There is a strong demand for mature male goats for meat, mostly from Caribbean Islanders. Goat carcasses look very similar to sheep carcasses when they are hanging on the rail. Goat kids are sold at lighter weights than market lambs. Meat goat kids bring a higher price per pound than lambs. Intact males are preferred to castrates in the market place.
Goats are just as susceptible to predators as other livestock.
Goats do not grow as fast as sheep or utilize feed as efficiently. Goats are picky eaters and do more sorting of feed ingredients. Unlike sheep, goats seem to tolerate copper in their diets and can be fed supplements containing copper, including broiler litter. Natural polledness is associated with an intersex condition in goats. This article was reprinted in the December 2000 issue of the American Sheep Industry News.