World Goat News:

[mikey]

By Peter Michael
April 07, 2009 12:00am

A CASTAWAY cattle dog has been reunited with her owners after surviving four months on a tropical north Queensland island eating goats and koalas.

In a miraculous tale of survival, owner Jan Griffith said the family pet and "indoor" dog was making world headlines after her emotional homecoming.

"People are just like 'wow'," Ms Griffith, of Mackay, said yesterday.

"We wish she could talk, we really do."

Sophie Tucker, a four-year-old blue heeler, had disappeared feared dead when she was washed overboard in choppy seas during a family boat trip last November.

But unseen by her devastated owners, who searched two days for their pet, the hardy hound swam five nautical miles to nearby Keswick Island, near Mackay.

"We hit a rough patch and when we turned around the dog was gone," Ms Griffith said. "We searched for her for ages, it was terrible, we were convinced she had drowned."

The canine castaway was last week reunited with family after rangers trapped what they thought was a wild dog.

"She had become quite wild and vicious," Ms Griffith said. "She wouldn't let anyone go near her or touch her."

Sophie Tucker, named after a famous 1900s vaudeville artist, had been spotted "in very poor condition" by a family on Keswick Island and then by a caretaker on St Bees island.

"It's the blue cattle dog thing, extreme loyalty, she could have gone to those people and gone on to have a nice life," Ms Griffith said. "But clearly she was not going to be anybody else's dog but ours.

"She was seen on St Bees looking pretty poor and then all of a sudden she started to look good and that was when they discovered she was eating wild baby goats."

Marine Park rangers also reported she had been hunting koalas.

Ms Griffith said blue heelers had been crossed with dingoes to make them "tougher" and her family pet had reverted to her basic instincts.

They heard rangers had trapped a wild dog and met them at Mackay harbour last Tuesday.

"She was quite vicious in the cage but apparently relaxed as they came into harbour," Ms Griffith said.

"When we called her she started whimpering and banging the cage.

"They let her out and she just about flattened us.

"And at that point there was not a dry eye in the house.

"She gave each of us a slurp on cheek and has slotted back into life with us like you would not believe."

Yesterday, the celebrity survivor pooch enjoyed her usual diet of mince and dog biscuits before taking the family on an afternoon walk.

 

[mikey]

SHEEP:

TERMINAL SLAUGHTER SHEEP- Wednesday Apr 29, 2009. There are no estimated slaughter sheep on offer this morning in Terminal Markets.

SIOUX FALLS, SD SLAUGHTER SHEEP & GOAT CLOSE- Tuesday Apr 28, 2009. Receipts: Sheep 397; Goats 26. Due to light receipts of slaughter lambs last week, a meaningful trend not possible; however, on a light test a sharply higher undertone noted. Compared to last week Good grade slaughter ewes sold 2.00-3.00 higher, while the Utility and Cull grades sold 2.00-3.00 lower. Today's offering of New Crop feeder lambs sold mixed. A consignment of 43 lbs sold dollars higher. The other weights sold with a lower undertone noted. Today's receipts about 10 percent slaughter lambs; 40 percent slaughter ewes; 40 percent feeder lambs and the balance was bucks and misc. sheep. Buyer attendance good with good to very good demand.

Slaughter Lambs: Wooled Choice and Prime 2-3 120-130 lbs (123) 111.86; pkg 140 lbs 110.00. Wooled Choice 1-2 pkg guant 100 lbs 116.50.

Slaughter Ewes: Good 1-3 fleshy 160-175 lbs (165) 41.56. Good 2-3 fleshy 130-150 lbs (140) 35.81; pkg 175 lbs 39.00. Good 2-4 fleshy pkg 195 lbs 35.44; 200-220 lbs (211) 32.43. Utility and Good 1-3 Medium Flesh and Fleshy 160-200 lbs (169) 25.25. Cull and Utility 1-2 Thin and Medium Flesh 135-155 lbs (145) 21.00. Ewes Cull 1 thin 120-135 lbs (130) 10.52.

Feeder Lambs: Medium and Large 1-2 pkg 45 lbs 152.00; pkg 55 lbs 124.35; pkg 75 lbs 125.00; pkg 85 lbs 111.00; pkg 100 lbs 105.57. Medium and Large 2 pkg 85 lbs 101.00.

Slaughter Kids: Selection 1 pkg 55 lbs 167.00; pkg 60 lbs 140.00.

Slaughter Nannies/Does: Selection 1 pkg 120 lbs 59.50.

NATIONAL SHEEP SUMMARY- Tuesday Apr 28, 2009. At New Holland, PA slaughter lambs were 2.00-4.00 lower and slaughter ewes were steady to 2.00 lower. At San Angelo, TX heavy slaughter lambs not well tested; light slaughter lambs 15.00- 20.00 higher; slaughter ewes 3.00-5.00 lower; feeder lambs not tested. 3,600 head estimated for the one day sale.

ESTIMATED SHEEP SLAUGHTER UNDER FEDERAL INSPECTION: (Mon-Tue) Week to Date 17,000; Last Week 18,000; Year Ago 16,000.

CARLOT LAMB CARCASS- Tuesday Apr 28, 2009. 0 hd (Prices bases on Weighted Average) ..Today's trades not reportable because they did not meet the 3/70/20 guideline for carcass lambs. Below is the last reported market as of 4/27/2009...

SOURCE: USDA- MO Dept of AG Market News Service, St.

[mikey]

Goat price boost for SA
MIRANDA KENNY
18/05/2009 10:39:00 AM
GOAT prices are set to rise in South Australia as a new buyer looks to consolidate sale averages.
A collaboration between an Adelaide livestock buying company and a Victorian abattoir will see up to 7000 goats bought weekly from SA and neighbouring States.

Leonard Livestock director Paul Leonard and goat buyer Alick Scott will be in charge of SA sales, with goats being processed at Cedar Meats' Brooklyn, Vic, abattoir.

Mr Leonard said current over-the-hooks goat prices were set at $1.70 a kilogram for goats at 10-16kg carcase weight, and $1.80/kg for goats at 16kgcw-plus.

A shortage of sheep had meant he had to use goats as another option to fill kill space, but he intended to be in the goat market for the long-term.

"There is a real shortage of mutton at the moment and it's going to take five to six years for sheep numbers to build up again," he said.

"There is room for us to be here, and demand from SA producers. I think we've already had a positive effect on the market ? prices have already risen 20-30c/kg."

He planned to concentrate on buying mutton and goats, because light-medium weight mutton and goatmeat mostly sold to the same overseas markets in Mexico, the Middle East and the Caribbean.

* Extract from a full report in Stock Journal, May 14 issue.