Thread: How do I know a goat is good for eating? What do I look for?

Sorry, novice question but if you can help a new guy out I'd appreciate it.

Young animal. Not stinky. Good to go.

Thanks, do I worry about diseases etc?

Not stinky definitely but..... I've somewhat changed my mind regarding older billies.... Here's a vid of me and a mate trying the fillets of an old billy. Was bloody delicious... I also slow cooked an older billy leg and within 3 hours was as tender as. I also tried the leg and fried the back steaks. I sampled them with friends as a test in case I just have shit taste buds! You would have thought it was hogget; was bloody beauty.

I'm a qualified butcher so know a little bit about meat and I think the key if you use a billy is that it's not working the nannies and not all pissed up and over. I practically live on goat. sure I pick the young ones if possible but still want to do more testing re the older billies...

Eating the fillets; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gdiiRIjet8&t=5s

The billy leg; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5rJdcZEyB4

Originally Posted by cally woo

Thanks, do I worry about diseases etc?

You're from the 'naki, yeah? You'll be alright, just use a condom.

Just avoid the ones with balls and your normally good to go

Greetings All,
I found the very young goats lacked a bit on flavour and would happily take the billies provided they passed the sniff test. Best I ever tried was a barren doe. She was twice the size of the others and covered with fat.
Regards Grandpamac.

I always check the liver and kidneys for spots and disease on all animals I shoot and want to eat, from deer, pigs etc so I would do the same on goats.

I preferentially shoot kids, then young nannies, then young billies. Maybe an older nanny if it's really hard going. I leave the big old billies alone.

I shot a Billy yonks ago. A real stinky.
Not even the dog would eat it.

This was the fattest wild goat I ever shot. A barren nanny; looked like a lamb!

They can have a few diseases.
This one had a scaury diarhoea problem that would make it hard to get clean meat off.
Goats and sheep share some diseases but I don't think humans can catch sheep measles
Occasionally you see pox like lumps around the groin but again I don't think people catch them.
Probably the main thing is don't eat one that looks unusually thin or sick or has obvious infection on the outside from an injury or something.

I never eat any that are larger than a standard sized GSP, and just wack the back legs off. Wrapped in bacon and slow BBQ'd they are exceptional.

In NZ wild animals, I think it `s all ok. If you are not sure, roast it or slow cook.

Young goat and not stinky. Backstrap or eye fillet cut to smaller pieces and fry with salt, pepper, cooking wine, onion and ginger.