By Gordon B. Richardson II What's the hottest thing going in show animals today? Bet you wouldn't have guessed meat goats. Meat goat popularity has skyrocketed in the past few years, and it's evident at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Not only are more Texas farmers and ranchers adding meat goat production to their repertoire, but the number of youngsters who choose meat goats as 4-H or FFA projects has grown at an astounding rate. Last year, the Williamson County Meat Goat Show was standing room only and had more than 500 goats tagged for the show. That was a 26 percent increase from the previous year. Not to be outdone, the 1999 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's Junior Market Goat Show set a record with more than 600 goats in the competition. So why all the excitement? It can be traced directly to the increase in popularity over the past few years of meat goats. Meat goats have increased in popularity for several reasons. Goats are tough animals capable of surviving on a diet that is not as particular as that of other sources of milk and meat, such as cattle. For this reason, goats were a common sight on European explorers' ships. These explorers brought the first goats to Texas in the early 1540s. Goats thrived in Texas, because they could adapt to the seemingly harsh environment. These feral goats became known as "Spanish goats" or "brush goats." "Goats, when compared to other livestock, are low maintenance," says Kevin Huff, a central Texas goat rancher. "Not only are they easy to maintain, but they are very good for our land management as well. They eat cedar saplings and weeds and a lot of unwanted brush," said Huff. Traditionally, in the United States, goats have not been considered as a meat source, but the commercial market for meat goats has grown at a steady pace in recent years. The market has experienced a cultural shift, making goat meat more popular. Across the country, and especially in the Southwest, there is a substantial demand for goat meat.
Management tactics of goat herd owners have changed to increase the size and meat characteristics of their animals. Through natural selection, Spanish goats had become small and lean. But goat raisers wanted to turn their herds into better meat producers. In the mid-1990s, the Boer goat from South Africa was introduced to Texas, which, when bred with the established Spanish goat, produced a larger, meatier animal. Today, this Spanish/Boer crossbreed is the predominant meat goat in Texas. The livestock shows in Texas followed this meat-producing trend, with more and more shows offering a meat goat competition. Now, meat goat shows are part of every major show in the state, and they are prominent in county shows in West Texas. "I have about 60 to 80 students each year with meat goat projects," said Parks Tucker, the agricultural science teacher at San Angelo's Lakeview High School. Tucker stated that a "level playing field" and a lower cost are some of the reasons that exhibitors choose to raise meat goats. "A 9-year-old has as good a chance to win with his goat as a 17-year-old," said Tucker. "It is not as physically demanding as say, showing a lamb. It also seems like there is an ample supply of quality show goats, so that everyone has a shot at placing in a show." Tucker said that his school expects to send about 10 goats to Houston this year. A meat goat project is also desirable because of the low cost of acquiring and raising the animal. Show goats are not as pricey as show-quality lambs or hogs might be. Allison Davis, a Midland County Extension Agent, believes that price and labor are big factors in the recent boom in meat goat projects in her county. "We have seen the goats replace a percentage of our lamb projects this year," said Davis. "The students are attracted by the lower cost and the relative ease of the project, compared to lambs. Meat goats are definitely the hot project." The rise in popularity of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo meat goat show demanded some changes. In 1999, the Wether Goat Show was changed to the Junior Market Goat Show, and the event went from an open show to a junior show. Did that slow the growth? Not quite -- the number of goats almost doubled. "The participation in the Junior Market Goat Show has grown exponentially over the past three years," said John Sykes, assistant general manager, Agricultural Exhibits and Competition Department. "One of our biggest problems is finding room for all of them." The Show allows each exhibitor to bring up to two goats for the show. It also accommodates students who want to bring goats and a lamb. The Junior Market Goat Show is practically a one-day affair. The goats arrive on a Sunday night and are weighed and inspected. The next morning they show, and they leave that afternoon. Meanwhile, the market lambs are in Rosenberg, Texas, at the sift. Exhibitors with both goats and a lamb are able to drop their lambs in Rosenberg, show their goats on Monday morning, and get back to handle their lambs at the sift. "Sometimes that requires a little help from their ag teacher or a friend, but it works out pretty good," said Tucker. The Show is not sure what changes it will have to make to accommodate future Junior Market Goat Shows. Possibly, exhibitors will be restricted to one goat each, or a sift, similar to the lamb sift, might be held. One thing is certain: the staggering growth of the meat goat's popularity is reshaping the landscape of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo as well as other
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