Six years of testing
A pasture-based meat goat performance test was initiated at the University of Maryland's Western Maryland Research & Education Center (WMREC) in Keedysville, Maryland in 2006. The test is sponsored by University of Maryland Extension (UME).
The purpose of the test is to evaluate the post-weaning performance of male goats consuming a pasture-only diet with natural
exposure to gastro-internal parasites, primarily Haemoncus contortus (the
barber pole worm) . The test also provides the opportunity to evaluate the
performance of meat goats under typical Mid-Atlantic production conditions. 
Each year, male goats, of any breed or breed cross, are tested at the Western Maryland facility. While on test, the goats are evaluated for growth performance, parasite resistance (FEC) and parasite resilience (FAM), and carcass merit.
They are managed as a single group on pasture from early-June until late September. They do not receive any supplemental feed, other than free choice minerals containing a coccidiostat. Though sometimes, drought conditions have necessitated the feeding of nutritional tubs and/or grass hay.
The pasture resource consists of five, two-acre paddocks containing primarily orchardgrass, Max Q™ tall fescue, chicory, and dwarf pearl millet. The goats always have access to a central laneway containing port-a-hut shelters, mineral feeders, water, a treatment pen, and a handling system. The goats are handled every 14 days to determine their body weights, FAMACHA©, body condition, coat condition, and dag scores. Low stress livestock handling techniques are emphasized (no handling by the horns). Fecal samples are collected every 14 days.
Toward the end of the test period, the goats are scanned to determine carcass characteristics. They are evaluated for structural correctness and reproductive soundness.
Bucks meeting Gold, Silver, or Bronze standards of performance for growth, parasite resistance, and parasite resilience are eligible to sell.
For more information about the test, visit the blog at http://mdgoattest.blogspot.com. All pertinent documents can be downloaded from the blog.REPORTS FROM PRIOR TEST YEARS
Contact a member of the goat test committee for more information: Susan Schoenian (UME-WMREC), Jeff Semler (UME-Washington County), Willie Lantz (UME-Garrett County), David Gordon (UME-Montgomery County), Dr. E. Nelson Escobar (UMES), Dr. Mary Beth Bennett (WVU-Berkeley County), and/or Dr. Dahlia Jackson O'Brien (DSU). The test is open to goat breeders from any state.
Created or last updated
by Susan Schoenian on
07-Apr-2012.
Susan Schoenian is the Sheep & Goat Specialist at the University of Maryland's Western Maryland Research & Education Center. She has been with University of Maryland Extension (UME) since 1988. Previously, she served as Farm Management Specialist for Maryland's nine Eastern Shore counties and as a county agent in Wicomico County. Her first professional job was as Sheep Specialist for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. While in West Virginia, Susan was certified as a USDA livestock grader and market news reporter. Susan earned her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Animal Science from Virginia Tech and Montana State University, respectively. She raises purebred and crossbred Katahdin sheep on her small farm called The Baalands in Clear Spring, Maryland.