Forage systems for the sustainable production of uniform goat carcasses

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the current status of the goat industry in the Mid-South and develop production systems that will support a continuous supply of uniform goat meat. Currently there are limited slaughter/processing facilities available that will process goat meat. This is partially due to the sporadic supply of non-uniform goat carcasses that are available. Meat goat production is primarily concentrated among limited resource producers who practice a variety of management practices, resulting in uneven supply with large peaks of slaughter goat availability followed by periods of scarce supply. It is impossible for a slaughter facility to maintain operational viability when both its supply of mature animals fluctuates and the animals that are available are not uniform in carcass characteristics.
On the other side of the equation, goat producers hesitate to expand their production capacity because of the lack of slaughter facilities. There needs to be more coordination between the animal production and processing components of the industry. At the current time there are limited data and resources available to support the small-scale producers that make up the majority of the goat industry in the Mid-South.
Due to ethnic changes in the U.S. population, particularly increases in the population of Middle Eastern and Hispanic immigrants, a significant increase in the demand for goat meat has developed. Some of this demand is related to cultural festivals and requires special slaughter practices for animals according to prescribed customs. Small-scale producers are particularly suited to this market. The remainder of the increased demand from this segment of the population is due to an ethnic preference for goat meat products.
Tennessee and the surrounding Mid-South region is ideally suited to meet a large proportion of this increased demand due to its location, topography and changes in the structure of the livestock industry in the state. Most of the Mid-South region is within a one-day shipping range of over 40% of the U.S. population, primarily along the eastern seaboard, where a large portion of the ethnic goat-consuming population is located. Excellent road and rail networks readily connect all portions of this region to the major population centers.
Much of the land in the Mid-South region allocated to agricultural production is of steep topography and composed of highly erodible soils. This has resulted in the adoption of no-till production on a high percentage of crop acreage, but much of the land would be better suited to permanent vegetative cover to reduce soil erosion even further. Pastures dedicated to the production of goats would serve this purpose particularly well on steep landforms.
Finally, many livestock producers who were involved in the swine industry have discontinued hog production due to extensive vertical integration in the industry. As recently as 1988 there were over a million head of swine on Tennessee farms. That number has declined to less than 220,000 according to the most recent agricultural statistics (USDA-NASS, 1997). The development of large corporate production facilities have made it nearly impossible for limited resource producers to compete. These livestock producers are exploring other opportunities to utilize their skills, land and facilities to take part in the livestock industry. Given the increasing demand for goat meat, along with the fact that small-scale goat production units can be economically feasible, the enterprise appears to be a logical fit for displaced swine producers.
According to the 1997 Census of Agriculture (USDA-NASS, 1997) there has been a 50% increase in meat goat numbers in Tennessee in the last five years. Most of the increase has been on small-scale farms with the average herd size being 22 head. The major problems facing many of the small-scale producers who are emerging as the foundation of the meat goat industry in Tennessee are not unique. Lack of organization and a support infrastructure have resulted in a hodgepodge of production and marketing models throughout the goat industry. Producers have developed their own handling facilities, pasture systems and marketing plans with varying degrees of success. The result is an industry that has not captured the market potential to the fullest extent possible. A goat extension specialist was hired by Tennessee State University in fall 2003, but there is no concerted research program in place to develop pasture systems for meat goat production in support of the extension effort. This project will provide needed management information for dissemination through Dr. Peischel’s extension program.
Given the variety of handling systems in use, many new producers are in a quandry regarding the best handling equipment to use. This leaves them to develop their own system or explore available options with limited opportunities to observe equipment in use. In this setting, trial and error becomes the most common method for designing small-ruminant handling systems. The University of Tennessee at Martin has developed a new small ruminant research/education facility that features state-of-the-art handling equipment that will be utilized to conduct this study. The outreach activities planned for this project will allow limited resource producers the opportunity to see these facilities in use and evaluate their applicability to their situation.
Many new producers of goats have the misconception that goats will perform well on any low quality forage that is presented to them. Due to their mouth structure and mobile upper lips, goats are better able to select a high quality diet from low quality pastures than other grazing livestock (Devendra and Coop, 1982), but will respond to high quality pasture with improved performance. Joost et al. (1990) determined that using rotational grazing with goats on American jointvetch (Aeschynomene americana) resulted in a longer grazing season and a better quality diet than continuous grazing. It is possible that this is true of other leguminous forages as well. Although SARE-funded research in Alabama has focused on taking advantage of the browsing behavior of goats by incorporating mimosa into grazing systems, this approach requries the use of a management approach unfamiliar to most producers (Solaiman et al., 2003). The use of more common pasture species as proposed in this study instead of trees is easier for limited resource producers to implement on most small farms. The study proposed here will evaluate six different forage systems using common pasture species to support sustained growth of goats.
The general population of the United States has reduced its consumption of red meat due to health concerns. Goats are typically considered a healthier meat choice than beef or lamb due to less deposition of intramuscular and subcutaneous fat (Smith, et al., 1978). Goats produce 10-20% more lean carcass than beef or lamb which should eventually result in overall increased consumer demand for goat meat. Growth rate of goats is related to mature size with larger framed goats growing at a faster rate than smaller mature frame breeds (Warmington and Kirton, 1991). A consistent growth rate supported by high quality pasture forage results in improved carcass characteristics and less fat deposition than supplementing animals with higher quality diets after removal from low quality pasture (Allen et al., 1996; Greenwood et al., 1998).
A major problem associated with the production of small ruminants is internal parasites. Stomach worms, or the gastrointestinal trichostrongyles, are the primary health problem encountered in small ruminant production (Schoenian, 2003). The most common approach to overcoming this problem is the use of a systemic anthelminthic or worming program, but this approach is costly and often ineffective due to the development of resistance to anthelminthics by nematode parasites (Waller, 1984). SARE-supported research at Fort Valley State University in Georgia has evaluated a wide range of alternative parasite controls for goats including the use of high-tannin forages (Terrill et al., 2003). Their use of high-tannin forage has focused exclusively on sericea lespedeza hay whereas the work proposed in this trial will evaluate five different high- tannin forage species under pasture conditions.
The economic viability of goat production systems in the Mid-South centers on the ability of goat producers and operators of slaughter/processing facilities to come together so that a consistent supply of slaughter goats are available to support processing facilities, which, in turn, insures a market for goat producers. The goal of this project is to develop goat production systems that insure a consistent supply of slaughter goats while reducing reliance on anthelminthics and nitrogen fertilizer. The production of goats on permanent pasture is an environmentally sound practice for much of the Mid-South where steep topography represents an erosion risk unless permanent vegetative cover is maintained. Further, the use of legumes in pasture systems reduces the use of N fertilizers which can represent an environmental hazard. The control of internal parasites through natural means instead of through the use of pesticides further reduces the environmental impact caused by pesticide residues.
Finally, the successful development of goat production systems as described by this project will result in new opportunities for limited resource farmers, making their operations more viable through developing new market opportunities and reducing their cost of operation. This will have further social impact by meeting a market need of a segment of society that currently is not able to attain an adequate supply of goat meat to meet their demand.