Like any other animal production enterprise,requires that good husbandry pratices be followed in the areas of sanitation,health,feed,water and shelter.These are all important parts of managing a successful goat enterprise.In many small herd dairy goat enterprises,not all does must be milked,so meat is often the main product.Along with meat.the sale of breeding stock from small flocks of dairy goats may be an important income source.This versatility allows the farmer to plan and operate a more stable economic production unit.Meat goat carcasses are generally leaner and more muscular than dairy goat carcasses,and have different proportions.

SUPPORT THE GOAT                                           mikey

Show goats and meat goats are not the the same animal.Should you want to raise meat goats,do not take nutrition or management advice from show goat people.Do Not try to make show goats into breeding stock or commercial goats.Show goats are raised completely different from meat goats.
Independant Goat Producer Region 7 Philippines
mikey

Meat goats-demand far exceeds supply,the USDA will tell you,approx. 5000 meats goats are imported into New York every week from Australia.Australians catch wild goats and breed them to Boer bucks.Companies claim to be able to sell 4.8 million carcasses a year if supplied with the meat.This is only one city in USA,Does not take into account other places wanting meat.Goat meat is the number one consumed meat in the world,meat goats are generally crossbreeds,breed to a terminal sire that being a Boer.
By debbie debbie
mikey

So mikey what would the best meat goat then?tThe name of the goat for us newbies,so I can research it thankx.

Mr Hog,goats can be crossbreeds,a doe bred to a fullblood Boer,makes for a good type of meat goat,one usually breeds a crossbreed doe(native x Anglo) then breeds to a fullblood/purebred Boer buck,this makes a mix or 3 way upgrade.The Boer buck in this case is a terminal sire,meaning all offspring will be sold for slaughter.When it comes right down to it,any goat can be used as a meat goat,People seem to like to have some Boer blood in the meat.Depending on ones budget,one could buy a dam and sire,say both were 50% Boer and 50% something else,bred together should produce some nice meat goats,cheaper to do it this way.Fullblood or purebred stock cost alot of money to start up,have found crossbreds do better( hybred vigor )wise than the fullbloods,fullbloods usually are sold as breeding stock.Start small and work your way up.
mikey:

The effect of breed on carcass characteristics of goats has not been extensively reported.The recent arrival of the meat type Boer goat has sparked much interest in its potential for crossing with dairy and Spanish goats.A study done in England which compares 2 dairy breeds,Saanen and Anglo,with Boer x Saanen goats,all slaughtered at various body weights.The number of animals used was quite small and so apparently was the genetic diversity with breed,readers should be aware of these experimrntal limitations.In this study there were no significant differences between breeds in 8 week weights or in daily feed intake.With regard to daily weight gains,at heavier slaughter weights,the Saanen kids were superior to the BoerxSaanen crosses which in turn were superior to the Anglo kids.Anglo and,to a lesser extent,BoerxSaanen crosses produced superior carcass in terms of muscling.The Beor x Saanen crosses has more fat overall at slaughter weight than the Anglo kids.Saanen kids had the least fat.
By: Frank Pinkerton
mikey

Productivity:
Several reproductive traits and pre weaning growth rate can be combined into a index to give a measure of productivity.Use the following equation.

PRODUCTIVE
Index          =conception rate x litter size x survivabilty to weaning x
                                           365
                   Kidding interval x (birth,weight & pre weaning) ADG x
                                          age at weaning
Conception rate was set at 90%.Survivabilty to weaning was assumed to be equal for all breeds at 90%.A constant age at weaning of 80 days was used in the calculations.The Boer ranked the highest (l kg.=2.2 lb.)
By: Terry A. Gipson
mikey