The demand for high-quality, lean, healthy red meat is one of the underlining forces behind the development of the meat goats industry. With a growing base of ethnic consumers, the demand for goat meat continues to increase each year.
Goat meat is called either cabrito or chevon. Cabrito is from kids harvested within the first week of birth. Chevron is from older kids. Goat meat is leaner than poultry and other red meats, low in fat and cholesterol and is a source of conjugated linoleic acid.
Meat Goats South Africa
If you are raising meat goats, you may have trouble deciding which breeds are best. While any goat breed can be raised for meat, specific types are bred specifically for the virtues most important for producing edible meat.
For example, most meat goat species are bred to mature quickly and put on weight, with little emphasis on producing milk. While milk goats are expected to produce for a long time, it’s preferable for a meat goat to grow quickly and be ready for the market as soon as possible. No one expects a meat goat to live to old age.
If you are raising goats for meat, you don’t need to buy a show goat—in fact, you shouldn’t. Show goats and meat goats are raised in many different ways. And you don’t need to buy registered stock. Most meat producers find it ideal to select a good, full-breed buck and breed him with several mixed-breed nannies. Whatever market you find for your goat meat will determine what qualities you want in the kids.
BOER GOATS
Boer goats commonly have white bodies and distinctive brown heads. Some Boer goats can be completely brown or white or paint, which means large spots of a different color are on their bodies.
KALAHARI RED GOATS
Their name is derived from their red coat and the Kalahari Desert. They have adapted to resist their harsh environment, having their red coats as a means of protection against sunlight and naturally built to resist diseases.
SAVANNA GOATS
The white Savanna goat breed was developed from indigenous goats of South Africa. One of the advantages of these white goats was the fact that the white color is dominant over most other colors.