Goat Industry An Overview of the Goat Industry in Georgia

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Goat IndustryAn Overview of the Goat Industry in
Georgia

Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum
Office Dr. Frank Flanders and Scott
Register September 2006
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Objectives

• Students will be able to
• Explain the importance of the goat industry in
  Georgia.
• Explain the significance of the three categories
  goats are utilized for.
• Identify key facts about each of the three
  categories.
• Name 5 or more of the 13 major goat breeds.
• Name the top three goat producing counties.

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Why is the goat industry important?

• Most of the goat industry in Georgia is in the
  meat market, but worldwide more people drink goat
  milk then cow milk.
• Goats were one of the first domesticated animal.
• There are over 2 million goats in the US, half
  are meat goats.
• Georgia has the second largest meat goat
  population surpassed only by Texas.

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Goat Products
Goats are classified into 3 main types 1. Meat
2. Dairy 3. Mohair Within each
category there are several common breeds
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Dairy Goat Breeds

• There are 6 major dairy breeds
• Alpine
• LaMancha
• Nubian
• Oberhasli
• Saanen
• Toggenburg

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Dairy Goats

• More goats milk is consumed worldwide than cows
  milk.
• Goat milk has a more easily digestible fat and
  protein content than cow milk.
• A dairy doe may be milked the same way as a dairy
  cow
• with either a machine or by hand
• The same care is taken for the milk and the doe
  as taken with a dairy cow.
• Goat milk is used for drinking, cooking and
  baking.
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• It is used to make cheese, butter, ice cream,
  yogurt, candy, soap and other body products.
•  
• Goat milk is whiter than whole cow milk.
  Therefore, products made with it are white, but
  may be colored during processing.

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Meat Goat Breeds

• There are 5 major meat breeds
• Nubian
• Boer
• Pygmy
• Spanish
• Myotonic

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Meat Goats

• Goat is the most highly consumed meat in the
  world.
• Meat from goats is known as chevon.
• It is a very popular product worldwide, and
  gaining popularity in the US.
• A major challenge facing the meat goat industry
  is the need to create a wider range of products
  that will appeal to more (or newer) clientele
  consumers while still meeting the needs of
  existing consumers.

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Mohair Goat Breeds

• There are 2 major dairy breeds
• Angora
• Cashmere

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Mohair Goats

• The mohair goat is a variety that originated in
  Turkey, centering around the region of Angora.
• The average goat in the U.S. shears approximately
  5.3 pounds of mohair per shearing and are usually
  sheared twice a year.

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Goat Production in Georgia
In 2004 the counties with the most
Head of Goats (total Nannies) 1. Carroll
5,700 2. Coffee 5,000 3. Laurens
5,000 4. Atkinson 4,800 5. Banks
4,000 6. Tift 3,000 7. Meriwether
2,500 8. Screven 2,500 9. Warren
2,500 10. Habersham 2,250
Average Value 1. Carroll 570,000 2. Coffee 500
,000 3. Laurens 500,000 4. Atkinson 480,000 5.
Banks 400,000 6. Tift 300,000 7. Meriwether
250,000 8. Screven 250,000 9. Warren 250,000 1
0. Washington 240,000
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Interesting Facts

• Goats were domesticated as early as 7000 BC. They
  were brought to North America with sheep in the
  early 1600's.
• A goat has only two teats for milking whereas a
  cow has four.
• Many people who are allergic to cow's milk can
  digest goat's milk without difficulty.
• Goats most commonly give birth to twins.

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Assessment

• 1. Name 5 or more different breeds of goats.
• 2. Which of the following is the most accurate
  about the number of goats in the US?
• A. 1 Million B. 2 Million C. Less than
  1,000 D. Over 1 Billion
• 3. One half of the total goat population is used
  for ______.
• A. Milk B. Wool C. Meat D. None of
  these
• 4. Georgia has the second greatest goat
  population second only to____.
• A. California B. Texas C. Florida
  D. Indiana
• 5. What are the three most common categories that
  goats are classified as?
• 6. More goat milk is consumed worldwide than is
  cow milk.
• A. True B. False
• 7. As compared to cow milk, goat milk is______.
• A. Whiter B. Darker C. Cleaner D.
  Dirtier
• 8. Worldwide, beef is the only meat that is
  consumed more than Goat.
• A. True B. False
• 9. On average a mohair goat produces ______
  pounds of wool per shearing.
• A. 2.4 B. 20.4 C. 10.6 D. 5.3
• 10. Name three of the top 5 goat producing
  counties in Georgia.

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Quiz Key

• 1. Alpine, LaMancha, Nubian, Oberhasli, Saanen,
  Toggenburg,
• Nubian, Boer. Pygmy, Spanish, Myotonic,
• Angora, and Cashmere
• 2. B. 2 Million
• 3. C. Meat
• 4. B. Texas
• 5. Dairy, Meat, Mohair
• 6. A. True
• 7. A. Whiter
• 8. B. False
• 9. D. 5.3
• 10. Carroll, Coffee, Laurens, Atkinson, and Banks
  
•  

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References

• http//www.georgiastats.uga.edu/crossection.html
• agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/livestock/meatgoat/mea
  t_goat.pdf
• http//members.tripod.com/duhgoatman/dgi.htm