Wyatt Ferreira

WYATT FERREIRA , A NEW GENERATION OF MEAT GOAT PRODUCTION IN ARIZONA

ARTICLE BY TIFFANY SELCHOW

PHOTOS BY TINA MEAD-RAMIREZ

In a deserted area of Pinal County, an unexpected sound greets your ears: the clamor of bleating goats and 700 sets of hooves cruising through the desert. If you're lucky enough to hear them, you might even catch a glimpse of something not often seen in Arizona, much less the United States. It's a large flock of goats with their shepherd patrolled by four Great Pyrenees working dogs. Wyatt Ferreira, who comes from a cattle business, is setting out on what you might call an adventure in the goat business.

Goat meat, also called chevon and cabrito from adult goats, or capretto or kid from young animals, is a growing market. Ferreira says this was something he's always wanted to do and now the market is right. Growing up in California, goats were always an animal Ferreira enjoyed raising. His father even experimented in the goat raising business for a stint, but predator issues required a dispersal. This time around, the goat business is mainly the junior Ferreira’s idea, but it's all in the family. Corriente cattle, used for ropings, are the mainstay of the Ferreira’s Roping Cattle business. The senior Ferreira had always wanted to live in Arizona. With the Grand Canyon State being a hot spot for wintertime ropings, the move from California to Arizona a few years ago made sense.

Estimations stand that this is currently the largest flock of goats in Arizona and not only are they surviving, but they are also thriving in the harsh desert environment. While the stocking rate isn't specified, these animals require fewer inputs than other species and are willing to eat pretty much anything. Upon inspection of the land and forage deeded to the goat grazing, it would be difficult to discern if any animal had been turned out even after months of use.

On Ferreira's operation, bucks are turned out for a small period to ensure kidding in the fall with a rate of one buck per twenty does. The bucks are pure Boer, and the nannies are Spanish/ Boer crosses. After the kids are weaned, they head to a feed yard situation until they reach 90-100 pounds. A ration complete with vitamins and minerals is fed during this period with the result of a quarter-pound of gain per day. When the goats are done growing and ready for processing, California is their destination with a portion going to Texas.

Predator issues are always a concern with prey animals, but considering the terrain and remote location, Ferreira has experienced minimal depredation. Standard operating procedures are in place to help ensure this remains consistent. A hot wire fence is used to pen the goats in at night, along with supervision from a shepherd, who is part of a migrant worker program and has previous experience with sheep and goats. The protection dogs are another form of cheap insurance. Any losses that do happen are primarily due to coyotes.

The market for goat meat is growing in the United States, due to increased demand from the growing ethnic groups. Currently, the United States is importing more goat meat than exporting. According to a report written by Dr. JM Luginbuhl, Professor Emeritus of North Carolina University, this has been the case since 1991 (Luginbuhl, 2015). The eastern side of the country sees the most sales with New Holland, Pennsylvania being the leader and Hawaii being another large purchaser of goat meat. California is also a significant destination for the final product, which is a large export hub.

As a young entrepreneur, Wyatt Ferreira expresses his interest in staying in this market while it remains profitable. Each year new practices are put into place to improve his flock's productivity with homework done on the latest techniques in herd management. With a background of long-time livestock production, he's already a few steps ahead of the competition.

Luginbuhl, J. (2015) Is There a Market for Goat Meat in the US? Yes, There Is! Retrieved from https://meatgoats.ces.ncsu. edu/2015/08/is-there-a-market-for-goat-meat-in-the-us-yesthere-is/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tiffany Selchow, moonlighting as a freelance writer, works for the ranchers of Arizona by educating consumers on the many benefits of including beef in a healthy lifestyle with the Arizona Beef Council. Her horse crazy tendencies began by asking for one on her Christmas list as a young child and took her to Nelson Farms in Tucson, AZ where she rode and showed horses on a national level. That passion evolved and carried her into a life revolving around production agriculture. She lives and has taken up the role of ranch wife on the Quarter Circle U Ranch with her husband, the ranch manager, and their daughter Hayes.