andybob
Well-known member
While many exotics are just expensive ornaments or status symbols, eg zebra and wilderbees, ther are those that have great potential for increasing production and utilising unwanted trees and scrub such as mesquite and willow. Both giraffe and eland are browsers which need only a mineral suppliment and open water to drink (they do not take well to troughs), and without affecting your grazing capacity for cattle, the high quality eland venison has a ready niche market at 6 ft to the shoulder and an adult male weighing 2200 lbs, and the most easily contained of all African antelope, it is worth serious consideration for diversifying. Giraffe weigh 1600-2600lbs, can be kept in deer fencing, the meat is good quality but still mostly used as processed meat, we used it for biltong (jerky), and sausages for the best returns, when all is said and done, cattle are exotics as well
