Goat farming
Goat farming involves the raising and breeding of domestic goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) as a branch of animal husbandry. People farm goats principally for their meat, milk, fibre and skins.
Goat farming can be very suited to production alongside other livestock (such as sheep and cattle) on low-quality grazing land. Goats efficiently convert sub-quality grazing matter that is less desirable for other livestock into quality lean meat. Furthermore, goats can be farmed with a relatively small area of pasture and with limited resources.[1]
Pasture
As with other herbivores, the number of animals that a goat farmer can raise and sustain is dependent on the quality of the pasture. However, since goats will eat vegetation that most other domesticated livestock decline, they will subsist even on very poor land. Therefore, goat herds remain an important asset in regions with sparse and low quality vegetation.
Worldwide goat population statistics
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the top producers of goat milk in 2008 were India (4 million metric tons), Bangladesh (2.16 million metric tons) and the Sudan (1.47 million metric tons).[2]
Country/Region | Total animals (millions) | Goat milk (MT) | Goat meat (million MT) |
---|---|---|---|
World | ----- | 15.2 | 4.8 |
Africa | 294.5 | 3.2 | 1.1 |
Nigeria | 53.8 | N/A | 0.26 |
Sudan | 43.1 | 1.47 | 0.19 |
Asia | 511.3 | 8.89 | 3.4 |
Afghanistan | 6.38 | 0.11 | 0.04 |
Pakistan | 60.00 | N/A | N/A |
Iran | 16.00 | N/A | N/A |
India | 125.7 | 4.0 | 0.48 |
Bangladesh | 56.4 | 2.16 | 0.21 |
China | 149.37 | 0.26 | 1.83 |
Saudi Arabia | 2.2 | 0.076 | 0.024 |
Americas | 37.3 | 0.54 | 0.15 |
Mexico | 8.8 | 0.16 | 0.04 |
USA | 3.1 | N/A | 0.022 |
Europe | 17.86 | 2.59 | 0.012 |
UK | 0.09 | N/A | N/A |
France | 1.2 | 0.58 | 0.007 |
Oceania | 3.42 | 0.0004 | 0.018 |
In the US
Meat goats are farmed in all US states, although most meat goat production occurs in the Southeast. Texas is the primary producer of meat goats, representing 38% of US production.[1]
Meat
Three-quarters of the global population eat goat meat. It comprises 5% of worldwide meat consumption and 8% of red meat.[3]
Goat meat contains low amounts of
The taste of goat kid meat has been reported as similar to that of
Goat meat can be prepared in a variety of ways, including
Milk, butter and cheese
Goats produce about 2% of the world's total annual milk supply.[8] Some goats are bred specifically for milk. Unprocessed goat milk has small, well-emulsified fat globules, which means the cream remains suspended in the milk instead of rising to the top, as in unprocessed cow milk; therefore, it does not need to be homogenized. Indeed, if goat milk is to be used to make cheese, homogenization is not recommended, as this changes the structure of the milk, affecting the culture's ability to coagulate the milk and the final quality and yield of cheese.[9] Dairy goats in their peak milk production (generally around the third or fourth lactation cycle) average—2.7 to 3.6 kg (6 to 8 lb)—of milk production daily—roughly 2.8 to 3.8 L (3 to 4 U.S. qt)—during a ten-month lactation, producing more just after freshening and gradually dropping in production toward the end of their lactation. The milk generally averages 3.5% butterfat.[10]
Goat milk is commonly processed into
Male goats are generally not required for the dairy-goat industry and are usually slaughtered for meat soon after birth. In the UK, approximately 30,000 billy goats from the dairy industry are slaughtered each year.[3]
Fibre
Most goats have soft insulating hairs near the skin and longer
In South Asia, cashmere is called "pashmina" (from Persian pashmina, "fine wool"). In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Kashmir (then called Cashmere by the British), had a thriving industry producing shawls from goat-hair imported from Tibet and Tartary through Ladakh. The shawls were introduced into Western Europe when the General in Chief of the French campaign in Egypt (1799–1802) sent one to Paris. Since these shawls were produced in the upper Kashmir and Ladakh region, the wool came to be known as "cashmere".
The cashmere goat produces a commercial quantity of cashmere wool, which is one of the most expensive natural fibres commercially produced; cashmere is very fine and soft. The cashmere goat fibre is harvested once a year, yielding around 260 g (9 oz) of down.
Goat skin
The skin of goats is a valuable by product of goat farming. Up until 1849 all Rolls of Parliament were written upon parchment usually made from goat skin.[12] Another populer use is for drum skins. Parchment is prepared by
Parchment is still available today, but imported skins can carry a small risk of harboring anthrax unless properly treated.[13]
Gallery
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Goat farm
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Goat milking
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Pen for goats
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Goating Farming in Nakaseke District, Uganda, Africa
See also
- List of goat breeds
- Goats as pets
- List of goat dishes
Further reading
- Carol A. Amundson (2009). How to Raise Goats. Voyageur Press Inc., U.S. ISBN 978-0760331576.
- Cheryl K. Smith (2010). How to Raise Goats. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0470568996.
References
- ^ a b Qushim, B., Gillespie, J.M. and McMillin, K. (2016). "Analyzing the costs and returns of US meat goat farms". Journal of the ASFMRA.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ FAOSTAT 2008 http://faostat.fao.org/default.aspx
- ^ a b "Meat and Dairy Production". Our World In Data. August 1, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
- doi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2016.04.005.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Milk Goats. Life. Jun 18, 1945. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
- ^ Cramer, D.A. (1983). "Chemical compounds implicated in lamb flavor". Food Technology. 37: 249–257.
- doi:10.1080/00288233.1975.10423642.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Food and Agriculture Organisation (1997). 1996 Production Yearbook. Food and Agriculture Organisation; Rome, Italy.
- ^ Amrein-Boyes, D. (2009). 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes. Robert Rose Inc; Toronto.
- ^ American Dairy Goat Association, adga.org
- ^ Chèvre cheese Archived 2009-01-10 at the Wayback Machine, foodnetwork.com
- ^ Uberoi, Elise; Everett, Michael (11 May 2016). "Vellum: printing record copies of public Acts" (PDF). House of Commons Library. Number 07451. United Kingdom. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
{{cite journal}}
:|volume=
has extra text (help) - ^ "Anthrax and Animal Hides". Allegheny County Board of Health. Retrieved 6 August 2016.