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ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE => Topic started by: The15thMember on October 01, 2021, 12:20:57 pm

Title: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: The15thMember on October 01, 2021, 12:20:57 pm
We will be butchering our first yearling wether next month.  We've butchered chickens and rabbits before, but never a larger animal, except my dad, who has done deer before, but not for a long, long time.  Anatomically a goat is essentially the same as a deer, and I know several of you are hunters.  I was wondering if anyone had any good tips or tricks to offer a beginner, either from experience dressing game or from farm livestock.           
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: gww on October 01, 2021, 02:41:50 pm
On deer, it is not hard but is hard work.  I do not know how others do it but I hang by back legs and skin and then quarter.  I like having a battery operated saws all.   I then debone.  lately I have been deboning while hanging rather then quartering.  Then I take the time to remove as much fat and tallow as I can.  Then I slice thin against the grain of the meat.  You will see lines in the way the meat runs, you want to cut where you are cutting the ends of those lines so you have no lines in your cut meat.  I like thin cause I fry everything and so I cut slices somewhere around a quarter to three eights of an inch thick.   Wrap in freezer paper and freeze.  It probably takes me 5 hours to cut up a deer and you do not end up with near the meat you think should be there.  I usually take the back strap off first right after skinning.  Make a cut following the spine and then falay off the rib.  Meat slices best when it is almost frozen but still pliable.  I like to lay it out flat so it will freeze faster and more uniform.  I do not like putting in a pan that allows the meat to sit in blood for any length of time. 

My way is not the only way but just what I do.
Hope you get something out of the above.
Good luck
gww
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: The15thMember on October 02, 2021, 07:36:02 pm
Thanks, gww, that's some good info. 

I learned something surprising the other day regarding this topic.  I was talking with my mom about this yesterday, and I found out that this statement of mine is actually untrue.
except my dad, who has done deer before, but not for a long, long time.         
So my dad has talked about eating venison before, he has a hunting vest in the back of his closet, and he used to go up to his friend's hunting cabin every once and a while, so I assumed that meant my dad had at some point shot a deer.  But I apparently have been putting two and two and two together incorrectly for my entire life!  Dad has never actually shot a deer.  He went deer hunting ONE TIME, and didn't get one, and evidently at the hunting cabin Dad never actually did any hunting, and most times none of his friends did either!  The only thing he has ever actually shot is geese.  Who knew?!  So not one of us has any hands on experience with this. 
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: gww on October 02, 2021, 08:45:49 pm
lots of vidios on you tube.
Cheers
gww
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: BeeMaster2 on October 02, 2021, 09:43:20 pm
Member,
I never had anyone show me how to dress out an animal. I trapped a opossum at about age 8 and skinned it. Yeas later I dressed out rabbits and pheasants. When I got a deer, the the first time I tried to hang it be the head. It makes it much harder to do. If you have ever skinned an animal you will figure it out.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: Ben Framed on October 03, 2021, 04:19:15 am
Member gww has good advise on the deer process. Also, you might want to take a look at the topic Topic: "Any wild hogs in your area?" for a refresher.  Meat prep was part of the discussion there. More good stuff....

Phillip




Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: The15thMember on October 03, 2021, 01:56:16 pm
lots of vidios on you tube.
Cheers
gww
I have been looking at YouTube as well.

Member,
I never had anyone show me how to dress out an animal. I trapped a opossum at about age 8 and skinned it. Yeas later I dressed out rabbits and pheasants. When I got a deer, the the first time I tried to hang it be the head. It makes it much harder to do. If you have ever skinned an animal you will figure it out.
Jim Altmiller
I'm not overly concerned about it.  As you say, anatomy is anatomy.  I was just trying to flatten the learning curve, if you will, by seeing what I could pick up from others' mistakes or experiences.  Hanging by the head is a good example of that.  I did see some people skinning like that on YouTube, and it looked much more cumbersome. 

Member gww has good advise on the deer process. Also, you might want to take a look at the topic Topic: "Any wild hogs in your area?" for a refresher.  Meat prep was part of the discussion there. More good stuff....

Phillip
Hey, you're right, there was some talk of meat processing on that thread, I'll go check that out.

Thanks, all!   
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: The15thMember on October 08, 2021, 02:16:02 pm
Along a similar vein, does anyone have any good recipes for goat meat?  Venison recipes would work too. 
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: Ben Framed on October 08, 2021, 08:07:08 pm
Member; Someone here is bound to have some good stuff for you. I am thinking Alen, (Coolbees).
 As Granny told John Wayne after the Indian attack had subsided on the Clampett Mansion; "Where were you John when we needed you?" 
 :shocked: :cheesy: :wink: lol
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: The15thMember on October 08, 2021, 11:46:11 pm
Member; Someone here is bound to have some good stuff for you. I am thinking Alen, (Coolbees).
 As Granny told John Wayne after the Indian attack had subsided on the Clampett Mansion; "Where were you John when we needed you?" 
 :shocked: :cheesy: :wink: lol
I know!  I was really hoping he would chime in.  It's shame this forum doesn't have the ability to hail people with their handles, like @coolbees.  Maybe if we yell loud enough. . . .
ALAN!!!!
 :cheesy:
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: Ben Framed on October 08, 2021, 11:47:53 pm
 
Member; Someone here is bound to have some good stuff for you. I am thinking Alen, (Coolbees).
 As Granny told John Wayne after the Indian attack had subsided on the Clampett Mansion; "Where were you John when we needed you?" 
 :shocked: :cheesy: :wink: lol
I know!  I was really hoping he would chime in.  It's shame this forum doesn't have the ability to hail people with their handles, like @coolbees.  Maybe if we yell loud enough. . . .
ALAN!!!!
 :cheesy:


:cheesy:
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: BeeMaster2 on October 09, 2021, 07:55:05 am
Member,
Just send Coolbees a PM. If he has his profile set to send him an email, he will see it.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: The15thMember on October 09, 2021, 05:58:48 pm
Member,
Just send Coolbees a PM. If he has his profile set to send him an email, he will see it.
Jim Altmiller
I was actually already thinking about doing that.  I figured I give him a chance to respond on his own first.  :happy:
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: Ben Framed on October 09, 2021, 10:50:56 pm
Member; Someone here is bound to have some good stuff for you. I am thinking Alen, (Coolbees).
 As Granny told John Wayne after the Indian attack had subsided on the Clampett Mansion; "Where were you John when we needed you?" 
 :shocked: :cheesy: :wink: lol
I know!  I was really hoping he would chime in.  It's shame this forum doesn't have the ability to hail people with their handles, like @coolbees.  Maybe if we yell loud enough. . . .
ALAN!!!!
 :cheesy:

 :grin:
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: The15thMember on October 11, 2021, 02:31:54 pm
I sent Alan a PM.  Hopefully he'll respond.  Everyone keep up the yelling!!  :cheesy:
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: CoolBees on October 12, 2021, 05:39:11 pm
Member; Someone here is bound to have some good stuff for you. I am thinking Alen, (Coolbees).
 As Granny told John Wayne after the Indian attack had subsided on the Clampett Mansion; "Where were you John when we needed you?" 
 :shocked: :cheesy: :wink: lol
I know!  I was really hoping he would chime in.  It's shame this forum doesn't have the ability to hail people with their handles, like @coolbees.  Maybe if we yell loud enough. . . .
ALAN!!!!
 :cheesy:

Hahahahahaha!!!!!!!! You all are too funny!  :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:

15th PM'd me yesterday - and I happened to log onto my computer yesterday (which I rarely do) - and saw her PM in my spam box (spam doesn't show up on my phone email). I might not have seen it for another 6 months. Some things are meant to be, I guess.  :grin: ... ... ok, I'm here.

I'll start a clean thread for this.
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: The15thMember on October 12, 2021, 07:40:41 pm
Hahahahahaha!!!!!!!! You all are too funny!  :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:

15th PM'd me yesterday - and I happened to log onto my computer yesterday (which I rarely do) - and saw her PM in my spam box (spam doesn't show up on my phone email). I might not have seen it for another 6 months. Some things are meant to be, I guess.  :grin: ... ... ok, I'm here.

I'll start a clean thread for this.
The idea that my PM would have languished in your spam for 6 months just shot a cold chill through me.  :shocked:   
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: CoolBees on October 12, 2021, 08:12:39 pm
Hahahahahaha!!!!!!!! You all are too funny!  :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:

15th PM'd me yesterday - and I happened to log onto my computer yesterday (which I rarely do) - and saw her PM in my spam box (spam doesn't show up on my phone email). I might not have seen it for another 6 months. Some things are meant to be, I guess.  :grin: ... ... ok, I'm here.

I'll start a clean thread for this.
The idea that my PM would have languished in your spam for 6 months just shot a cold chill through me.  :shocked:   

 :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:  :shocked: It's not my fault!! ... I've been chuckling all afternoon - after I read this thread. 
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: The15thMember on November 16, 2021, 10:16:59 pm
So Sunday was the big day, and everything went really well for our first time.  The whole process took about 2 1/2 hours.  It took long and was a lot of work, but we feel really good about the whole thing.  We got 21 lbs of meat (some of those cuts are bone in) for our eating, 7.5 lbs of meaty bones, organ meat, and trimmings for our dogs and cats, and 2.5 lbs of tallow to make into soap.  All told, it was 30.75 lbs of usable material, and the goat was 70.2 lbs live, so I think that's pretty good. 

We did make a couple of mistakes and there is obviously room for improvement in the speed department, but it was a great first experience.  The biggest thing we need to be better at next time is not getting so much hair on the meat.  We spent a good portion of today's meat packaging picking all the individual hairs off the cuts.   

My mom cooked up the tenderloins the evening of butchering day, but they were way too tough to eat, so we fed it to the dogs.  It tasted great, but just impossible to chew!  :shocked:  My sister's goat forum says that was because we didn't let the meat rest, so we'll try it again in a couple of days. 

We got to try out our meat grinder for the first time today, and we got 2.75 lbs of goat burger which my mom can't wait to grill up and try.

So after selling two goats and butchering one, we're down to 2 bucks and 3 does, two of which are already pregnant again.  We're due for more babies in January, so hopefully we'll just rinse and repeat next year!  :happy: 

         
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: gww on November 16, 2021, 11:24:14 pm
The15th
Quote
2.5 lbs of tallow to make into soap.
Sound like more then I got off two deer over the last few days. Didn't weigh it but got about 1.5 quart baggies worth.
Cheers
gww
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: Ben Framed on November 17, 2021, 07:56:22 am
The15th
Quote
2.5 lbs of tallow to make into soap.
Sound like more then I got off two deer over the last few days. Didn't weigh it but got about 1.5 quart baggies worth.
Cheers
gww

Member
Congratulations to you and your family for your accomplishments.

gww
Normally I would not get much fat off of deer here with the exception of one season I was invited to hunt in a huge river bottom behind the Mississippi River Levee in Tunica Ms. Those deer were loaded in fat! I was amazed as I had never seen so much fat on deer.




 
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: gww on November 18, 2021, 02:28:02 am
I have seen inch thick down the back but that is not normal here.
Cheers
gww
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: Kathyp on November 29, 2021, 02:00:46 pm
The other person who does a lot of hunting is Iddee.  IDK if he's really gone but he can give you some good tips too if you need more.  Maybe he'll join that thread.
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: Ben Framed on November 29, 2021, 03:03:49 pm
The other person who does a lot of hunting is Iddee.  IDK if he's really gone but he can give you some good tips too if you need more.  Maybe he'll join that thread.


Yes you are correct. He would be a good teacher: I hope he will help Member.
 
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: BeeMaster2 on November 29, 2021, 08:08:18 pm
I shot a deer here on my property that had more fat on it than my 1000 pound buffalo had and I?m not exaggerating.
My neighbor was feeding/fatting up the deer for almost a year. He was not happy when he found out that I got it.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: .30WCF on December 05, 2021, 10:13:51 pm
I?m a little late and don?t have any domestic goat experience, but antelope and deer are very similar. Those front shanks are the best part. Next time, keep the shanks out of the grind and wear then braise them. Serve in the gravy over mashed potatoes.


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Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: The15thMember on December 05, 2021, 10:22:47 pm
I?m a little late and don?t have any domestic goat experience, but antelope and deer are very similar. Those front shanks are the best part. Next time, keep the shanks out of the grind and wear then braise them. Serve in the gravy over mashed potatoes.
Those pictures are not as related as you are assuming.  We didn't grind up the legs; that's just a picture of the legs, and a picture of the ground meat, which was from trimmings.  :smile: 
Title: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: .30WCF on December 05, 2021, 10:41:14 pm
Ah.
I add 20% ribeye fat to my grind. It?s pretty cheap if you ask the butcher at the grocery store to keep it for you. I sometimes get it from a fried that raises and sells meat at farmers markets.

As far as the loins go, a lot of game meat or lean meat needs to be med-rare, braised or roasted down long and low to be edible. I do a venison back strap on the grill with a coat of olive oil, salt and pepper and a minced garlic clove for about 5 minutes on each side and let rest. It?s pretty ?juicy? if you can stand that but it?s good. I like a spoon of horseradish on the plate to dip into.


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Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: .30WCF on December 05, 2021, 10:42:23 pm
Do you like potstickers? I have a god recipe for that.


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Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: The15thMember on December 06, 2021, 12:22:54 am
Ah.
I add 20% ribeye fat to my grind. It?s pretty cheap if you ask the butcher at the grocery store to keep it for you. I sometimes get it from a fried that raises and sells meat at farmers markets.

As far as the loins go, a lot of game meat or lean meat needs to be med-rare, braised or roasted down long and low to be edible. I do a venison back strap on the grill with a coat of olive oil, salt and pepper and a minced garlic clove for about 5 minutes on each side and let rest. It?s pretty ?juicy? if you can stand that but it?s good. I like a spoon of horseradish on the plate to dip into.
Do you like potstickers? I have a god recipe for that.
I've actually never had potstickers, but I know people who rave about them.  My mom will take any recipes you have for meat like this.  She's never cooked with it before and is looking for any help she can get. 
Title: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: .30WCF on December 06, 2021, 12:32:45 am
I?d suggest buying some good wild game cook books. I?ve always thought there was a similarity between venison and goat/sheep.
These books are kinda high end on the ingredients. Once the pantry is stocked though, you have spices and seasonings to keep exploring.


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211206/9eccfe46fae8246b1b45c8cfd3bf1706.jpg)


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211206/3a91e365d0ec9b754850ee79c8bce8cb.jpg)
 I?ve done the home made wrappers and the store bought ones. They are both good, the home made ones are more fun, but there is a time investment in them. If you don?t want to spend hours making an event out of it, I would stay away from these books. But if it?s about the journey just as much as it is the destination, the it?s $25 well spent on a good cookbook.


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Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: The15thMember on December 06, 2021, 10:53:04 am
I?d suggest buying some good wild game cook books. I?ve always thought there was a similarity between venison and goat/sheep.
These books are kinda high end on the ingredients. Once the pantry is stocked though, you have spices and seasonings to keep exploring.


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211206/9eccfe46fae8246b1b45c8cfd3bf1706.jpg)


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211206/3a91e365d0ec9b754850ee79c8bce8cb.jpg)
 I?ve done the home made wrappers and the store bought ones. They are both good, the home made ones are more fun, but there is a time investment in them. If you don?t want to spend hours making an event out of it, I would stay away from these books. But if it?s about the journey just as much as it is the destination, the it?s $25 well spent on a good cookbook.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks so much, I'll pass that along to her.  :happy:
Title: Re: Butchering Our First Goat
Post by: gww on December 06, 2021, 11:01:47 am
I used to have cook books but now can find almost any recipe with just internet searches.
Cheers
gww