Texas Goat Numbers
Now Outstrip Sheep

SAN ANGELO — Texas goats now officially outnumber the state's sheep by 100,000 head. The numbers at the beginning of last year were the same at 1.35 million head.

At the beginning of this year, Texas goat numbers tallied 1.3 million head, down four percent. All the decline was in Angora goats, primarily due to drastically low mohair prices the last few years. A sharp mohair price advance late last year may tend to increase Angoras next year.

Meat goats, on the other hand, have been in good demand for several years and no letup in that demand appears in sight. In fact, an old lamb slaughtering plant in San Angelo is being reconditioned for slaughtering goats that will be ritually killed according to Koranic law. The meat is expected to meet the demand of Arab-Americans as well as be exported to Arab countries.

Several other slaughtering plants, including two in the San Angelo area, kill goats for local consumption as well as for the ethic demand along the East Coast. Many other Texas goats are shipped to the East Coast for slaughter.

The importation of Boer goats and semen has made tremendous inroads into the Texas meat goat population, and the Boer crosses have considerable improved the size and meat productivity of native Texas goats.

Angora goats in Texas totaled 370,000 head on January 1, down 33 percent from a year ago, according to the Texas Agricultural Statistics Service. Spanish and other goats were up 16 percent at 930,000 head, 43 percent more than two years ago.

Angora goats in Arizona were down five percent at 36,000 head on January 1, New Mexico numbers down 21 percent at 30,000 head. Goat numbers elsewhere in the country are not currently documented by USDA.