Another benefit of raising goats is the goat meat! Goat meat is lean with health benefits, learn how to prepare goat meat in our homesteading handbook below.
You are reading Chapter 11 of our Homestead Handbook:
Raising Backyard Goats
Chapter 11:
Goat Meat | What is Mutton?
Goat meat is called chevon or mutton. It is much lower in fat content compared to beef, pork, chicken or lamb. Most people prefer to butcher at home since their animals will not stress going places that are familiar. Most people will slaughter their animals with a gun and shoot them in the head or neck at the jugular vein. When shooting, it is recommended to aim in the middle of an imaginary X between the eyes and ears of a goat. Do not be alarmed if the body continues to jerk for a while even after it is dead. There are others, most who are religious; the will cut the jugular vein until it bleeds out because it is said to be less traumatic for the goat than shooting. When you are a beginner, it is easier to butcher an animal that is smaller since they will be easier to control, and you are not required to have a large surface area to do the job. A goat that is small enough to fit on top of your counter would be the best goat to use your first try. You also should have an experienced butcher around you, if possible.
When you are ready to slaughter the goat for meat, you could also use the skin as leather that way no part goes to waste. If you are not ready to butcher or skinning, you can get someone else to do this for you. Do not get too worked up on your first try to create perfect meat slices. If you are ready to butcher, you should at least have a bone saw, commercial refrigerator, and other butchering equipment at hand. As I mentioned earlier, goats have low body fat, so they cook faster. You will want to use low heat and cook it more slowly. Try not to overcook it or allow it to dry out.
That was Chapter 11: Goat Meat from our Homestead Handbook: Raising Goats
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