Developing and selecting certain breeds of goats to fit in a market that is cautious to accept anything new can be a difficult process. There are several aspects that factor into deciding which breeds to us in a crossbreeding operation such as the location and climate, what product you want to produce, and selecting breeds that best fit this purpose and maximize profits. I intend on starting a meat goat operation in San Angelo, Texas. I chose this location due to the weather patterns that are favorable to goats. The rainfall in this part of Texas is less compared to other parts in the state. This location also makes it easier to find niche markets in different ethnic populations. The next thing to consider when developing a meat goat operation …show more content…
For my operation, I will be producing meat and hides/pelts for leathers. My reasoning for not choosing mohair is because of the decline in this market with the increase of polyester and non-wool/mohair products. I don’t think the wool or mohair industry will be increasing anytime soon, therefore I do not want to add costs that will not make me a profit. Another reason that I chose meat goats is for the increased demand from niche markets. This increased demand has let to an increase in price per pound of goat that the producers can market their products, and thus, produce a greater profit. In order to maximize your profit, the producer must have goats ready to be sold to the market and ready for slaughter almost year round in order to hit the market during peak times, such as Muslim holidays like Ramadan or Christian holidays such as Easter. Being able to have goats ready during these times depends heavily on when they get bred. Most commercial …show more content…
I have decided for my does I will have them be Savanna, Kiko, and Boer crosses. The reason I chose Savanna and Kiko is due to their ability of being a good mother with most of the time raising twins, being very hardy and being able to adapt to the climate they are in. They also have parasite resistance, which is really helpful in some weather periods. I chose the Boer to be crossed with them to promote the fast growing, meat producing, and good mothering abilities. I also wanted to keep the traditional red head and white-bodied phenotypes to the offspring for the small percentage that can be sold as show goats. Now for my sire, I wanted to select for superior carcass traits due to the market wanting goats that have a greater portion of meat. I decided to with a Boer and Texmaster cross to be the sire for my terminal cross goats I will market. I chose the Boer due to its faster growing capabilities and the meat it produces on its carcass. I also wanted to keep the traditional phenotype for the same reason I crossed the does with the Boer goat. I chose the Texmaster due to its heavy muscle production. This breed will add the production of meat to the offspring it will produce. As stated above, my does will be Savanna x Kiko x Boer and my sires will be Boer x
...s not a top priority. As the meat industry demonstrates a few pros, the cons outweigh drastically.
I believe that I should receive the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo scholarship because of the dedication and love for stock shows and pigs. In addition, it will help supplement the rising tuition cost to attend Texas Tech University. My family's income relies mainly on my family’s unpredictable financial income. Our income stems mostly from my father, who farms. His earnings fluctuate from year to year due to variables that come naturally with farming. Though he is an extremely hard worker, there are times that his cotton yields are low thanks to weather, pests, and other things that can be detrimental to a crop. Farming requires diligence and a family that works together. Thankfully, I have both. Sometimes, however, no matter how hard he
“I wished to frighten the country by a picture of what its industrial masters were doing to their victims; entirely by chance I stumbled on another discovery--what they were doing to the meat-supply of the civilized world. In other words, I aimed at the public’s heart, and by accident hit it in the stomach” (Bloom). With the publication of a single book, Upton Sinclair found himself as a worldwide phenomenon overnight. He received worldwide response to his novel and invitations to lectures all over the world including one to the White House by President Roosevelt. In late 1904, the editor of the Appeal to Reason, a socialist magazine sent Sinclair to Chicago to tell the story of the poor common workingmen and women unfairly enslaved by the vast monopolistic enterprises. He found that he could go anywhere in the stockyards provided that he “[wore] old clothes… and [carried] a workman’s dinner pail”. Sinclair spent seven weeks in Chicago living among and interviewing the Chicago workers; studying conditions in the packing plants. Along with collecting more information for his novel, Sinclair came upon another discovery--the filth of improper sanitation and the processing of spoiled meat. With the publishing of his novel, Sinclair received international response to its graphic descriptions of the packinghouses. The book is said to have decreased America’s meat consumption for decades and President Roosevelt, himself, reportedly threw his breakfast sausages out his window after reading The Jungle. However, Sinclair classified the novel as a failure and blamed himself for the public’s misunderstanding. Sinclair’s main purpose for writing the book was to improve the working conditions for the Chicago stockyard workers. Sinclair found it...
From a financial and marketing standpoint, the effects have been catastrophic. In some areas, milk production has decreased by an average of two liters daily and calving index (efficiency at which new calves are produced) went down by an average of twenty days (Davies NP). Th...
The American horse racing industry has been admired by generations upon generations. Although it is a very cherished sport, like any other sport, there are many issues involved. The major issue that I find is that many owners make the decision to breed when there are other solutions. The Jockey Club, also known as the head council for the American Horse Racing Industry, should be addressing the major issue of overbreeding in the American horse racing industry.
Speed, in a word, or, in the industry’s preferred term, “efficiency.” Cows raised on grass simply take longer to reach slaughter weight than cows raised on a richer diet, and for a half a century now the industry has devoted itself to shortening a beef animal’s allotted span on earth… what gets a steer from 80 to 1,100 pounds in fourteen months is tremendous quantities of corn, protein and fat supplements, and an arsenal of new drugs. (71)
It can also be a cross between a Brahman bull and a Hereford cow. The Braford is a breed of beef cattle. The make up of a Braford is ⅜ Brahman and ⅝ Hereford. A true Braford meets those standards, but a cow that is ½ Brahman and ½ Hereford cross is know as F1 Brafords or F1 Baldies. Braford cattle carry the characteristics of both parents. The Braford can be red or black with white underbellies, heads, and feet, like a Hereford. The Braford is stockier than the Hereford, getting that characteristic from the Brahman. The Braford also gets the characteristics of loose skin and a small hump from the Brahman. Brafords are mostly used for beef, but sometimes they are used for rodeo. Brafords were developed in both Australia in 1946 and in Florida in 1947. Brafords have heat and insect resistance due to the increased number of sweat glands and oily skin inherited from their Brahman heritage. Brafords have been known to be of an ornery disposition, though this could be due to their raising. This predisposition toward being difficult is still being debated. Brafords are often used in rodeos because of their massive bulk and bone density, heat endurance, hardiness, and arguably their ornery disposition. Brafords do very well in warm climates. Brafords have also been raised in northern climates. They seem to do well there too, most likely due to their great bulk. Brafords have a rarity of getting blight, pink eye, eye cancer, and getting
Ray, Margaret. "Advertising and Pricing Policies in the Equine Breeding Industry or Sex and the Single Stallion."Applied Economics. 23.4 (1991): 755-762. Print.
Such products include vaccines, medications, and antibiotics to support healthy and consistent herds of beef producing cattle. It segments the market into three distinct categories. Hobbyists herd less than 100 cows; Traditionalists commonly carry between 100 to 499, and businesses are working with 500 or more. (Mohr, 1999) Time spent in the field with the ranchers was allocated based on the volume of product purchased by each individual.
Dairy Cows have been used by humans for thousands of years for their milk and meat, they were domesticated around 8,500 years ago and were introduced into New Zealand in around 1814. Since then cows have made a massive impact of the economy and meat & Dairy production. Today there are around 1.3 Billion cows worldwide. Left to live naturally, they live to between 15—20 years old. To live and produce good milk, Dairy cows require fresh grass and air. They function best living in open areas in small packs, as it allows them to be relaxed and stay reasonably fit. “Dairy cattle at all stages of their lives require food which is adequate to maintain their health, vigour,satisfactory growth, production and reproduction...The provision of an adequate supply of water is critical for maintaining dairy cattle health and welfare. The way in which daily water requirements are supplied varies between farms. Different classes of dairy cattle have wide variations for water needs during the year which, if not adequately fulfilled, can lead to rapid deterioration of animal health and welfare.”- Code of dairy cattle welfare issued under the animal welfare act 2010. Over time cows were used both for meat and milk, however, farmers found that specialising them and growing larger udders would be more of a benefit in milk production than trying to maintain their health to produce both. In 2006 New Zealand’s dairy cows produced 15,000 tonnes of milk. In the same year, we drank 90.0 Litres of Milk, 7.1 kgs of Cheese and 6.3 kgs of Cheese (per person, average). Overtime New Zealand diary cows have thrived in the climate and now the New Zealand owned dairy company, Fontera is one of the worlds largest companies. One of the main welfare issues with dairy c...
British Charolais Cattle Society. (2012). Charolais. Retrieved December 10, 2013, from British Charolais Cattle Society: http://www.charolais.co.uk/
The chart below shows the comparison between silage, concentrates and grazed grass. It proves that grass is the cheapest feed available.
Canadian beef supply is dependant on various production costs, weather conditions, interest rates, and the size of the Canadian cowherd.
and also supply lamb to local butchers. This can sometimes prove to be a costly enterprise for
The goats need their hair cut short so the look fresher to the judge and it's a rule at most fairs that the goats be shave a certain length. So whenever their hair is super short they can easy get sunburned just like a guy's head once it's been shaved. In order to keep the goats from getting sun burnt we put little coats to protect them just like how guys where hats.