Considering Goats

[Texas Ranch Man]

I have a 5 acre area which is thick with overgrown vegitation and has access to one of the Ponds. I am considering fencing it and putting some goats in there. I figure they will clean up the vegitation, and may add some Cabrito to the menu. Any suggestions on which Breed of Goat would work best in HOT TEXAS during this drought. I planned on one Billy and some Nannies, but do not know how many goats this small of an area will support and for how long. Please let er rip, I need honest feed back from those experienced with Goats. Maybe this is a good idea, maybe not. But I would like your suggestions. Thanks, TRM

 

[Howdyjabo]

Unless you can set up a three pasture rotation where the goats are only on one piece once (or twice if timed right) a year OR you stock really LOW.
--- you are going to run into a worm problem in two or three years.
I mention it because most cattlemen don't understand how susseptable goats and sheep are to worms.It doesn't just set them back- it kills them dead.
Also you might have to trim feet
And its gotta be a really good fence - to keep them in and it can't be normal field fence or you will spend most of your day unhooking heads caught in the fence.. you would think they'd learn but they are like kids only thinking of the moment

As far as the breed-- look around your area and get some from someone that has had them for 10-20 years.And who does very little labor with them. They will be the best suited to your area and been culled down to the thrifty ones.

If your goal is to just have some extra meat on the table-- those little pygmies are tough as nails,cheap; breed like rabbits and make one big meal

 

[Lammie]

They sell tons of goats at our local sale barn. Takes a couple of hours sometimes. We have a friend that has pygmies and they give birth twice a year, twins as a rule, and triplets aren't that unusual. They are fetching good prices at sale right now, too. I don't know anything about them except that they will clean up land. I guess when they do the job, you just haul them back to sale.

 

[andybob]

The Boergoat is well represented in your area. This is the only commercial meat goat, and was developed in the Karoo desert of South Africa and so is well adapted to heat. I used to run them behind a six strand moveable electric fence to controll scrub and to rotate in order to break the paracite cycle.

 

[Carlos D.]

DID YOU THINK OF SHEEP ? I GOT 2 SIX YEARS AGO AND NOW RUN ABOUT 30 WE HAD 5 ACRES OF TERRIBLE SANDY LAND FULL OF LEAFY SPURGE AND GOOD FOR NOTHING . IT NOW PROBABLY IS PRODUCING MORE REVENUE THAN ANY OTHER LAND ON THE FARM AND CLEAN LOOKS LIKE A GOLF COURSE NOW- ONE OTHER THING I HAVE GUINEA HENS AND THEY SEEM TO KEEP THE TICKS AWAY

CARL

 

[Texas Ranch Man]

Can sheep tolerate the Texas heat, and do they need to be sheared regularly?

 

[Carlos D.]

I THINK THEY CAN --DONT THEY HAVE SHEEP IN MEXICO???THERE A PRETTY TOUGH ANIMAL STAY OUTSIDE IN-40 DEGREE WEATHER WE SHEAR THEM ONCE A YEAR BUT AS USUAL. WITH EVERYTHING I SAY YOU SHOULD GET A SECOND OPINION

CARL

 

[Tod Dague]

If you go with sheep use a hair sheep instead of a wool sheep so you won't have to sheer them.

 

[andybob]

Sheep are good so long as you don't have too much woody growth (mesquite). An exelent low maintenence sheep breed you can source in Texas, is the Dorper, a websearch of Texas Dorper sheep breeders will give plenty of contacts.
While goats are great escapers, sheep are inclined to die just to spite you,contact breeders of both in your area for their opinions, and make your decisions accordingly.

 

[Texas Ranch Man]

What Breed of Haired Sheep, would be advised. Are there more than one type of Haired Sheep? Do Haired Sheep taste similar to Goat. I hate the taste of Lamb, while I enjoy Young Goat or "Cabrito". Hey Carlos D, How do you make money with the Sheep? Wool, Meat, Offspring, All of the above? Please tell. I do like to turn a Dollar now and then.

 

[dun]

Do Haired Sheep taste similar to Goat. I hate the taste of Lamb, while I enjoy Young Goat or "Cabrito".

We once fell for the BS that Barbados sheep tasted like venison. WRONG, the little once taste like lamb and the bigs once just taste nasty

dun

 

[Carlos D.]

Do Haired Sheep taste similar to Goat. I hate the taste of Lamb, while I enjoy Young Goat or "Cabrito".

We once fell for the BS that Barbados sheep tasted like venison. WRONG, the little once taste like lamb and the bigs once just taste nasty

dun

YES THE VETERANS OF THE CANADIAN ARMY IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR WERE IN ENGLAND, THEY WERE FED MUTTON (OLD SHEEP) - BOY THERE WAS NO WAY IN THE WORLD --YOU COULD FEED THEM ANY KIND OF SHEEP

 

[Tod Dague]

What Breed of Haired Sheep, would be advised. Are there more than one type of Haired Sheep? Do Haired Sheep taste similar to Goat. I hate the taste of Lamb, while I enjoy Young Goat or "Cabrito". Hey Carlos D, How do you make money with the Sheep? Wool, Meat, Offspring, All of the above? Please tell. I do like to turn a Dollar now and then.

My neighbors uncle raises hair sheep. He preferred Katahdin x Dorper cross for the does and Dorper for the Rams.

Dun

I've worked with Barbados before and just couldn't bring myself to eat the nasty little buggers. I figure if the are that greasy on the outside they've got to be terrible on the inside.

 

[Carlos D.]

What Breed of Haired Sheep, would be advised. Are there more than one type of Haired Sheep? Do Haired Sheep taste similar to Goat. I hate the taste of Lamb, while I enjoy Young Goat or "Cabrito". Hey Carlos D, How do you make money with the Sheep? Wool, Meat, Offspring, All of the above? Please tell. I do like to turn a Dollar now and then.

FIRST OFF I FIGURE 6 EWES =1 COW I HAVE ARGOT RIDAUE EWES .THEIR A CANADIAN BREED AND THEY ARE KIND OF LIKE A DAIRY BREED LOTS OF MILK ,AND THEY OFTEN HAVE TRIPLETS.WE RUN A SULFOLK RAM---I PAY 3.00 DOLLARS TO HAVE THEM SHEARED ONCE A YEAR AND THE SHEARER TAKES THE WOOL ( GOOD THING TOO ITS TERRIBLE CRAP TO GET RID OF) mINE LAMB IN JANUARY --i HAVE TO KEEP THEM INSIDE WHEN THEIR LAMBING BUT AFTER 3 OR 4 DAYS OUT THEY GO AND OUR WINTERS ARE SEVERE.i EITHER SELL THEM AS FEEDERS IN THE SPRING OR GRASS THEM ALL SUMMER AND SELL THEM IN THE FALL--DEPENDS HOW BROKE I AM --I STAY COMPLETELY AWAY FROM BANKS -(LEARNED THE HARD WAY)ACRE FOR ACRE ---BALE FOR BALE I MAKE MORE MONEY ON SHEEP THAN CATTLE

CARL