check the overall condition of the animal’sbody.

Body Condition Score (BCS):

Body condition score or BCS refers to theamount of fat covering the body. Externalfat can be measured by palpating the spine,ribs and hip bone area. The goats are thenassigned a numeric value between 1 (thin)and 9 (obese) to determine fat density. BCSare a good indicator of the nutritional statusand health of the animal.11

Fig 11. Short rump (left), sway back (center),steep rump (right) and large growth on the back of the goat (below).

Fig 13. Assesing the thickness of rump area (left) and assessing theBCS of the animal. Left pic adapted from Barkley and Spahr, 2005)

Fig 12. Length of loin area (left) and thickness of loin area (right)Pictures adapted from Barkley and Spahr, 2005.

System for Assessing Body ConditionScores in Meat Goats

Thin (1-3)

1 Emaciated- Goat extremely thin; no fat covering the spine and hip bone areas. The tail bone and hip bone areas are quite pronounced and the individual ribs can be seen without palpation.

2 Poor- Goat is still fairly thin. There is little fat covering the spine and hip bone regions. The hips, ribs and tail bone are less prominent.

3 Thin-Ribs are still individually identi- fiable. There is little fat covering the tail head and spine areas.

Borderline To Moderate Condition( 4-5)

4 Borderline- The spine and the ribs can be individually identified by palpation, but feel rounded rather than sharp. Some fat is over the ribs.

5 Moderate- The goat has a good overall appearance. Fat is over the ribs, hips, and tail bone areas and feels spongy to the touch.

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Moderate To Fat (6-7)

6 High Moderate- Firm pressure now needs to be applied to feel the spinous processes. Fat is observable and palpable over the ribs and tail head area.

7 Good- Animal appears fleshy and obviously carriers a considerable amount of fat. Very spongy fat covers ribs and tail head areas.

8 Fat- The goat is very fleshy and over- condition. Spinous and transverse processes are almost impossible to palpate.

9 Extremely Fat (obese)- The goat appears blocky, tail head and hips are buried in fatty tissue. Bone structure is barely

viable and is not palpable. Animal may have difficulty in mobility and kidding. Does inthis condition may also have an increasedchance of having pregnancy toxemia.

Hindquarters

Finally, examine the hind quarters. The rumpshould be long, wide and show muscling, gen-tly sloping from the hips to the pin bones.The shape of the rump is important since itaffects leg set, kidding ease and udder at-

tachment. The thighs should be firm, roundedand well-fleshed extending down to the hockarea. The tail must be straight and able tomove freely to either side of the goats body.The hind legs should be set wider apart thanthe forelegs when viewed from the rear end.This characteristic is a good indicator of

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Fig 14.Correct (A). Incorrect (B) knock knee (C) sickle hock and (D) bow legged

carrying capacityof the doe. Therear legs shouldbe medium inlength and nearlyp e r p e n d i c u l a rfrom the hock to

the pasterns when viewed from the sidewhich is idea for walking while minimizingjoint problems (Dumas and Higbie, 1995).Strong hind legs and pasterns are essentialto support the weight of the buck duringmating. Therefore, the feet must be straightand wide with a deep heel and level solepointing forward.

If the hooves and are not kept trimmed(overgrown toe nails), the animal may dis-

tribute most of its weight on its heels caus-ing the ligaments to weaken if the conditionis prolonged. This may limit the ability ofthe goat to move around freely and to sup-port the additional weight of the fetusesduring pregnancy.

Culling Faults:

• Steep or Short Rump• Flat Buttocks• Poor Fleshy Thighs• Any leg deformities, Cow or Sickle Hocks,• Weak Pastern

Mammary System of the Doe

The udder must be well-formed with goodfore and rear attachments while showing thecapacity to produce milk. The udders mustbe evenly divided and symmetrical attachedhigh in the rear with a strong medial suspen-sory ligament. The doe should have two func-tional (having an orifice-opening) teats. Theteats must be uniformed, free from obstruc-tions and properly spaced. The udder must

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Fig. 15 The widest part of the rear leg should be 2/3 the way downfrom the top of his rump to the hocks. This type of frame hasgrowth potential (Walters, date unknown)

Fig. 16 (A) correct, (B) incorrect and (C) incorrect.

Fig. 17 Incorrect pasterns..

Fig. 18 The kid has white muscle disease which causes the animals hindquarters to be weak.

be pliable, free from scar tissue, mastitisor any other anomalies that might affect milkproduction. Ideally, the doe should have oneteat per udder half. Some does may have

split teats with two distinct orifices. How-ever, young kids may find it difficult to nursedoes with double orifices, oversize teats, orpendulous teats.

Culling Faults

• Oversized Teats• Reoccurring Mastitis• Leaking Orifice• Non-Functional Half of Udder• Pendulous Teats

Mammary and Reproductive System of theBuck

The mammary system of the buck shouldconsist of two rudimentary teats of uniformsize, showing no evidence of an extra ori-fice, extra teats, split teats, bunched teatsor clustered teat. The buck should also havetwo identical testicles. The larger the scro-

tal circumference the higher the bucks li-bido and fertility. The circumference of thescrotum increases with maturity and variesslightly between the breeding and non-breeding season.

Culling Faults

• Pendulous Scrotum• Undescended Testicles• One Testicle Descended

A Final Note

There are several steps that should be takenwhen selecting goats for meat production.This will mostly depend on the productionand marketing goals that you have in mind.In breeding goats, it is absolutely impera-

that they are structurally sound and able tomove around freely to graze. In terms ofscale and size, goats used for meat produc-tion should have a lengthy body and mustappear to have the ability to grow fast. Itis also critical that the animal shows goodmuscling characteristics, condition and depthof body. Careful selection of breeding stockcan enhance carcass merit and the marketvalue of offspring from your herd.

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Fig. 19 Virgin doe with two well-formed teats (left). The doe on theright has two separate functional udders. Milk production is low inthe goat on the right.

Fig. 20 Pendulous teat and udder (right). The doe is a dairy goatwith good udder attachment, well-formed teats and good milkproduction.

Meat Goat Judging Terminology

• Correct bite - bottom jaw must line up with the top dental pad. Some times inkids the teeth are pushed forward - but the dental pads still align. This usuallycorrects itself by the time their first 2 adult teeth come it. Older goats whoseteeth don’t align have an incorrect bite.

· Parrot mouth - bottom jaw is shorter than the top jaw causing an incorrect bite.

· His/her mouth is out - front teeth don’t line up with top dental pad - usually theteeth stick out too far. The lower jaw is longer than the upper jaw. The mouth is“undershot”.

· Correct on his/her feet & legs - structurally correct.

· Tracks wide in the front/rear - walks straight & wide in the front/rear.

· Tracks well - walks structurally correct.

· Smooth over the shoulders & through the front end - wide and flat throughthe rack. The shoulders tie in smoothly to the neck & the ribs.

· Broad through his/her chest floor or good spring of rib - this goat will havea desired barrel shape through the ribs, his front legs will be wide apart, his rackwide & smooth, and his ribs round, not flat from the spine to the breastbone.

· Well balanced - the goat is well put together. All the parts match & tie incorrectly. Symmetrical - not real wide & powerful in the front, and narrowthrough the hips.

· Weak/soft over the top - gives behind the shoulders, falls off behind thewithers. Isn’t smooth through the rack.

· Lacks volume/depth/capacity - is narrow and shallow bodied. Front legs are setclose together, and the hips are usually short & steep. This animal lacks room tohave a large functioning rumen system, or lungs. Does lack adequate space to carrykids.

· Lacks scale and size - not big enough for its age or sex.

· Clean him/her up on his/her feet and legs - exhibits structure problems withpasterns or hocks - usually not serve.

· Weak/down in the pasterns - pasterns are weak and give when the goat walksor stands. Goat may walk on his/her dewclaws if severe.

· Hocks in - cow hocked. Hocks turn in when the goat stands or walks.

· Splays out in the front - front feet turn out when the goat stands or walks.

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• Slab sided or lacks spring of rib - flat ribbed - these animals lack volume/depth/capacity. Narrow bodied.

· Steep rump - too much angle between the hook and pin bones.

· Short through the rump - lacking adequate distance between the hook and pinbones.

· Short through the hip - not enough distance between the hook & pin bones.

· Pinched through the withers/behind the shoulders or sharp through the rack- the rack narrows behind the withers. Usually this can be seen all the way downthe ribs & behind the front legs.

· Deep through the twist - long between the bottom of the anus & where the legssplit. Goats that are deep in the twist have more leg muscling.

· Carcass merit - the value of the animal when slaughtered in the carcassevaluated. Overall thickness and volume of muscle as demonstrated on the liveanimal indicating carcass value.

· Stylish - is well balanced and pretty to look at. Exhibits the characteristics ofthe type of animal you are judging.

· Eye appeal - nice to look at, flashy.

· Good wide horn set - horns set wide apart so not to catch legs.

Terms pertaining to does:

· Feminine/femininity - looks like a female. Demonstrates a “feminine wedge”: islarger in the rear portion of the body. Having a long feminine neck, and femininehead.

· Lacks femininity - masculine looking - short & thick through the neck & head.Doesn’t exhibit wedge shape.

· Feminine wedge - has the feminine wedge shape when profiled.

· Correct mammary system - Udder is functional. Teats are correct size andconfiguration for kids to suck. Udder shows good attachment. Details will verywith different breed standards.

· Capacity - room for growth, support functions including lungs & digestive tract.Also room to carry kids. In dairy goats they also refer to udder capacity.

· In production - in milk or heavy pregnant.

Terms pertaining to bucks:

· Masculine - looks like a male animal.

· Rugged - masculine.

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• Clean front - free of excess hide & wrinkles.

· Exhibit’s lots of breed character - shows the characteristics of that breed.

· Incorrect or immature testicles - testicles are too small for the goat’s age.Testicles should be even in size. No lumps are bumps should be palpated when thetesticles are examined. No severe split in scrotal sack, depending on the breedstandard.

Terms pertaining to Market Goats:

· Finish/cover - amount of fat covering the goat. Goats put fat on two-thirds theway down the rib cage towards the chest floor first. The loin is the last place tofinish.

· Correctly finished or correct amount of finish - wether is fed out to have thecorrect amount of fat covering. Is not too fat or too thin. The goat is smooth.

· Not enough finish or lacking finish - not enough fat & muscling.

· Over finished - too fat!

· Smooth over the rack - the goat is flat & shows good finish over the withersand ribs.

· Stale - past his prime. Starting to put on fat and loose their top. Internal fatcauses a belly, and external fat is evident.

· Wasty - stale. Too much fat on carcass, both external and internal.

· Smooth over the rack - feels smooth over the withers and ribs.

· Top - muscling over the rack through the loin & hip.

· Short through the loin - loin (between the 12th rib & hook bones) is too shortfor his size.

· Short bodied - short from the shoulders through the hip. Lacking in overall bodylength (Walters, date unknown).

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References

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1. Breeds of Livestock. Oklahoma University. (1996).http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/goats/

2. Casey, N. H. and W.A. Van Niekerk (1988). The Boer Goat (Part 1)Origin, Adaptability, Performance Testing, Reproduction and MilkProduction.Department of Livestock Science, Faculty of Agriculture,University of Pretoria. 0002 Pretoria, South Africa.

3. International Fainting Goat Association.http://www.faintinggoat.com/breedinfo.htm

4. History and Development of the Kiko Breed. http//:www.kiko goats.com/index.htm.

5. Luginbuhl, J.M., (1998). Breeds and Production Traits of MeatGoats. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, North CarolinaState University, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. PublicationNumberANS 00-603MG.The American Kiko Goat Association.The .

6. McGowan, C.H. and A. McKenzie-Jakes. (1996). Judging goats forMeat Production. Florida A&M University. Research and CooperativeExtension.

7. McGowan, C.H. and G. Nurse. (1995). Production Characterisitics ofa group of Florida Native Goats In North Florida. Florida A&MUniversity. Research and Cooperative Extension.

NOTES

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NOTES

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NOTES

Florida A&M University is an equal employment opportunity institution, and prohibits discrimination in itsprograms on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual

orientation, or marital or family status.

Author’s Contact Information:Florida A& M University

Angela McKenzie-Jakes Research and Extension Center

4259 Bainbridge Hwy. Quincy, FL. 32352

(850) 875-8557 angela.mckenziejakes@famu.edu

This public document was promulgated at total cost of $505.00 or $ 2.53 per copy, and issued in the CooperativeExtension Work Act of September 29, 1977, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Printed2/28/07.

Dr. Samuel Donald, Interim Dean and Director, Land Grant ProgramsCollege of Engineering Sciences, Agriculture and Technology

Florida A&M UniversityTallahassee, Florida

Dr. Lawrence Carter, Associate Dean for Extension and OutreachCollege of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture

Cooperative Extension ProgramFlorida A&M University

Tallahassee, Florida

Dr. Sunil Pancholy, Associate Dean for ResearchCollege of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture

Florida A&M UniversityTallahassee, Florida