At 12:07 PM 12/17/2004 -0500, you wrote:
>By meat-type goats, do you mean Boer blooded animals? My take would be
>that full or part-blood Boers would be somewhat hardier in an outdoor
>environment than those with more dairy in them, especially if the meat
>goat part was Nubian.
Anecdotally, and I think real-world experience, at least here in KY, is
bearing this out - Keikos and the old Spanish-type goats surpass the Boers
in making gains on forages. Boers and Boer-crosses seem to really come
into their own when you get into a grain-feeding situation.
Again, anecdotally, the Boers really seem to be super-susceptible to
Haemonchus contortus(abomasal nematode parasites) eating them alive - with
high death losses due to parasitism.
>Not knowing what your proposed situation is, I'd suggest that yes, meat
>type goats would go into the bush and eat some browse in winter, as
>would deer. But unlike cattle or even sheep, they won't be at all
>inclined to burrow through the snow to eat stockpiled forage.
Naturally. Goats are primarily browsers, not grazers.
Louis L. "Lucky" Pittman, Jr., DVM
Veterinary Pathologist/ Dept. Chairman
Murray St. Univ.-Breathitt Veterinary Ctr.
Hopkinsville, KY
