“Rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum” — from memory, eight-year-old Luke Ikerd ticked off the names of a goat’s four stomachs.
Like cows, sheep and deer, goats are ruminants; they all have four stomachs to process food.
And that is only the beginning of what Luke knows about his 4-H project at the Lyon County Free Fair.
This is his second year to select meat goats as a project; his 11-year-old brother Lane has been active for four years.
In addition to taking care of the animals, the boys have done demonstrations, made posters and presented talks about meat goats for other 4-H competitions. They are well-versed in what it takes to produce a winner.
The boys have Boer goats, which originated in South Africa. Meat goats, they said, have shorter legs and are stockier. They have heavier frames than their dairy-goat counterparts.
“Mine weighs 95 pounds,” Luke said a few days before the meat goat competition got underway at the this year’s fair.
“It’s supposed to be 85, like mine,” Lane interjected.
Luke has been trying to manage his goat’s weight, but it has continued to thrive despite being placed on a diet. He wasn’t overly concerned a few minutes before competition on Saturday because another contestant brought a goat weighing 115 pounds.
By Saturday evening, the goats had been washed, blow-dried, and their hair cut and hooves trimmed before they were led into the show ring. The event was the culmination of months of preparation.
Although goats are known for their hearty and diverse appetites, the meat goats have been on a special diet, in addition to whatever else they may find to eat.
“Water, hay, and whatever — practically anything,” Luke said, adding that their goats get a blend of alfalfa, corn, milo, molasses and oats.
“Whenever we turn them out, they eat flowers and weeds,” he said.
They also enjoy bark, wood and shrubs.
The goat meat is good, the Ikerd boys agreed, and it is becoming more popular as other cultures are introduced in the Emporia area. It is a popular meat for holidays, and buyers may request a young goat for one event and an older, larger goat for another.
The meat is somewhat “stringy,” but it is lean and has little marbling or fat.
“It’s tender but stringy,” the boys’ mother, Deb Ikerd, said, recommending the meat to new consumers.
“I think one main reason is it has more protein,” she said. “It’s not as fat as a cow is and they’re more nutritious.”
Goat meat, though, is more expensive; tenderloin was selling last week at $22.95 per pound.
“And we can get it free,” Lane said.