Courtesy of Danielle Langloism, Wikipedia CCLCootamundra Kid
Cootamundra Kid runs a herd of 1,600 meat goats alongside sheep from their ranch in eastern Riverina, Australia.
In this story from Australia’s Weekly Times Now, Cootamundra’s owners discuss the effects of climate change and how they’re breeding for a composite meat/fiber goat suited to withstand rougher, hotter conditions.
The owners aim for two primary meat markets of domestic and export.
Feral and first-cross animals with heavier carcasses are sold into the lower price domestic market while Boer second-cross kids supply the capretto (baby goat) market in Australia and abroad.
An estimated 20,000 meat goats are slaughtered each week on Australia’s eastern seaboard alone, with Australia ranked as the world’s biggest goat exporter.
Goat meat is popular with ethnic and health conscious, but more education is needed to get goat into the mainstream, said Suzie McLelland, who runs Cootamundra with her husband and her parents.
“We aim to get goat meat onto the menu and off the specials board in restaurants,” McLelland said.
