The commercial production of goat breeds for meat relies on specific varieties of meat goats. These kinds of goats are known as “meat goats” because of their exceptional capacity for generating meat and their primary utilization for this reason.
The consumption of goat meat is widespread not only due to its high nutritional value but also its widespread popularity.
Goat meat is incredibly healthful and has fewer calories than other types of meat (almost as few calories as chicken).
Additionally, goat meat is not difficult to digest. Therefore, a wise choice would be to launch a goat farming enterprise to produce meat.
The growth rate of meat goats is exceptionally high, making them an excellent choice for the commercial production of goat meat.
To make the most profit possible from your business, selecting the best goat breeds for meat is vital.
If you want to start a goat farming business with the primary goal of producing meat, then you will need to select the goat breeds for meat that provide the highest quality meat. Let’s dive into the types of Goat breeds for meat
Goat Breeds for Meat
1. Australian Rangeland Goats
Alternately referred to as Australian feral goats or wild goats, you can find them in Australia. The species has exceptional levels of popularity in Australia, and one can find them across the globe, both in the form of meat and as live animals.
The Angora and Cashmere line of goats were the progenitors of these wild goats. These goats are extremely resilient because they have been subjected to natural selection over a long period and have successfully adapted to challenging circumstances.
Because of the extent of the adaptation and its success, they are currently one of the most important sources of goat breeds for meat across the globe.
To generate offspring with a high growth rate suitable for the meat industry, Boer bucks are crossed with Australian rangeland animals in Australia.
2. Saanen Goats
Milk production is unquestionably where the Saanen shines, but that’s not the only commodity these goats bring to the table.
The meat of animals of this breed is also rather popular, particularly in areas of the world with a sizable population of these animals.
The Saanen valley in Switzerland is where people first discovered the goat. The goat has a milky complexion and short hair due to its genetic makeup.
3. Black Bengal Goats
The Bengal goat is a small-dwarf milk and meat goat with a stout body. It is of dwarf stature. Bangladesh and the northeastern part of India are major meat consumers of this breed.
Most of the goats in the breed have short-haired coat that is black in color, but some of them also have brown, white, or gray coats. It has short ears and a beard on its face.
Mature bucks often weigh between 40 and 44 pounds, while adults typically weigh between 35 and 40 pounds. Both males and females have long horns that are between 5 and 6 inches in length.
Even though these goats have a lower average weight than most other goat breeds for meat, the quality of their meat and their ability to have kids more than make up for it—the babies of the goat three times in two years.
4. Anglo-Nubian Goats
The first goats of the Nubian breed were created in England in the 1870s through the process of breeding British goats with guys from Africa and India to create a new composite breed.
Although breeders breed for both milk production and quality goat breeds for meat, their reputation for milk production far outweighs that of their meat production.
Therefore, milk production and overall growth rates have benefited significantly from this breed’s introduction.
5. Sudanese Male Desert Goats
One of the most important goat breeds for meat in Sudan is the Sudanese male desert. The areas of northern Sudan that people consider semi-desert is home to goats. They are beneficial for the production of both meat and milk.
Some people consider that the meat of these goats is more succulent and soft than that of many domestic breeds you may find in the area.
6. Jabel Akhdar Goats
Oman is the home of the Jabal Akhdar breed of goat. It accounts for around 20 % of the entire goat population in the Sultanate of Oman.
When compared to other goat breeds for meat in the country, the goat has a faster development rate, a heavier body weight, and a heavier carcass weight. As a result, the beef from Jabal Khaddar is on sale throughout most countries in the middle east.
The goat is a golden brown color and has hair that is of medium length and silky. The horns on the back of most goats are medium to long and twisted, although some goats are born without horns.
Goats from the Jabal Akhdar region have an average height of 115 centimeters. The average size of these goats’ bodies makes them the largest goat breeds for meat found in the country.
7. Damascus Goats
Syria is the country of origin for the Damascus goat, often known as “the Aleppo.” This breed is related to the Nubian, and breeders keep it for milk and meat production.
Breeders have concluded that the Damascus breed is one of the leading candidates in this part of the world for being the best dual-purpose breed.
Both male and female goats have a coat that is reddish-brown in color and is composed of long hair. They also have horns that are twist-like in shape.
Even though it is primarily a dairy breed, it has seen great success as one of the goat breeds for meat in the industry.
8. Beetal Goats
Goats of the Beetal breed are a significant tropical breed that people patronize widely in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
Punjab is home to some of the world’s best-purebred goats. The goats have rounded faces and short, glossy coats on their bodies.
Long, crinkled, and hanging down, the ears are a distinctive feature. Beetal provides a significant amount of meat and milk to the enormous populations in these nations.
9. Tennessee Woodenleg/ Fainting Goats
These goat breeds for meat are popular for their ability to faint when startled, and people refer to them as stiff-legged goats.
This is because the goats are myotonic, which means that once they are startled, their muscles constrict and cause them to lose their balance.
One of the extremely limited numbers of goat breeds that may trace their roots back to the United States is the Tennessee Wooden leg.
Although people raise these kinds of goats for milk production, and they are one of the popular types of pets, their primary purpose is to be for their meat.
They are medium-sized goats with broad, muscled bodies and short to medium coats. The earlobes do not hang down on the side of the head in this profile view of the face.
They are wonderful mothers and have no trouble raising their children. They have the potential to have three children within two years.
10. The Spanish Goats
People refer to the Spanish goat breeds for meat as the “brush” goat because people normally use them for the purpose of brush removal. These goats have their roots in Spain, but today they may be found in every region of the world.
Spanish goats contain six breeds; Murciana-Granadina, Palmera, Malagliena, Majorejera, Tinerfena, and Guadarrama.
Although they are still in demand among breeders worldwide to improve meat production and fertility, this breed was one of the most popular goat breeds for meat before the Boers came along.
The Spanish goats can be any color and have short or long hair, depending on the breed. They have horns that curl in a spiral pattern and non-pendulous ears. Goats are known for their resilience and adaptability.
Some of the goats may be polled. However, because naturally polled goats can possess a trait that causes them to develop into hermaphrodites, breeders advocate only purchasing horned goats.
11. Savanna Goats
The native South African goats were the foundation for developing the white Savanna goat, also called the white Boer. The fact that these goats are white contributes to the high price that they command.
Along with the Boer and the Kalahari, the Savanna is one of the most widely used meat breeds in Africa and the majority of the rest of the world.
The skin, horns, snout, and udder of the Savanna are black, and its hair is short and white. The goats prepare for the harsher winter conditions by growing thick, fluffier coats. Their heads are long, have a slight curvature, and have large ears.
The body’s width is about average, and it has a lot of muscle. The males, known as bucks, have loose rolls of skin on their shoulders.
Since 1993, the Savanna breed of goats has been acknowledged in South Africa as one of the country’s official breeds.
12. Kiko Goats
The Kiko is a native breed of New Zealand. They have a huge physique and are great mothers despite their size.
Kiko goats Children develop quickly and are just as adaptable as adults. Although the goats may have a lower body weight overall compared to Boers or Kalaharis, the amount of meat they produce is substantial.
Breeders all over the world have an interest in Kikos and Kiko-Boers (a composite breed) for the production of meat as a result of the reduced amount of supplemental food that is necessary for these goat breeds for meat.
A Kiko has a square face with big horns coiled in a spiral pattern, and its ears do not hang down. The body contains muscles and musculature.o
13. Boer Goats
The Boer produces the highest quality meat, which makes it one of the best goat breeds for meat consumption.
The Boer goat came into existence in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Breeders crossed the native goats of Africa with goats imported from Nubia and India to generate the Boer.
These goats are resilient and have a high ability to adjust to new environments. In addition to this, they have a remarkable capacity to endure and avoid contracting diseases that are typical of other types of goat breeds for meat.
People consider Boar meat to be of the highest quality. This is the reason why their popularity is growing among producers of goat meat all over the world.
Of course, they can be pricey, but considering everything they can do, it is clear that the investment was well worth it.
The redhead and blaze on its head, together with its big, white body, are the identifying characteristics of the Boer goat.
It has short, fluffy hair, long ears, and long, slender legs. The head is strong, features powerful horns, and bends gradually rearwardly.
Boer goats have meaty briskets and well-sprung ribs. Both the back and the legs are somewhat robust in appearance. A Boer goat can produce a youngster every seven to eight months.
14. Angora Goats
Although the Angora goats are primarily grown for their fiber, there is a question about whether the meat and milk they produce are high quality.
It is necessary to skin Angora goats to harvest their meat, which is one of the reasons why most meat markets do not consider Angora goats to be acceptable for use in the production of meat.
Since prices paid for goat meat are on the bases of the weight per kilogram, this results in a significant loss for the producer because the weight of the skin accounts for 10–15 percent of the total carcass weight.
To procure meat, these goats are a viable option in regions where people can purchase them at a low cost. The goats began in the region surrounding Ankara (then known as Angora).
Their long, white fleece, which thickly covers the body from head to tail and down the legs to the knees or even below, was a primary factor in the selection process.
The skull is sturdy, has a straight profile, and has ears about the size of a pencil that hang downward. The neck appears to be average and integrated very well into the shoulders.
Goats with the Angora breed have a strong ability to thrive in free-range environments. However, they do not adapt to cold conditions, like most other goat breeds for meat.
15. The Kalahari Red Goats
You may trace the ancestry of Kalahari Red goats back to two different lines: one line of red-headed Boer goats and another line of native unimproved goats from South Africa. Both of these lines originated in South Africa.
However, breeders of the Kalahari goat assert that their breed is more resilient and hardy than the Boer goat.
Goats of the Kalahari breed are popular for their distinctive shade of red fur, which is a breed hallmark. In addition, they have pigmentation across their entire bodies.
The coat’s dark red hue and the huge ears contribute to this animal’s great heat tolerance. The average gestation period for these goats is eight months.
