Hard Lesson Learned in the Goat Business
Submitted by: Rene’ McCracken, Cherokee Extension Agent CEP-AgNR
Since hiring on as an extension agent for Prairie View A&M University in Cherokee County, Texas, I have had the opportunity to learn at least as much as I have “taught” in my few four years as an agent and a meat goat producer. Early this morning, I had the unfortunate opportunity to learn such a lesson the hard way on my goat farm. With the recent deluge of rain and ever increasing size of my herd, coupled with the dismal prices for goats, I like most producers in my county have been holding on to a few more head than my farms stocking rates would allow. As a result, pen space and shelters for goats has become harder to come by lately.
I began the month of October with two herd bucks, and after the results of last year’s breeding, decided to take my lumps, cull the worse of the two and keep only one herd buck. I sold the lesser of the two bucks at the East Texas Goat Raiser’s
Due to threatening thunderstorms and up to 5 inches of rain forecast, I made my first lapse in judgment and penned “Stormy” by himself. My second mistake was to leave the collar around his neck, so that I could move him back in the morning when the rains quit. I know by this point you tenured goat producers and ranchers know the lesson I learned. I walked out this morning to feed and move goats back to grazing pens to find that sole herd buck hanging from a cattle panel with no one to blame but my own stupid self. He apparently had hung the collar on the top rail of the fence and fought long and hard to stay up-right before slipping in the mud and cutting off his air supply. Ironically, it was a choke chain collar clipped together with a double snap that ended his life!
At this point, I began to think back to all the things I could have done differently, and used a few choice words that I was glad no one heard but the goats. Then, I shed a few tears and prepared to figure out how to dispose of a 300 pound buck, which is no easy feat in itself. Up to then I had only lost younger and much smaller goats – this was going to have to be one big hole. I submitted this story not to entertain or add to my misery, but in hopes that this might be a lesson that you may learn through me and not the hard way as I did. Goats no matter their age, type or size, are easily choked or can break their necks in the various ways that you might not often consider. Whether you are raising 4-H or FFA projects, breeding goats, or just have a pygmy goat for a pet, DO NOT EVER LEAVE A COLLAR ON THEM or tied to something and left unattended. Believe me, it is much easier to remove the collar than bury the mistakes! Comments can be sent to me at lrmccracken@ag.tamu.edu or at the Cherokee County Extension Office at 903-683-5416. Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
