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We originally brought goats onto our farm to help control brush. We were renting 20 acres of very neglected, overgrown pasture land. The land was steep, with grades over 30 degrees and the pasture was overgrazed and primarily tall fescue and weeds. There was a lot of thorn trees, downed dead elms and large multi-floral rosebushes. No farmer wanted to bring his equipment in to mow brush.

Dairy goats were the first to be selected, however, we found their large, pendulous udders to be a hardship in the thick brush. Purebred dairy goats also require a higher plane of nutrition to thrive. Spanish meat goats were the next goats selected. We found them to be excellent browsers, even climbing trees to get to the desired forage. But since they are such good jumpers and climbers they are also great escape artists and we found them to be the hardest to contain within the boundaries of our farm.

Finally, we tried some half Boer goats and found them to be ideally suited for our small farm. The Boer goat is rapidly becoming the most popular breed in the United States. The breed was developed in Africa and New Zealand. They are extremely heavy bodied, having been bred solely for meat production, unlike our dairy breeds. The heavily muscled Boer goat is not quite as agile as the Spanish goat so they are easier to contain within fences. They are not quite as excitable as other breeds which makes them easier to handle in spite of their size. Their hide is tough and their udders are smaller than dairy breeds allowing them to move about in thick brush with less injury.

You can learn more about meat goats by visiting our other website: www.leunenfarms.com

HOME    GRAZING SYSTEMS    MEAT GOATS    THE FARM    PHOTO GALLERY

LEUNEN FARMS

PO Box 189, Lancaster, MO 63548

Home: 660-457-2125            Barn: 660-216-0232          Fax: 253-830-9044