2012 study: pen vs. pasture-fed goats

As a follow-up to last year’s goat carcass evaluation study, a larger, more formal study will be conducted in 2012 to compare the performance, carcass quality, and economics of pen-fed vs. pasture-fed goats. Last year's preliminary study showed that pen-feeding improved goat carcass quality and value.

Fifteen (15) male goats will be penned and fed a diet consisting of free choice grass hay and limit-fed grain. The grain diet will be a balanced ration of whole barley and a pelleted protein supplement. The goats will be fed once daily and allowed to consume all the grain they can eat in 20 minutes, after which time the feeders will be removed from the pen. Rumensin (coccidiostat) will be provided via free choice minerals.

Measuring the rib eye of one of last year's goats

Each goat in the pen will have a “mate” of similar size and genetics on pasture. The fifteen (15) pastured goats will graze with the goats participating in the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test. They will consume a pasture-only diet that includes various cool and warm season grasses. Free choice minerals, containing a coccidiostat, will be available.

To do the study, we need pairs of intact male goats that weigh around 40 lbs. (each) at the start of the study on June 2. One goat from the pair will be pen-fed. The other will be pasture-raised. Both groups will be handled similarly.

We would like for consigners to the goat test to provide some or all of the goats for the study.  A fair market price will be paid for the ~40 lb. goats. The same data that is collected on the test goats will be collected on the goats in the carcass study. All of the goats designated for the study on June 2 will be slaughtered.

The study is being funded by a grant from the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board.

Goat Test Survey

If you are a past, current, or potential consigner to the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test, please take the time to complete this short, 10-question survey.

http://www.surveyshare.com/s/AQAM24B

The survey asks questions about the test and potential changes to the testing program.

Thanks to those who have already completed the survey.

The input of consigners is greatly valued.

Early survey results show that fecal egg counts and FAMACHA
scores are the most valued data collected in the Goat Test.

2012 Goat Test

Plans are underway for the 2012 Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test.

The test is open to male goats of any breed or breed cross, with or without registration eligibility. Goat producers from any state may consign up to five goats to the test.  It is recommended that producers consign at least two goats and that consigned goats be half-sibs (sired by the same buck).

Eligible goats must weigh between 35 and 70 lbs. upon delivery to the test site on June 2. They must have been born between December 20, 2011, and March 20, 2012, inclusive. The goats will need to have been weaned for at least 2 weeks and  have received two inoculations for overeating diseases and tetanus (CD-T).  The goats should be adjusted to a forage-based diet.

A couple of bucks from last year's test.

The nomination period will be from April 1 until May 15. A $20 deposit will be due at the time of nomination. After a short adjustment period, starting weights will be recorded on Thursday, June 7.  The test will officially last for 98 days. The final data will be collected on Thursday, September 13.

The goats will be worked every two weeks to determine body weights, FAMACHA, body condition, coat condition, and dag scores. Towards the end of the test, the goats will be scanned (with ultrasound) to determine rib eye area and fat thickness.

They will be evaluated for reproductive soundness and structural correctness. In 2012, hooves will be more closely examined, as hoof growth and health is an important aspect of a goat's fitness.

Proposed changes to the goat test will be shared via future blog entries.

Carcass comparison

A more detailed article about the carcass comparison study has been posted to the web at http://www.sheepandgoat.com/programs/GoatTest/2011/11carcassevaluation.html. The article includes images of the rib eye of each goat.

The pen-fed goats had
more kidney and heart fat.

In addition to comparing the raw data, the article indicates whether the differences between the two groups of goats were statistically significant.  For example, the raw data shows that the pen-fed goats had a higher percentage of lean in their carcasses, but according to statistical analysis, the difference was not significant.  In other words, percent lean did not vary between the two groups of goats.

Differences in cold carcass weight, body wall thickness, percent kidney and heart fat, percent fat, and  yield were significant, whereas differences in live weight, hot carcass weight, rib eye area, percent bone, and percent lean were not.

While the results of this small study showed that pen-feeding increased the yield of boneless meat, the economics of pen-feeding is affected by many factors and will vary by operation.  Next year, we hope to be able to evaluate the economics of pen-feeding, as well as continue to evaluate the carcass characteristics between the two types of meat goats.

Thanks to all the consigners who provided goats for the carcass comparison study.

Read detailed article

Preliminary carcass data

Nine goats from the pasture test and nine goats from the pen were harvested on September 29 by Country Foods, a custom exempt slaughterhouse in Waynesboro, PA.  The carcasses were deboned on October 5.

Carcass measurements were determined by Jeff Semler, David Gordon, Mary Beth Bennett, and Susan Schoenian. A sample of the longissimus dorsi muscle was collected from each carcass. The samples will be sent to the meat lab at The Ohio State University for analysis.

Goat with largest rib eye area (2.15 sq. in)

The goats in the feed pen produced superior carcasses as compared to the goats in the pasture test. While their carcasses contained more kidney and heart fat (KH) and overall fat, they were heavier muscled and yielded a higher percentage of boneless meat. According to the meat cutter, the quality of the meat from the pen-fed goats was superior (firmer) to the meat from the goats in the pasture group.

In both groups, the highest-yielding goat was the Myotonic consigned by Whitmore Farm (MD). The Myotonic from the pasture test had a boneless meat yield of 24.8 percent, whereas the Myotonic from the pen had a boneless meat yield of almost 30 percent (29.8). The Myotonic breed is known for having a superior meat-to-bone ratio. While the Myotonic carcasses were shorter, they stood out for their conformation, especially in the leg.

Hindsaddle from highest-yielding goat

Another goat with a superior carcass was the biggest goat (86 lbs.) from both groups, a Spanish buck consigned by Karen Cooper (KY). This buck had a rib eye area of 2.10 square inches and a boneless meat yield of 28.8 percent.  Randy and Lolli Allen (TN) had two Kiko bucks from the pen that excelled in both rib eye area and boneless meat yield. One of the Allen goats had the largest rib eye (2.15 square inches). The Cooper and Allen goats were also the higher-yielding goats in the pasture group.

Download carcass data
Download carcass comparison data
Download consigner comparison data

Boer buck tops sale

A Full Blood Boer buck consigned by Sherrie Losch (PA) was the high-selling buck at the 2011 Western Maryland Goat Field Day & Sale held on September 24 near Boonsboro, MD.  The 11 bucks that met the 2011 Gold, Silver, or Bronze standards of performance were offered for sale via silent auction.

The Losch buck met the Gold standards of performance for parasite resistance and parasite resilience. It sold for $875. The buyer was Lynda Heise from St. Thomas, PA.  Losch's Boer bucks have usually posted good fecal egg count data.

High-selling Boer buck
(L-R) Lynda Heise and Sherrie Losch

The next high-selling buck was a Purebred Kiko consigned by P.J. Murphy (NJ). It sold for $725.  It was also purchased by Lynda Heise. Murphy is a first year consigner and previous buyer of top-performing bucks.

Merritt "Sam" Burke (DE) was the top consigner in this year's test.  He sold all four of his bucks that qualified for the sale.  His top selling buck brought $450.  It sold to Mike & Rachel Moran from Alderson, WV.  Burke was also recognized for being a five year consigner to the test.

The top-gaining buck was a Savanna x Spanish buck consigned by Janet & Stephen Garrett (VA). The crossbred buck sold for $350. The buyer was Zach Teter from Beverly, WV. The Garretts are first year consigners.

2011 Top consigner and 5 year consigner 
(L-R) Lawrence Burke and Sam Burke

The top-performing buck in this year's test was a Kiko x Boer buck consigned by Luke Miller from Indiana. This was the only buck that met the Gold standards of performance.  Miller also had a buck that met the Silver standards of performance.

Both of Miller's top-performing crossbred bucks are going back to his Indiana farm for breeding. Miller is a first year consigner to the test and a previous buyer of top-performing bucks.

In addition to the bucks sold in the sale, Lincoln University (Missouri) purchased four bucks from the test via private treaty. For their upcoming research project, they required two parasite "resistant" and two parasite "susceptible" registrable Kiko bucks.

The four Kiko bucks selected by Lincoln will be used in a divergent selection experiment on parasite resistant. It will be interesting to follow the progress of this research. Of particular interest will be the fecal egg counts of the offspring sired by the two resistant and two susceptible bucks from the test.

Top-performing Gold buck
Consigned by Luke Miller

Lincoln purchased the most resistant buck in the test, a Purebred Kiko consigned by Craig Adams (IL).  The Adams buck never had a fecal egg count above 500 epg. Its average egg count was 131 epg. The Adams buck was also one of the most resilient bucks in this year's test.  All of his FAMACHA© scores were 1.

Jeanne Dietz-Band (MD) also had a buck whose FAMACHA© scores were all 1. The other "resistant" buck purchased by Lincoln University was a Purebred Kiko buck consigned by Mike & Lori Renick (WV).

Seven does were offered for sale via private treaty. The high-selling doe was a Kiko yearling doe consigned by P.J. Murphy.  It sold for $600. Mark Sweitzer's four Kiko doe kids brought an average of $225 each.

Goats in the feed pen are scheduled for harvest on 9/29

Thanks is extended to everyone who was involved with the 2011 test, sale, and field day:  university faculty and staff, consigners, buyers, bidders, speaker, veterinarians, vendors, and volunteers.

Final test results

Eighty (80) bucks were delivered to the test site on Friday and Saturday, June 3 and 4.  On these days, weights ranged from 29 to 69 lbs. and averaged 41.0 lbs.  After a 6-day adjustment period, the goats were re-weighed.  The weights recorded on June 10 were the starting weights for the test. Starting weights ranged from 28 to 70 lbs. and averaged 42.5 lbs.

Final weights were recorded on September 15. Final weights ranged from 37 to 71 lbs. and averaged 54.9 lbs.  While on test, weight gain ranged from -9 to +23 lbs. and averaged 12.4 lbs. Average daily gain (ADG) is determined by dividing the weight gain by the number of days of the test (98). 

The goat with the highest rate-of-gain was a Savanna x Spanish buck consigned by Janet & Stephen Garrett (VA). The #34 buck gained 0.235 lbs. per day.  His ADG ratio was 181%, meaning he gained 81% better than the average buck in the test.  Only bucks with ratios above 100 should be selected for breeding.

Weight gains, while not robust, were steady, as evidenced in the graph below.  During the test period, the goats experienced a variety of weather and forage conditions. The test site was dry during the middle part of the test, but very wet during the last six weeks of the test period.

Download report with weight data 
Download report with ADG rankings

Individual fecal samples were collected every two weeks.  The samples were collected directly from the rectum of the goat, unless the goat provided a sample while he was waiting to be worked.

Fecal egg counts were determined by Dr. Dahlia J. O'Brien's lab at Delaware State University. Fecal egg counts are an estimate of the number of adult worms present in the goat's gut. They are a measure of parasite resistance. 

The purpose of this test is determine which bucks are more resistance to parasites. It goes without saying that bucks which shed a lot of parasite eggs should not be kept for breeding. Parasite resistance is a moderately heritable trait, more so than reproductive traits.

During the early and mid-part of the test, fecal egg counts were not very high. While some goats had high egg counts, the majority of egg counts were below 2,000 epg and often 1,000 epg.  Though clinical parasitism could occur at lower levels, 2,000 epg is often considered the level of clinical significance for the barber pole worm.  Fecal coprocultures showed worm eggs to be almost all barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus).

During the last six weeks of the test, egg counts rose significantly, as a result of the increased rainfall.  In fact, egg counts from the September 15 collection were so high that they eliminated five bucks from the sale.  Before September 15, these bucks were meeting the standards for parasite resistance.

Three bucks in the test showed themselves to be resistant to the parasite challenge under this year's test conditions. The most "resistant" buck was a purebred Kiko consigned by Craig Adams (IL).  The two other bucks with very low egg count data were a Kiko x Boer buck consigned by Luke Miller (IN) and a Full-blood Boer buck consigned by Sherrie Losch (PA).

Download report with fecal egg count data
Download fecal egg count rankings

A few goats required deworming during the test, but for the most part, clinical parasitism was not a problem during this year's test. The high egg counts from the samples collected on September 15 would likely lead to clinical parasitism if the test were to continue for several more weeks. For this reason, goats with FAMACHA© scores of 3 were dewormed on September 15. Anyone taking home a goat from the test site or sale should continue to monitor the goat for signs of internal parasites.

FAMACHA© scores are an estimate of packed cell volume and the need for deworming individual goats.  While not as heritable as parasite resistance (fecal egg counts), selection for parasite resilience is highly recommended. Goats that require frequent deworming as evidenced by high FAMACHA© scores should not be kept for breeding. Bucks should be held to a higher standard.

Two goats had FAMACHA© scores of 1 each time they were checked, resulting in an average FAMACHA© score of 1.0.  The two most resilient bucks in the test were a purebred Kiko consigned by Craig Adams and a percentage Kiko buck consigned by Jeanne Dietz-Band (MD).

Download FAMACHA© and anthelmintic treatment data
Download FAMACHA© rankings

Please direct questions about the data and test to Susan Schoenian at sschoen@umd.edu or (301) 432-2767 x343.