Seminar looks at converting cattle dairies to meat goats

Goat Rancher columnist Dr. Frank Pinkerton will be one of the featured speakers at the Family Day on the Farm to be held Saturday, June 30, at the Harvey Zimmerman Farm in Pembroke, Ky. Pinkerton will be addressing a gathering of Kentucky dairy cattle producers who are finding it hard to compete in today’s mega-dairy environment. Adding meat goats to their operations could be an option for increasing profitability, Pinkerton said.

“Our goal is to offer dairy cattle owners selected meat goat management and marketing information to better inform them about the opportunities and constraints for making this change,” he said.

He will be joined by Dr. Ken Andries of Kentucky State University and Dr. Ken McMillin of Louisiana State University.

A variety of concurrent workshops and seminars will be held throughout the day. Other topics to be addressed are Beekeeping, cheesemaking, horse nutrition, human health and nutrition, produce marketing, financial help for young farmers, accident prevention and a children’s tent with fun activities.

The goat session schedule of events:

9:45/10:30: Dr. Frank Pinkerton: Meat Goat Industry Update (meat goat supply, demand; international competition, and the insatiable need for more domestic goats and goat meat).

10:30/11:15: Dr. Kenneth Andries: Goat Breeds (origin, characteristics, prices, availability; performance testing for genetic quality and profitability).

11:15/12:00: Dr. Ken McMillin: Goat marketing, farm to table (channels, carcass fabrication and characteristics, retailing practices and prices).

1:00/1:30: Dr. Ken Andries: Meat goat production systems, rotational grazing, economic returns.

1:30/2:20: Dr Frank Pinkerton: Dairy goat production systems, grazing vs confinement; cheesemaking and retailing goat milk.

2:20/3:20: Dr. Frank Pinkerton: Confinement meat goat systems (production, facilities, marketing, economic returns; sources of startup stock & hauling costsS).

3:20/4:30: Speakers and listeners for smaller groups for further discussion of topics of greatest industry.

For more information:

Ken Andries

Assistant Professor, Animal Science

CAFSSS

Kentucky State University

CEB 105/113

Office: 502-597-5094

Cell: 502-229-8719

e-mail: Kenneth.andries@kysu.edu