Meat Goat Finishing Study Update

We will be moving the goats to our Sheep Management Center to continue the trial.  This is an elevated feeding facility that promotes animal health by limiting parasite problems.  This will allow us to finish the trial in a timely manner!  The goats will still be on the same dietary treatments, forage only and the forage + grain treatment.  Pictures will be posted once the goats are moved into the other facility!

NCMGA Quarterly Membership Meeting at Chico State

On September 12, 2009, over 60 participants attended the quarterly meeting for the Northern California Meat Goat Association membership.  It was an outstanding meeting!  The membership explored marketing options and educational opportunities and learned a bit about goat meat and grading carcasses.   The day wrapped up with a tour of the Chico State Sheep and Goat Unit.

For more information about this group – visit their website at http://www.northerncaliforniameatgoatassociation.com/

Having fun at the quarterly NCMGA meeting

Producers touring the unit

NDMGA members touring the Chico State Sheep and Goat Unit

More discussion on meat goat grading!

Meat goat producers learning about goat carcass grading

Photos from Weigh Day 8/28

Students from the Animal Nutrition class are helping weigh today!

More students helping!

Had a couple that needed some treatment - Chico State students helping out.

Student moving electric fence

Weigh Day – 8/28/09

Goats were weighed today.  Currently the goats have officially been on test for 56 days.  We are getting closer to harvest on some and will keep you notified as to when animals will be ready.  The ADG reported is for the entire 56 days.

CSC ID	Gender	Trt	WT 1	WT 5	ADG
1	W	1	45	45	0.00
2	W	2	46	59	0.23
3	W	1	52	60	0.14
4	W	2	60	71	0.20
5	W	1	47	55	0.14
6	W	2	55	57	0.04
7	W	1	67	70	0.05
8	W	2	50	65	0.27
9	W	1	50	59	0.16
10	W	2	42	60	0.32
11	W	1	35	44	0.16
12	W	2	60	65	0.09
13	W	1	63	64	0.02
14	D	2	47	58	0.20
15	D	1	48	60	0.21
16	W	2	56	72	0.29
17	W	1	47	44	-0.05
18	W	2	55	61	0.11
19	W	1	47	65	0.32
20	W	2	45	62	0.30
21	W	1	55	58	0.05
22	D	2	56	72	0.29
23	D	1	47	51	0.07
24	D	2	53	62	0.16
25	W	1	55	59	0.07
26	W	2	46	55	0.16
27	W	1	50	50	0.00
28	W	2	48	59	0.20
29	W	1	48	47	-0.02
30	W	2	53	67	0.25
31	W	1	47	52	0.09
32	W	2	52	62	0.18
33	W	1	61	66	0.09
34	W	2	55	64	0.16
35	W	1	54	64	0.18
36	W	2	57	75	0.32
37	W	1	51	56	0.09
38	D	2	51	60	0.16
39	D	1	44	50	0.11
40	W	2	43	46	0.05
41	W	1	44	.	.
42	W	2	53	53	0.00
43	W	1	50	57	0.13
44	W	2	49	56	0.13
45	W	1	56	65	0.16
46	D	2	44	54	0.18
47	W	1	62	63	0.02
48	W	2	64	76	0.21
49	W	1	45	55	0.18
50	W	2	44	57	0.23
51	D	1	51	57	0.11
52	D	2	51	62	0.20
53	D	1	42	46	0.07
54	D	2	46	56	0.18
56	W	2	42	52	0.18
58	W	1	37	38	0.02

Pictures from 8/14/09 – Meat Goat Study

Here are some pictures of the treatment groups.

Just an overview of some of the goats at the CSUC Farm

Some of the goats from the forage + grain group exploring the field.

Forage only group out on their new pasture

An example of the pasture the goats are grazing

42 Day Meat Goat Finishing Study Update

The goats are doing well!  Gains are up and animals are looking great.  Feel free to scroll down our posts and take a look at how these compare to the last weigh periods.

	Avg Wt 8/14	ADG Past 14 Days	Total Gain (42 Days)	Total ADG (42 Days)
Forage Only	56.41	0.20	6.19	0.15
Forage + Grain	60.46	0.36	9.64	0.23

Below is all the individual performance data for all animals.   This includes the last period (WT 4 and ADG 3) as well as total trial gains.  Today is day 42 of the project.  Animals will begin reaching the target ending weight of about 80-85 lbs within the next month.

CSC ID	Trt	WT 4	ADG 3	Period Gain	Total Gain	Total ADG
1	Forage	45	0	0	0	0.00
2	For + Grain	55	0.21	3	9	0.21
3	Forage	60	0.14	2	8	0.19
4	For + Grain	70	0.43	6	10	0.24
5	Forage	54	0.14	2	7	0.17
6	For + Grain	59	0.43	6	4	0.10
7	Forage	72	0.07	1	5	0.12
8	For + Grain	64	0.29	4	14	0.33
9	Forage	61	0.36	5	11	0.26
10	For + Grain	57	0.29	4	15	0.36
11	Forage	42	0.14	2	7	0.17
12	For + Grain	70	0.29	4	10	0.24
13	Forage	64	0	0	1	0.02
14	For + Grain	59	0.36	5	12	0.29
15	Forage	57	0.21	3	9	0.21
16	For + Grain	69	0.5	7	13	0.31
17	Forage	45	0.21	3	-2	-0.05
18	For + Grain	60	0.21	3	5	0.12
19	Forage	67	0.5	7	20	0.48
20	For + Grain	60	0.43	6	15	0.36
21	Forage	61	0.36	5	6	0.14
22	For + Grain	70	0.43	6	14	0.33
23	Forage	56	0.29	4	9	0.21
24	For + Grain	61	0.21	3	8	0.19
25	Forage	61	0.14	2	6	0.14
26	For + Grain	51	0	0	5	0.12
27	Forage	51	0	0	1	0.02
28	For + Grain	59	0.29	4	11	0.26
29	Forage	50	0.07	1	2	0.05
30	For + Grain	66	0.43	6	13	0.31
31	Forage	55	0.21	3	8	0.19
32	For + Grain	61	0.64	9	9	0.21
33	Forage	68	0.36	5	7	0.17
34	For + Grain	59	0.14	2	4	0.10
35	Forage	67	0.29	4	13	0.31
36	For + Grain	75	0.57	8	18	0.43
37	Forage	55	0.14	2	4	0.10
38	For + Grain	59	0.57	8	8	0.19
39	Forage	49	0.29	4	5	0.12
40	For + Grain	46	0.21	3	3	0.07
41	Forage	.	.	.	.	.
42	For + Grain	54	0.36	5	1	0.02
43	Forage	59	0.21	3	9	0.21
44	For + Grain	55	0.21	3	6	0.14
45	Forage	64	0.36	5	8	0.19
46	For + Grain	56	0.43	6	12	0.29
47	Forage	64	0.29	4	2	0.05
48	For + Grain	76	0.5	7	12	0.29
49	Forage	52	0.14	2	7	0.17
50	For + Grain	52	0.36	5	8	0.19
51	Forage	58	0.14	2	7	0.17
52	For + Grain	60	0.29	4	9	0.21
53	Forage	46	0.21	3	4	0.10
54	For + Grain	56	0.43	6	10	0.24
56	For + Grain	54	0.43	6	12	0.29
58	Forage	40	0.07	1	3	0.07

Preg Checked Today!

We preg checked our ewes today – we will have about 50 ewes lambing in October and November!  This is about 15 more ewes than we have had the past couple of falls!  We are excited – more lambs for May/June fairs.

Meat Goat Project Update

We will be moving the goats to “greener pastures” early this week…they are doing well and all animals are up and eating.  We will be weighing this Friday and I will be posting the data over the weekend.

Feeding Update

The goats have been grazing well, we rotate them every 5 to 7 days depending on how much feed is available.  The Forage + Grain group is going to get a little bit more grain – keeping to 1% of their body weight.  The goats like the Bar Ale Western Sweet Goat Mineral!

Meat Goat Finishing Study Update

We have completed our second 14 d period of the project.  Here is the averages for the project, to date:

	Average Wt July 31	ADG           (past 14 d)	ADG        (entire 28 d)
Forage Only	53.63	0.27	0.12
Forage + Grain	55.50	0.20	0.17

For those that have animals in the trial, below is all the individual performance data:

			7/31		28 days
CSC ID	Gender	Trt	WT 3	ADG 2	Total ADG
1	W	Forage Only	45	0.07	0.00
2	W	Forage + Grain	52	0.21	0.21
3	W	Forage Only	58	0.29	0.21
4	W	Forage + Grain	64	0.21	0.14
5	W	Forage Only	52	0.57	0.18
6	W	Forage + Grain	53	0.21	-0.07
7	W	Forage Only	71	0.29	0.14
8	W	Forage + Grain	60	0.14	0.36
9	W	Forage Only	56	0.50	0.21
10	W	Forage + Grain	53	0.43	0.39
11	W	Forage Only	40	0.21	0.18
12	W	Forage + Grain	66	-0.07	0.21
13	W	Forage Only	64	0.14	0.04
14	D	Forage + Grain	54	0.21	0.25
15	D	Forage Only	54	0.21	0.21
16	W	Forage + Grain	62	0.29	0.21
17	W	Forage Only	42	0.00	-0.18
18	W	Forage + Grain	57	0.21	0.07
19	W	Forage Only	60	0.57	0.46
20	W	Forage + Grain	54	0.21	0.32
21	W	Forage Only	56	0.07	0.04
22	D	Forage + Grain	64	0.29	0.29
23	D	Forage Only	52	0.43	0.18
24	D	Forage + Grain	58	0.21	0.18
25	W	Forage Only	59	0.21	0.14
26	W	Forage + Grain	51	0.36	0.18
27	W	Forage Only	51	0.43	0.04
28	W	Forage + Grain	55	0.14	0.25
29	W	Forage Only	49	0.36	0.04
30	W	Forage + Grain	60	0.43	0.25
31	W	Forage Only	52	0.29	0.18
32	W	Forage + Grain	52	-0.21	0.00
33	W	Forage Only	63	0.21	0.07
34	W	Forage + Grain	57	0.43	0.07
35	W	Forage Only	63	0.21	0.32
36	W	Forage + Grain	67	0.14	0.36
37	W	Forage Only	53	0.36	0.07
38	D	Forage + Grain	51	-0.07	0.00
39	D	Forage Only	45	0.36	0.04
40	W	Forage + Grain	43	0.64	0.00
41	W	Forage Only	.	.	.
42	W	Forage + Grain	49	0.14	-0.14
43	W	Forage Only	56	0.21	0.21
44	W	Forage + Grain	52	0.00	0.11
45	W	Forage Only	59	0.50	0.11
46	D	Forage + Grain	50	-0.07	0.21
47	W	Forage Only	60	-0.07	-0.07
48	W	Forage + Grain	69	0.07	0.18
49	W	Forage Only	50	0.43	0.18
50	W	Forage + Grain	47	0.14	0.11
51	D	Forage Only	56	0.21	0.18
52	D	Forage + Grain	56	0.36	0.18
53	D	Forage Only	43	0.14	0.04
54	D	Forage + Grain	50	0.00	0.14
56	W	Forage + Grain	48	0.50	0.21
58	W	Forage Only	39	0.07	0.07